Tot School - Week 5

- Adam is 31 months old -

This week we read Angus Lost by Marjorie Flack as our book for Before Five in a Row. The story is about a little Scottie dog who is bored with the “same old things” and decides to go on an adventure. He quickly learns that he’d rather be home and quite likes the “same old things”.

After we read it the first time, we talked about how it’s ok to be curious like Angus, but that Adam needs to ask Mommy before exploring outside alone. He agreed that he didn’t want to get lost like Angus.

We’ve been learning new signs and reviewing ones he knows with each book (I just keep forgetting to to write it down here). The signs this week were all a review of ones he knows: dog, car, snow, and wind.

For activities to go along with our book, Adam played with a little Angus dog and reenacted the scene when Angus has to hide in a cave to wait out a snow storm.

We checked out a book from the library all about dogs and talked about the different breeds. I taught him that Nana and Papa’s dogs are K.C. Rio the Labrador and Zoe the Minpin (Miniature Pinscher).

He pretended to be a dog.

He colored different dogs and helped staple a little flap book together.

He attempted to do this file folder game where he sorts dogs by long legs and short legs (in the story, Angus meets a Collie who’s legs are longer than his so he can’t keep up as they run down the road). He had more fun pulling the velcro off than sorting.

We attempted to play a Dog Lotto game but this was after he’d been out all morning in the sun and was tired and grouchy so it didn’t go over very well.
I’d like to say that I planned this, but he was tired one afternoon so I let him watch a movie. I encouraged him to choose Lady and the Tramp because he had never seen it and I was tired of Cars and Toy Story. When Jock the Scottish Terrier came on I was thrilled to point out that he was a dog like Angus! Too bad I can’t take credit for smartly tying in a movie with our book! :)

We also read Angus and the Ducks and Angus and the Cat which are also by Marjorie Flack. I like being able to tie in other books that relate to the book we are focusing on!

Other Tot School activities weren’t very thought out this week. My fault. I’m still struggling with a baby who needs lots of help going to sleep. Thankfully the past couple of days have been better so I’m hoping we’ll make it through!

One morning as I was fighting with Abby to go to sleep, I was grateful that Adam was quiet somewhere but a bit worried about the silence. After about 30 minutes, I finally got her to sleep and when I went to find Adam, he was downstairs doing his pattern blocks all by himself! He had gotten them out and was happily doing “Top School” by himself. So cute!

A neighbor recently gave me a few toys that her kids had outgrown and among them is was a little game called Puppy Pals Bingo. You take turns drawing cards that either have a color, shape, or pattern on them and then you see if you have the matching dog house on your game board. He LOVES this game! He gets annoyed after a few minutes of playing by the rules, but that doesn’t stop him from asking to play this over and over again. Thanks Stacey for the great new Tot Toy!

My little sister Annie was playing in a soccer tournament at the park that is just a mile from our house so we went to a game on Thursday and a game on Friday. Adam loves going to Annie’s soccer games. He just roams around, eating snacks, and playing with other kids. It’s so nice to be outside even if it is HOT!

Annie is in the blue

Nice throw!

There were some tractor/huge lawn mowers nearby and Adam had just had to climb up and pretend to drive. This kid loves machines!

I am trying to get organized and finally made a complete list of all my art supplies, manipulatives, games, and anything else Tot School related. Now I can actually plan out what I’ll put in his toy trays each day and mark off when we do each thing to avoid always going to the same things over and over again.

Head over to 1+1+1=1 for links to other blogs doing Tot School!