k is for kitten: books

A couple weeks ago we reviewed the letter "k" and spent some time learning about kittens. Jonathan really liked this (as did Grace) since they like seeing the kittens down at their Nana's farm. So here are some of the books we enjoyed:





Kittens 

The Color Kittens by Margaret Wise Brown

This classic Golden book is about two little kittens, Brush and Hush, who with their paint cans and brushes paint all the colors in the world. It's an excellent first concept book for toddlers and teaches color mixing. Jonathan is fascinated by color mixing and carried this book around with him for a couple days.

If You See a Kitten by John Butler

Super sweet book that goes through what one would say if one sees a particular animal. It's a fun book that really invites reader participation! Jonathan had fun imitating me as I read it aloud over lunch time. We said "Ahhh" over cuddly kittens and "Pee-eww!" at dirty pigs. I love Butler's warm illustrations-- it's a great book for sharing with your toddler.

The Little Kitten by Judy Dunn

This is a 1980's "classic" I remember reading as a child. The story and photographs tell the story of a little girl named Jenny and her little kitten Pickle. Pickle is a curious kitten who gets into several scrapes. The book follows kitten as she gets into trouble and Jenny repeatedly rescues her. It's a cute story that I read to Jonathan and Grace over lunchtime one day. Jonathan especially enjoyed looking at the photographs and told daddy about the book afterwards. I think he especially liked the book because his Nana has a new kitten. :)

Three Little Kittens by Paul Galdone*


This is a retelling of the classic nursery rhyme that Jonathan really enjoyed. Galdone's illustrations are so lively and full of interesting details that I found appealing as well. We sang the nursery rhyme as we read the book and Jonathan liked laughing at the naughty kittens. Really, this is a wonderful version of the rhyme and is worth adding to your home library!

Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes*

Oh my, Jonathan just loved this Caldecott winner! It's a story about a little kitten who mistakes the moon for a bowl of milk. The kitten does all he can to try to obtain the bowl of milk, resulting in several mishaps. But after all of his misadventures finds a bowl of milk waiting on the porch. It's such a simple story told in shaded black and white illustrations. Jonathan loved this book and requested it several times right before bed. We'll be buying this one for sure!

The Tale of Tom Kitten by Beatrix Potter

I remember enjoying Beatrix Potter's stories when I was a child and have a vague memory of liking Tom Kitten. It's a simple tale of three little kittens who are dressed in their best clothes only to lose their clothes while playing outside. Unfortunately, it didn't hold Jonathan's attention at age 2 1/2. I think it would be better suited for preschool aged children, so we'll try it again when he's a bit older.

That's Not my Kitten by Fiona Watt

This was a book I checked out for Grace since she's really enjoying touchy-feely books lately. It's a simple book (like the rest in the series) that shows different kittens saying "that's not my kitten" and giving a reason why until the last page shows the correct kitten. . Each page has a texture to feel and Grace enjoyed patting the "kitties" as much as I thought she would. It's a great series for young toddlers.







*Denotes a favorite that we highly recommend!

Tot School: k is for kitten and kite (32 months)

32 months

This week Jonathan and I didn't accomplish as much as I hoped. Saturday night he came down with croup and we took him in to the ER. The rest of the week he wasn't croupy, but still had a rough cold. 

Bible & Character 

We focused on Gideon this week during our Bible time. Jonathan was so cute. He had fun pretending to blow a trumpet and say "for the sword of the LORD and for Gideon!" I'll share a little more on Weds.

We continued also focusing on the character trait of attentiveness. We talked about paying attention vs. being distracted. And we played a fun listening game... more on that on Monday. :)

Books, Nursery Rhymes, and Read Alouds 

The heart of our week is the books we read. This week we read lots of books about kittens and kites. What else is there to do when you're sick besides books and movies?

• The Color Kittens by Margaret Wise Brown
• If You See a Kitten by John Butler
• The Little Kitten by Judy Dunn
• Three Little Kittens by Paul Galdone
• Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
• The Tale of Tom Kitten by Beatrix Potter
• The Berenstain Bears: We Like Kites by Stan Berenstain
• Kite Flying by Grace Lin
• Let's Fly a Kite by Stuart J. Murphy
• The Kite by Mary Packard
• Curious George Flies a Kite by Margaret Rey

Gross Motor 

We played with our cardboard blocks and built tunnels:

And we also tried to fly a kite on a windy day, but we don't have pictures of our kite attempts (none were successful!)




Art 


We didn't get to do much besides coloring and tracing this week, as Jonathan was sick and wasn't up for being crafty. Here's one craft I wanted to do, in conjunction with the nursery rhyme Three Little Kittens:

Source: daniellesplace.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Math

We made kites using our beginner pattern blocks. One of our kite books talked about symmetry, so this was a helpful extension:

These are way too easy for him at this point, but he still has fun. He decided to do every one:

So that was our short week this week. Be sure to check out our current giveaways! 

We are linking up to these lovely blog parties! 

Tot School: 13.5 Months- k is for kitten

Grace is 13.5 Months Old

I'm very thankful that Grace hasn't seemed to be affected too much by Jonathan's croupy cold. She has a bit of a cough and we're running a humidifier in her room, but that's about it. So we were able to do a few things together. She's been more the focus this week, since Jonathan was feeling sick and out of sorts.


Books 


This week Jonathan and I talked about kittens and kites and read several related books aloud. Grace almost always listens in, as we do a lot of reading at the lunch table. But I try to pick out a theme-related book for Grace. This week we read:

That's Not My Kitten... (Ubsorne Touch Feely) by Fiona Watt

Grace just loves touchy-feely books, and this popular Usborne series has plenty of wonderful books for infants and young toddlers. Grace enjoyed patting the kittens on each page and I think she even tries to say "kitty" now. It's a short enough book to allow you and your baby good snuggly time and to get them used to sitting and reading with you. Grace likes turning the pages back and forth and she's starting to grasp the idea that one reads a book from left to right, which is an important pre-reading skill!



Motor Skills 


Grace still loves push toys. She isn't walking independently, but she keeps trying out different push toys and even has figured out how to move our ottoman around! We had some nice Fall days this week and she had a lot of fun pushing the wagon outside:

She's so proud of herself-- she can be interested in this for quite some time! She's also started trying to let go and stand-- only for about ten seconds at a time, but much longer than last week!

She also really liked her Crawl Along Snail this week and would clap her hands and dance along with the music:

Early Learning Fun

We also played with our early lacing beads. She wasn't able to lace them yet, but she had fun putting them in a muffin tray: I talked about what colors and shapes they were as she played with each one:

We also played with our LeapFrog magnets. I put them on a cookie tray and let her move them around: I talked about the letters and the sounds they make.

And she had fun putting them on and off our French doors. She figured out that they don't stick to the glass:

So that was Grace's week!

k is for kangaroo and koala- books

We read several books last week as part of our "k is for kangaroo" and "k is for koala" week. I highlighted them in Sunday's Tot School post, but here's some more detailed reviews for other children's bibliophiles:



A Kangaroo's World by Emily Arnold
A Koala's World by Emily Arnold


These are part of a series on Australian animals. Each book traces the life of a baby kangaroo or koala during their its year. They spend a significant part of the year in their mother's pouches and then begin to explore the world on their own. These books are a little lengthy for toddlers- preschoolers and younger elementary students would get the most out of them. We did enjoy them, however. I read these books to Jonathan and Grace over lunchtime and sometimes, but not often, simplified the information on each page. Jonathan had particular fun pulling out the other animals in each story from his Land Down Under Toob.

Koala Lou by Mem Fox

This is a story about a little koala, Koala Lou, who is loved by everyone, especially her mommy. Her momma often tells her "Koala Lou, I DO love you!". But as their family grows, Koala Lou's mommy gets busier and Koala Lou longs to hear those words again. She trains for the Bush Olympics and plans to get her mother's attention and love (which she, of course, never lost in the first place). It's a sweet story that is ideal for children who have younger siblings at home. Jonathan enjoyed this one a lot.

Can You Cuddle Like a Koala? by John Butler

I'd heard of John Butler before on other blogs, but this was our first exposure to him. It's a sweet cuddly story meant for reading before bedtime. It asks children if they can imitate different actions that animals do- cuddle like a koala, leap like a frog, swing like a monkey. The soft illustrations are absolutely charming and it was a favorite that Jonathan requested repeated.

I Love You, Blue Kangaroo! by Emma Chichester Clark

This is the first in a series about a little girl who has a favorite lovie, "blue kangaroo". She brings blue kangaroo to bed with her every night and says "I Love You, Blue Kangaroo!" But as the girl grows up, she gets more stuffed animals and blue kangaroo starts to get worried that he'll be replaced. It explores familiar themes (jealousy, insecurity) for preschoolers. Lily isn't always the best example (such as in sharing) but overall the story is well worth reading and talking about with your little one. Jonathan keeps talking about "blue kangaroo" and we may have to check out more of this series!

K is for Kissing a Cool Kangaroo by Giles Andreae

This is a humorous alphabet book that leaves you and your little one with plenty to search and discover. Each page introduces the capital and lowercase letter and is accompanied by a detailed picture which includes animals and other items which begin with the featured letter. There are lots of things for your little one to discover in each picture and Jonathan had fun pointing out the items mentioned in each little tongue twister.

What do you do with a Kangaroo? by Mercer Mayer

This is a funny book about a spunky little girl who faces off with some bossy animals who want her things. It's fun and clever, but was a little bit lengthy for Jonathan. I'd recommend it for preschool and lower elementary. I think we'll retry when Jonathan is around that age.


We are sharing this post with these book blog carnivals.

Tot School: k is for kangaroo and koala

Jonathan is 32 Months

This week has gone much more smoothly, so we were able to do a little more "Tot School". We turned our focus to the letter "Kk" and learned about two Australian animals: the kangaroo and koala!

Bible & Character 


We also learned about Joshua this week and read several stories about the biblical hero. We also started focusing on different character traits/godly habits.  We recently bought this book which focuses on 12 different habits and how they are lived out in different settings. My plan is to do one habit a month, and supplement with different activities. So look for upcoming posts about these topics!

Books 


The heart of all of our learning adventures is reading. I've really resonated with the Charlotte Mason philosophy of surrounding children with "living books". So, each week we try to read a lot of picture books about our subject. It's meant to be a fun way to get them interested in what we're learning about.

This week, we read (favorites are marked with a *)


Kangaroos: 

• A Kangaroo's World by Caroline Arnold
• I Love You Blue Kangaroo! by Emma Chichester Clark
• What do You do With a Kangaroo? by Mercer Mayer
• Katy-No Pocket by Emmy Payne*

Koalas: 

• A Koala's World by Caroline Arnold
• Can You Cuddle Like a Koala? by John Butler*
• Koala Lou by Mem Fox

Geography 


We did a little mini-geography lesson about Australia. We recently got a Hugg a Planet globe pillow and talked about where Australia was on the map. Both Jonathan and Grace really enjoy our soft globe:

It's great for cuddling!

I live here! (kind of)

We also used some free three-part Australian animal cards and matched up animals from our Safari Land Down Under Toob. Jonathan loves to play with his animals. Every time one would be mentioned in a story, he'd find that animal (dingo, cockatoo, platypus, etc.).

Art 


We made a kangaroo:

and a koala:

I cut out the animals, but Jonathan did the gluing and placing "all by myself".

We also did some coloring with Grace this week, along with a page from our Kumon Let's Color! Workbook. Jonathan is understanding that he needs to color inside the lines, but doesn't always have the fine motor control to do so:

Fine Motor Skills 


Jonathan loves puzzles lately too. He's so proud to tell me when he does a puzzle "all by myself!". We did several puzzles lately:

Doing a 12-Piece Melissa & Doug puzzle

Doing his 24 pc transportation floor puzzle

Sensory Play/Math 


We played with our fall sensory bin and tried to make ABAB patterns, along with other sorting/counting activities (look for a Montessori Monday post tomorrow with more extension ideas).

Scooping apples

A Gourd/Pinecone Pattern

So those are the reading and learning adventures we did this week. We are linking up to these fantastic blogs. Have a great weekend- thanks for stopping by!