FIAR: Owl Moon

As I have mentioned before, we are participating in a Five In a Row literacy co-op this year.  We are working our way through the books in Volume 1.  However, we deviated to Volume 2 for this weeks book.  We opted to read Owl Moon by Jane Yolen.  Owls - October - Halloween... I don't know, I guess that was our line of thinking.

Last week, I snagged an awesome deal.  I found a copy of the book for $1.98 at my new favorite place HALF PRICE BOOKS!!!  (It is a bibliophile's dream!!!!)  I got other deals and steals for the kiddos including another FIAR book in the clearance section for 50 cents, but I grabbed some books to add to my growing TO BE READ pile as well.  Yahoo!!!

In reading Owl Moon, we had the opportunity to study several different subjects including: owls, the moon, measures of time, New Jersey, and similes.  Although, admittedly, the majority of our study focused on the animal itself.  My babies love critters.  We talked about different types of owls, where owls live, what owls eat, the sounds owls make, and characteristics of the owl's body.  Caleb has added the word nocturnal to his vocabulary and has been using it a lot. 

Today, our FIAR co-op met at a different site.  Instead of being cooped up in an extension office meeting room, we met at the Salato Wildlife Center...  aka the game farm to our Frankfort friends.  The kids had a chance to color pictures of nocturnal animals, create a nature journal, and listen to a presentation on owls.  A gentleman was kind enough to bring a Barred Owl for the kids to see as well as a gadget that made owl calls, a skeleton, wings, etc.  The kids really enjoyed it, and Mr. Caleb fired off many questions for the man to answer.  His first was "Why is the owl awake? He's nocturnal."  He also wanted to talk about carnivores and then compared the owl to a Pteranodon and Pterodactyl.  Hmmm... does the dinosaur obsession ever end?

Once we completed the inside activities, we headed outside for a nature walk and some tracking.  We took lots of time to stop, listen, and look.  We followed the path to the outdoor classroom for a snack, and then concluded.  The kids are enjoying our FIAR co-op, and we look forward to meeting together again in a couple weeks.

FIAR: Papa Piccolo

As part of our Five in a Row studies, this past week, we read through Carol Talley's Papa Piccolo.  This was a wonderful story!  Set in Venice, Italy, we had some great geography lessons and now have somewhat of an obsession with gondolas.  After our co-op met on Wednesday, the kids were crawling around the house "meowing" and hopping on and off the furniture (aka: their gondolas).  While not the best thing to promote the long life of my couches, I have to admite it was very cute.  Also, I love seeing them excited about what they are learning.  I know it is sinking in when they PLAY what we are studying.

REGATTA!!!  The co-op kids are proudly displaying their Italian flags and boats.

My 3 cuties are so proud of their gondolas (folded paper boats Mom found online) and flags!

Can't beat school in jammies :-)  Kids working on their Papa Piccolo lapbook components.

Madeline - FIAR CO-OP & Lapbook

As part of our homeschooling curriculum this year, the kids and I are working through Five In A Row Volume 1.  To begin, we chose to read Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans. The concept of FIAR is to read the book five days in a row completing cross-curricular activities each day.  Throughout the week the kids learned about summetry, the digestive system, good health habits, Paris, France, and elements of art.

Through the local M-I-N-D homeschool group, I have linked up with other families in a FIAR Co-op.  We will meet the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month to complete some group activities based on the selected book.  Today, we got together to meet and greet and spend some time reviewing Madeline.  Overall, my kiddos did well and enjoyed the new experience.  We are looking forward to getting to know the other participants better throughout the year.

Jeremiah & Caleb showing off their self-created innards :-)

Rachel posing by her digestive system.

The FIAR book has a wide range of activities to complete.  In addition, I have come to love the Homeschool Share website.  It has so many wonderful activities, and even has an entire page dedicated to FIAR.  Using printables from this site, the kids and I completed our very first lapbook.  A lapbook is made from a file folder and includes any combination you choose of minit books, lift-the-flaps, pockets, accordian folds, etc.  All three of the little ones were able to be involved at varying/appropriate levels, and Momma took care of the assembly.  (I know...  in the future, I need to turn over the reigns, but we are talking about a 3, 4, and 5 year old with glue and scissors???? AGHHH!)  Here's pics of our first creation.

Front

 Inside

Inside with Center Flap Lifted