I like to think of myself somewhere in the middle of academic and play based.

I have monthly learning goals that contain:

1-2 letters
1-2 numbers
1-2 colors
1-2 shapes
1 science concept
1 opposite pair
1 positive social goal
1 theme each week (depending on the theme and interest we will do two weeks)

I stress to parents that these are just goals and I just introduce the material to the kids. It is not stressful and if a child walks away from one month not being able to recognize a triangle - it is okay. Same with the themes. I have found (especially now that so many kids get so much screen time) that children are not introduced to as many different things and events as they used to be. The themes help me to be organized and they help introduce the children to things they may have not otherwise been introduced to. To help with this, I get about 8 books for each theme and we read them daily.

Everything is done is a very hands on play based way. This week we are exploring fall. So far we have sung a song about falling leaves, counted and sorted leaves, explored leaves with a magnifying glass, gone on a "color of the month" scavenger hunt though the house, thrown leaves up in the air and down on the ground (opposite pair this month is up/down) played a game of sink or float using leaves, pine cones and acorns and made a hand print fall tree and a fall scene.

For art, I never make an example piece and I tell parents art is about the process not the outcome. Our fall trees yesterday were a perfect example. I had one child who took his time carefully making his fingerprint leaves and one other child who dove into the paint and finger painted the entire sheet covering her tree - they both had fun and they both were proud of their work.

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