Calendar time

We start out each school day with calendar time. It signals the shift in our morning--school has started, and it's time to focus. It's also good practice for Alina. This is the only "school" activity that she has to participate in... after calendar time, she runs off to play.  

We follow the same pattern every day. First we practice some slow, deep breathing, and the girls and I take turns with coming up with fun ways to do this. Some favorites are "curtain breathing" (made by Alina; you start with your hands over your face, and take a deep breath in while moving your hands out and away), the yoga move "cat/cow," and full body breathing (lie on the floor, and take in a deep breath while lifting up your legs and arms into the air). I don't participate in that last one right now, being 35+ weeks pregnant! 

Next we look at their calendars and figure out what date and day of the week it is. We have a "days of the week" song that we sometimes sing, and around the turn of the month we sing about the months of the year. Then, they get to color in the day on the calendar. A big favorite is the first day of the month, when they get to color the whole calendar picture. 

While they color in the day, I read to them a seasonal poem. 

After is singing time. In October we sang some fun little songs about falling leaves and apple picking, complete with motions and dancing for swirling wind, falling leaves, and shaking an apple tree. This month we've been alternating between the "Turkey Hokey Pokey," the "Pumpkins on the Vine," "If You're Thankful and You Know It," and an old hymn, "Psalm 100." 

I'm extra excited for our December calendar time--Christmas poems, Christmas verses, and Christmas songs! 

It takes about 5 minutes, depending on how wiggly they are. Then Anya and I are off to the table for math, and Alina takes off to play.