Week 5, the letter N and the number 5

So I changed some things up a bit this week since it is our first official week in October.  We started with the letter N and the number 5.  During our morning circle time I'm now having Connor make the sound of the letter and counting to the number we are doing.  He seemed to do pretty well with it.  Emma is also getting in on the letters and numbers. She could probably start kinder with him. . .HA HA, just kidding.

Counting and matching

So we are going to work on his numbers now, counting to the number 20.  He is so good at counting. . .to 13 and then it gets crazy after that.  So I wrote the numbers on the back of the "nuts" and he had to match them and then we would say the number. He did pretty well, the matching might have been a little hard because mommy's writing is not like the the numbers on the page (something I'll have to work on next week)  and then we would count all the numbers.  Not a bad little game :)

Tracing letters

We also started to trace words this week (instead of just the number we are working on) He would write the word, say each letter and then say it.  He did pretty good with this one too and had fun. Only struggled with letters we haven't done yet, and they were lower case (his upper case is pretty good). Something we will continue to do each week.

Coloring

We are also practicing his first and last name.  He struggles with the "r" and writes the "C" backwards but all in good time.  He won't do his last name though, but at least he knows it :)

At the library this week we got new musical instruments to play with. Emma didn't want to give these back.  The library has kind of been  a regression for us, he wants to run around and be crazy like Emma. Sigh. . .

Helping make dinner

This week I let him help me make dinner. This was like Christmas for him.  He got to shred the lettuce and slice the cheddar.  He wants to have salad every night now, even though he hates it.  Silly guy.

What can be caught in a net

This was another fun little game on "what can be caught in a net."  It was kind of tricky because things I think can be caught in a net (like a whale for example) I would put yes.  But this was a small net.  So basically in this activity, only bees and butterflies can be caught in this net :)

Tracing numbers

Big and little

After the net game, we took the animals from this and divided them into two piles, big and small.  He would also name them, he actually named the walrus!  I had no idea he even knew what that was!  So crazy!

I still struggle with this teaching thing. "I'm doing a good job?  Will this help?  Is he learning?"  I think he is, but I don't know.  This whole thing of getting him into kindergarten makes me crazy sometimes.  I have so many people putting their two cents in, and they are totally valid two cents (let him stay out another year, he'll be so much better off" or "No, he needs to go now or he'll be behind) that I'm really conflicted.  I honestly want whats best for him, I just want him to have the same chance other kids his age will have, as do most parents.  But I'm constantly wondering, "Is this enough?"  Honestly, I don't know.  It makes me sick that he misses the cut off by 8 days.  I wish it was by 2 months and then it wouldn't be a question.  Will he succeed?  Will he fall behind?  Will he shoot forward?  Who knows.  All I want is for him to have his chance.  But it will honestly all depend on where we move next year, if we move into the school district we are thinking, it won't matter and he'll have to start in 2016.  Is that better? I honestly don't know.  Will it make me crazy him staying out another year, trying to find things for him to do to keep him engaged on a fairly tight budget? Probably.  Unless your in my boat, no one really understands. But one thing I do know, I've got incredible support from my family, so whatever happens in the next 6 months, will all be part of God's plan and I've got all the support I need :)