Jackie and Me

Our family had the opportunity to go see Jackie and Me at the Dallas Children's Theater.

Travel back in time to 1947 Brooklyn and the harsh realities of Jackie Robinson breaking baseball's color barrier.

La La Logic Preschool

I had the opportunity to review, Preschool Curriculum, for La La Logic.  This online curriculum is for ages 3-6 years. The activities gradually increase in the level of difficulty so as not to frustrate young learners. When developing the La La Logic program, they took into consideration the very short attention spans that young children. 

By following three simple steps, your child will be on their way to learning. 

These three steps are:

Brain Challenge
Worksheets
Extension Activities

The combination of these three things helps to create a strong critical thinking foundation. As a result, your child will heighten their capacity for learning. 

You may wonder how La La Logic is different from all of the other curriculums currently available. Well, while most programs work on the mechanics of the 3 R's, La La Logic helps children develop cognitive functions involved in acquiring, understanding and using knowledge. Critical and problem solving skills are essential building blocks of learning.

There are 20 sets in the program. Each set contains 5 weeks of curriculum, for a total of "100 weeks". An agenda is provided each week to guide the parent along the way. Agendas can be viewed online or downloaded. 

Using La La Logic Preschool 

My six year old daughter used this program. I will start by saying that she is way beyond the skills and concepts being taught in this program. Despite the fact that this program was way too easy for her, she had fun working through the activities. She was easily able to follow and understand what was being asked of her. The program was visually appealing to her. She loved setting up her account and being able to choose which animal she wanted to be. She chose the seal with a ball on its nose that is pictured above. 

Brain Challenges include such activities as:

Flyover Memory

Missing Parts Puzzle

Odd One Out

Key Matching

Sliding Door

Puppy Maze

Counting Objects

Three of a Kind

Animal Train

Matrix Completion

Mirror Matching

Your child receives instant feedback while working through the activities. Instant feedback encourages the student, as well as gently guiding the child when answers are incorrect. This set-up reinforces accomplishment, as well as the ability to master concepts. 

If the child gets a problem wrong they will receive a response such as:

• "Try a different answer" 
• "Give it another try" 
• "No, that's not the right answer"

If the child correctly answers the question they will receive a response such as:

• "Sensational" 
• "Good Job" 
• "Fantastic"

My daughter loved the wide range of activities with the program. The activities are engaging, colorful, and long enough to make sure that they master the skill without being so long that they loose focus. My daughter's favorite activities were the Missing Parts Puzzles, Flyover Memory and Matrix Completion. 

There is an option called, Continuous Brain Challenge Mode, which allows your child to play all 500 activities in the order presented in the weekly sessions, without interruption. This is a great option if you are in the car, at an appointment, or if your child just wants to play independently. Since my daughter is 6 years old, I chose to let her utilize this setting instead of the Curriculum Mode. The continuous mode makes it feel more like playing a game instead of schoolwork. I found that letting her use this mode helped her stay engaged for longer periods of time. 

Worksheets
In order to get maximum benefit it is vital to download, print out, and use the activities. Skills such as cutting, pasting, proper pencil holding, coloring, writing, and other such skills are vital. My daughter had so much fun doing these activities. Anything that requires cutting, coloring, and pasting is a "thumbs up" for my daughter.

Optional Enrichment
Because writing letters or postcards is a bit of a dying art for the younger generation of e-mailers, texters, ect., I decided to do one of the Optional Enrichment activities with my daughter. We decided to mail a card to a fellow homeschooler. I helped her address and place the stamp on the card and then we ventured to the Post Office to mail it. I kind of had to laugh at this because most of my children, ranging from ages 6 to 18 years, have never written a letter or postcard before.

Send a real letter to a family member, friend, or pen pal. Take a trip to the post office to see what happens there. 

Phoebe writing to a note to Jude. 

Showing off her funny card, stamped and ready to send.

Excited to mail her first letter at the post office.

The mail lady was patient and chatted with Phoebe.

I helped Phoebe count out change for the postage. 

Phoebe loved getting a receipt at the end.

Tick Tock, Tick Tock, about a week

later Phoebe got a letter back in the mail.

Enrichment Dramatic Play/ Language Game

Creating a restaurant was another one of the activities.  Phoebe named her restaurant. She had fun deciding which foods she would make. Should her restaurant be fancy or casual? How much she would charge for her food? 

My daughter absolutely loved this activity and spent a whole afternoon using her imagination creating very unique pizza's.

  

Phoebe's Play-Doh Pizza Palace

Can you guess what kind of pizza she is making?

My Thoughts
Having taught all six of my children in their preschool years, I will say that I was impressed with La La Logic Preschool. The program is engaging, interactive, builds great computer skills, and provides essential skills and concepts that are important in the early years. I would highly recommend this program to fellow homeschoolers and educators. 

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, this program is no longer available. 

Heimlich, Absolem, and Fuzzy ~ METAMORPHOSIS CONTINUES

Heimlich continues to remain tucked aways in

his cocoon secretly transforming.

Absolem is now fully encased in his cocoon. 

Fuzzy is still hanging out but is not moving

much anymore.

Heimlich, Absolem, and Fuzzy

We are having fun watching 3 caterpillars eating their way through leaves and making their cocoons. Watching the process of Metamorphosis is truly a spectacular thing. We cannot wait to see their final transformations.

Saturday, April 25th 10:00pm

Meet Heimlich, Absolem, and Fuzzy

Taking a break from eating.

Look at how much of this leaf has been eaten!

Heimlich cocooning.

Heimlich hasn't moved for days. We continue to watch in 

awe as his cocoon grows each day. 

Stay tuned for the continuing saga of Heimlich, Absolem, and Fuzzy.

TO BE CONTINUED.....

Sunday, April 26th at 1:00pm

Wow, look at the changes in less than 24 hours!!!

Heimlich is now fully cocooned!!

Absolem is beginning the cocooning process.

Fuzzy is really slowing down.

Special Spaces Room Makeover

Special Spaces came today to give Karis, Megan and Phoebe an amazing gift!!!! While we spent the day resting in a hotel room and going to see a movie a team of volunteers came and transformed my their room. 

What is so very sad is that these pictures do not even do justice to what it looks like in person. 

Special Spaces Dallas/Ft. Worth Facebook Page

Special Spaces used lots of Karis's Make A Wish Walt Disney Trip pictures which was such a special touch with so much meaning. 

BEFORE

AFTER