Cycle 1, Week 2 tips–Skip counting, 5 kingdoms & adultery?

I’m sure THIS blog post title got your attention! First, we’ll tackle skip counting, 5 kingdoms..then, adultery?!?!? Yes, I’ll explain!

Counting by 3s and 4s
We have used Saxon Math since day 1 of our homeschooling adventure. I love Saxon Math! I know it’s not for everyone, but I love the cyclical approach it takes with concepts. I also love the strategies that Saxon uses to teach and explain the concepts. Saxon incorporates skip counting for 3s and 4s. Here’s how they do it:
3s-Pat your lap twice, followed by a clap. Every time you clap, you will be saying a multiple of 3, and thus, counting by 3. They encourage the child to silently say “1, 2” while patting the lap twice and SHOUTING “3” with the clap. Repeat until you reach 36.
4s-Touch your feet, knees, waist and head. Encourage your child to silently say “1, 2, 3” while touching his/her feet, knees and waist followed by a SHOUT of  “4” when he/she touches the head. Repeat until you get to 48.

Also, these Skip Counting Mazes look soooooooo fun! I’m hoping to try these with my sons. 🙂

The 5 Kingdoms of Living Things
The 5 kingdoms of living things can easily be sung to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” My kiddos enjoyed this so much in class! You can also trace your child’s hand and write the 5 kindoms on each finger and make a 5 Kingdoms of Living Things puppet to use while reviewing.

Adultery–How do I explain this to children as we memorize the 10 commandments?
GREAT QUESTION! I teach 3 and 4 year olds in Sunday School at our church. Our curriculum alternates between 1 year of the Old Testament and 1 year of the New Testament.

We just finished the Old Testament series last month. Of course, the story of the 10 Commandments was one of the lessons. The week that we taught the 10 Commandments was my week to teach (of course!), a co-teacher and I alternate teaching. I immediately thought of commandment number 7 and how in the world I would explain it to 3 and 4 year olds. I was a nervous wreck; my stomach was in knots. Thankfully, the Lord graciously gave me words as I talked with the kiddos! Commandment number 8 says, “Do not steal.” So, when we talked about Commandment number 7, I simply told the kiddos that it means that a person is not supposed to steal someone else’s husband or wife if he/she is married. I never even used the word “adultery.” I asked them if we’re supposed to steal. They screamed, “NO!” in response, so I followed that question up with, “Does God want us to steal someone else’s husband or wife if they’re married?” Again, a resounding, “NO!” And…that was the end of that! They understood it, no further questions were asked, and we moved on to Commandment 9. Whew! Untangled knots in my stomach. 🙂

Enjoy your week 2 Memory Work! I hope these small tips are helpful! What are you doing for Week 2?!?! Also, if you’d like to see more Cycle 1, Week 2 resources click the link below to Half a Hundred Acre Wood Classical Conversations Link-up…