Literature-based Learning: The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Published on by
Literature-based Learning: The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Midway through her Nursery year in preschool, H started singing a song about the days of the week, which she learnt in school. I realised that her school had started to casually introduce the days of the week through songs. Of course, the homeschooler in me couldn’t resist taking this a step further. :P I decided there was no better time to start on our first literature-based study of this classic book by Eric Carle!

We had read The Very Hungry Caterpillar countless times since H was a toddler. I believe it was her first ever introduction to the concept of time and quantities. I don’t think any kid can resist counting how many things the caterpillar ate on each day while pushing their fingers into the little holes on each page!

Besides reading the book again and again, we did many fun activities over the course of 3 weeks. (You could definitely shorten this if you have more hours in a day to homeschool.) Continue reading →

Free Printable: Arabic Numerals Assessment Pages (١ to ٢٠)

Published on by

Arabic Numerals Assessment Pages (١ to ٢٠) - a FREE printable by HomePlaySchool
Here’s another free printable to supplement the other materials we have on Arabic numerals. These worksheets can be used to assess your child’s recognition of Arabic numerals up to ٢٠. It’s very simple to use – you call out a number and the child marks the corresponding circle using a Do-a-Dot marker or anything else he/she prefers. To add variety, I hope to include more pages to this printable in the future.

Download the FREE Arabic Numerals Assessment Pages (١ to ٢٠) here.

Feel free to share this printable with your friends. If you do so, please link to this blog post instead of linking directly to the file. I hope this free resource will be useful to you and your family, insya’Allah. If you have any feedback or questions, I’d love to hear it!

Free Printable: Arabic Number Mats (٠ to ١٠)

Published on by

Free Printable: Arabic Number Mats

We’ve been doing more math in our homeschool lately, something I was neglecting ever since we started focusing on learning to read. So I made these apple-themed Arabic number mats for H, who has been introduced to numerals up to ١٠ so far but doesn’t know them as well as her 123s. These number mats are great for introducing or reviewing Arabic numerals ٠ to ١٠ and can be used in a variety of ways! Here are some ideas to get your started:

  1. Lay out the mats on the floor in ascending order (or random order, to add to the challenge). As you call out each number, the child hops to the corresponding number.
  2. Using counters such as pom poms or round magnets, work on one-to-one correspondence with your child by having him place a counter on each apple as he counts.
  3. Put the mats up as posters on your home or classroom walls.
  4. Transform the mats into flashcards by scaling them down when you print!

There are loads of other ways to use this printable; I would love to hear you share about how you have used it! I suggest printing out on cardstock or thicker paper and laminating them for durability.

Download the FREE Arabic Number Mats (٠ to ١٠) here.

Feel free to share this printable with your friends. If you do so, please link to this blog post instead of linking directly to the file. I hope this free resource will be useful to you and your family, insya’Allah. If you have any feedback or questions, do leave a comment on this post!

Free Printable: Arabic Numbers 11-20 Do-a-Dot Pages (١١ to ٢٠)

Published on by

If you found our Arabic Numbers 1-10 Do-a-Dot Pages useful, you’ll be glad to know the next printable in the series is here – Arabic Numbers 11-20 Do-a-Dot Pages!

Arabic Numbers 11-20 Do-a-Dot Pages (١١ to ٢٠)

These Do-a-Dot pages are designed for preschoolers who have been introduced to Arabic numbers and who may not be writing yet (pre-writers). By filling in the dots, they gain visual recognition of Arabic numerals as well as the correct stroke order of writing them. Encourage the child to start with the dot with a star in it. Each page also shows the quantity (in dots) corresponding to the number.

The use of this printable is not limited to Do-a-Dot markers! Check out my earlier blog post on Ideas for Using Do-A-Dot Pages for alternatives.

Download the FREE Arabic Numbers 11-20 Do-a-Dot Pages (١١ to ٢٠) here.

Feel free to share this printable with your friends. If you do so, please link to this blog post instead of linking directly to the file. I hope this free resource will be useful to you and your family, insya’Allah. If you have any feedback or questions, do leave a comment on this post!

Free Printable: Arabic Numbers 1-10 Do-a-Dot Pages (١ to ١٠)

Published on by

I’m very happy to be announcing the release of HomePlaySchool’s first printable – Arabic Numbers 1-10 Do-a-Dot Pages! :D Since discovering Do-a-Dot art for our homeschool, I’ve been searching online for Arabic Do-a-Dot printables – in vain. So I got down to work creating some of my own, also with the intention of sharing it on this blog once I brushed up the final product. Finally, the first printable is now ready!

Arabic Numbers 1-10 Do-a-Dot Pages (١ to ١٠)

These Do-a-Dot pages are designed for preschoolers who have been introduced to Arabic numbers and who may not be writing yet (pre-writers). By filling in the dots, they gain visual recognition of Arabic numerals as well as the correct stroke order of writing them. Encourage the child to start with the dot with a star in it. Each page also shows the quantity (in dots) corresponding to the number.

The use of this printable is not limited to Do-a-Dot markers! Check out my earlier blog post on Ideas for Using Do-A-Dot Pages for alternatives.

Download the FREE Arabic Numbers 1-10 Do-a-Dot Pages (١ to ١٠) here.

Feel free to share this printable with your friends. If you do so, please link to this blog post instead of linking directly to the file. I hope this free resource will be useful to you and your family, in sya Allah. If you have any feedback or questions, do leave a comment on this post!

The next printable in this series (with numbers 11-20) will be released soon. Subscribe to my blog to get updated when the time comes. ^^

Ideas for Using Do-A-Dot Pages

Published on by

Do-A-Dot Markers

Do-A-Dot Rainbow Markers

I think these markers are a genius invention. They let you “paint”, without the mess! Many homeschoolers use them and H’s kindergarten does too. The original Do-A-Dot markers come in many shades – rainbow, brilliant, shimmer and even ice-cream scented. Pictured above is the Rainbow set.

Round Magnets

Don’t own Do-A-Dot markers? Buy these colourful round magnets from Daiso:
Round colour magnets from Daiso
Place the worksheet on a mini whiteboard or cookie sheet and let your child “fill in” the dots with the magnets. They come in a few sizes and colours, and many Daiso outlets have them in stock every time I visit. (Warning: choking hazard. Please supervise closely if you’re using this with a child under 4 years old.)

Round Stickers

Another idea, which is also great for developing fine motor skills, is to use round stickers like these:
Round colour stickers from Daiso
I bought them from Daiso, but they can be easily found in most bookstores too.

Although most Do-A-Dot printables are designed to be used with the markers, having alternative ways to use them is great for days when H is bored of her Do-A-Dot markers. There are many other great ideas out there, so let this be your starting point! I would love to hear your ideas on how you’ve used my free Do-A-Dot printables in your homeschool.

A Guide for Lost Parents: Our Letter of the Week Lesson Framework

Published on by

H and I began our Letter of the Week journey in July 2012 and concluded it in February 2013. She was 3 years and 2 months old when we started and already knew most of the letters of the alphabet and their sounds, mainly through Leapfrog DVDs and toys. Unlike many tots her age, she skipped pre-nursery/playgroup level at preschool, where most kids enrol in at 2-3 years old. So one of my main goals of conducting these lessons were to introduce her to structured learning activities, which she would be doing when she goes to preschool. I also wanted to to assess how much she knew and reinforce what she had learnt on her own.

When I first started looking for ideas on how to start H on Letter of the Week, I was pretty lost and overwhelmed. After attending a phonics training course conducted by a former preschool teacher (more on that in another post), I finally “got it”. It helped that the trainer provided detailed lesson plans, which I adapted to suit us and added in more activities to support each lesson.

So here’s the basic framework on which I based our lessons. It’s meant to be a guide for parents who just do not know where to start, like I did. If any activity mentioned here is not suitable for your child, feel free to skip it or replace it with a more appropriate one. Every child is different. Follow the lead of your child. :) Continue reading →