Trivium Tuesdays-Classical Link-Up #81

Welcome to another week of Trivium Tuesdays!  For those of you who are new here today, this is a link-up aimed at encouraging and informing other homeschoolers who use the Classical model of teaching.  Here we can share with each other and learn from one another.

Don't forget to follow all my Pinterest boards that are a part of the All Things Classical List!

Also, please remember to only link up posts that have to do with homeschooling using the classical model of education.  Thank you for understanding this link-up's theme.

Featured Post from Last Week

I'm really enjoying the 31 Days of Classical Education {lite} from Our Catholic Homeschool.  Last week she linked up her post titled Kindergarten Authors.  I agree with much of what she said about teaching little ones to write.  I you have a preschooler or kindergartener, check out her post for some great thoughts about teaching handwriting!

Most Clicked on Post from Last Week

Surviving the Library, from As He Leads is Joy, got the most clicks last week!  If you missed it, take a minute to check it out.  We love the library around here, but it can be a bit overwhelming if you don't use some of the tips Beth shares!

This Week's Link-Up

Here are the rules:

• Your post must have to do (in some way) with classical homeschooling (any age children).
• Your post may be from your archives as long as you only post it one time on this link-up.
• Please link to your direct post, not your blog in general.
• Please place my Trivium Tuesdays button (found on my right sidebar) on your blog post so others can learn about this link-up!
• It may be helpful to state in your link description what stage of the trivium or what subject your post is about, if applicable, so others can easily find posts they are interested in looking at.
• Remember, everyone loves comments =) So don't be shy, and tell someone if you liked their post!

I reserve the right to remove any link-up that does not have to do with classical homeschooling.         

If you are a regular here at Trivium Tuesdays and have something to share that is a little off topic, but still would be an encouragement to the readers here, please still share it =)  I'm referring to people who are just trying to get their blog more exposure without following the rules above.

I will visit each of your blogs this week and feature my favorite link-up for all to see next week!  Also, if your blog has a button I will place it on my sidebar (under Friends to Visit) for the week until it is replaced by the next week's favorite =)

Reformation Day Celebration

The Reformation is a wonderful thing to celebrate.  It falls on October 31st each year to commemorate when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door in Wittenburg in the year 1517.  There is so much rich history to learn about from that time period, but when you have little children, sometimes you just need to have a party...with games!

Last year, we had a family from church over to celebrate Reformation Day. Everyone had a great time and the kids got to learn a bit about church history.  The kids dressed up in costumes that related to Reformation Day in some way, and I taught the kids about Martin Luther through the games that we played.

If you would like to have a Reformation Day Celebration, or just looking for ideas to enhance your history studies, here is a look at what we did.  You can even download all the information for your own use (look for the link at the bottom of the post).

Reformation Day Costumes

I dressed my daughter up as a peasant girl and my son as Martin Luther.  You could also be a princess, a king, a horse, or anything else related to the 16th century!

Reformation Day Games

You can come up with lots of fun games to play on Reformation Day!  The ones that we played told the story of Martin Luther in a simple way for our young children.

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Coin in the Coffer:

Story to say to the children:

Did you know that in Martin Luther's day, people were told that if they gave money to the church, they could save their relatives that had already died?  We know that this is not true, but they were not allowed to read the Bible for them selves, so they didn't know!

Instructions:

Give each child 4 coins.  Have they try to throw each coin into a pan.  The child gets to keep each coin they get in.  We let the kids keep trying until they got all of them in =) 

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Pin the Theses on the Door:

Story:

Martin Luther realized that this and other things people were learning at church were wrong and he wanted to let everyone know, so he wrote a long list of many things that he wanted to share with the people.  He then nailed the list to the church door for everyone to see.

Instructions:

Blindfold each child and let them take turns trying to tape their 95 Theses onto a door.  The girls from the family we had over loved watching their mom get in on the game!

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3-Legged Race for Your Life! 

Story:

After a few years of defending what he wrote, the church declared him a heretic and ordered his arrest!  martin Luther had to flee for his life!

Instructions:

Pair the child up and tie their legs together.  Have them run around a circle to remember how Martin Luther had to run for his life after the Catholic church ordered his arrest!

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Translating the  Bible:

Story:

Martin Luther was rescued by friends and kept safe in a basement where he translated the New Testament from Latin into German (the language that the people understood).

Instructions:

Give each child a picture of the word Bible with an illuminated letter B.  Let them color the B and then have them try to make their own illuminated letters!

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If you want to have your own Reformation Day Celebration, you can download all of this information (and more!) to make your planning easy.  Included you will find:

 

Suggested Order of Events

Snack Ideas

Games (Stories and Instructions)

Reformation Day Balderdash (Instructions and Suggestions)

95 Theses (typed small so you can print them all, back-to-back, on one page)

The word Bible with an illuminated letter B

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Download the Reformation Day Celebration Idea Booklet

 

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Here are some ideas and resources that we have enjoyed!

Want More?

Trivium Tuesdays-Classical link-Up #80

Welcome to another week of Trivium Tuesdays!  For those of you who are new here today, this is a link-up aimed at encouraging and informing other homeschoolers who use the Classical model of teaching.  Here we can share with each other and learn from one another.

Don't forget to follow all my Pinterest boards that are a part of the All Things Classical List!

Also, please remember to only link up posts that have to do with homeschooling using the classical model of education.  Thank you for understanding this link-up's theme.

Featured Post from Last Week

Last week, Annie Kate shared with us a book that has an important message.  It is called Reading with Purpose by Nancy Wilson, and it is about teaching our older children how to think about the books that they read.  If you have children who are growing out of the grammar stage, take a look at Annie Kate's review!

Most Clicked on Post from Last Week

Last week you overwhelmingly clicked on Joanna's post, 6 Ways to Improve Your Homeschool Day, more than any other.  I understand why you did!  Joanna shared some great helps, so if you missed it last week, make sure to check it out today!

This Week's Link-Up

Here are the rules:

• Your post must have to do (in some way) with classical homeschooling (any age children).
• Your post may be from your archives as long as you only post it one time on this link-up.
• Please link to your direct post, not your blog in general.
• Please place my Trivium Tuesdays button (found on my right sidebar) on your blog post so others can learn about this link-up!
• It may be helpful to state in your link description what stage of the trivium or what subject your post is about, if applicable, so others can easily find posts they are interested in looking at.
• Remember, everyone loves comments =) So don't be shy, and tell someone if you liked their post!

I reserve the right to remove any link-up that does not have to do with classical homeschooling.         If you are a regular here at Trivium Tuesdays and have something to share that is a little off topic, but still would be an encouragement to the readers here, please still share it =)  I'm referring to people who are just trying to get their blog more exposure without following the rules above.

I will visit each of your blogs this week and feature my favorite link-up for all to see next week!  Also, if your blog has a button I will place it on my sidebar (under Friends to Visit) for the week until it is replaced by the next week's favorite =)

Teach Your Child to Read in 20 Easy Lessons with The Reading Lesson

I have a three year old little girl and just before she turned three we started using The Reading Lesson.  I had been teaching her the names of the letters and she was beginning to learn some of the sounds that they make, so I thought it would be a great time to start learning to read!  When I taught my son to read, I essentially created my own curriculum and found little readers to go along with what he was learning.  It was a lot of work.  This time around I really needed something more "open and go" since my time is more limited with two children, and The Reading Lesson fit the bill! From the website:

The Reading Lesson is an easy-to-use recipe to make learning to read painless for both parents and children.  The program is the best way to take a child with no reading skills to about the second grade level in reading.  Never-too-hard and never-too-easy, step-by-step the lessons teach phonics and build the sight vocabulary.  We make phonics easy without flashcards or worksheets - everything you need is right here in one book.

 

Head on over to The Curriculum Choice to see my review of The Reading Lesson!

 

Trace and Cut Pages for Preschoolers

If you have been around the blogosphere and you have preschoolers, I'm sure you've seen many cute, themed tracing worksheets.  Three years ago, I was looking for this type of worksheet to use as pre-writing practice for my son, but I couldn't find any.  Maybe my problem was that I wasn't on Pinterest back then, or maybe people just hadn't started making and sharing them yet, I really don't know.  So, I created just what I needed.

These are not fancy, with cute themes and pretty pictures, but they are exactly what your child will need to master pre-writing skills. Honestly, I get overwhelmed if I have to think of finding just the right pages to complement a particular theme, print them all out, and keep them sorted.  Sometimes it's just nice to have materials that work for everything and get the job done well!

Disclaimer *** I do love all the cute, themed sheets I see all over the place, I'm just saying that sometimes it's nice to have a worksheet that works any day of the year =)

Here are the 6 pages that are included in this download:

How to Use Trace and Cut Pages

• Print these pages out and laminate them.  Your child can practice tracing them over and over with a dry-erase marker.

• Print these pages out and have your child write directly on them.  Save them to track his progress.

• Print these pages out on cardstock for your child to practice cutting along the lines.  The slightly thicker paper will make it easier for them to learn to use scissors.

• Print these pages on regular paper once your child is comfortable using scissors.

• However else you can think to use them with your child!

Download Trace and Cut Pages 

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Looking for more preschool information?  Click on the picture below to find a list of all the preschool posts here at Living and Learning at Home, plus some of my favorite preschool resources!