I like the idea of doing Unit Studies as it’s a way to allow me to introduce multiple subjects under one heading. Pumpkin 1 is interested in animals so I decided to go with The Farm for our first unit study. We had a planned trip to a farm with the Early Years Center, however that was a disappointment. It was freezing cold and Pumpkin 2 got fussy and I wasn’t about to nurse him in that freezing weather so we left early. Pumpkin 1 did get to see a real tractor though which she was excited about.
I printed off some free farm animal nomenclature cards from here http://www.montessoriforeveryone.com/assets/PDF/Farm_Animal_Nomenclature.pdf and laminated them. I already had Schleich farm animals from my home daycare (I love these, they’re pricey but they’ll seriously last forever, unless your dog gets one, yea, that’s happened. I put them in the dishwasher regularly and the colour doesn’t come off at all). I got out the Fisher Price barn I had and purchased a little tractor. Pumpkin 1 quickly picked up matching animals to the cards and I was surprised at how much she enjoyed doing it. She likes to put the wrong animal on the card and say, “Nooo” and then move it to the right card. I didn’t do the word cards yet but I might soon. Even though she doesn’t know her alphabet, it can’t hurt to see the word with the animal and begin to associate it. I’m also teaching her French (as I learn it myself) and so I worked on naming them in French with her too. We sing Old MacDonald and a song I found to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It” that goes “Dans la ferme il y a un….” I have some books about the farm I’ll read to her, in French and English. I plan to do the unit for about a month. I’m thinking of a farm sensory bin and a corn pit in an inflatable pool.
