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Welcome to Tot School 2.0! We’re so excited to share our preschool leaf activities and read alouds with you in our Tot School Unit: Autumn Leaves.
Why 2.0? Well, this is our second round of Tot School here at the Oakleaf Academy for Boys. And, to be honest, I didn’t think I’d do it again.
When I first made the decision to homeschool, I wasn’t sure it was something I would do long term. But after teaching in preschools and early education private schools, I knew I wanted something different for my kids than your run of the mill, spit ‘em out ready for Kindergarten program.
However, I didn’t think I was cut out to be the one to do it. But I was determined to give it a try, so I spent hours researching preschool teaching methods and curriculum until I stumbled upon a Reggio Emilia Inspired School.
It was incredible. Kids painting with acrylics, building with real wood working materials, and engineering with clay and natural materials. I saw what a child was capable of doing when someone believed they could, and I was forever changed.
“Children want to be sparked like flames, not filled like barrels.”
Heraclitus
A Child’s Tale – Adventures in Living Literature
Are you looking for a family style preschool curriculum that you can use independently or alongside your older kids without the overwhelm of trying to do it all? Try a FREE WEEK of my new Charlotte Mason inspired preschool curriculum before it launches, and get an exclusive discount!
The idea that kids are not only capable, but that their natural curiosity and wonder are sparks to be ignited rather than impulses to be stamped out is what’s missing from traditional schooling. When you have to teach to a test, there isn’t much room for imagination and play.
Newly inspired, I set out to recreate the Reggio schools in my home. I planned and prepped beautiful provocations based around great works of children’s literature and documented every milestone along the way.
I fell in love with teaching as I watched my oldest son blossom while creating, imagining, and exploring his world in a place where he could hear the word “yes” rather than the constant “no” he was used to getting from adults.
His preschool year was full of beauty and wonder, but the messy loose parts, constant prep, and endless documentation became too much for me to keep up with, and I burned out.
Once again I dived into my research, looking for another path forward. I didn’t want to lose the open ended education that we’d begun to build, but with a second little guy in tow, I needed to let it be easy.
It was around this time that I discovered minimalism, and as I purged the clutter from my home, I decided to get rid of the fluff in our curriculum as well.
I discovered Charlotte Mason, and as I read her ideas about living literature, I realized how much my kids were learning simply by my reading to them.
It’s not that what I was doing was wrong. It was just too much of a good thing.
They didn’t need three activities a day to reinforce what they were learning. They would make the connections themselves when allowed to discover them through simple, playful learning.
Another idea that I adopted from Charlotte Mason was to delay formal education until age six or when the child begins to show interest in deeper learning. So as preschool turned into Pre-K, and Pre-K into Kindergarten, we continued a gentle education, but made small shifts into more academic pursuits by adding in early phonics and math.
Because they are so close in age, this delay in formal education meant that my middle son has always been happy joining in my oldest boy’s preschool activities when they inspire him, and doing his own thing when they don’t. I didn’t see the need to do tot school with him because I was letting him lead in his learning.
So why start again now?
There are two reasons:
- I have a 2 year old who isn’t able to do many of the activities his older siblings are now engaged in, yet he desperately wants to be included. And if he’s showing an interest in learning, I want to meet that need.
- I need to keep this same precocious 2 year old busy while I’m teaching my older boys.
This time around I’m keeping it super simple with one intentional, play based learning activity each day. I’m going to let the literature do most of the teaching while the activities build crucial thinking and motor skills.
Each activity is adapted from my upcoming preschool curriculum A Child’s Tale – Adventures in Living Literature, which I’m using with my middle guy for his Pre K homeschool curriculum this year. That way I’m not adding to my day. I’m simply going to let my little guy join in with what we’re already doing at his own level.
A Child’s Tale is broken down into seasonal studies consisting of 12 weeks each. This fourth week of our fall unit focuses on preschool leaf activities and books!
I’m so excited to have you along on this journey! Whether you’re a first time homeschool mom trying to ease into teaching your child, or you’re an old pro just trying to connect with your littlest each day, I hope this curriculum truly blesses your family!
Fall Week 4: Autumn Leaves
Monday:
Read Aloud: We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt – Steve Metzger
Activity: Nature Walk
Take a walk with your child and collect lots of leaves in as many colors as you can find.
Tuesday:
Read Aloud: Fletcher and the Falling Leaves – Julia Rawlinson
Activity: Poetry Teatime
Serve tea (or any favorite beverage), and a favorite snack.
Take it Further:
A great way to incorporate art and STEM into your snack time is by making the edible trees found on my Pinterest Board. It’s super simple and so much fun!
Read Come Little Leaves by George Cooper.
“Come, little leaves” said the wind one day,
“Come over the meadows with me and play;
Put on your dresses of red and gold;
Summer is gone, and the days grow cold.”
Soon as the leaves heard the wind’s loud call,
Down they came fluttering, one and all;
Over the brown fields they danced and flew,
Singing the soft little songs they knew.
Dancing and whirling the little leaves went;
Winter had called them and they were content
Soon fast asleep in their earthly beds,
The snow laid a soft mantle over their heads.
In winter when the sky is grey,
We hedge and ditch our time away,
I think of summer when the sun shines gay,
And rambling in the new mown hay.
(chorus)
Wednesday:
Read Aloud: Leaves – David Ezra Stein
Activity: Leaf Color Sorting
Sort the leaves you collected on Monday’s nature walk by color. Count each pile and ask your child which one has the most/least.
Thursday:
Read Aloud: The Little Yellow Leaf – Carin Berger
Activity: Leaf Prints
Allow your child to press the leaves (and any other natural materials) that you collected on your nature walk into play dough. Compare the different shapes and patterns.
If you want, you can leave them out to harden and dry.
A Year of Tot School will be divided into 12 weeks of playful learning for each season of the year. For a total of 48 weeks. These preschool leaf activities are the fourth week in our fall series.
If you want to check out other tot school themes, you can find them all here!
A Child’s Tale – Adventures in Living Literature
Are you looking for a family style preschool curriculum that you can use independently or alongside your older kids without the overwhelm of trying to do it all? Try a FREE WEEK of my new Charlotte Mason inspired preschool curriculum before it launches, and get an exclusive discount!
If you love these preschool leaf activities, pin them so you can come back to them again!
