teacher weena

Teaching the Ten Commandments to Kids: A Simple, Heart-Centered Approach (K-2)

2026-07-16T20:57:30.412+08:00

On a quiet morning not long ago, I sat back with my coffee and watched my son playing. He is 12 years old now, but it feels like just yesterday he was a little guy navigating those early, everyday lessons of sharing, kindness, and learning how to do the right thing.

When we introduce the Ten Commandments to toddlers, preschoolers, and early elementary learners (K-2), traditional phrases like "strange Gods," "Sabbath," or "bearing false witness" can sound like a completely foreign language. It is so easy for children to fall into rote memorization, repeating words they don't quite understand, without experiencing any real heart-transformation.

As parents and educators, our goal is to shift this perspective. God's law is not a cold list of restrictions; it is a beautiful boundary of love. He didn't give us commandments to lock us in, but to keep us safe and protected.

If you are looking for a gentle, practical way to help your child transition from simply memorizing rules to truly understanding God's heart, we have designed a complete, hands-on lesson framework paired with our newly updated Moses and the 10 Commandments Activity Pack.

A Simple 3-Step Lesson Plan for Homeschool or Sunday School

To make these deep spiritual truths concrete for young minds, we have broken the lesson down into three natural, play-based steps.

Step 1: Meet the King and His Promises (Story & Visuals)

Before we look at the rules, we must first look at the Relationship.

The Story: Begin by gathering together in your favorite cozy reading spot. Open your Bible and read the story together in Exodus 19:20 to Exodus 20. To make this lesson interactive and visually engaging, pull out our Moses Coloring Page and the stone tablet worksheets to introduce the dramatic setting of Mount Sinai.

The Concept: Explain to your child that God is a good, loving King. He didn't give the Israelites rules because He wanted to be bossy—He gave them these guidelines as a pathway to true joy, safety, and peace. Just like a fence around a beautiful playground keeps us safe from a busy street, God’s boundaries are designed to keep our hearts safe.

Step 2: Translating to "Heart Language" (With Instruction Cards)

Once the story is set, we need to translate the traditional language of the Bible into simple terms that a 5- or 7-year-old can naturally grasp. This is where our Ten Commandments Instruction Cards come in!

Each card is visually color-coded to guide your discussion naturally:

The Traditional Commandment (Pink Block): Read the Scripture verse aloud together.
"What Does It Mean?" (Blue Block): Translate the commandment into simple, age-appropriate terms. For example, explain that “not taking the Lord’s name in vain” simply means “using God's name with love and deep respect.”
"What Should I Do?" (Yellow Block): Provide concrete, daily actions. For the Tenth Commandment ("Do not covet"), practice saying a cheerful "thank you" for your own toys instead of wishing you had your friend’s toy.

Teacher Pro-Tip: Print these cards on sturdy cardstock, laminate them, and cut them out. You can use them as daily discussion starters at the breakfast table, or turn them into a "heart-matching" game on a felt board!

Step 3: Playful Practice (Fine Motor & Math Integration)

Early childhood learning should always involve busy hands and active minds. We’ve designed the worksheets in this packet to weave faith lessons seamlessly into your daily academic routines:

The Mount Sinai Mazes: Guide Moses up and down the mountain! This is a fantastic way to practice spatial reasoning, logical thinking, and visual tracking.
The Number Puzzle & Tracing (0–10): Combine math and faith. Use the natural sequence of the Ten Commandments to practice counting, ordering, and number handwriting.
The Word Search: Introduce early spelling and letter recognition by searching for key, high-frequency vocabulary words like Moses, Stone, and Love.

As you guide your little ones through these lessons, please remember this: you do not have to be a perfect theologian to teach your children about God’s love.

Our daily patience, our quickness to say "I'm sorry" when we make a mistake, and our own genuine love for God are the greatest living lessons our children will ever witness. They learn what grace looks like by watching us live it out.

If you are ready to bring this gentle approach into your homeschool or classroom, you can find our fully updated resource below:

👉 [Click Here to Download the Moses and the 10 Commandments Activity Pack]

(For more early childhood Bible story resources, feel free to explore our full collection over at [The Teaching Wagon on Teachers Pay Teachers] or our [Webstore]!)

The Parable of The Good Samaritan: Kindergarten Homeschool Catechism Lesson

2026-07-14T19:04:33.535+08:00

Simple Good Samaritan Bible Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers (K-2)

As a family, we are constantly looking for ways to teach our children how to love their neighbors with a cheerful, generous heart. One of the most beautiful and visual stories Jesus gave us to illustrate this is The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).

For toddlers, preschoolers, and early elementary learners (K-2), this parable is more than just a Sunday school lesson—it is a hands-on, multi-sensory way to introduce compassion, mercy, and everyday kindness.

If you are looking for simple, low-prep ways to guide your young learners through this Scripture, we have designed a complete lesson framework paired with a FREE downloadable Good Samaritan Activity Packet.

1. Read-Aloud Story & Family Discussion

Gather together in a cozy spot to read and wonder about Jesus' words.

The Story: Read the parable directly from a child-friendly Bible (such as Luke 10:25-37). To make it highly interactive, bring out wooden peg dolls or action figures to represent the injured traveler, the priest, the Levite, and the compassionate Samaritan.
Watch: You can complement your reading by watching a short, kid-friendly video like The Parable of the Good Samaritan for kids on YouTube.
Discussion Wonder Prompt: Keep it simple yet deep for early minds:
- “Why do you think the first two travelers walked right past the hurt man instead of helping him?”
- “How did the Samaritan show the hurt man that he loved him like a neighbor?”

2. Hands-On Play & Free Printable Activities

Keep little hands busy and minds engaged with coordinates of play from our free printables!

Good Samaritan Coloring Page

Let your child use crayons, colored pencils, or even torn-up bits of paper to create a paper mosaic effect on this sweet coloring sheet. It features Luke 10:34: "He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them...".

[Click Here to Download the Free Good Samaritan Coloring Page & Activity Pack]

"Help the Samaritan" Maze

Early learners can practice their fine motor skills and spatial reasoning by guiding the Samaritan through the winding path to find the injured traveler at the center of the maze.

Vocabulary & Tracing Practice

Introduce early literacy by matching, tracing, and cutting out key words from the story. This sheet helps children practice letter formation and word recognition for crucial terms:

bandage
inn
neighbor
robbers

Good Samaritan Number Puzzle

This 1-to-12 number strip puzzle is a perfect math integration activity. Print the puzzle page on cardstock (or laminate it), cut along the dotted lines, and watch your toddler rebuild the puzzle by arranging the numbers 1 through 12 in order!

The Random Acts of Kindness Jar

Bring the lesson of the Good Samaritan straight into your daily household routines! Pages 5–7 of our printable pack contain 30 simple, toddler-friendly ideas for acts of kindness.

How to use it: Cut out the strips, roll them up, and place them in a small jar or bowl. Each morning, have your child draw one out to gain inspiration on how they can be a "good neighbor" to their family members that day! Simple ideas include:
- Helping feed the family pet with a little scoop.
- Telling a family member a funny joke to make them laugh.
- Putting books back on the shelf when done playing.

(If you enjoy these, browse our complete collection of early childhood Bible story activity packets at our [Teachers Pay Teachers Store]!)

3. Celebrate with Food: "Bandage" Graham Crackers

Connecting scripture stories with physical taste and fun recipes is a highly effective way to anchor memories for young toddlers.

Ingredients: Graham crackers (broken into rectangular halves), white cream cheese (or white vanilla frosting), and strawberry/raspberry jam.
How to Assemble: Have your child spread a small square of cream cheese or frosting in the very center of the graham cracker to mimic the "absorbent pad" of a bandage. Next, add a tiny dot of red jam right on top to represent the "healing ointment" (oil and wine) the Samaritan applied.
The Lesson: Discuss how the Samaritan was prepared with bandages, oil, and wine to treat the traveler's injuries right where he was.

4. Little Explorer Geography (Google Maps)

Use digital mapping to transport your young homeschoolers straight to the rocky paths of the Holy Land! The road descending from Jerusalem down to Jericho was notorious in ancient times for its steep, winding topography and hidden caverns—making it a prime location for robbers to ambush travelers.

Jerusalem to Jericho Road: Open Google Maps to look at the dry, mountainous desert landscape between these two ancient cities.
- 👉 [See the Road from Jerusalem to Jericho on Google Maps]
The Inn of the Good Samaritan (Khan al-Hatruri): Located roughly halfway along this road, you can actually explore the real archaeological ruins of an ancient caravanserai (traveler's inn) that has stood for centuries and now houses a beautiful museum of ancient mosaics!
- 👉 [Take a Virtual Tour of the Good Samaritan Inn Museum on Google Maps]
- How are you implementing the Parable of the Good Samaritan in your home or classroom this week? We would love to see how your little ones decorate their coloring pages and which "Act of Kindness" strip they drew first!

Tag us on Facebook or Instagram @teacherweena and @everythngsgrace so we can share your wonderful family traditions!

Sunday Gospel Pack – A FREE Weekly Faith Resource for Your Family

2025-08-18T16:16:00.003+08:00

Do you want to make the Sunday Gospel come alive for your children?

Starting September 7, I’m launching the Sunday Gospel Pack — a FREE weekly printable designed to help young disciples understand, reflect on, and live out the Gospel message.

Each pack includes:

A simplified Gospel story for children
A coloring page
Fun activity pages
A virtue to practice during the week
A saint to learn about and follow

Whether you’re a Catholic homeschool family, a Sunday School teacher, or a parent wanting to share faith at home, this pack will guide your children in growing closer to Jesus each week.

Let’s make the Gospel a joyful part of your family’s week.

More FREE Charlotte Mason's Motto Posters

2024-07-02T02:20:00.010+08:00

Here are more Charlotte Mason's Motto Posters that you can use for your homeschooling.

Click the pictures to download the PDF file.

You are welcome to download and use this file for classroom or home purposes. You may also share the link to the blog page where the file can be found. Please refrain from claiming this file as your own or making any alterations to it. Selling or profiting from this PDF file is strictly prohibited.

If you wish to share this file, kindly attach the link to the blog page on any social media platform. Sharing this file on other platforms like Dropbox, Facebook groups, 4Shared, etc. is strongly discouraged. It is intended for personal use only, such as homeschooling or classroom activities.

Feel free to post about this printable and tag @teacherweena on Facebook and Instagram, or add the blogsite: teacherweena.com. Please do not send this file directly to anyone. Instead, you may send them the link directing them to this link:

https://teacherweena.blogspot.com/2024/07/more-free-charlotte-masons-motto-posters.html

This PDF files were created using Canva.com, and all images used are free to use on the website.

Find more FREE Charlotte Mason resources.

Blogs on the Charlotte Mason method

God bless you in your homeschooling journey!

Emergent Reader Resources: SATPIN and MDGCOK CVC Sentence Cards

2024-05-29T17:03:00.001+08:00

Transform your phonics lessons with our engaging and educational CVC Sentence Cards, designed specifically for young learners in kindergarten through 2nd grade. These cards are perfect for helping students practice their reading skills and build confidence with simple, easy-to-read sentences.

Included in this set:

Packs 1, 2 and 3 - 16 CVC Sentence Cards: Each card features a sentence composed of consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words. These sentences are designed to reinforce early reading skills and help students recognize word patterns and improve fluency.
Vibrant Illustrations: Each sentence card is accompanied by a colorful and relevant illustration, making it easier for young readers to understand the context and meaning of the sentences.
Versatile Usage: Use these cards in a variety of ways, including literacy centers, reading practice, interactive games, and small group activities. They are also great for independent work or as a supplement to your phonics curriculum.
Teacher and Parent Friendly: The cards are designed for ease of use, with clear, bold text and sturdy construction to withstand frequent handling by little hands.

These CVC Sentence Cards are an invaluable tool for helping children develop their reading skills in a fun and engaging way. Perfect for both classroom and homeschool environments, they provide a solid foundation for early literacy and foster a love of reading.

Download your CVC Sentence Cards today and watch your young readers flourish!

Click the images to get the pack.

Emergent Reader Resources: MDGOCK Posters

2024-05-28T02:32:00.003+08:00

We are excited to present our comprehensive set of MDGOCK Letter Sounds Free Printables, crafted to support young learners in kindergarten through 2nd grade. These resources are designed to make phonics instruction engaging and effective, perfect for both classroom and homeschool settings. Our printables help children master the sounds of the letters M, D, G, O, C, and K, laying a strong foundation for early reading success.

Included in this set:

Posters of Each Letter (M, D, G, O, C, K): Bright and attractive posters for each letter, designed to grab students' attention and aid in letter recognition and sound association.

Banners: Eye-catching banners featuring the MDGOCK letters, ideal for creating a visually stimulating learning environment in your classroom or home.

Word Cards: Simple and easy-to-read word cards that start with each MDGOCK letter, helping students practice initial sounds and build their vocabulary.

Letter Cards: Versatile letter cards that can be used for a variety of phonics activities, including matching games, sorting tasks, and sound identification exercises.

These printables are perfect for phonics lessons, literacy centers, and interactive learning activities, ensuring your students develop strong foundational reading skills in a fun and engaging way. Download now and bring the joy of learning letter sounds to your educational setting!

Emergent Reader Resources: SATPIN Printables

2024-05-27T19:54:00.005+08:00

Enhance your phonics instruction with our comprehensive set of SATPIN Letter Sounds Free Printables. Designed specifically for young learners in kindergarten to 2nd grade, these resources are perfect for classroom use or homeschool environments. Our printables make learning letter sounds engaging and effective, providing a solid foundation for early reading skills.

Included in this set:

Posters of Each Letter (S, A, T, P, I, N): Vibrant and visually appealing posters for each letter, designed to capture students' attention and reinforce letter recognition and sounds.
Banners: Colorful banners featuring the SATPIN letters, ideal for classroom displays or learning corners to create an immersive learning environment.
Word Cards: Handy word cards showcasing simple, easy-to-read words that begin with each SATPIN letter, helping students practice and master initial sounds.
Letter Cards: Versatile letter cards for a variety of activities, such as matching games, sorting exercises, and letter-sound associations.

These printables are perfect for phonics lessons, literacy centers, and interactive activities, ensuring your students develop strong foundational skills in a fun and engaging way. Download now and bring the joy of learning letter sounds to your educational setting!

FREE Birthday Themed Play Dough Mats for Preschool and Kindergarten

2024-04-17T16:38:00.003+08:00

Are you searching for engaging and entertaining birthday activities to celebrate your preschooler or kindergartener's special day? As parents and educators, we understand the importance of making birthdays memorable while incorporating educational elements to foster learning and development. Look no further! We've curated a collection of delightful birthday-themed playdough mats that promise hours of fun and creativity for your little ones.

Are you ready to add a sprinkle of excitement to your child's birthday celebration? Let's explore these captivating playdough mat ideas together!

Download 25 pages of fun and creativity here:

Birthday Themed Play Dough Mats

Birthday Cake: Let your child's imagination soar as they design their own unique birthday cake with colorful playdough!

Balloon Bouquet: Watch as your child creates a vibrant balloon bouquet, molding playdough into different shapes and sizes!

Party Hat: Get ready to party with this fun playdough mat! Your child can decorate their own party hat with stripes, polka dots, and more!

Present Pile-Up: Stack up the fun with this adorable playdough mat featuring gift boxes waiting to be decorated!

Cupcake Creations: Indulge in sweet creativity as your child designs delectable cupcakes with playdough frosting and sprinkles!

Birthday Bear: Your child can bring this cuddly bear to life with playdough, complete with a birthday balloon for added charm!

Number Cake: Combine learning and fun with this educational playdough mat featuring numbers forming a delightful birthday cake!

With these captivating birthday-themed playdough mats, your child's birthday celebration is sure to be a hit! Not only do these activities spark creativity and imagination, but they also provide valuable opportunities for hands-on learning and development. Whether you're celebrating at home or in the classroom, these playdough mats promise endless hours of entertainment and educational enrichment. Get ready to make memories and celebrate in style with these delightful birthday activities for preschoolers and kindergarteners!

Download the 25 page pack here:

Birthday Themed Play Dough Mats

Free Birthday Themed Activity Pages For Classroom and Homeschool Birthday Celebrations

2024-04-16T20:22:00.005+08:00

Looking for fun and free birthday activity pages for kids? Whether you’re a teacher, homeschool parent, or just planning a birthday celebration at home, these birthday-themed worksheets are perfect for keeping children engaged while celebrating.

These printable activity pages combine learning and fun, making them a great addition to:
- Classroom birthday celebrations
- Homeschool activities
- Party games for kids
- Quiet time fun at home

What’s Included in the Free Birthday Activity Pack

Inside this free birthday-themed printable set, you’ll find:

🎂 Coloring pages with cakes, balloons, and presents
🧩 Word searches and puzzles to boost vocabulary
📝 Tracing and handwriting practice with birthday-themed words
🎈 Creative drawing prompts to spark imagination

These activity sheets are designed for children in preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary levels.

Visual discrimination: Pattern recognition, I Spy, mazes and matching.

Fine Motor, vocabulary and eye-hand coordination

Why You’ll Love These Birthday Printables

No prep required – just download and print.

Fun and educational – keeps kids learning while celebrating.

Versatile – great for morning work, centers, or birthday parties.

Free to use – perfect for teachers and parents alike.

How to Get Your Free Birthday Activity Pages

Click below to grab your free birthday-themed activity worksheets:

Download Your Free Birthday Printables Here

Print as many as you need and enjoy a fun-filled celebration with your children or students!

Final Thoughts

Birthdays are the perfect time to make learning extra fun. These free birthday printables for kids will add joy to any classroom, homeschool, or party setting. Download them today and celebrate with activities kids will love!

📌 Don’t forget to pin this post on Pinterest so you can save it for later!

Here's more great ideas for your classroom or homeschool birthday celebration:
Musical Chairs: Arrange chairs in a circle, one less than the number of children. Play music and have kids walk around the chairs. When the music stops, they have to find a chair to sit in. Remove one chair after each round. The child left standing when the music stops is out. Continue until one child remains.

Pass the Parcel: Wrap a small prize in layers of wrapping paper. Sit the kids in a circle and play music. When the music stops, the child holding the parcel removes one layer of wrapping. Continue until the prize is revealed.
Simon Says: One child is designated as "Simon" and gives commands prefaced with "Simon says," like "Simon says touch your toes." The other kids must only follow commands that start with "Simon says." If Simon says a command without the phrase, those who follow are out.
Duck, Duck, Goose: Children sit in a circle, and one child walks around tapping others' heads, saying "duck" each time. When they tap someone and say "goose," that child must chase them around the circle. If the first child sits in the empty spot before getting tagged, the "goose" becomes the next tapper.
Bean Bag Toss: Set up targets on the floor with different point values. Kids take turns tossing bean bags onto the targets. You can make it more challenging by having them stand farther away or giving smaller targets higher point values.
Pin the Tail on the Donkey: Hang up a picture of a donkey without its tail. Blindfold each child in turn, spin them around gently, and have them try to stick a paper tail in the right spot on the donkey. The child closest to the correct spot wins.

I hope this resource will help you create wonderful memories for your children.

FREE Divine Mercy Coloring Page

2024-04-07T16:15:00.001+08:00

Divine Mercy Coloring Page

Click here to download

Divine Mercy Chaplet Prayers Copy work

Click here to download

Timeless Wisdom And Gentle Guidance: Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

2024-04-07T02:15:00.001+08:00

My family had a framed "Desiderata" hanging on the wall of our house when I was growing up. I have read it over and over and over, and somehow, the words have always resonated deeply within me. "Desiderata," with its timeless wisdom and gentle guidance, has been a constant source of inspiration and comfort throughout my adult life.

Recently, as a parent to a curious and impressionable 9-year-old son, I felt compelled to share the profound message of "Desiderata" with him. I wanted him to embrace its principles of kindness, courage, and authenticity as he navigates through life's journey.

So, we embarked on a project together to create a poster of "Desiderata" to hang on our wall, just like the one I cherished from my childhood home. However, choosing the perfect design proved to be a challenge. We experimented with various layouts, fonts, and illustrations, each attempt reflecting our interpretation of the poem's essence.

In the end, we found ourselves with several beautifully crafted posters, each unique in its own way. While we still haven't settled on the final design to grace our walls, the process itself has been enriching and memorable.

Now, as I reflect on our journey to bring "Desiderata" into our home once again, I realize that its impact extends far beyond our family. Its timeless wisdom is a beacon of light in a world often clouded by uncertainty and chaos. So, I share these posters with you, dear reader, in the hope that they may find a place in your home as well. For in the words of Max Ehrmann, "With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world."

Get the posters here:

FREE Basic Catholic Prayers Copy Work Sheets

2024-03-24T18:48:00.003+08:00

FREE Basic Prayers Copy work sheets

Click here to download:

Our Father

Hail Mary

Glory Be

Find more Basic Catholic Prayers Copywork Sheets at my TpT store or at teacherweena.com

Fun And Engaging Drawing Prompts For 3rd and 4th Graders

2023-07-23T18:27:00.003+08:00

This post may contain affiliate links to products or services that I recommend. By clicking on these links and making a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Your support helps me continue to provide valuable content to you. Thank you for your support!

A friend once exclaimed when I told her that we were using the Charlotte Mason method in homeschooling, saying that it involved a lot of drawing and that they would probably spend more time drawing than doing lessons. So, I explained that through drawing, children are able to not only apply their thoughts and imaginations but also reinforce their learnings. It doesn't matter if their finished product is gallery-worthy; it's the process of drawing and engaging in art that truly matters.

So I have asked the help of Chat GPT to come up with 20 fun and engaging prompts for my active and creative son to allow him to apply his learnings more through drawing.

I have created printables to add to our Morning Basket and I am sharing with you some of these drawing prompts so you can try them out too.

Should you wish to get the entire set, you may purchase and download them at my TpT store.

About Animals:

For homeschoolers following the CM method, drawing animals and nature may be less challenging compared to those who have no prior experience with nature journaling. However, it is important to note that these prompts are not meant for journaling purposes, but rather to encourage creativity and imagination in applying what a child has learned about animals. I highly recommend reading living books about animals, such as "Nature Stories" by Florence Bass or "The Burgess Bird Book For Children," and "The Burgess Animal Book," with your child, as it will help them brainstorm ideas for each prompt.

I intend to incorporate these prompts into our homeschooling routine once or twice a week. Based on my experience, my son usually does not complete a drawing in one sitting. He often continues to add more details to it throughout the week or even over the course of a month.

Free Fun And Engaging Drawing Prompts About Animals

Complete Pack Fun and Engaging Drawing Prompts About Animals Tpt

Teacher Weena

About Geography:

The prompts cover general concepts on geography, but if your child has knowledge about other countries and geographical locations, they can incorporate additional ideas into their drawings. Books such as "Paddle To The Sea," "Little House on The Prairie," "Treasure Island," or Charlotte Mason's "Elementary Geography" are excellent resources for those who are new to the CM method.

Free Fun And Engaging Drawing Prompts About Geography

Complete Pack Fun and Engaging Drawing Prompts About Animals TpT

Teacher Weena Webshop

About History:

The prompts provided here offer a brief overview of the period from ancient civilizations to modern times. By reading books such as A Child's History of The World and The Story of Civilization Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, both you and your child can gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the events and individuals that shaped our world, rather than simply memorizing dates and locations.

FREE Fun and Engaging Drawing Prompts About History

Complete Pack Fun and Engaging Drawing Prompts About History TpT

Teacher Weena Webstore

Get all 3 drawing prompt sets at 20% off at my TpT Store!

I would love to see some of your children's work! Do share some in the comments or on my Teacher Weena FB page. Or you may email me theteachingwagon@teacherweena.com

Find more FREE Printables here

Engaging and Enjoyable Writing Prompts for Active, Creative Learners

2023-07-20T01:41:00.004+08:00

Homeschooling an active, highly creative child who adores reading but is far ahead of his reading level can be a challenge. He isn't fond of extended periods of sitting and lengthy lessons that hinder his ability to experiment and explore. Nonetheless, he has an insatiable love for research, independent discovery, and experimentation. Although he finds writing and drawing challenging, he can spend countless hours constructing marvelous creations with his Lego sets and constructing cozy pillow and blanket forts. To cater to his inclination for exploration and discovery, I have sought the assistance of Chat GPT to provide us with engaging and enjoyable writing prompts that will keep both of us occupied and foster continuous learning throughout this upcoming homeschool year.

I have created printables for these writing prompts so that we can just pull one out when needed. I am sharing with you some of them so you can try them out too.

Should you wish to get the entire set, you may purchase and download them at my TpT store

About Animals:

If your child has already read books such as "Nature Stories" by Florence Bass, "The Burgess Bird Book For Children," "The Burgess Animal Book," or "Parables From Nature," as well as "Trumpet of The Swan" and "Charlotte's Web," they will surely enjoy the opportunity to imagine and create their own stories using these writing prompts.

FREE Fun and Engaging All About Animals Writing Prompts

Complete Pack Fun and Engaging All About Animals Writing Prompts

About Geography:

We have recently begun reading captivating stories such as "Children of Noisy Village," "Family Under The Bridge," and "Red Sails to Capri." These tales have not only ignited my son's desire for adventure but have also sparked a similar yearning within me. While my son has delved into numerous travel books and atlases, I must admit that he has surpassed me in this regard. Nevertheless, I am certain that he will thoroughly enjoy these writing prompts.

FREE Fun and Engaging Geography Writing Prompts

Complete Pack Fun and Engaging Geography Writing Prompts

About History:

The prompts here cover the period from the first civilizations to the medieval ages. If your child has read, A Child's History of The World, The Story of Civilization Vol. 1 and Vol. 2; then they will enjoy these prompts.

FREE Fun and Engaging World History Writing Prompts

Complete Pack Fun and Engaging Geography Writing Prompts

Even if you and your children haven't read most of these books, it would still be equally fun and interesting to research and work on a prompt together.

If your child finds certain writing prompts challenging, offer to assist them with research and brainstorming. Our goal is to complete each writing prompt within one or two weeks.

To improve composition and grammar, consider the following suggestions:

Vary sentence structure: Encourage your child to use a mix of simple,
compound, and complex sentences to add variety and flow to their writing.

Use appropriate punctuation: Remind your child to use commas, periods,
question marks, and exclamation marks correctly. Additionally, teach them
how to use quotation marks when writing dialogue.

Check subject-verb agreement: Help your child ensure that the subject
and verb in their sentences agree in number. For example,
"He walks to the park" (singular subject) versus
"They walk to the park" (plural subject).

Proofread for spelling and grammar errors: Encourage your child to
carefully review their writing for any spelling or grammar mistakes.
They can use tools like spell check or ask for your assistance in identifying
and correcting errors.

Develop paragraphs: Teach your child the importance of organizing their
ideas into paragraphs. Each paragraph should focus on a specific
topic or idea, with a clear topic sentence and supporting details.

Expand vocabulary: Encourage your child to use a variety of
descriptive words and phrases to make their writing more engaging.
Encourage them to consult a thesaurus to find synonyms and expand
their vocabulary.

Remember, practice makes perfect, so encourage your child to write regularly and provide constructive feedback to help them continually improve their composition and grammar skills.

Don't know where to find some of the books I mentioned? Try The Learning Basket Shop, if you're from the Philippines. We have also heavily used Internet Archive for the out of print or hard to find books which are on the Mater Amabilis/ Ambleside Online/ Kolbe Academy book list.

Get all 3 writing prompt sets at 20% off at my TpT Store!

I would love to read some of your children's work! Do share some in the comments or on my Teacher Weena FB page. Or you may email me teacherweena-at-gmail-dot-com

Find more FREE Printables here

Kindergarten Homeschool Lesson: The Tower of Babel

2023-05-30T23:49:00.004+08:00

This Bible Story got my son, who was 3 years old then, into learning new languages. And later, when we moved to another country for his Tatay's work, he appreciated the different languages and people we interacted. This story has a lot of lessons and you can share them with all of your children, no matter what age.

Read a Louds

I have a read-a-loud video of my favorite toddler/preschooler Bible in my YT channel. If you have The Jesus Storybook Bible, You may want to open that up and read to your young children 'A Giant Staircase to heaven' Use whatever resource you have at home. There are also many read aloud Bible stories on YouTube. here are our favorites:

Tower of Babel Read Aloud

The Tower of Babel-Bible Story Read Aloud for Kids!

Build A Tower

Your toddler or preschooler might want to build a tower after you read the story. Go ahead and sit down on the floor with them and build towers using your favorite blocks. This may open up a further discussion on the lessons from the story.

You may want to encourage your little one to try to build a tower as high as they could and talk about what happens next and maybe mention that God gave us hands, eyes and a mind so we can create and build things.

Learn a new language, or at least learn to say hello in different languages.

Here's a list I got from the web. If you live abroad and have neighbors of different nationality, ask them sometime, when you get to see them how to say 'hello' and 'how are you?' in their language.

Language	Formal	Informal
French	Bonjour	Salut
Spanish	Hola	¿Qué tal?
Russian	Zdravstvuyte	Privet
Chinese	Nǐn hǎo	Nǐ hǎo
Italian	Salve	Ciao
Japanese	Konnichiwa	Yā, Yō
German	Guten Tag	Hallo, Hi
Portuguese	Olá	Oi
Korean	Anyoung haseyo	Anyoung
Arabic	Asalaam alaikum	Ahlan
Danish	Goddag	Hej, Halløj
Swahili	Shikamoo	Habari, Hujambo
Dutch	Goedendag	Hoi, Hallo
Greek	Yassas	Yassou
Polish	Dzień dobry	Cześć, Witaj
Indonesian	Selamat siang	Halo
Hindi	Namaste, Namaskar	Hai, Helo
Norwegian	God dag	Hei
Turkish	Merhaba	Selam
Hebrew	Shalom	Hey
Swedish	God dag	Hej, Tjena

When my son and I arrived here in Doha, we would take Uber to get to the places we wanted to go. Upon riding, he immediately asks the driver; "Brother, where are you from? What country?" Most drivers would happily answer him and even engage in a conversation. His follow up question would be; "How do you say 'hello' in your language?

There's a playlist on my Spotify with some children's songs from different countries. You may want to listen with your children and try to sing along.

Arts and Crafts

I have a free printable for toddlers and preschoolers to paste stones and 'build' a tower. Making crafts with little ones encourages them to ask questions, learn to use glue or scissors, problem solve, and develop their fine motor skills; to name a few.

Invite your child to draw a picture of what the tower of Babel would have looked like. Or maybe draw the entire story.

Some children like to apply themselves through drawing, some through building, some even through re-enactment. So go ahead, re-enact those Bible stories with your children. Invite Dad so you have more characters.

Let me know how your Tower of Babel lesson turned out in the comments!

God bless you!

Find more FREE Printables here

Kindergarten Homeschool Catechism Lesson: Adam and Eve

2022-05-13T00:50:00.008+08:00

The entire story of Adam and Eve and how they disobeyed God will probably be too overwhelming for a 3 or 4 year old. But don’t let that stop you from reading from your favorite children’s Bible. You can find a list of the best children’s bible at Catholic Icing

Our favorites are:

The Jesus Story Book Bible

Tomie dePaola's Book of Bible Stories Hardcover – Picture Book

The Action Bible: God's Redemptive Story (Action Bible Series)

The Beginner's Bible: Timeless Children's Stories

Lesson Focus

1. God loves us. Note that when we read the Bible, in Genesis 1:31; From day 1 to 5 in the text it says; “God saw that it was good.” But notice the difference on the sixth day.

“God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed—the sixth day.”

2. God gave us rules and responsibilities

“God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that crawl on the earth.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1:28‬ ‭NABRE‬‬

I’m pretty sure you have had your toddler and preschooler insist that he or she ‘help’ in the house chores, or in any ‘work’ that they have seen you do. Rest in the thought that God has planted this desire deep into your children and that you can again and again, help them grow in virtue and love of God.

3. To love God is to obey Him

“The Lord God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it. The Lord God gave the man this order: You are free to eat from any of the trees of the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. From that tree you shall not eat; when you eat from it you shall die.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭2:15-17‬ ‭NABRE‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/463/gen.2.15-17.NABRE

I have told my once toddler; and now my Kindergarten students each year that “When we love (someone), obedience will follow.” They may not fully understand it yet, but if we model or show our children how to truly love, this greatest Theological virtue will slowly grow in them. And obedience will follow.

4. God still loves us, even if we make mistakes.

My son was very sad when I came to reading the part when God knew that Adam and Eve disobeyed. He became even sadder when they were banished from the garden of Eden.

In order for our children to believe that God still loves us, even if we make mistakes, we must model to our children giving and asking for forgiveness. I always took my once active toddler, not a toddler now but still very active; to confession - yep, even inside a confessional box. He still comes with me and my husband but sits on a pew, quite far from us, and definitely not inside the confessional box.

Read A Louds

We always begin with reading a loud. I have a YT video of the story of Adam and Eve from The Jesus Storybook Bible. If you don’t have a children’s bible yet, you may listen with your child(ren) from YouTube videos for this lesson.

The Jesus Storybook Bible: The Terrible Lie

The Usborne Children’s Bible : Adam and Eve

Books on Scribd

The Children’s Bible: Illustrated Stories From the New and Old Testament, page 18

365 Read A Loud Bedtime Bible Stories, pages 6 - 9

Music and Movement

And the best way to get those wiggles out is to sing and dance!

The B-I-B-L-E song by Bible Beats

God Made A Way For Me (Preschool) by KidSpring

Obey by Yancy Little Praise Party

Stop and Go by Yancy Little Praise Party - this song can be extended into a game of Stop and Go. This allows young children to learn how to control their impulses in a fun way. Ask your child to jump in place (what fun!) and say after a few seconds, “Aaaand STOP!” High five when he or she was able to do it. Other actions can be walking, running, dancing or waving arms.

Its Sleepy Time by Slugs and Bugs - Wind down with soft music after. This activity will help your child learn how to slow down and be calm even after a fun and exciting activity. You can use any soft and slow music just to sit down with your child and do some cuddling. This may take a while to learn but keep at it and soon, you and your little one will be doing down time and quiet time each day.

Arts and Crafts

We did a Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil paper craft in my Catechism class this year. I sought the help of the parents for the pre-cutting. You can find the cutting tutorial in my YT channel.

As you assemble the tree, you can talk about the story again so your child can process and ask questions.

Here are some more craft activities you may want to do.

Adam and Eve and The Terrible Lie Snake and Apple Mobile from Bible Crafts and Activities

Coloring and Activity Pages

Download my free Adam and Eve activity pages here.

Or, scoot over to my TpT store to get the full pack.

I hope this helps you and your family in your homeschool journey. Let me know how the lesson went in the comments. If you know a family who might need ideas and resources for teaching Catechism and homeschooling little ones, please share this blog post.

God bless you.

Kindergarten Homeschool Catechism Lesson: Noah’s Ark

2022-05-01T15:01:00.003+08:00

Young children have always been fascinated with animals. This homeschool Catechism lesson will surely delight both you and your children.

Read-A-Louds

Again, start with an engaging story. If you have a children’s Bible at home, snuggle up and read the story of Noah’s Ark. Our favorite when our son was a toddler was the Jesus Storybook bible. I have a read-a-loud over at my YT channel.

If you are still searching for the best children’s bible for your children, Catholic Icing has the perfect list.

Our favorites are:

The Jesus Story Book Bible

Tomie dePaola's Book of Bible Stories Hardcover – Picture Book

The Action Bible: God's Redemptive Story (Action Bible Series)

The Beginner's Bible: Timeless Children's Stories

Here are other read a loud videos of Noah’s Ark

Kids Books Read A Loud: Noah's Ark by Igloo Books

Noah's Ark by Piper Pad Studio

Music and Movement

There are so many animal songs on Spotify for you and your child to sing and dance to. Making animal sounds and imitating their movements while moving to the beat will surely be fun. You may use YouTube videos for your music and movement activities also but I recommend that children just listen to the music rather than watch a video with music.

Music and movement can be done anytime of the day, whenever you feel like singing and dancing. When our son was little we used to have dance breaks during the day, and its usually the songs we sing and dances we dance that are related to the week's lesson.

Here is the playlist I use for my online Catechism class.

Listening Game

I played this listening game with my preschoolers in the classroom to improve on their auditory recognition skills. There is a short YT Video that I made for my online Catechism class. Check it our here.

Bird Watching

Step outside with your children to watch our little feathered friends. Your children will delight in watching and observing these cute creatures as you point out to them their movements and sounds. This gentle introduction to birdwatching will definitely pay off when your homeschool curriculum calls for bird study or biology.

You don't need any special equipment, really. Maybe just a few grains or bread to invite some birds to come near you. Little ones might be too excited and noisy and run about, but you can model and gently remind them that if they want to see these little friends up close, they have to try their best to be quiet ad keep still.

Arts and Crafts

You can find a few animal crafts here at Get Crafty With Teacher Weena or you may search for more in Pinterest and the web.

Coloring Pages and Other Activities

I also have coloring pages for Noah's Ark at my Free Printables Page

God bless you.

Find more FREE Printables here

Teaching “God Created the World” with Music, Movement & Story: Kindergarten Homeschool Catechism

2022-03-28T19:40:00.008+08:00

Homeschooling children under six can feel overwhelming for many first-time parents—but it doesn’t have to be formal. Drawing inspiration from Charlotte Mason, this lesson invites you to slow down and cherish this peaceful early-learning stage. This versatile activity works well whether you have one child or several young ones learning together.

If you enjoy this lesson, you’ll also love exploring my other Kindergarten Homeschool Catechism lessons designed for K–2 Catholic homeschoolers.

Lesson Breakdown

1. Read-Aloud: The Story of Creation

Start on the couch with your little one and read a child-friendly version of the Creation story. A favorite in our home has been The Jesus Storybook Bible—it’s engaging, beautifully illustrated, and perfect for young hearts.

Looking for more story-based catechism? Try my Noah's Ark for another simple and faith-filled activity.

2. Music & Movement

Bring the story to life with simple songs that narrate each day of creation. Move, dance, or make soft hand motions—whatever feels natural. This kinesthetic connection deepens understanding and enjoyment.

3. Catechism Discussion

Introduce a gentle catechism question like: “Who created the world?” Encourage the answer: “God created the world.” Use simple follow-ups: “What did God make?” (“The sun, moon, animals, plants…”) and “Who made those?” Your child’s answers may surprise you with their creativity and insight.

4. Explore, Art, and Play

Stimulate multiple senses with a hands-on activity: build a “creation collage” using colored paper cutouts or natural items like leaves and sticks. Or sketch each day of creation on one page. The key is to blend creativity with understanding.

5. Quiet Reflection & Prayer

End with a quiet moment where you share gratitude. Lead a short prayer like: “Thank you, God, for creating everything good. Amen.” It’s a simple way to close the lesson thoughtfully.

Wrapping Up

This gentle yet meaningful lesson engages young learners through storytelling, movement, catechism, creativity, and reflection. It's a beautiful foundation for nurturing faith and wonder during your child’s formative years.

Want to continue the journey? Browse more K–2 Catechism Lessons for ready-to-use activities that make faith come alive at home.

Coloring Pages and Other Activities

If your children love to color and paint, here are a few resources where you can download free coloring pages.

FREE Days of Creation Coloring Pages from Everything is Grace

I hope this help you and your family in your homeschool journey. Let me know how the lesson went in the comments. If you know a family who might need ideas and resources for teaching Catechism and homeschooling little ones, please share this blog post.

God bless you.

Find more FREE resources in our FB group!

Join here:

All About Ducks: A Unit Study On Ducks

2021-04-05T18:16:00.005+08:00

This post contains affiliate links.

Spring is here so let's talk about ducks!

My online Pre-K and Kindergarten class talked about and explored duck this month of February. We had fun, sang and danced a lot even if we were only seeing each other on our screens. Here's the lesson plan:

Parent Communication

I send out a one page announcement of the books and art works that we will be using as well as some skills to be focused on.

Playlist

An All About Ducks (and more) playlist is on my Spotify. I use them for circle Time and music and movement breaks. We stand to sing and dance in front of our laptops. The parents sometimes join in - even if they can't bee seen in view.

Read A Loud Books On YouTube

Click to go to the read aloud book on YouTube.

Make Way For Ducklings

The Chick and The Duckling

The Ugly Duckling

The Story of Ping

After the children listen to a story, we go over the pages of the book and let then re-tell the story. Somewhat like narration - what we (my son and I) do after a read aloud or independent reading in our Charlotte Mason homeschooling.

The children take turns in the retelling but sometimes, they talk at the same time.

Suggested Children's Books

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

The Chick and the Duckling by Mirra Ginsburg

The Fuzzy Duckling: A Classic Children's Book by Jane Werner Watson

10 Little Rubber Ducks Board Book: An Easter And Springtime Book For Kids by Eric Carle

Where's the Duck? by Ingela P Arrhenius

The Story about Ping by Marjorie Flack

Duck on a Bike Paperback by David Shannon

One Duck Stuck: A Mucky Ducky Counting Book by Phyllis Root

Duck at the Door: An Easter And Springtime Book For Kids (Max the Duck, 1) by Jackie Urbanovic

Play Based Activities

I have a Pinterest board full of play based ideas.

Field Work

We went to a park with a man-made lake and where ducks lived. I let the children observe and describe the ducks as their parents jotted down all their responses. It was short and quick because of the prevalent restrictions on gatherings and we really had to follow the social distancing protocols but the children enjoyed watching the ducks and had plenty of observations.

Making It Emergent and Child Centered

In order to encourage investigation and deeper thinking, and since I am limited to interacting with the children online, the parents were the ones who engaged in deeper conversations about ducks and provided extension activities. I am amazed on how the parents of these children stepped up to be their child's educator.

Here are some suggestions on how to investigate further:

I have tried some of these routines in the physical classroom back when I was teaching in the classroom.

1. Observe ducks in their natural habitat and let your child ask as many questions as they want. You can answer some questions or you can ask them to look and observe some more until they figure it out. Then ask them, "What do you want to find out more?"

2. Use one play based activity and prompt the to wonder about one thing like lyrics of a song or words in a poem or finger play, the color of their toy ducks versus the color of ducks in a photograph.

Then investigate with them using books, photos on the internet or even YouTube videos. Let them draw or write their discovery.

Numeracy and Reading Skills

I have included math and early reading skills activities in my All About Ducks pack. But of course, I would encourage you to use less worksheets and more hands on activities.

You may want to sing or recite the 5 Little Ducks song and teach the concept of subtraction. I do not use the words minus and equals yet. This can also be used to learn a few Dolch Pre-K and Kindergarten sight words. You can write down 2-4 words from the poem such as one, two, little and then add a new word. Show the words one at a time and say it with your child a couple of times. I like to put up poems and songs on the wall for my son to see. Nowadays, its usually on the wall near his place on the dining table. This encourages him to look at the words and try to decode it with the reading level he is on. Children who are read to everyday have wider vocabularies and will be able to use those to decode words.

We do syllabication and rhyming games in class too. I will share more in my next lesson plan post.

Extension Activities and Other Resources

Young children are really very curious. By the time they are 4 they would be asking so many questions that it may feel like a chore to answer all of them. My usual answer is, lets find out - later (or now) This as you might have guessed is already an extended activity.

You may want to look for more books about ducks. Talk about some of the ideas there and ask more questions! I would like to encourage you to make extension activities as open ended as possible. It ay be block play, water play, pretend play or small world play. For arts and crafts, you may want to leave a box with assorted materials out so your little on can explore. Of course you can put out yellow paper and feathers, and let your child figure out how he/she can make a duck. or blue paper, grass cuttings, plastic toy ducks to create a pond for small world play.

I will add more ideas to this lesson. Please check back once in a while.

Homeschool Catechism Lesson: Jesus Feeds 5000

2021-03-24T16:35:00.002+08:00

Level : K-2

Materials:

Children's Bible with the story of Jesus Feeds 5000 or
A Regular Bible, make sure it has Nihil Obstat

or click here for a Read-Aloud of this Story From The Jesus Storybook Bible

Bible journal or a sheet of paper for drawing

Drawing and coloring materials

Jesus Feeds 5000 template

If you're curious about the Children's Bibles we read, here are a few of our favorites:

The Jesus Story Book Bible

Tomie dePaola's Book of Bible Stories Hardcover – Picture Book

The Action Bible: God's Redemptive Story (Action Bible Series)

The Beginner's Bible: Timeless Children's Stories

Last Lent 2017, when our son was just 2 years old. I made a weekly Lenten activity plan We would read the Sunday Gospel before mass and do a couple of activities during the week. He loved counting and putting things in containers that time and we not only did the activity one but twice. one with glue on a paper plate and one without glue using a paper bag. He peeled the glued loaves and fish off the paper plate so I thought of using a brown paper bag. He enjoyed putting the loaves and fish in the bag and taking them out again. Then saying "Heeew Jeeeshooo!"

We have done 2 versions of this Gospel story on our Bible Journals. The latest 'reading' was done by our son, now 6yo and can read fluently already. After he read, he automatically narrated back and drew on his journal. We still do narration/dictation.

For my online Catechism lesson, I let the children listen to the read aloud on my YouTube channel. Afterwards, we talked about the story We then had a music and movement break and danced to Jesus Feeds 5000 by Two by 2

After reading, we made our 5 loaves and 2 fish craft. You can find the template here A few children have already colored some of the loaves and fish so they began to cut. It was a challenge for me to really observe and assess the children on their cutting skills because they were on screen. I am truly grateful for the parents and guardians, and gandmas too! who dedicate their time to help facilitate the lesson.

After every story and activity in Catechism class, just like what my son and I do in our homeschool Religious Ed. lessons, we talk about Jesus' message and how we can apply the Good News to our lives.

Before we end our class, I always tell the children that Jesus loves them. We sing about it too. The children's happy faces - and an occasional "I love you Teacher Weena." - during class, is affirmation for me that Jesus loves me.

God bless you.

Read A Loud Stories

Children's Book Mini Lesson : Elmer by David McKee

2021-03-20T01:25:00.005+08:00

Book: Elmer by David Mckee

Read Aloud Book: Elmer by David Mckee

After you and your child have read the book, go over it once more and ask your little one to re-tell some of the events that happened in the story. Allow him/ her to express in his/her own words rather than asking closed ended questions. If you can hold your child's attention a little bit longer, you may ask open ended questions like, "What's your favorite part of the story?" and maybe, "Why/"

Continue talking about the story for as long as your child is interested.

ARTS & CRAFTS

Paper Patchwork Elmer

Download the FREE printable template here.

Pre cut 2cm colored paper squares. They need not be perfect. You may ask the help of your child by giving him/ her a 2cm x 6cm strip of colored paper and let him/ her snip with your guidance. If you have older kids, they may also help in cutting. You may also let the little one tear the paper. Just make little tears on the strip so its easier for your child to handle. Have your child glue the pieces of paper onto the Elmer template.

If you have older children, they can use the blank elephant template to decorate one of the elephants in Elmer's herd for the parade on Elmer's day.

MUSIC & MOVEMENT

You may find music to sing and dance to on my Spotify playlist All About Elephants

Movement Suggestions:

- Use one arm as a trunk

- Walk like an elephant

- Tiptoe like an elephant

POETRY

Read a poem about elephants. You may find some here.

You can choose a couple of poems and write them down on a piece of paper to read and re-read with your little one. Older children in the family can read too!

MESSY PLAY

Paint a small toy animal all over in gray using tempera or poster paint. Let dry for a while. Then, sprinkle water onto it to 'wash away' the paint.

Add soap and bubbles to a basin and give the toy elephant or any other toy animal a bath using an old toothbrush or a sponge.

I hope you enjoy this mini lesson . Tell me about it if you have done it, will you? I am curious to know how it goes with older children in the mix.

Find more FREE Printables here

Moses And The Burning Bush

2020-11-16T22:41:00.009+08:00

Level : K-2

Materials:

Children's Bible with the story of Moses or
A Regular Bible, make sure it has Nihil Obstat
Bible journal or a sheet of paper for drawing
Drawing and coloring materials

Moses and the Burning Bush printable (found in my Free Printables Page)

If you're curious about the Children's Bibles we read, here are a few of our favorites:

The Jesus Story Book Bible

Tomie dePaola's Book of Bible Stories Hardcover – Picture Book

The Action Bible: God's Redemptive Story (Action Bible Series)

The Beginner's Bible: Timeless Children's Stories

Our Bible Story lessons usually begin with, of course, a Bible Story. Last year as I read this to my son, he was so curious about what the 10 plagues looked like. I understood his curiosity and gladly answered all his questions because somebody told me 'that's what boys like' - gross things. If you have boys, they will surely enjoy this story. I have a read-a-loud video from The Children's Storybook Bible here. You may want to have your children watch it too.

Read A Loud Stories

After reading, we re-told the story together using the pictures in the book. This year however, as my son has turned 6, I ask him to narrate the story back. For children below 6, you may still want to go through the story again with them while showing some pictures.

In my Catechism class this year, I also showed some renaissance paintings and some illustrations of Moses and the burning bush. I also use this technique in our homeschool Bible Lesson.

After re-telling or narrating, expect a few questions or reaction - especially about the pictures. Allow the children to ask and express their opinions and ideas.

We then draw the story. My son usually draws the action part. There is a lot going on in most of his drawings. I allow him to talk about his drawing while he draws. After he draws, he will dictate the story again as I write it down in a space on his Bible Journal.

Our Bible story lessons were in this format since last year. The previous years, we would just read through a Children's bible and talk about the story. I sometimes draw and he colors. So in my online Catechism class this year, I sent my Kindergarteners a printable. You may download the PDF on my FREE PRINTABLES Page

I have also included memory game cards of the 10 Plagues to help older children remember all ten.

You can find this in the Moses and The Burning Bush printable

This year, as we did this lesson again, My son drew all 10 plagues in detail. We played the memory game a couple of times too.

in Catechism class, we sang some songs too. Although the songs were not related to the lesson, we had an enjoyable class just the same. And before we sang our goodbye song, I reminded them to obey their parents always because when they do, they are also obeying God. Then of course, I also requested that they hang their coloring page where they can be reminded of being obedient.

God bless you!

Joseph and His Wonderful, Colorful Robe

2020-11-12T15:43:00.008+08:00

We did this lesson when our son was in KG2. I used it again for my KG1 online Catechism class.

Level: K-2

Materials:

Children's Bible with the story of Joseph

Bible journal or a sheet of paper for drawing

Drawing and coloring materials

Joseph and His Wonderful coat printable (found in my Free Printables Page)

If you're curious about the Children's Bibles we read, here are a few of our favorites:

The Jesus Story Book Bible

Tomie dePaola's Book of Bible Stories Hardcover – Picture Book

The Action Bible: God's Redemptive Story (Action Bible Series)

The Beginner's Bible: Timeless Children's Stories

Start by reading the Story of Joseph and his brothers (Gen. 37-46). You may use any Children's Bible. I have a read aloud video from The Jesus Story Book Bible on my Read A Loud page. We like the Jesus Story book Bible because of the colorful illustrations and beautiful wordings.

We usually narrate back what was read aloud. This way we are able to remember more details in the story. Our son usually goes first and then me. After, we wonder and ask questions between ourselves about the reasons and motivations of each character (including God) in the story.

For my KG1 Catechism class, I let them watch the Read A Loud video and went over the story again my pausing the video to let the children say what they remember.

My son and I each have a Bible Journal, we usually do a quick sketch for Bible stories such as these and talk about the story further while drawing. For my Catechism class, I asked the parents to download my Joseph and His Wonderful Coat Printable and asked them to choose any of the coloring pages to print. I also included a tunic template with which the children can also paste colored paper onto it. This is usually for some children who don't like coloring and prefer to use glue.

Arts and Crafts in our homeschool are usually done in the afternoons, And it is presented in a gentle way. I would leave templates and materials out so its easily available. Glue scissors and tape are always available too.

I ended my Catechism class with a question if they too, like Joseph would forgive their siblings. Of course I had so many responses! And asked them to hang their artwork where they can see and look at whenever they feel angry or upset with their brothers or sisters.

God bless you!

Daily Routine Cards for Children in the Early Years

2020-09-24T01:37:00.003+08:00

This has been (and still is) one of my best Mom Sanity Savers so far! And not because the husband and I want to teach our son certain life skills, we are both into that too; but because creating a daily routine - I prefer to call it rhythm of the home, saves us a lot of time and effort.

We started doing routine cards last year when Teo was turned 5. Noli and I figured that since he was really trying to do things on his own, we would give it a little structure and boundaries - for the Nanay - so I won't hover too much!

Before we made the routine cards, we asked Teo is if he was willing to follow. Of course we explained (in detail) the consequences and benefits of following and not following the routines.

A year or so after the Routine cards were implemented, I can truly say our days were mostly smooth and easy. Teo has learned new habits along the way. And what I mean by learned is that he also developed some unpleasant habits along the way. Thus our revision and refining of some of the routines. Like When using the toilet, I had to add, and both agreed to be careful not to sprinkle wee outside the toilet bowl.

But it seems that the revisions have been unheeded. So I have been reflecting lately, and have been praying for wisdom on how to go about improving this strategy. I figured that it now looks so juvenile for my 6 year old and he may be 'slacking off' because there is not enough weight for these tasks to become a responsibility.

So I now have made it like a checklist. There is a neat DIY 'chore chart' that you can make yourself on the DLTK website (Link below). I made these routines into a checklist type of chart and will give Teo the responsibility of making sure he accomplishes his tasks and does it well.

So if you have very young children, you can download the editable Routine Card template here and adjust the tasks and routines according to the rhythm of your day.

DIY Chore

Update: I made another printable so you can move around the routines to fit your family's schedule. You can also find it in the FREE Printables Page.

If you have older children who can self monitor, you man go here Chart from DLTK to make your own charts.

One last note, We don't use these as reward charts. We don't give rewards. We believe that a job well done is accomplishment itself. We do give ourselves a treat once in a while, like ice cream or extra family movie time. And we make sure we share this treat together as a family.

Click here to go to my FREE PRINTABLES Page. Scroll down to the last part and there you will find both the version 1 and 2 Routine Cards printable.

Celebrating the Feast of the Ascension

2020-05-24T21:26:00.006+08:00

Part of our homeschool journey is litirgical living. Like many families, I prepare meals in celebration with the feasts. I just don't post photos for personal reasons.

This Sunday, I cooked 'sopas'; a Filipino cream soup with cabbage and carrots and hotdog. Some use pork and pork broth as base while some, use chicken and its broth. I used elbow macaroni to represent the clouds.

After lunch (pandemic time) we prepared for a Facebook live session to make our Ascension craft. Teo sat beside me and waited for us to start. As we began, he decided to just watch first and then make later.

Here is what Teo did AFTER the session. I think maybe he did not want to be time pressured.

I have a Jesus template here, for young children to color. And then a parent or guardian can help cut it.

Do send us photos of you and your work to the FB page Teacher Weena. So we can share it on the page.

Happy Feast of the Ascension!

God bless you.

Teacher Weena