Sticker Activity

Miss Moo loves doing activities with me as well as on her own. She loves to play school and do worksheets with me. We have learned that while some Kindergarten-age sheets are too advanced, the Preschool age sheets bore her immensely. We have been using all the Kindergarten sheets we can as she requests them and she's thriving.

It has been a challenge to get back into a routine from the holidays and the wave of illness that knocked down everyone in the house. With everyone starting to return to normal, so am I.  I have TONS to do to catch up on all the time the funk sucked away from all of us. Moo has been asking for school time again, so we're slowly doing sheets and activities once again in conjunction in the non-traditional lessons and unschooling that takes place in our home.

One day a few months ago, I was cruising around Pinterest looking for some homeschooling ideas. I ran across a pin to this link from Rockabye Butterfly.  I loved that the activities featured in this post were so versatile and focused as much on following the directions as they did basic academic skills. I made a poster for Moo to do that day and she happily completed it after nap time.

Sticker Activity

• Take a sheet of paper, turn it lengthwise and draw a line near the bottom of the page. I used a few scribbled on pieces of large drawing pads the first few time to be sure she would be able to see everything clearly.
• Write a few numbers, I usually use 4, under the line. 
• Assign a sticker to each number. 
• Write each of the numbers randomly around the paper over the line. I am sure there are at least 4 of each number at the top.
• Give the child(ren) the sheet of numbers and the sheet containing the stickers.
• Give very clear instructions on what they are to do: "Match the color of the stick of the number at the bottom to the same number when it appears at the top. Place that color sticker on that number only. " 
• Have them tell you what color sticker is with each number and have them identify/help them identify the numbers they are matching.
• Let them do the activity on their own.
• Look at their sheet when they are done to be sure they have matched all the numbers to a stick and have done so correctly.
• If there are any mistakes, work with them at their lead to find the mistakes and correct them. You can do this by prompting in a manner like "Let's point out all the green stickers and see what numbers they are on."
• Be sure to tell them they followed the instructions well.   Positive reinforcement doesn't always need to be based in academics. Hearing that they did a job despite any mistakes they may have made will give them desire and momentum to try again.

Moo's completed sheet.

This activity is simple and can be modified easily. We have used various types of stickers (shapes, colors, characters) to make the instructions more complicated and to be sure that she IS actually doing what is asked of her. We have also substituted numbers for letters and shapes to break up the monotony of the number she was doing often. My next idea is to begin using this activity for sight words and post the results of that adaptation.

I am always looking for independent ways to reinforce our "structured" learning time together. What do you do to foster independence in your homeschooling adventures?