November - The Shining Loaf

This week we focused on Grains and the process of sowing, reaping, threshing, milling, and baking. It is so much fun to be the Miller, whether it is with a marble mortar & pestle or an old-fashioned crank handle coffee mill.

We continued with our Songs, Verses & Movement for classroom routines.

Circle Time

#1 - "Good Morning, Dear Earth" verse

#2 - "Morning Verse"
from A Child's Seasonal Treasury, page 13

#3 - NEW - "Good Morning Feet!" verse
from The Breathing Circle, page 65

#4 - NEW - "We Push the Saw, We Pull the Saw" verse
from The Breathing Circle, page 76

#5 - "Song of the Harvest Hoe"
from Festivals Together, page 138

#6 - NEW - "Miller, Miller, Miller True" verse
from Let Us Form a Ring, page 6

#7 - NEW - "When the Wind Blows" song
from The Singing Year, page 75, track 66

#8 - "Hop Old Squirrel" song
from The Singing Year, page 77, track 68

#9 - NEW - "Wintertime" verse
from A Child's Seasonal Treasury, page 70

#10 - NEW - "Bear Has a Snout" verse
from The Breathing Circle, page 93

#11 - NEW - "Ten Bright Candles" finger play
from The Breathing Circle, page 84

Monday, November 18

• grind wheat berries with a mortar & pestle
• watch the birds and squirrels at our feeders
• do yoga with the Yoga Pretzels Cards
• read The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone

When the younger children carefully unrolled their yoga mats and got out the deck of Yoga Pretzels Cards, it was so sweet to see an older child step in and spontaneously lead them in a little yoga class!

I passed out pieces of short sanded driftwood for the children to tap together like rhythm sticks for the tune to "Song of the Harvest Hoe." This Chinese work song has a complicated tune with several rests and changes in rhythm, so it is excellent for auditory discrimination. Plus, rhythm sticks are so fun!

Tuesday, November 19

• look at packets of corn and sorghum seeds
• "Removing Kernels from the Cob" from Earthways p.56
• "Grinding Corn" from Earthways p.59
• read "The Shining Loaf" from Tell Me a Story p.152

The Co-op had beautiful packets of seed corn: Rio Grande Blue, Bloody Butcher, and Dakota Black (Zea mays). And they had Broom Corn, which is actually sorghum: Amish Rainbow Blend (Sorghum bicolor).

In the past "corn" was a general term which simply meant any kind of grain.

Thursday, November 21

• read "The Shining Loaf" from Tell Me a Story p.152
• "I'm thankful for..." parent cards
• send home Rainbow Rice
• send home Wet Felted Acorn Kits

Today we had plenty of playtime, both indoors and out, and children continued to be interested in the corn & wheat grinding work. We had a parent come in to fix my dining room table (thank you!) and a parent come in to fix the doll cradle (thank you!) and we talked about the magic of gifts given with love, as well as being grateful for all that we have. Because the dining room table had not been repaired yet by snack time, we had a huge (two tablecloths on the floor) picnic Stone Soup feast. It was so fun to see everyone gather together, older students and younger, for a shared meal.

I sent everyone out the door with gifts this week. Parent cards to be opened at the dinner table at Thanksgiving. Sensory Play Rainbow Rice and Wet Felted Acorn Kits for parent/child activities during our week off school next week. Wet felted acorns are super easy to make -- find directions here -- and each child chose four colors of wool roving and I gave them four burr oak acorn caps. All you need to add is hot water and baby shampoo.

Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to our Stone Soup this week. We had beef broth, red onion, carrots, parsnips, turnips, broccoli, and tomatoes. Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the Autumn break!

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