Петя и волк (Petya i volk) (Peter and the Wolf)

This afternoon, while blowing through the kindergarten summer bridge workbook, we listened to the album Earthbeat, which is a collaboration between the Paul Winter Consort and the Dimitri Pokrovsky Ensemble. This is one of my top ten, take to a deserted island, favorite albums. It combines traditional Russian folk songs with Paul Winter's genius and it is a delight to listen to. Oliver enjoyed it and bopped around at the kitchen table while not being challenged at all by what he should know before he enters kindergarten.

Before bedtime we watched Disney's Peter and the Wolf. He thought it was hilarious and made me play back several parts of the movie. 

It was Russian music by osmosis, today.

замедлять (zamedlyat') (slow)

Today was slow. 

Apparently the paint your own pottery studio doesn't stock eggs past Easter. Who knew?? (Duh! This is a learning curve for me, as well.)

We looked up some words, using the google translation app. I marvel the words he wanted to know: stop (остановить) (ostanovit'), go (идти) (idti), planet (планет) (planet) (kind of sounds like the English word), computer (компьютер) (komp'yuter) (again, kind of sounds like the English word), box (коробка) (korobka) (the noun, not the verb), love (любить) (lyubit') (which sounds a bit like the German word for love). We had fun listening to the words over and over again while trying to wrap our tongues around the very foreign-sounding syllables.

Onward and upward tomorrow!!

Спокойной ночи, Оливер (Good night, Oliver.)

Day one, week one is over. I think it went well except for, "I don't WANT a Russian folk story at bed time! I want a CONNECTICUT one!"

He listened to The Scarlet Flower very nicely, though, and was able to answer questions about what was read to him. (Yes!)

Tomorrow we're going to mix things up, a bit, and learn about Fabergé Eggs and other ways Russian artists decorate eggs. Then we're going to take a field trip to our local pottery painting place to paint our own egg in the style of Russian eggs. Or in his own Chewkie style. We'll see.

Here he is at a Mexican Restaurant, coloring the Russian Flag. It is white on top, blue in the middle and he is just starting the red on the bottom.

привет России (privet Rossii) (Hello Russia)

We spun the globe for the first time last night and this week's country is Russia!!

So far today, we have learned privet means hello and do svidaniya means goodbye.

Later we will have "Momma/Chewkie School" (as he calls it) and color the map of Russia, the flag of Russia and view pictures of Moscow.

At bedtime I will read The Scarlet Flower, which is very much like Beauty and the Beast.

I'm not sure, exactly, how this blog is going to work. Trial by fire, as it were.  I'll try to do a daily update with pictures or videos. We'll see.

Welcome Travelers!

Hello, friends, and welcome to our journey around the world in nine weeks.  My name is Michele and I am Super Chewkie's (AKA Oliver) Tour Guide and Momma. I had an idea for a summer project for Oliver because he LOVES geography and globes and maps and flags. Oliver is four and is going into Kindergarten in the fall, however there aren't many opportunities for him to learn about geography and world cultures at this age.  So, each Sunday night during Summer Vacation we are going to spin the globe and where Oliver's finger lands is the country we will spend the week learning about.

Here is a tentative outline for the week:

• Sunday
• Before bed we will spin the globe and pick the country. While Oliver is sleeping I will research the country and have a few things ready for Monday.
• Monday
• Coloring pages: map of the country, the flag, anything else of interest. Learn Hello/Good bye in the language. A traditional folk tale at bedtime.
• Tuesday
• Learn what kids do in the country: traditional toys and games. Perhaps a craft or field trip. Work on Hello/Good bye. Another folk tale at bedtime.
• Wednesday
• Music/Dance/Art/Theatre.  Craft. Continue saying hello/good bye all the time. Folk tale at bedtime.
• Thursday
• Climate/topography/animals. Craft. Language. Folk tale.
• Friday
• Food! Oliver is a PICKY EATER so I'm hoping if we learn about traditional dishes and go grocery shopping for the ingredients together, he'll be open to eating new foods. Language. Folk tale at bedtime.
• Saturday
• Cook dinner and dessert together. Maybe during the afternoon a movie, if there is one appropriate for a four year old. Final work on Language. At bedtime discuss what we've learned over the week and one final folk tale (or if there is a favorite, an encore reading will be fine).

I'm not a teacher (but I guess I pretend to be one when I'm not paying attention), but this is what I came up with.  I'm rather easy going and things could change. . . but it is nice to have an outline.

Again, welcome and I hope you enjoy our journey.