Blog - The Learning Basket

Bible Storybooks for Children: A Review

April 2, 2012 by The Learning Basket 5 Comments

We are excited about Easter Sunday around here and have been preparing for it by reading our Bible storybooks. We are still not into bunnies and eggs (and I don’t think we will be), and we are sticking with Jesus and His story. Last year, in preparation for Advent and our Jesse Tree, I went into a Bible storybook-hunting frenzy. We now have three which we read one … [Read more...]

Night Time Play Time

March 26, 2012 by The Learning Basket 3 Comments

Darkness brings a different sense to fun and learning. It was surreal watching the shadows on the wall when we left just one lamp turned on one night. (I really, really wish I can take better pictures!)We were reading Angus Lost by Marjorie Flack and were talking about the artist’s use of both detailed and silhouette drawings.We had such a pleasant time that I was inspired to … [Read more...]

Following a Child’s Lead: A Lesson in Art and Storytelling

March 21, 2012 by The Learning Basket 2 Comments

We make stories we read come alive by using voices for each of the characters or by singing if the words are rhythmic enough. With Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Little T devised her own way to make the story jump out of the pages. It was a case of mom receiving a lesson in art and storytelling from her four-year-old daughter.Making Story Play PiecesI only thought to … [Read more...]

A Snowy Day in the Sweltering Summer Heat

March 13, 2012 by The Learning Basket 6 Comments

Manila summer is here, and the heat – ah the heat! – is almost unbearable. The sun blinds my eyes and toasts my skin a darker shade of brown. Can we just fly into a winter wonderland, catch some snow with our tongues, and glide across a frozen pond in our skate shoes? We can, and we did, one hot summer day (and night). Escape through … [Read more...]

Twelve Little Girls in Two Straight Lines: Simple Math Manipulatives for Preschoolers

March 3, 2012 by The Learning Basket 2 Comments

“In an old house in Paris that was covered with vinesLived twelve little girls in two straight lines” Thus begins Ludwig Bemelmans' Madeline, a book published in 1933 that has since become a classic and inspired movies and television shows around the world. Five in a Row suggests doing math activities around the “twelve little girls in two straight lines.” We … [Read more...]