Last week was very productive, despite the fact I was gone again on Monday to facilitate a training. And C’s mealworm FINALLY made it through to the adult stage. That was pretty exciting.
Recent A-ha’s
They love the science garb. The goggles, the gloves, and the test tubes and beakers make it all far more interesting. They could do science experiments all day if I’d let them.They’re making connections with the integrated curriculum. D read about Esteban — the slave/guide of Spanish explorers — in the history reader Walk the World’s Rim, and then again, she read about him in the Story of the USA, a history text. I’d told her she only needed to skim the chapter because we were just reviewing it to catch up to our current place in the other history text, but she read two pages aloud to me because she was so excited about learning more about this character in her book.
Likewise, C and I used the Encyclopedia to find more information about the Nile because he asked a question about the longest river in the world. Then later that morning, he heard a song about the Nile on his geography songs tape. He ran all the way downstairs to tell me what the song said, then he pointed to the Nile on the world map.
And both kids are reading far more now than they ever did when they were in public school. They say it’s because they have more time.
This week, we’ll visit the Science Museum of Minnesota one day, spending most of our time in the human body exhibit. Beyond this, we’ll just work our way through the other curriculum — their math texts, as well as the Sonlight History and language curricula. We’ll have to finish D’s human body unit during the week of Christmas, but otherwise, we’ll take it easy that week.
We finished reading aloud the Witch of Blackbird Pond and Charlotte’s Web, and have discovered that both kids want to hear both grade-level read-alouds. This throws a wrench in the schedule I keep desperately trying to figure out, but I must say it’s pretty neat when my second-grader says, “Is there a Witch of Blackbird Pond 2?”
Luckily, D’s been helping by reading C’s read-aloud books, to give me a break from time to time. I think I may have chosen the wrong level of Sonlight 2 Language for C. The level 2 regular readers are very easy for him, but I’ve decided to let him read them quickly, use them for the grammar lesson, and then let him read whatever Scooby Doo books he wants to read.
I’ve been informed that Christmas cookie baking takes priority this week, so hopefully we’ll be able to fit in all the schoolwork around the kitchen-work.
See you tomorrow for Pass the Torch Tuesday!
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One-month Review
Two-Month Review
Three-Month Review
Four-Month Review
Five-Month Review
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2:50 pm
I’m sure they do have more time to read now, not having to wait for 25 other students to catch up or wait for.
Marissa, just did a report on The Witch of BlackBird Pond, and loved the book too.
Have fun baking!
12:47 pm
At one point, we had a 15 min read time just before bed for all of my 3 kids who were around the ages of 3 thru 10. It’s amazing how much can be covered in 15 mins and how well the youngest enjoyed books for the oldest and the oldest enjoyed books for the younger ones.
They were allowed to stop me to ask questions … but they quickly learned it slowed down the story … so they then began to ask fewer questions during the reading and more questions as we moved toward bed. … some of which had to wait until morning for answers.
Then I also added a 15 to 30 min read alone time (in bed) during the day. Sometimes this converted into a nap time for the younger ones and sometimes it didn’t … but it always served as an attitude refresher. It also gave me 15 min to read my own books.
10:37 pm
[...] Beginning One-month Review Two-Month Review Three-Month Review Four-Month Review Five-MonthReview [...]
10:38 pm
[...] More experiment milestones: The Beginning One-month Review Two-Month Review Three-Month Review Four-Month Review Five-Month Review [...]
8:25 am
[...] More Homeschooling Experiment milestones: The Beginning One-month Review Two-Month Review Three-Month Review Four-Month Review Five-Month Review — What I underestimated Six-Month Review – Let’s Just Skip this Month [...]
3:55 pm
[...] Homeschooling Experiment milestones: The Beginning One-month Review Two-Month Review Three-Month Review Four-Month Review Five-Month Review —What I underestimated Six-Month Review – Let’s Just Skip this Month Seven-Month Review – Finding our Stride [...]
7:30 am
[...] Homeschooling Experiment milestones: The Beginning Week One – Starting with a Frazzle Five Steps to Drive Yourself off a Cliff Week Two – Just when I thought I knew what I was doing Week Three — Let there be CRAFTS! One-month Review D’s Review at One Month Week Five – Stress and frustration Week Seven – Flip-flopping curriculum Note to self – Consider having low expectations some weeks Two-Month Review — Some aha moments Three-Month Review — Not all peaches and cream Four-Month Review — Loving ancient history Five-Month Review — What I underestimated Six-Month Review – Let’s Just Skip this Month Seven-Month Review — Curriculum Review D’s research paper — Save the Earth Saturday series Tales of a Fourth-Grade Guinea Pig All posts about the experiment — including WAY-COOL FIELD TRIPS! [...]
10:00 pm
[...] Homeschooling Experiment milestones: The Beginning Week One – Starting with a Frazzle Five Steps to Drive Yourself off a Cliff Week Two – Just when I thought I knew what I was doing Week Three — Let there be CRAFTS! One-month Review D’s Review at One Month Week Five – Stress and frustration Week Seven – Flip-flopping curriculum Note to self – Consider having low expectations some weeks Two-Month Review — Some aha moments Three-Month Review — Not all peaches and cream Four-Month Review — Loving ancient history Five-Month Review — What I underestimated Six-Month Review – Let’s Just Skip this Month Seven-Month Review — Curriculum Review D’s research paper — Save the Earth Saturday series Tales of a Fourth-Grade Guinea Pig All posts about the experiment — including WAY-COOL FIELD TRIPS! [...]
7:32 am
[...] Other Homeschooling Experiment milestones: The Beginning Week One – Starting with a Frazzle Five Steps to Drive Yourself off a Cliff Week Two – Just when I thought I knew what I was doing Week Three — Let there be CRAFTS! One-month Review D’s Review at One Month Week Five – Stress and frustration Week Seven – Flip-flopping curriculum Note to self – Consider having low expectations some weeks Two-Month Review — Some aha moments Three-Month Review — Not all peaches and cream Four-Month Review — Loving ancient history Five-Month Review — What I underestimated Six-Month Review – Let’s Just Skip this Month Seven-Month Review — Curriculum review D’s research paper — Save the Earth Saturday series Tales of a Fourth-Grade Guinea Pig All posts about the experiment — including WAY-COOL FIELD TRIPS! [...]
7:23 am
[...] Other Homeschooling Experiment milestones: The Beginning Week One – Starting with a Frazzle Five Steps to Drive Yourself off a Cliff Week Two – Just when I thought I knew what I was doing Week Three — Let there be CRAFTS! One-month Review D’s Review at One Month Week Five – Stress and frustration Week Seven – Flip-flopping curriculum Note to self – Consider having low expectations some weeks Two-Month Review — Some aha moments Three-Month Review — Not all peaches and cream Four-Month Review — Loving ancient history Five-Month Review — What I underestimated Six-Month Review – Let’s Just Skip this Month Seven-Month Review — Curriculum Review D’s research paper — Save the Earth Saturday series Tales of a Fourth-Grade Guinea Pig All posts about the experiment — including WAY-COOL FIELD TRIPS! [...]
10:05 pm
[...] Other Homeschooling Experiment milestones: The Beginning Week One – Starting with a Frazzle Five Steps to Drive Yourself off a Cliff Week Two – Just when I thought I knew what I was doing Week Three — Let there be CRAFTS! One-month Review D’s Review at One Month Week Five – Stress and frustration Week Seven – Flip-flopping curriculum Note to self – Consider having low expectations some weeks Two-Month Review — Some aha moments Three-Month Review — Not all peaches and cream Four-Month Review — Loving ancient history Five-Month Review — What I underestimated Six-Month Review – Let’s Just Skip this Month Seven-Month Review — Curriculum review D’s research paper — Save the Earth Saturday series Tales of a Fourth-Grade Guinea Pig All posts about the experiment — including WAY-COOL FIELD TRIPS! [...]
8:20 am
[...] Homeschooling Experiment milestones: The Beginning Week One – Starting with a Frazzle Five Steps to Drive Yourself off a Cliff Week Two – Just when I thought I knew what I was doing Week Three — Let there be CRAFTS!One-month Review D’s Review at One Month Week Five – Stress and frustration Week Seven – Flip-flopping curriculum Note to self – Consider having low expectations some weeks Two-Month Review — Some aha moments Three-Month Review — Not all peaches and cream Four-Month Review — Loving ancient history Five-Month Review — What I underestimated Six-Month Review – Let’s Just Skip this Month Seven-Month Review — Curriculum Review D’s research paper — Save the Earth Saturday series Tales of a Fourth-Grade Guinea Pig All posts about the experiment — including WAY-COOL FIELD TRIPS! [...]
8:22 am
[...] Other Homeschooling Experiment milestones: The Beginning Week One – Starting with a Frazzle Five Steps to Drive Yourself off a Cliff Week Two – Just when I thought I knew what I was doing Week Three — Let there be CRAFTS! One-month Review D’s Review at One Month Week Five – Stress and frustration Week Seven – Flip-flopping curriculum Note to self – Consider having low expectations some weeks Two-Month Review — Some aha moments Three-Month Review — Not all peaches and cream Four-Month Review — Loving ancient history Five-Month Review — What I underestimated Six-Month Review – Let’s Just Skip this Month Seven-Month Review — Curriculum Review D’s research paper — Save the Earth Saturday series Tales of a Fourth-Grade Guinea Pig All posts about the experiment — including WAY-COOL FIELD TRIPS! [...]
10:17 am
[...] Other Homeschooling Experiment milestones: The Beginning Week One – Starting with a Frazzle Five Steps to Drive Yourself off a Cliff Week Two – Just when I thought I knew what I was doing Week Three — Let there be CRAFTS! One-month Review D’s Review at One Month Week Five – Stress and frustration Week Seven – Flip-flopping curriculum Note to self – Consider having low expectations some weeks Two-Month Review — Some aha moments Three-Month Review — Not all peaches and cream Four-Month Review — Loving ancient history Five-Month Review — What I underestimated Six-Month Review – Let’s Just Skip this Month Seven-Month Review — Curriculum Review D’s research paper — Save the Earth Saturday series Tales of a Fourth-Grade Guinea Pig All posts about the experiment — including WAY-COOL FIELD TRIPS! [...]
7:47 am
[...] Week Seven – Flip-flopping curriculum Note to self – Consider having low expectations some weeks Two-Month Review — Some aha moments Three-Month Review — Not all peaches and cream Four-Month Review — Loving ancient [...]