The end of co-op semester has come and gone. The joy the girls feel on co-op day is wonderful. I know most kids are ready for school to end but co-op days, while educational, are very enjoyable.
Grace's classes were advanced sign language, piano, lego machines and Narnia. Each class had great educational value offered in a relaxed environment.
Faith's classes were Art around the World, American Girl, Jr. Math lab and French II. I know they will miss our Thursday classes but it does give me another day to get us up to date with current status. I do not imagine we will see an official summer break.
We just have too much left to do. This week the girls will have their last class at the St. Louis Zoo. I get the feel that I need to hunker down and get very serious about getting the year done. Then as soon as I let myself think those thoughts then I remember what my goal is about. Outcomes are important and to have the outcomes I shoot for then I know need to keep our lessons fun and focused.
Other plans for the week will include decoupage of Easter eggs. I am not very good at adding in craft and arts but this will be fun.
Next week they have a field trip to the Riverlands area for a water sampling class conducted by the Corps of Engineers. Their programs there are always first rate.
I almost forgot to mention that the girl completed their geography fair projects and presentations. I was so proud of them.
Nothing exciting to post or talk about and trying to do it on this laptop is awkward for me.
May your days be as blessed as mine are.
Showing posts with label General Class Activity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General Class Activity. Show all posts
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
"Who Hates Language?"
That is the clear yell from Grace today as she ready to begin the lesson. She also answered it. "Not me!" Then she eagerly went off to begin her lesson of sentence diagramming. For her it is like a puzzle but in the best form possible. It uses words!
Some days it is worth all effort I put into this. Today was that kind of day.
Some days it is worth all effort I put into this. Today was that kind of day.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Our Style of Homeschooling
I so often read about styles of homeschooling. I fully understand the difference when a family is choosing a 100% unschooled style. Clear as a bell as to what that it is, but when I read on other blogs about how somebody is unschooled I discover that they are often not able to find themselves using a100% approach. I read on about other methods/styles of homeschooling. I find others question me about what style/approach do we use.
After much consideration I have decided that there is a STRONG style of homeschooling. We go at it deliberately, with full intent and we accidentally stumble across learning opportunities and new methods to understand. We go against the norm by not keeping a grade book, avoiding a book totally for the day, digging in the dirt, walking in the wetland, planting a garden, raising animals, observing birth, playing in an amusement park, planning routes to the next field trip, and the list can go on and on. We go at it in a very traditional method as well, using the chalkboard, charts, text books, workbooks, test books, (OK they don't even get the test until I know they can master the subject) days of expecting them to remain seated and days of willy nilly movement. We go STRONG in all we do.
For example let's look at what we did today. We discussed what a nutritious breakfast would be to sustain us for the morning activities that were planned. Needing to reinforce that there is no mid-morning snack for us today. Good choices were made as we talk about our choices like it is an every day conversation. No lesson plan to check off the list. We get to archery class for the second session and Grace is instructed to get into the wallet and count out thirty dollars, then Faith does the same. Why? Well they had to pay for the next six weeks of lessons and suddenly we have more learning that is taking place in a STRONG fashion but again does not have a lesson plan to it and the act was spontaneous on my end. They attend class where they talk with groups of friends between shoots and then focus on the target when needed. Notice that the benefit here is that they learn how to suddenly focus onto the target amidst all sorts of other distractions that are present. That round is over and they are back to the same conversation they were having. Spontaneously a card game of crazy eights begins and they leave the table for the shoot and come back again to pick up where they left off. I call this a STRONG style of learning. They are going STRONG at all that is taking place around them. Following archery we go to lunch with three other families at the local Wendy's. On the way we make choices about food again and each girl makes sure they have included more than a burger and fries. Why? Because we always talk about our food choices and although the burger and fries are good choices they also offer side salads there and apples and baked potatoes. Gab, gab, and eat. Manners as we are a large group with lots of elderly eyes watching the behavior of "those kids that are not in school". Chuckle between adults as we know that the presence of these children mid-day is an upset to many of them. But we make a good impression that will reflect on other homeschoolers they come across later in life. This is the accidental learning portion. Nobody has a lesson plan about conduct in Wendy's at noon with seven children around a table and four adults at the neighboring table.
The next step is to come home and get me a little rest before we dive into a few important subjects. Now they girls learn about helping a person in need. This is a big day for me. I have been going nonstop and still recovering from the hospital stay. They play for a moment around me and do so in a gentle fashion. Then they begin playing "store". They bring out items and create shelves, place price tags and get the school money. I sit back and observe. I had planned to do some math in the next few moments but they accidentally fell into it themselves. They created an inventory and determined a fair price for each object. Then they went shopping. They made change and worked together to determine how much change they needed to give. What did they do with the objects they purchased from their toy box?
They then brought it to a show and tell. Each girl began a presentation about what they bought. One moment the presentation included a description of what they were holding, the next it was about why they chose that item and how it made them feel or how they were going to use it.
It was a STRONG approach to homeschooling today. In the course of this they even made the choice to open their language book and each completed a lesson without direction or a request from me to do it. During the presentation portion of their day they each read a book out loud as well.
So, are we Unschooled? Do we Charlotte Mason? Do we school at home? Do we accidentally learn? We do that all and so much more. Therefore I declare a new style of homeschooling. It is the STRONG approach. It works on so many levels for me. It leaves a legacy for me while speaking volumes to the definition of the word alone.
Plans for tomorrow will be a trip to the Nature Institute to learn about symbiotic relationships and have some hands on time with the naturalist that teaches there. Car time will be using flash cards. The afternoon will be a very traditional lesson time that they will be in their seats and focused on a text, a workbook and even one quick quiz in history. I will use the chalkboard, some charts and other visual aids.
SPREAD THE WORD! A new style of homeschool has been named!
After much consideration I have decided that there is a STRONG style of homeschooling. We go at it deliberately, with full intent and we accidentally stumble across learning opportunities and new methods to understand. We go against the norm by not keeping a grade book, avoiding a book totally for the day, digging in the dirt, walking in the wetland, planting a garden, raising animals, observing birth, playing in an amusement park, planning routes to the next field trip, and the list can go on and on. We go at it in a very traditional method as well, using the chalkboard, charts, text books, workbooks, test books, (OK they don't even get the test until I know they can master the subject) days of expecting them to remain seated and days of willy nilly movement. We go STRONG in all we do.
For example let's look at what we did today. We discussed what a nutritious breakfast would be to sustain us for the morning activities that were planned. Needing to reinforce that there is no mid-morning snack for us today. Good choices were made as we talk about our choices like it is an every day conversation. No lesson plan to check off the list. We get to archery class for the second session and Grace is instructed to get into the wallet and count out thirty dollars, then Faith does the same. Why? Well they had to pay for the next six weeks of lessons and suddenly we have more learning that is taking place in a STRONG fashion but again does not have a lesson plan to it and the act was spontaneous on my end. They attend class where they talk with groups of friends between shoots and then focus on the target when needed. Notice that the benefit here is that they learn how to suddenly focus onto the target amidst all sorts of other distractions that are present. That round is over and they are back to the same conversation they were having. Spontaneously a card game of crazy eights begins and they leave the table for the shoot and come back again to pick up where they left off. I call this a STRONG style of learning. They are going STRONG at all that is taking place around them. Following archery we go to lunch with three other families at the local Wendy's. On the way we make choices about food again and each girl makes sure they have included more than a burger and fries. Why? Because we always talk about our food choices and although the burger and fries are good choices they also offer side salads there and apples and baked potatoes. Gab, gab, and eat. Manners as we are a large group with lots of elderly eyes watching the behavior of "those kids that are not in school". Chuckle between adults as we know that the presence of these children mid-day is an upset to many of them. But we make a good impression that will reflect on other homeschoolers they come across later in life. This is the accidental learning portion. Nobody has a lesson plan about conduct in Wendy's at noon with seven children around a table and four adults at the neighboring table.
The next step is to come home and get me a little rest before we dive into a few important subjects. Now they girls learn about helping a person in need. This is a big day for me. I have been going nonstop and still recovering from the hospital stay. They play for a moment around me and do so in a gentle fashion. Then they begin playing "store". They bring out items and create shelves, place price tags and get the school money. I sit back and observe. I had planned to do some math in the next few moments but they accidentally fell into it themselves. They created an inventory and determined a fair price for each object. Then they went shopping. They made change and worked together to determine how much change they needed to give. What did they do with the objects they purchased from their toy box?
They then brought it to a show and tell. Each girl began a presentation about what they bought. One moment the presentation included a description of what they were holding, the next it was about why they chose that item and how it made them feel or how they were going to use it.
It was a STRONG approach to homeschooling today. In the course of this they even made the choice to open their language book and each completed a lesson without direction or a request from me to do it. During the presentation portion of their day they each read a book out loud as well.
So, are we Unschooled? Do we Charlotte Mason? Do we school at home? Do we accidentally learn? We do that all and so much more. Therefore I declare a new style of homeschooling. It is the STRONG approach. It works on so many levels for me. It leaves a legacy for me while speaking volumes to the definition of the word alone.
Plans for tomorrow will be a trip to the Nature Institute to learn about symbiotic relationships and have some hands on time with the naturalist that teaches there. Car time will be using flash cards. The afternoon will be a very traditional lesson time that they will be in their seats and focused on a text, a workbook and even one quick quiz in history. I will use the chalkboard, some charts and other visual aids.
SPREAD THE WORD! A new style of homeschool has been named!
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
The Springtime Snowfall
It seems that we are no different than much of the Midwest and the New England States. Five days into spring and our area was hit with a beautiful, heavy wet snowfall. Only fifteen minutes north of us there was seven inches and a tad bit further northwest was twelve inches in just twenty-four hours. I know that others have more than this but it was a nice farewell to the winter season.
Today we completed our KTM activities which included map skills and art this week. Grace completed a beautiful project that included the use of crayons to a project then applying baby oil to the back of it. When it was completed she had a great Easter art project that looked like stained glass. Faith began doing a mosaic art project with simple scraps of paper but she it doing it all on her own. The snow was calling her name however and she tells me that she will finish it tomorrow.
Today we completed our KTM activities which included map skills and art this week. Grace completed a beautiful project that included the use of crayons to a project then applying baby oil to the back of it. When it was completed she had a great Easter art project that looked like stained glass. Faith began doing a mosaic art project with simple scraps of paper but she it doing it all on her own. The snow was calling her name however and she tells me that she will finish it tomorrow.
When the evening began and the girls were gone the Great Danes were afraid of the multiple snow men that ended up in the yard. When tomorrow comes we will once again attend archery lessons and on Wednesday we will go to a field trip conducted at The Nature Institute. The theme for this one will be "dynamic duos" as we explore symbiotic relationships. Plans for Good Friday will include an Easter Egg Hunt at the Nature Institute as well.
My own health has been a continuing issue but I continue to get stronger. Still, I am unsure that I will return to the state of health that I was in prior to the last flare that placed me in the hospital. I was unable to participate in the snow play but enjoyed the view from the front window. It is not like me to avoid days like today. I try not to complain about it as I am so grateful for the days I am given. My vision is a huge issue since I became sick again and I look forward to the ophthalmologist appointment. It is hard to function with double vision but then again, I have had worse double vision than this in the past. The difference is, this time it is rather persistent.
The schedule next week is simplified. Except for our archery instruction, the week will be spent in the classroom. I would hope the weather begins to break in a few days and we can do some planting next week.
As always, I am excited to be homeschooling. Grace met a girl that she is eager to strike up a friendship with soon. She has been at several activities lately and is eager to have weather that we can meet up and play from time to time. The best part of this is that she does not live as far away and many others she has met. I do not know if they are new to the area or just recently connecting with the group of folks we tend to hang with.
I do believe that this enough for today. I hope your week is blessed and that you find time to rejoice in the Easter Season.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Division introduced
How can it be? Grace struggles so much in math. She understands the concepts and does well but as I have said one million times, she does not memorized well. She learns. So today was the first lesson about division and she moved through it as if she was slicing butter with a warm knife. I actually think she enjoyed it. If she could just get things memorized better math would be so much better. She has it in her head that math is horrible and the moment the book is open I find the need to keep putting her face back into the book.
Other items for the week, include the fact that Faith did begin the second grade Language book and is on page 6. She began two days ago. She is finished with a lesson so quick at this point that she wants to do more. The beginning of a book is review anyway with the expectation that one would have taken a summer break. As soon as Faith began her new book Grace requested to see her next level language as well. Glad I had it here for her to see. I am certain she intends to move on win a couple or weeks.
Grace is enjoying her history and health lessons. Seems she is interested in dentistry. She does not realize it yet but has been excelling in this lesson. Her recall of history is amazing and she is asking for history class every day.
Faith on the other hand is not so interested but I still believe that comes with her actual age. She has no real concept of time frame well but she does tell me things like, "the did that way back in the 50s when you were little". FOR the record, I was not alive in the 50s.
As usual, this is the best choice for us. I enjoy the challenge and process and they are learning tons. TTFN
Other items for the week, include the fact that Faith did begin the second grade Language book and is on page 6. She began two days ago. She is finished with a lesson so quick at this point that she wants to do more. The beginning of a book is review anyway with the expectation that one would have taken a summer break. As soon as Faith began her new book Grace requested to see her next level language as well. Glad I had it here for her to see. I am certain she intends to move on win a couple or weeks.
Grace is enjoying her history and health lessons. Seems she is interested in dentistry. She does not realize it yet but has been excelling in this lesson. Her recall of history is amazing and she is asking for history class every day.
Faith on the other hand is not so interested but I still believe that comes with her actual age. She has no real concept of time frame well but she does tell me things like, "the did that way back in the 50s when you were little". FOR the record, I was not alive in the 50s.
As usual, this is the best choice for us. I enjoy the challenge and process and they are learning tons. TTFN
Monday, July 9, 2012
Day 1 of Completion Study
So today I began completing the school year.
It was time for Grace to take a Language test on plurals. I offered her the ability to review in her book but she felt sure she could do it. Later it turned into an open book test. I was not thrilled but overall she understood the material and an open book test encourages independent research and work. She did well. Then I gave her a math test right off the bat and she got a 97%. She still stresses and hates math but she knows the material we expect her to know. I will spend all week giving her math testing that is long overdue and see how well she retained the material. When she struggles I will resume there and not where we left off in the book. I expect to reach the same level however, she really knows this better than she thinks.
Faith did so well today. Her written work was very neatly completed. I also will test her along in math. I did two test and two time test with her today and of course she did not miss a single problem. We talked about our goal for her grade and she is in full agreement that she wants to still be in first grade so she is about the same as her girl scout and other friends her age. I looked at the book and calendar and she will be in second grade near Christmas. She is fine with that. Faith still seeks attention so it is getting bad when I am teaching Grace something while I expect her to finish her work quietly as she says everything she is doing step by step and it gets real annoying.
Their bloodhound is about to give birth so the house is preparing for that.
I am still in remodel nightmare. I have the new doors in and the new deck and porch but waiting for floors to be laid. Once they are laid I will we will begin in completing our "one room schoolhouse". We have tons of ideas and I am eager to have them here full time for school. We had been doing class outside on the deck but now it is too hot so today I went to their house again. My house is just to torn up to do anything.
So that is it for now, we are once again off and moving. Let us hope I can complete this school year sometime before the next one is suppose to begin.
It was time for Grace to take a Language test on plurals. I offered her the ability to review in her book but she felt sure she could do it. Later it turned into an open book test. I was not thrilled but overall she understood the material and an open book test encourages independent research and work. She did well. Then I gave her a math test right off the bat and she got a 97%. She still stresses and hates math but she knows the material we expect her to know. I will spend all week giving her math testing that is long overdue and see how well she retained the material. When she struggles I will resume there and not where we left off in the book. I expect to reach the same level however, she really knows this better than she thinks.
Faith did so well today. Her written work was very neatly completed. I also will test her along in math. I did two test and two time test with her today and of course she did not miss a single problem. We talked about our goal for her grade and she is in full agreement that she wants to still be in first grade so she is about the same as her girl scout and other friends her age. I looked at the book and calendar and she will be in second grade near Christmas. She is fine with that. Faith still seeks attention so it is getting bad when I am teaching Grace something while I expect her to finish her work quietly as she says everything she is doing step by step and it gets real annoying.
Their bloodhound is about to give birth so the house is preparing for that.
I am still in remodel nightmare. I have the new doors in and the new deck and porch but waiting for floors to be laid. Once they are laid I will we will begin in completing our "one room schoolhouse". We have tons of ideas and I am eager to have them here full time for school. We had been doing class outside on the deck but now it is too hot so today I went to their house again. My house is just to torn up to do anything.
So that is it for now, we are once again off and moving. Let us hope I can complete this school year sometime before the next one is suppose to begin.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
New Math Approach
I will try to put into words what is inside of my head. I have gathered lots of ideas from mothers and regular education teachers about Grace's particular block in math. So I have devised a plan:
Step on is to use a calculator that will permit her to immediately check her work/guess. The one I am using is not a cheapo as it will retain the equation in the upper left while showing the answer in the lower right. The rationale to this is simple. At the age of almost eight Grace is able to recall only a small portion of addition facts without using number lines, dots, or adding on. I think adding on is fine as long as you can do it fast but she is not always fast as she stares at the problem trying to decide where to begin 3+9.
So today she faced a small number of equations at one time and was encouraged to think only for a moment try to tell me what it is then enter it into the calculator and guess what.........she was correct each time and all were sums of 11-15. No fingers, no abacus, no number lines or adding on..(well she may have added on but if so she did it with lightening fast speed). The calculator gave her immediate reinforcement and lets face it, the current young adult generation X is all about the NOW movement so should I expect it to be different from a modern tech student.
Honestly it was great to see her accomplish it and check her answer. Not a single one incorrect which means she is recalling more than she or I ever imagined.
Step two: sandwich several problems between other stuff like constant reinforcement of time or measure. So after two times and two measurement toss in two more simple addition facts followed by complementing subtraction facts so that she can keep moving toward the more complicated issue of borrowing. For instance 11-7 followed by 21-7. She will have just experienced the first equation then not be so stress about borrowing and the ability to recall the subtraction fact. It lets the focus be on the operation more than the fact.
It is my belief that this will enable to to reinforce the facts she knows and learn the ones she does not know. It will promote success in the operation by easing the ability to find the solution.
I do not know if this is making any sense to anybody but in my mind it is perfectly clear. Sadly, I will now have to work harder to make math a coordinated subject while still using the curriculum that we have.
She is also going to spend five minutes each day with her flash cards again. Not to tell me the right answer or her mother but to know for herself. It will require her saying it out loud and turning the card or if she wants check it on the calculator.
It also means a bit of page hopping back and forth so no telling when we will actually finish the book.
OTHER big plans include a creation of a new one room school house for them. The house is there and measures about 30x20 so now we get to make it all we want. The computer will move out there and we will get in some new floors, furniture and revitalize some old furniture. New doors and air conditioner to be installed. Not so worry about the heat as our Eden Pure does a great job and it will be all I need out there. Will have to maintain climate as there will be so much stored school things as well. I do not intend to put this all together again. I pray that Owen will do well with what the girls have used so far. No new lessons plans as I am essentially a lazy school teacher.
Step on is to use a calculator that will permit her to immediately check her work/guess. The one I am using is not a cheapo as it will retain the equation in the upper left while showing the answer in the lower right. The rationale to this is simple. At the age of almost eight Grace is able to recall only a small portion of addition facts without using number lines, dots, or adding on. I think adding on is fine as long as you can do it fast but she is not always fast as she stares at the problem trying to decide where to begin 3+9.
So today she faced a small number of equations at one time and was encouraged to think only for a moment try to tell me what it is then enter it into the calculator and guess what.........she was correct each time and all were sums of 11-15. No fingers, no abacus, no number lines or adding on..(well she may have added on but if so she did it with lightening fast speed). The calculator gave her immediate reinforcement and lets face it, the current young adult generation X is all about the NOW movement so should I expect it to be different from a modern tech student.
Honestly it was great to see her accomplish it and check her answer. Not a single one incorrect which means she is recalling more than she or I ever imagined.
Step two: sandwich several problems between other stuff like constant reinforcement of time or measure. So after two times and two measurement toss in two more simple addition facts followed by complementing subtraction facts so that she can keep moving toward the more complicated issue of borrowing. For instance 11-7 followed by 21-7. She will have just experienced the first equation then not be so stress about borrowing and the ability to recall the subtraction fact. It lets the focus be on the operation more than the fact.
It is my belief that this will enable to to reinforce the facts she knows and learn the ones she does not know. It will promote success in the operation by easing the ability to find the solution.
I do not know if this is making any sense to anybody but in my mind it is perfectly clear. Sadly, I will now have to work harder to make math a coordinated subject while still using the curriculum that we have.
She is also going to spend five minutes each day with her flash cards again. Not to tell me the right answer or her mother but to know for herself. It will require her saying it out loud and turning the card or if she wants check it on the calculator.
It also means a bit of page hopping back and forth so no telling when we will actually finish the book.
OTHER big plans include a creation of a new one room school house for them. The house is there and measures about 30x20 so now we get to make it all we want. The computer will move out there and we will get in some new floors, furniture and revitalize some old furniture. New doors and air conditioner to be installed. Not so worry about the heat as our Eden Pure does a great job and it will be all I need out there. Will have to maintain climate as there will be so much stored school things as well. I do not intend to put this all together again. I pray that Owen will do well with what the girls have used so far. No new lessons plans as I am essentially a lazy school teacher.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Remembering Math Frustration
Oh it seems so far away now but today I got a taste of the old time math frustration. I recently gave some advise to another person about the same thing and found myself reinforcing my own words.
"Grace it is OK, I see that today you immediately felt angry when we opened the math book" I said. I will ask God to give me patience and lets work out each problem is what I sort of told her. (cannot recall exact words). So we worked on the first few issues and then I brought her to a different part of the page that I knew she would feel successful in. It lightened the burden she felt she was carrying. So of course we had to move on to the next difficult area for her again and she approached it without the face in her hands and the knees to her chest. As I turned the page she was continuing to be successful and had to think some things out to determine what to do. When we got a big success I STOPPED! There was more to the page but we do not have to do it today. I want a good attitude and feeling of success so that we have learning taking place and not locking one of us up in a closet.
This seems to work for us. No more anger and frustration and it helps her to approach math without so much frustration at the beginning. I think the reason she felt it today right off is because we have been away from the math workbook for a week. We have done some math games and "shopping" with our money.
I would like to see all frustration with math go away. I even tried the famous MUS that others swear by. Well it is not through her inability to see and understand the concept and she hated the manipulates that we borrowed when we tried it. To be honest I disliked it very much. She gets the concept but she is not a memorizer and that makes a world of difference. On the flip side Faith is great at memorizing so she loves math as it does not require the same effort as it does Grace.
Other tasks done today included letting Grace mark my ballot today. I will let Faith mark it when we vote for president.
"Grace it is OK, I see that today you immediately felt angry when we opened the math book" I said. I will ask God to give me patience and lets work out each problem is what I sort of told her. (cannot recall exact words). So we worked on the first few issues and then I brought her to a different part of the page that I knew she would feel successful in. It lightened the burden she felt she was carrying. So of course we had to move on to the next difficult area for her again and she approached it without the face in her hands and the knees to her chest. As I turned the page she was continuing to be successful and had to think some things out to determine what to do. When we got a big success I STOPPED! There was more to the page but we do not have to do it today. I want a good attitude and feeling of success so that we have learning taking place and not locking one of us up in a closet.
This seems to work for us. No more anger and frustration and it helps her to approach math without so much frustration at the beginning. I think the reason she felt it today right off is because we have been away from the math workbook for a week. We have done some math games and "shopping" with our money.
I would like to see all frustration with math go away. I even tried the famous MUS that others swear by. Well it is not through her inability to see and understand the concept and she hated the manipulates that we borrowed when we tried it. To be honest I disliked it very much. She gets the concept but she is not a memorizer and that makes a world of difference. On the flip side Faith is great at memorizing so she loves math as it does not require the same effort as it does Grace.
Other tasks done today included letting Grace mark my ballot today. I will let Faith mark it when we vote for president.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Duck Eggs
We have begun the process of incubating some duck eggs. It is a huge surprise activity for us. First, we do not know for certain that the eggs are fertile but have a certain degree of certainty that they are. Second, we do not know which type of ducks we will be getting if we succeed. Finally, they should hatch on Easter! Grace and Matt did not look at the calendar to see when they would hatch when they finally put them into the incubator.
Grace is keeping track of the temperature and turning them as we do not have a fancy turn yourself incubator. She is too young for judging a 4H project yet but this is nice practice for her so that when she does her skills of record keeping will be better.
Today I got nine more eggs so we marked them and added them to the mix. This should prove interesting as we have not done this before.
Grace is keeping track of the temperature and turning them as we do not have a fancy turn yourself incubator. She is too young for judging a 4H project yet but this is nice practice for her so that when she does her skills of record keeping will be better.
Today I got nine more eggs so we marked them and added them to the mix. This should prove interesting as we have not done this before.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Upcoming week
Tomorrow we will have a KTM with some discussion of penguins and a review of butterflies. We are watching the movie March of the Penguins and going to do a lapbook as well over the next several Mondays.
This week we will finish up the book Who Was George Washington with Grace and order the next one on Adams. If you have not tried this series I really do recommend them. Not only are they good books for specific historical figure lessons but also great lessons of the period.
WE also will be going to the Butterfly House this week for MARCH MORPHO MADNESS on Wednesday. WE have learned about butterflies in the past be reinforcement is always great. It also makes them feel very wise when they know the answers already.
I have made several good choices with my money in joining the St. Louis Zoo and the Missouri Botanical Gardens. It permits us to participate in member only events like the Morpho Madness presentation. Next week Grace and Faith will attend a homeschool class at the Zoo at a decreased rate as well. Without intending it, we have learned about birds and nests in general. One of the classes at Lyceum that they attend is beginning the bird component and the zoo class is "Birds for Beginners". I find Grace being pulled by some force of gravity to the books about birds and their nests recently. I hope to find an eager learner in Faith soon. So far she continues to be an easy learner but could care less if she sticks with the entire lesson. I keep reminding myself that she is only five years old but she tends to act so much older--then suddenly I am taken back by a typical five year old behavior.
They have begun the duck egg incubation experiment. We are making sure Grace keeps records of the event. I think it is good practice for her to try this. I expect her records to be fragmented but it is a good step forward. I may be surprised!
AS the weather is becoming nicer I hope they will be motivated to get early start so we can have an early finish. WE will plant strawberries tomorrow as well.
So I will wrap this up for now as I am actually at work and having a "slow" day.
This week we will finish up the book Who Was George Washington with Grace and order the next one on Adams. If you have not tried this series I really do recommend them. Not only are they good books for specific historical figure lessons but also great lessons of the period.
WE also will be going to the Butterfly House this week for MARCH MORPHO MADNESS on Wednesday. WE have learned about butterflies in the past be reinforcement is always great. It also makes them feel very wise when they know the answers already.
I have made several good choices with my money in joining the St. Louis Zoo and the Missouri Botanical Gardens. It permits us to participate in member only events like the Morpho Madness presentation. Next week Grace and Faith will attend a homeschool class at the Zoo at a decreased rate as well. Without intending it, we have learned about birds and nests in general. One of the classes at Lyceum that they attend is beginning the bird component and the zoo class is "Birds for Beginners". I find Grace being pulled by some force of gravity to the books about birds and their nests recently. I hope to find an eager learner in Faith soon. So far she continues to be an easy learner but could care less if she sticks with the entire lesson. I keep reminding myself that she is only five years old but she tends to act so much older--then suddenly I am taken back by a typical five year old behavior.
They have begun the duck egg incubation experiment. We are making sure Grace keeps records of the event. I think it is good practice for her to try this. I expect her records to be fragmented but it is a good step forward. I may be surprised!
AS the weather is becoming nicer I hope they will be motivated to get early start so we can have an early finish. WE will plant strawberries tomorrow as well.
So I will wrap this up for now as I am actually at work and having a "slow" day.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Long time between posts
It is not like me to be away this long. It seems that I am forever busy and when I have a moment to play on the computer I find myself on the laptop working on my Master's Lyceum lessons. So let me see if I can summarize what has taken place in three weeks. I will begin at the current and work my way back.
Yesterday Kelley gave all class instruction while I saw my physician. I then grabbed the girls and took them to a friend's house to get them acquainted with the lay of the land. She has a huge horse farm and is expecting several new colts. The plan is to spend the night in the barn and experience the birth of a horse. While there Grace gathered eggs from the hen house and found several duck eggs as well. She has brought them home and we will put them in the incubator for our surprise. Debbie, the friend, has several different varieties of chickens and ducks.
Back another day, Kelley and Grace took a field trip to tap Sugar Maple Trees and make homemade maple syrup. They seemed to enjoy the event greatly. The group that held the event is a very nice, warming, and accepting group of women. Some also belong to our co-op but not all. It was a different atmosphere indeed as there are not any noticeable "clicks". I stayed home with Faith and Owen. I am getting a bit old for the baby stuff but he is only three months old so took a great nap. During the nap Faith and I had school time together and played games. It was also National Read Out Loud Day so I read her all the books that she wanted. My mouth hurt by the end of the day.
Last week both girls and I went on a field trip to learn about bird nest and hike to observe several different types of nests. It was with the same group I had just mentioned and the quality of the trip was remarkable. I love it when they clearly learn and have fun.
Yesterday Kelley gave all class instruction while I saw my physician. I then grabbed the girls and took them to a friend's house to get them acquainted with the lay of the land. She has a huge horse farm and is expecting several new colts. The plan is to spend the night in the barn and experience the birth of a horse. While there Grace gathered eggs from the hen house and found several duck eggs as well. She has brought them home and we will put them in the incubator for our surprise. Debbie, the friend, has several different varieties of chickens and ducks.
Back another day, Kelley and Grace took a field trip to tap Sugar Maple Trees and make homemade maple syrup. They seemed to enjoy the event greatly. The group that held the event is a very nice, warming, and accepting group of women. Some also belong to our co-op but not all. It was a different atmosphere indeed as there are not any noticeable "clicks". I stayed home with Faith and Owen. I am getting a bit old for the baby stuff but he is only three months old so took a great nap. During the nap Faith and I had school time together and played games. It was also National Read Out Loud Day so I read her all the books that she wanted. My mouth hurt by the end of the day.
Last week both girls and I went on a field trip to learn about bird nest and hike to observe several different types of nests. It was with the same group I had just mentioned and the quality of the trip was remarkable. I love it when they clearly learn and have fun.
We went to the final homeschool Monday at the Magic House as well. I had recently injured my foot so I sat on a comfy couch and played with the baby while Kelley and the girls enjoyed the day together. Grace was excited to find that they had updated the pizza place to a vet clinic.
We have also attended the Mammoths and Mastodons homeschool day at the Missouri History Museum. It was a crowded but great day. Only Grace was able to participate as the last time I took Faith her behavior was so poor that she was not permitted to go to this event. I do believe she learned a lesson. Additionally, Grace was very engaged in the activity but she missed her sister. I find that funny since she feels her sister can be such a pest.
So that brings me to around my last post as far as activities go. In class we are clearly far behind for the year since we had so much going on. Faith got the flu during this time as well and had a terribly high fever. The rest of their household became ill but the severity was controlled by Tamiflu. Speaking of which, $500 to treat the entire house with Tamiflu! (and that is with insurance)
The girls continue to make progress. Faith's reading has once again begun to flourish. For a while there, she seemed to stall but these days I am pleasantly surprised each time she sits down to read to me. He comprehension is also doing very well.
Currently we are in week four of this semester's Lyceum. I am teaching two classes. Each revolving around material the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has available. The younger group seems to enjoy the class, the older group has been on the edge of enjoying the class but last week they really bloomed and I think I have figured out how to get them engaged.
The girls are well aware that school will go into the summer but they do not seem to mind. Afterall, they know that it does not take all day to have school and I am sure that the pool and trail hikes will keep them motivated to get the work done.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Missouri History Museum Trip
Today we all attended a homeschool day put on by the Missouri History Museum at Forest Park, St. Louis. They conduct a free day most months and wrap it around a theme they are currently displaying. We have several we intended to participate in but have not been able to do so. Finally, we went to the one today.
The topic was the Lindbergh flight across the Atlantic Ocean. By the time Charles Lindbergh was an adult and began this journey he was a local man and had lots of St. Louis backing so it was natural for the museum to have a gallery and classes. They have several other displays as well right now but we stuck to the theme. After all, next month will be the Mammoths and Mastodons theme and we will be sure to attend.
So back to our trip. The museum is an original building of the 1904 World's Fair with newer additions of course. The building alone can be an education process and we did go into the Fair Gallery. Grace seemed to be truly interesting in the material and was a good student. Faith was not poorly behaved in the museum but during story hour she was horrible and had to be removed. It is clear that her age she is not ready for a lesson in this structure so next month I will take only Grace. We enjoyed a display and discussion about "Bessie" Coleman from a wonderful woman who dressed in character and told her story from the first person. We learned about oil spills and how to clean a feathered animal who has been effected. Of course we explored much about the flight and the overall life of Lindbergh. In the galley there was a replica of THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS airplane that he flew. This was an entirely new subject that we had never touched on but since we have been learning about pioneers to the west it was still a great blend as we realize that he was a pioneer of his time.
Later this week is a homeschool roller skating party and next week is another Magic House Monday. I have lots to get covered in lesson times this week. At the end of last week Grace had begun to learn how to carry in subtraction. Faith is moving forward in her reading and getting faster each day. We are also reading a book about Sacajawea together as she was fascinated by her in the Lewis and Clark movie.
I continue to prepare my Master's Lyceum classes onto the PowerPoint presentation and really look forward to the classes. It is time consuming but once they are done I will never have to spend time preparing again when I offer the class in rotation of others I have done.
The topic was the Lindbergh flight across the Atlantic Ocean. By the time Charles Lindbergh was an adult and began this journey he was a local man and had lots of St. Louis backing so it was natural for the museum to have a gallery and classes. They have several other displays as well right now but we stuck to the theme. After all, next month will be the Mammoths and Mastodons theme and we will be sure to attend.
So back to our trip. The museum is an original building of the 1904 World's Fair with newer additions of course. The building alone can be an education process and we did go into the Fair Gallery. Grace seemed to be truly interesting in the material and was a good student. Faith was not poorly behaved in the museum but during story hour she was horrible and had to be removed. It is clear that her age she is not ready for a lesson in this structure so next month I will take only Grace. We enjoyed a display and discussion about "Bessie" Coleman from a wonderful woman who dressed in character and told her story from the first person. We learned about oil spills and how to clean a feathered animal who has been effected. Of course we explored much about the flight and the overall life of Lindbergh. In the galley there was a replica of THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS airplane that he flew. This was an entirely new subject that we had never touched on but since we have been learning about pioneers to the west it was still a great blend as we realize that he was a pioneer of his time.
Later this week is a homeschool roller skating party and next week is another Magic House Monday. I have lots to get covered in lesson times this week. At the end of last week Grace had begun to learn how to carry in subtraction. Faith is moving forward in her reading and getting faster each day. We are also reading a book about Sacajawea together as she was fascinated by her in the Lewis and Clark movie.
I continue to prepare my Master's Lyceum classes onto the PowerPoint presentation and really look forward to the classes. It is time consuming but once they are done I will never have to spend time preparing again when I offer the class in rotation of others I have done.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Can I keep the momentum going?
It has been a very eventful and progressive learning environment at the Geralds Learning Academy. There are eager learners and a teacher who is on a roll. Now that it has calmed down again the girls are easily focused on what needs to get done. So what have we done in the past two days?
Since Monday was Chinese New Year we stayed true to the theme of our studies and did not have our KTM (Kitchen Table Monday) activity. KTM usually involves lots of cutting and we could not use knives or scissors so I had to do something else. My mind wondered what sounded like a spur of the moment field trip and I chose the eagle watching along the Mississippi River around Alton and Grafton, Illinois. As we drove that way the girls caught a glimpse of the Arch. At the same time the asked me if we could go to the Arch instead. It did not take me but half of a second to reply "yes". Eagle watching was going to be a cold event and a long drive to reach our destination. We got a later start as I am dragging on Monday's and the Arch was only ten minutes away from us at the time.
I know that God intervened in our day as it was a much better choice considering our class time lessons. We have been reading and discussing the move to the west. It was rather light hearted as it was intended to be the first introduction to the topic. For those who do not know this, you enter the Arch underground and there is a large museum, two shops, and three theatres in that area. The museum is called The Great Westward Expansion Museum. Lets face it, there were very few people there this time of year. We attended the National Geographic movie about Lewis and Clark. We meandered through the museum viewing wagons, buffalo, bear, yokes, peace medals, typical prairie home layout, and a replica of the wharf of St. Louis where supplies were bought. That is only a small list of what they experienced. Best of all, it was all about things we have been learning about in class.
Following the museum experience we continued on with our Chinese New Year celebration by eating lunch at a Chinese Buffet. The girls were bothered by the fact that the ladies had to work on their holiday. We did have a discussion of how many times ones culture begins to blend with another when they leave their homeland. But wait, there's more.....they recalled the lesson when the pilgrims first went to Holland and left because of the influence on their children and the Indians and pilgrims who realized their children were influenced by one another and the changes that took place. OH YES! It appears we have begun to understand sociological impacts.
Our class is decorated for the Chinese New Year as well and they made a dragon puppet yesterday. G played with the puppet in front of the new baby and realized he liked it a lot. It was brightly colored with yellows, reds, blues, and other unknown blends. It also was capable of a variety of motions.
I feel so blessed to have such rich experiences with my grandchildren. K is ready to return to teaching, so she says, but I find she is still so busy with the business of a newborn, busy house, and grabbing some sleep that I think she should relax and enjoy the fact that her mother is handling it. Well, that just sounds silly! She knows we are having a blast and knows she is missing out on the little things that are happening. She wants to be a part, even if it means a little bit dirtier house or a little less sleep. I do wish she would nap a bit when the baby does but she keeps pushing through each day without a nap. I do not know how she does it but so many other mothers of many do. Me? Well, I spread my simple two children out by six years which is so much different that her experience.
We did hear a little about our Master's Lyceum this semester. It will be at a different location and will begin MAYBE Feb. 17th. This is driving me crazy as I hate last minute plans. I love spur of the moment activities but this is too big of an event to have so much dangling this late in the game. The schedule has not yet been released since they just got the approval for the new location. I look forward to the semester to teach the classes I have planned. I have heard from several parents who plan to participate if the schedule permits. Sometimes there are ongoing classes that get scheduled at the same time so a choice has to be made.
Well this is a long enough post for now. I hope others are feeling the winter revival that we are experiencing.
Since Monday was Chinese New Year we stayed true to the theme of our studies and did not have our KTM (Kitchen Table Monday) activity. KTM usually involves lots of cutting and we could not use knives or scissors so I had to do something else. My mind wondered what sounded like a spur of the moment field trip and I chose the eagle watching along the Mississippi River around Alton and Grafton, Illinois. As we drove that way the girls caught a glimpse of the Arch. At the same time the asked me if we could go to the Arch instead. It did not take me but half of a second to reply "yes". Eagle watching was going to be a cold event and a long drive to reach our destination. We got a later start as I am dragging on Monday's and the Arch was only ten minutes away from us at the time.
I know that God intervened in our day as it was a much better choice considering our class time lessons. We have been reading and discussing the move to the west. It was rather light hearted as it was intended to be the first introduction to the topic. For those who do not know this, you enter the Arch underground and there is a large museum, two shops, and three theatres in that area. The museum is called The Great Westward Expansion Museum. Lets face it, there were very few people there this time of year. We attended the National Geographic movie about Lewis and Clark. We meandered through the museum viewing wagons, buffalo, bear, yokes, peace medals, typical prairie home layout, and a replica of the wharf of St. Louis where supplies were bought. That is only a small list of what they experienced. Best of all, it was all about things we have been learning about in class.
Following the museum experience we continued on with our Chinese New Year celebration by eating lunch at a Chinese Buffet. The girls were bothered by the fact that the ladies had to work on their holiday. We did have a discussion of how many times ones culture begins to blend with another when they leave their homeland. But wait, there's more.....they recalled the lesson when the pilgrims first went to Holland and left because of the influence on their children and the Indians and pilgrims who realized their children were influenced by one another and the changes that took place. OH YES! It appears we have begun to understand sociological impacts.
Our class is decorated for the Chinese New Year as well and they made a dragon puppet yesterday. G played with the puppet in front of the new baby and realized he liked it a lot. It was brightly colored with yellows, reds, blues, and other unknown blends. It also was capable of a variety of motions.
I feel so blessed to have such rich experiences with my grandchildren. K is ready to return to teaching, so she says, but I find she is still so busy with the business of a newborn, busy house, and grabbing some sleep that I think she should relax and enjoy the fact that her mother is handling it. Well, that just sounds silly! She knows we are having a blast and knows she is missing out on the little things that are happening. She wants to be a part, even if it means a little bit dirtier house or a little less sleep. I do wish she would nap a bit when the baby does but she keeps pushing through each day without a nap. I do not know how she does it but so many other mothers of many do. Me? Well, I spread my simple two children out by six years which is so much different that her experience.
We did hear a little about our Master's Lyceum this semester. It will be at a different location and will begin MAYBE Feb. 17th. This is driving me crazy as I hate last minute plans. I love spur of the moment activities but this is too big of an event to have so much dangling this late in the game. The schedule has not yet been released since they just got the approval for the new location. I look forward to the semester to teach the classes I have planned. I have heard from several parents who plan to participate if the schedule permits. Sometimes there are ongoing classes that get scheduled at the same time so a choice has to be made.
Well this is a long enough post for now. I hope others are feeling the winter revival that we are experiencing.
Friday, January 20, 2012
WHAT A BLAST!
We are having a great time as we learn a little bit about Chinese culture and Chinese New Year. I find that with that dangling in front of them for the last subject of the day they are both eager to move on.
Today they colored in a dancing dragon and did a maze to bring the dragon to the bowl of tangerines. I read about some traditions again with the girls. Now we are ready to get our red envelopes prepared. They also glued on the face to their paper plate dragon. Of course, G had to make hers a bit different from the template. She must be creative with all she does but just once it would be nice to see her follow the norm.
Tomorrow we will create paper lanterns to decorate our class with. First comes lessons then the fun. Gee, if I was a good craft person I could always have them motivated like this.
I have decided to take G to Sylvan this summer and see if we gain a grade level as they promise in math. She did well today in her math lesson. I have slowed the phonics with F a bit. I want to make sure I am at her level and pushing her forward not having her try to catch me. Still she is doing well. I just have to keep reminding myself that she is five AND not eligible for kindergarten until fall in the public system. Still she tells me she wants to go to the six year old class at church. ummmm NO!
We have finished our Social Studies book so we are going into the health book next. I looked into the third grade History book for next year and found the table of contents. Seems we have done much of that in our independent reading so since G will go to fourth grade language courses next year I am going to go on in the fourth grade history and begin to split the girls in this class. Seems the third grade book covers Lincoln, Franklin, Clara Barton, Daniel Boone and others that we have specifically gotten books from the library to read more than our current books covered. As a matter of fact I have a book on Daniel Boone to take back to the library today.
I feel so revitalized again today. I hope they keep this momentum going.
Today they colored in a dancing dragon and did a maze to bring the dragon to the bowl of tangerines. I read about some traditions again with the girls. Now we are ready to get our red envelopes prepared. They also glued on the face to their paper plate dragon. Of course, G had to make hers a bit different from the template. She must be creative with all she does but just once it would be nice to see her follow the norm.
Tomorrow we will create paper lanterns to decorate our class with. First comes lessons then the fun. Gee, if I was a good craft person I could always have them motivated like this.
I have decided to take G to Sylvan this summer and see if we gain a grade level as they promise in math. She did well today in her math lesson. I have slowed the phonics with F a bit. I want to make sure I am at her level and pushing her forward not having her try to catch me. Still she is doing well. I just have to keep reminding myself that she is five AND not eligible for kindergarten until fall in the public system. Still she tells me she wants to go to the six year old class at church. ummmm NO!
We have finished our Social Studies book so we are going into the health book next. I looked into the third grade History book for next year and found the table of contents. Seems we have done much of that in our independent reading so since G will go to fourth grade language courses next year I am going to go on in the fourth grade history and begin to split the girls in this class. Seems the third grade book covers Lincoln, Franklin, Clara Barton, Daniel Boone and others that we have specifically gotten books from the library to read more than our current books covered. As a matter of fact I have a book on Daniel Boone to take back to the library today.
I feel so revitalized again today. I hope they keep this momentum going.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
REvitalized
This week has been a productive learning week. My back has been hurting so I have not been to the classroom but we have been at the kitchen table doing our book work. I do not feel it is a good as a whole lesson but actually it seems to be more personal and the girls are responding well to it. I may sit a chair between their desks when we get back downstairs and keep the same type of lessons going forward.
We are doing our curriculum but with added material as usual. This week we are learning about the Chinese New Year and making craft decor to put in our classroom. I know they would love to take 15 days to celebrate it and not do any school work but we cannot afford the time away.
G is doing wonderful in her language studies. Seems she is a great proof-reader. F has been very much a five year old lately so I am trying to take first grade material and present it in a kindergarten style. I am not sure what happened to make her stop being too old for her britches but she has made a huge change. Well , actually it is probably the new baby in the house. I am just not use to it.
G is enjoying the next level of math that we are doing. She likes to carry her addition and I am ready to get into borrowing for subtraction. She seems to enjoy things when they are more like a puzzle to solve rather than straight math facts.
Tomorrow we will finish a dragon mask that they began today. I will take them to the library and we will explore more about China. We talked about some of the traditions and taboos that are observed. I am afraid Faith will begin to observe a few of them to be honest as it all made sense to her. :) We will discuss this next week some cultural differences and governmental differences as well. We decided it will include a brief lesson about the Buddhist faith. I think it will be interesting indeed.
We are doing our curriculum but with added material as usual. This week we are learning about the Chinese New Year and making craft decor to put in our classroom. I know they would love to take 15 days to celebrate it and not do any school work but we cannot afford the time away.
G is doing wonderful in her language studies. Seems she is a great proof-reader. F has been very much a five year old lately so I am trying to take first grade material and present it in a kindergarten style. I am not sure what happened to make her stop being too old for her britches but she has made a huge change. Well , actually it is probably the new baby in the house. I am just not use to it.
G is enjoying the next level of math that we are doing. She likes to carry her addition and I am ready to get into borrowing for subtraction. She seems to enjoy things when they are more like a puzzle to solve rather than straight math facts.
Tomorrow we will finish a dragon mask that they began today. I will take them to the library and we will explore more about China. We talked about some of the traditions and taboos that are observed. I am afraid Faith will begin to observe a few of them to be honest as it all made sense to her. :) We will discuss this next week some cultural differences and governmental differences as well. We decided it will include a brief lesson about the Buddhist faith. I think it will be interesting indeed.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Back in the lesson room
After what seems like a month long absence from our lesson room we had an uninterrupted week there. Huge accomplishment! No one was sick and while K remains on bedrest / limited activity we were able to move on with our lessons. I have been experiencing a "difficult " child though.
F turned five years old on Halloween. She has been a challenge of wills for a few weeks as it is. Today she did not want to do her math book work and all though she was being a stink about it I did not let on that she was making things hard on me and creating a negative feeling. I took down the balance and bear and the play shapes. Next thing you know I was telling her good thing as I thought she would like to do math with shapes. We worked on halves and wholes as well as names of different shapes and how to create the shape using other shapes. She spent about 40 minutes non-stop playing math. Not like she won't get to that page. Still the silent worrier in me thinks she is becoming a willful child and I raised one of those all ready. It is a very ugly task to get through that will without breaking the child.
I know that some of the change in F is about the new baby coming but it has always been within her.
G is really enjoying all her language arts lessons. Reading has been fun. She asked if she could begin to read the bible so I added the book that comes with the curriculum--they call it the Bible reader. She loves doing her journal. I plan to get her through more self expression before I get firm about her sentence structure. We are nearly through capitalization rules and then will move onto comas. Within the next two weeks I will require better use of the rules of language she is learning. Right now I seek expression and she is doing great.
G got a little upset with her math at the end of lesson today but she has been doing really great in math. What a big difference it has been.
Our plans for next week will include a morning at the Magic House on Monday but the rest of the week will be typical and I hope to see a lot of progress.
We got news this week that their public school has failed and the state is likely to take over. So many people are stopping and asking me about home school or telling me what a great choice we have made.
As for baby O, well he is still in and breech. We will meet him in three weeks if he does not come on his own but I will be surprised if K get the natural birth experience she was seeking with this one. All is ready for his arrival!
F turned five years old on Halloween. She has been a challenge of wills for a few weeks as it is. Today she did not want to do her math book work and all though she was being a stink about it I did not let on that she was making things hard on me and creating a negative feeling. I took down the balance and bear and the play shapes. Next thing you know I was telling her good thing as I thought she would like to do math with shapes. We worked on halves and wholes as well as names of different shapes and how to create the shape using other shapes. She spent about 40 minutes non-stop playing math. Not like she won't get to that page. Still the silent worrier in me thinks she is becoming a willful child and I raised one of those all ready. It is a very ugly task to get through that will without breaking the child.
I know that some of the change in F is about the new baby coming but it has always been within her.
G is really enjoying all her language arts lessons. Reading has been fun. She asked if she could begin to read the bible so I added the book that comes with the curriculum--they call it the Bible reader. She loves doing her journal. I plan to get her through more self expression before I get firm about her sentence structure. We are nearly through capitalization rules and then will move onto comas. Within the next two weeks I will require better use of the rules of language she is learning. Right now I seek expression and she is doing great.
G got a little upset with her math at the end of lesson today but she has been doing really great in math. What a big difference it has been.
Our plans for next week will include a morning at the Magic House on Monday but the rest of the week will be typical and I hope to see a lot of progress.
We got news this week that their public school has failed and the state is likely to take over. So many people are stopping and asking me about home school or telling me what a great choice we have made.
As for baby O, well he is still in and breech. We will meet him in three weeks if he does not come on his own but I will be surprised if K get the natural birth experience she was seeking with this one. All is ready for his arrival!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Math without tears
Yes indeed it was a great day! G moaned and groaned about math when she got on in the recliner with me. Yep, math in the recliner yesterday. Then she opened the book and to her surprise she did her warm up lesson without a single issue. She was completed in record time and all correctly done. I said, "wow, seems you have been learning something after all" she tucked her head into me with a huge smile and clearly was proud of her work. We then did some lesson time briefly together and she completed the rest of her lesson page. She did it diligently and without a single tear. She sees that she is learning and likes to know new things.
This week F has been absent from class. F has pneumonia and not feeling well at all. Her little eyes plead for relief that only her mommy can provide. K has not been able to leave her side for one moment, which is not difficult as the little stinker Baby O tried his best to come too early so she is on bedrest at home.
This week G and I did complete our lessons on wolves and attended a field trip to the Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka, Missouri. We also have been to the library to get the books I ordered in. The past two night we have read about SUE the T-Rex and the entire story about her discovery, the journey to claim her, the auction, the process of preparing her and putting her puzzle pieces together. It was a great story, the book is called- Sue The Colossal Fossil. I still have not gotten the entire time line down great but for now just understanding millions of years is enough.
Someone has permitted us to borrow their math rods to see if it helps G to grasp math. I have concluded that for her the rods do not help the matter but confuse it. When I speak with others about her addition and subtraction issues they keep referring me to a MathUSee program. I have reviewed that program before but never felt it was the right fit. So now I am playing with the idea and still do not see how it is going to help her. G does understand the concept just fine but is slow because she does not have them memorized. She is not good at memorization. SHE IS THE LEARNER! So as we worked with the math rods she even realized that herself. She told me "I get it" "but this is like math for babies". She let me clearly know that she understands the concept she just does not enjoy it like other subjects and gets frustrated because she does not remember them. It is too boring by her standards to do the same math over and over to get the same answer over and over again. She tells me that she can do the math but it is too time consuming to have to figure the problem out every time. So I know she does understand the concept but also, even G, gets that her memory of these facts (or the lack of memory) is slowing her down. So we are moving on! I know we will eventually develop memory of more facts but I want her to find the fun part of math so I do not want to drag her and hold her in one spot just for lack of memory. OH YES, back to the math rods. She wants to fiddle with them a bit more and not give up to quickly but I do not see us investing in them anytime soon.
In the long run I find that G understands her learning style better than I do so I am going to let her be my guide.
I am beginning to think our fall will be a short one as it has been very cold for this time of October, even for the Midwest region. Highlights for our region is that the St. Louis Cardinals are in the world series again so everywhere you turn you are reminded of the experience. I know those poor Texas Rangers will have a hard time in this type of cold.
This week F has been absent from class. F has pneumonia and not feeling well at all. Her little eyes plead for relief that only her mommy can provide. K has not been able to leave her side for one moment, which is not difficult as the little stinker Baby O tried his best to come too early so she is on bedrest at home.
This week G and I did complete our lessons on wolves and attended a field trip to the Endangered Wolf Center in Eureka, Missouri. We also have been to the library to get the books I ordered in. The past two night we have read about SUE the T-Rex and the entire story about her discovery, the journey to claim her, the auction, the process of preparing her and putting her puzzle pieces together. It was a great story, the book is called- Sue The Colossal Fossil. I still have not gotten the entire time line down great but for now just understanding millions of years is enough.
Someone has permitted us to borrow their math rods to see if it helps G to grasp math. I have concluded that for her the rods do not help the matter but confuse it. When I speak with others about her addition and subtraction issues they keep referring me to a MathUSee program. I have reviewed that program before but never felt it was the right fit. So now I am playing with the idea and still do not see how it is going to help her. G does understand the concept just fine but is slow because she does not have them memorized. She is not good at memorization. SHE IS THE LEARNER! So as we worked with the math rods she even realized that herself. She told me "I get it" "but this is like math for babies". She let me clearly know that she understands the concept she just does not enjoy it like other subjects and gets frustrated because she does not remember them. It is too boring by her standards to do the same math over and over to get the same answer over and over again. She tells me that she can do the math but it is too time consuming to have to figure the problem out every time. So I know she does understand the concept but also, even G, gets that her memory of these facts (or the lack of memory) is slowing her down. So we are moving on! I know we will eventually develop memory of more facts but I want her to find the fun part of math so I do not want to drag her and hold her in one spot just for lack of memory. OH YES, back to the math rods. She wants to fiddle with them a bit more and not give up to quickly but I do not see us investing in them anytime soon.
In the long run I find that G understands her learning style better than I do so I am going to let her be my guide.
I am beginning to think our fall will be a short one as it has been very cold for this time of October, even for the Midwest region. Highlights for our region is that the St. Louis Cardinals are in the world series again so everywhere you turn you are reminded of the experience. I know those poor Texas Rangers will have a hard time in this type of cold.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
I suspend a child from lessons yesterday
I do not know what else to call it but F kept on whining about everything she did. She got up and down and wandered which I did not care about but then she was constantly interrupting what was going on with G. I discussed how rude that was and gave kind encouragement words as her project was 85% completed and was done well. Then I had time that we were all dealing with time and money. She began hopping jumping from recliner to recliner and getting loud. So I took her out of the lesson room and said to her that her disrespect of other will not be tolerated. I let her know that learning at home is a privilege and she had run out of opportunities. I had corrected her at least 20 times in an hour. So out she went. I took her upstairs and she got busy doing things to help mommy instead. I was taking on lesson alone yesterday as K had millions of task that needed to get completed.
As the day was completing she begged to come back and as hard as it was I did not permit her to. That was a difficult thing for me to do, however, had I taken her back into the lesson room it would have extended my day by another hour and a half as we were finishing our last item.
I sure hope today goes better. F has been a bit difficult lately, baby is coming in five weeks and lots going on with preparations.
G is really making progress in her writing and spelling, she has found it enjoyable to create her own story. Math has not had a lot of tears but inside I cry every time as she take soooo long and drags it out. I have to find a way to cut the time of math or we will both burn that book soon. I may ask her if she wants to split the class, do some in lesson time and then have homework in the evening.
As the day was completing she begged to come back and as hard as it was I did not permit her to. That was a difficult thing for me to do, however, had I taken her back into the lesson room it would have extended my day by another hour and a half as we were finishing our last item.
I sure hope today goes better. F has been a bit difficult lately, baby is coming in five weeks and lots going on with preparations.
G is really making progress in her writing and spelling, she has found it enjoyable to create her own story. Math has not had a lot of tears but inside I cry every time as she take soooo long and drags it out. I have to find a way to cut the time of math or we will both burn that book soon. I may ask her if she wants to split the class, do some in lesson time and then have homework in the evening.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
When to teach about the 9/11
That question has no answer as there is never a good time to introduce such a terrible subject; but with all the information that was out there as we reached the 10th anniversary it seemed to be a good time to find a gentle approach. After all, Hunter is a dear family friend and K's best friend and he has been off at war. The girls have been taking care of his dog while he had to go fight the war. Hunter is a Marine. So I did some searching and found two books I would use. Both books are written for 4-8 year old. One book I could not get from out local library system but this one came in right away.
It is a wonderful true story and we chose it because it is something the girls can relate to simply because being a firefighter in their local community is an important thing to their father. They are that typical "firefighter family". It permits an introduction that something terrible happened when the planes went into the twin towers but is more a story about the retired fireboat that pumped water to the firetrucks when the waterlines failed as the towers fell. It is a terrific story. I had to convince G that it was a true story as she could not imagine the events to be real. We did explain that it is because of the attack that Hunter is off fighting a war.
I would recommend that this story book can be used anytime and not just in September. Read it first as I did before to your children as there is that single moment in the book that I choked. It begins very light hearted as it tells of the events of the year the John J Harvey was built.
The other book I am waiting on is call The Little Chapel that Stood. I heard about it from another home school mom and the reviews look promising. It will take a few weeks to get it to me which will be nice as it is not necessary to give the young ones too much worry. It too is written for 4-8 year old.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Had A Great Day
It was a day without any tremendous achievements but a day full of all it was meant to be.
I returned to the classroom and handled a full day of lessons with each girl. At the end of the day our specials was to work on our small single folder plant book. I know that there are many lessons as I look forward to the plants in science so this is just a tiny introduction. They have a flowering plant that they cut out and the pot that I had found online. Today I drew the Water Cycle on the board and we talked about how old the water is that they drank at lunch. They were amazed. I had found an easy to color water cycle that we glued in the folder. This is a work in progress and I am not sure just what I will put into the next part of the folder. They enjoy making things and when it reinforces their lesson they feel very proud.
F has only 18 pages left in her math book but I must say that since I know the first 88 lessons will cover the same addition facts next year I have let her use the abacus often for the more complicated facts. G did well today with the new material but got all flustered with having to problem solve some counting by two problems such as the number before and after 104 when counting by twos. And suddenly, after all year know that the minute hands reads 30 when on the 6 she has become confused with the addition of 45 minutes. She is in her last reader in the curriculum and read 32 pages today independently and was able to tell me about what she read with great understanding.
G has about 30 pages in language and phonic but she is doing several each day. F will not be finished w/ the phonic or readers before summer so when G has lessons in math F will need lessons in phonics/reading. F is reading very well overall. She is excited but gets confused with special blending sounds. F is a lazy learner, if it comes with work she tries to avoid it and refuse it. I always seem to find a way to encourage her to give it one try. Today she did some difficult reading but recalled all that she read. I know she too will be a good reader but she works at it more just like G works at math more.
At least I know it is not my teaching techniques.
My health note is simple, I continue to get better again. I am blessed indeed.
I returned to the classroom and handled a full day of lessons with each girl. At the end of the day our specials was to work on our small single folder plant book. I know that there are many lessons as I look forward to the plants in science so this is just a tiny introduction. They have a flowering plant that they cut out and the pot that I had found online. Today I drew the Water Cycle on the board and we talked about how old the water is that they drank at lunch. They were amazed. I had found an easy to color water cycle that we glued in the folder. This is a work in progress and I am not sure just what I will put into the next part of the folder. They enjoy making things and when it reinforces their lesson they feel very proud.
F has only 18 pages left in her math book but I must say that since I know the first 88 lessons will cover the same addition facts next year I have let her use the abacus often for the more complicated facts. G did well today with the new material but got all flustered with having to problem solve some counting by two problems such as the number before and after 104 when counting by twos. And suddenly, after all year know that the minute hands reads 30 when on the 6 she has become confused with the addition of 45 minutes. She is in her last reader in the curriculum and read 32 pages today independently and was able to tell me about what she read with great understanding.
G has about 30 pages in language and phonic but she is doing several each day. F will not be finished w/ the phonic or readers before summer so when G has lessons in math F will need lessons in phonics/reading. F is reading very well overall. She is excited but gets confused with special blending sounds. F is a lazy learner, if it comes with work she tries to avoid it and refuse it. I always seem to find a way to encourage her to give it one try. Today she did some difficult reading but recalled all that she read. I know she too will be a good reader but she works at it more just like G works at math more.
At least I know it is not my teaching techniques.
My health note is simple, I continue to get better again. I am blessed indeed.
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