Well, it must be the end of the year. I am sure I am experiencing a common phenomenon: I am so excited about what we are going to be learning next year that I just want to get done with what we are doing this year so I can get to planning. (Wrong attitude, I know! We need to finish strong!) And, the weather has just been so nice that about all I have wanted to do is take advantage of it ... just be outside soaking it in!
This week Dawson had a book due back to our public library that he is really enjoying, but reading slowly. Because there is a "hold list" for it, he wasn't able to renew it for another two weeks. So, I decided to let him incur a fine and keep reading so that he is ready for the next book when it becomes available (he's on that "hold list"). But, I told him he had to have it finished by today. So he had 200 pages to read in four days. Because we finished The Swiss Family Robinson and our study of the Age of Exploration on Tuesday and because he needed to get that book finished, his week was primarily a reading week. Other than finishing up his Ocean Floor project and keeping up with his Life of Fred: Pre-Algebra assignments (so he can get them finished by the end of the school year), that's all he did this week.
Does that bother me, though? No. He was reading. And enjoying it. And I'm finding more and more how reading is the cornerstone of our educational process. So to me this was a successful week for him. And he is planning on reading the next book this summer when we are not in school! Something has certainly been accomplished here!
Next week we are going to start the first of three weeks about The Renaissance Period. We will finish our school year on these lessons, including a look at astronomy, and adding in a few field trips.
It's hard to believe Brynne has finished almost a full year of school at home! It is so apparent to us in the fact that she was on letter "x" this week, and only has two more letters of the alphabet to do. We have learned all there is to know about all 26 letters, and she is so excited that she will have a mini-book completed for each letter of the alphabet!
She was stressed this week because we were out a printer starting mid-week. She really wants to get those books finished, but I have to be able to print for her to do them. We got a new printer last night, with much more economical printer cartridges, so will be all ready to finish the alphabet in time!
Because I was unable to print for a few days, her lessons were pretty sparse, too.
We did lots of reading to make up for it. And we started a four-week unit on Englad, the British Royal Family, the Royal wedding and princesses and knights. This will go along nicely with Dawson's Renaissance lessons.
Our focus this week was on England. We learned about what comprises Great Britain, and about London. Brynne colored maps of both, and the flags of both. Then we read the book Dodsworth in London by Tim Egan.
Brynne made a double-decker bus out of a pop-tart box and a toilet paper palace guard, that I had to draw the pieces for because of the printer issue.
The highlight of her week was watching Youtube videos of the palace guards. There were lots of funny videos: one slipping, one vomiting, several getting fed up with tourists, one falling asleep. She also watched some videos of landmarks from atop of some double decker buses.
We talked about some of the landmarks: Buckingham Palace and Stonehenge and looked at pictures on the internet. Then Brynne used cardboard blocks and legos to make a replica of Stonehenge.
Next week we will finish up with our study of London and move onto the Royal Family.
In math Brynne is continuing with her study of money. This week we primarily did workbook pages, but did get some money out for hands-on work.
We recycled and composted all week, which Brynne really enjoyed, and we took our first load of recycled materials to the recycling site today. Why, oh why, have we not been doing this our whole lives? Our trash can this past Monday had two small bags in it from the whole week, when usually it is overflowing. We had three full tubs of recycled materials from just one week. Brynne is very conscious of how we are saving the earth.
And Brynne finished her week with her Homeschool Coop Track and Field Day. You can read about it here.
Wow! I felt like we didn't get much done this week! But after reading this I see that it was a full week afterall.
Go join Kris and other homeschoolers to see what they did this week at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.
Dawson ~ 8th Grade
This week Dawson had a book due back to our public library that he is really enjoying, but reading slowly. Because there is a "hold list" for it, he wasn't able to renew it for another two weeks. So, I decided to let him incur a fine and keep reading so that he is ready for the next book when it becomes available (he's on that "hold list"). But, I told him he had to have it finished by today. So he had 200 pages to read in four days. Because we finished The Swiss Family Robinson and our study of the Age of Exploration on Tuesday and because he needed to get that book finished, his week was primarily a reading week. Other than finishing up his Ocean Floor project and keeping up with his Life of Fred: Pre-Algebra assignments (so he can get them finished by the end of the school year), that's all he did this week.
Does that bother me, though? No. He was reading. And enjoying it. And I'm finding more and more how reading is the cornerstone of our educational process. So to me this was a successful week for him. And he is planning on reading the next book this summer when we are not in school! Something has certainly been accomplished here!
Next week we are going to start the first of three weeks about The Renaissance Period. We will finish our school year on these lessons, including a look at astronomy, and adding in a few field trips.
Brynne ~ 1st Grade
It's hard to believe Brynne has finished almost a full year of school at home! It is so apparent to us in the fact that she was on letter "x" this week, and only has two more letters of the alphabet to do. We have learned all there is to know about all 26 letters, and she is so excited that she will have a mini-book completed for each letter of the alphabet!
She was stressed this week because we were out a printer starting mid-week. She really wants to get those books finished, but I have to be able to print for her to do them. We got a new printer last night, with much more economical printer cartridges, so will be all ready to finish the alphabet in time!
Because I was unable to print for a few days, her lessons were pretty sparse, too.
We did lots of reading to make up for it. And we started a four-week unit on Englad, the British Royal Family, the Royal wedding and princesses and knights. This will go along nicely with Dawson's Renaissance lessons.
Our focus this week was on England. We learned about what comprises Great Britain, and about London. Brynne colored maps of both, and the flags of both. Then we read the book Dodsworth in London by Tim Egan.
Brynne made a double-decker bus out of a pop-tart box and a toilet paper palace guard, that I had to draw the pieces for because of the printer issue.
The highlight of her week was watching Youtube videos of the palace guards. There were lots of funny videos: one slipping, one vomiting, several getting fed up with tourists, one falling asleep. She also watched some videos of landmarks from atop of some double decker buses.
We talked about some of the landmarks: Buckingham Palace and Stonehenge and looked at pictures on the internet. Then Brynne used cardboard blocks and legos to make a replica of Stonehenge.
Next week we will finish up with our study of London and move onto the Royal Family.
In math Brynne is continuing with her study of money. This week we primarily did workbook pages, but did get some money out for hands-on work.
We recycled and composted all week, which Brynne really enjoyed, and we took our first load of recycled materials to the recycling site today. Why, oh why, have we not been doing this our whole lives? Our trash can this past Monday had two small bags in it from the whole week, when usually it is overflowing. We had three full tubs of recycled materials from just one week. Brynne is very conscious of how we are saving the earth.
And Brynne finished her week with her Homeschool Coop Track and Field Day. You can read about it here.
Wow! I felt like we didn't get much done this week! But after reading this I see that it was a full week afterall.
Go join Kris and other homeschoolers to see what they did this week at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.
We're wrapping up for the year there too...and finding it really hard on focusing on finishing up the few lessons we have left. Focus! Fortunately I haven't purchased most of next year's curriculum so I can't plan and peruse more! LOL
ReplyDeleteJessy
I have held off purchasing next year's curriculum, too. It would be too much of a distraction for me!
ReplyDeleteSarah