So, just like I figured, I wouldn't stay consistent with this blog. Really, I like to type on my laptop while sitting on the couch with the family, but during week 2, my laptop obtained a virus and now is on the fritz until I can get someone who knows what they are doing to repair it. But...I'll play a little bit of catch up now...
Things that we have found that work for us:
- White board is cleared Sunday night with the next week's memory work added and new timeline cards replaced. Martin and I like to read the description on the back of each timeline card to catch us up a bit on what the significance of each event played in our history.
- Monday night school session after dinner. We review the memory work on the board and work through the science and history memory work that I found on TeachersPayTeachers.com (sometimes day 1 and 2 for the week).
- Martin enjoys working with Maci on her skip counting. She's getting really good with signing her numbers (still need to work on writing them; a couple of reversals and she does NOT like the 2 written with a loop!). We listen to the skip counting songs in the car and I am really having to think of the multiples after 11 as she has to know up to multiples of 15!!
- Tuesday mornings we get in some phonics and handwriting practice and Maci HATES reading the little phonics practice books. They are each about 10-12 pages with mostly sight words and some words she has to sound out (and pictures to help), but I have to cheer her on the whole time! This week I got some level 1 books at the library so I am willingly to give those a try if she will do less complaining while she reads! Also, she requires prompting most days to start reading at the top of the page at the left side. Sometimes she jumps around.
- We are using Handwriting Without Tears and I ask that she does a couple pages throughout the week to help make her handwriting more consistent. She learned most of her capital letters in VPK, but getting her to write them using the correct strokes (top to bottom, left to right) and having them correctly oriented to the line is what we are focusing on now. She tells me "I know, Mom!" but I still have her complete the activities in her workbook.
- I have been able to send in some worksheets and coloring pages to daycare with her and most of the time she gets the chance to practice those tasks. Maci told her teacher she wants to improve on cutting so some days she just does that. She's getting much better with holding her scissors and the paper correctly and can cut in a straight line and starting to cut curved lines.
- We keep a notebook that has become like a portfolio for science and history. After each activity is completed, Maci cuts and glues them into the notebook. This gives her more practice with cutting and gluing and helps to keep things organized which Mommy likes! There are other loose papers that I've been keeping in a folder. Still trying to figure out the best way to keep it all together and to show all the work she is doing each week.
- Our library system is amazing and I can go on their website, search the catalog, reserve books/DVDs that are related to the memory work and timeline, then they email me when they are ready to be picked up at my local library....and boy do I take advantage of that! At any given time, we have 15-25 library books at our house and currently they are mostly related to our school work. I have found a series of books that show how to make crafts related to the past so I got the Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, and Indians plus I found a book about recipes made by the Native Americans. As we discuss these topics, I like to incorporate the hands-on activity to help create a firmer foundation for understanding that concept.
- Both the kids LOVE the timeline song and we listen to it almost every time we are in the car. Each week we learn 7-8 new events in the timeline (currently about the age of ancient empires) on community day then we are able to practice reciting those events while singing the song. Davis loves it too and I'm sure he will know the timeline song even before he's old enough to be in CC!
Here are a couple pictures of what we've been doing the last few weeks:
During week 2, we had to make a modification to our Tuesday routine with another homeschool family as they had an appt with their ENT. Instead, the kids went over to a friend's house who owns an in-home daycare (and homeschools too!). Sooooo many toys there! It can be hard to pry the kids away!! I have known this family since Maci was an infant and these girls are only 2 days apart - we were probably in the hospital at the same time!
Uncle Russ had a job assignment in our area (on his birthday!) so he stopped by and had milk and Oreos with the kids (their thing) and he made the journal entry for that day - Best Buy uniform and all!
Mom-Mom came to visit for a couple nights and Maci got to show off her reading skills by reading "Go Dog Go" to the dog lady herself!
Things that we have found that work for us:
- White board is cleared Sunday night with the next week's memory work added and new timeline cards replaced. Martin and I like to read the description on the back of each timeline card to catch us up a bit on what the significance of each event played in our history.
- Monday night school session after dinner. We review the memory work on the board and work through the science and history memory work that I found on TeachersPayTeachers.com (sometimes day 1 and 2 for the week).
- Martin enjoys working with Maci on her skip counting. She's getting really good with signing her numbers (still need to work on writing them; a couple of reversals and she does NOT like the 2 written with a loop!). We listen to the skip counting songs in the car and I am really having to think of the multiples after 11 as she has to know up to multiples of 15!!
- Tuesday mornings we get in some phonics and handwriting practice and Maci HATES reading the little phonics practice books. They are each about 10-12 pages with mostly sight words and some words she has to sound out (and pictures to help), but I have to cheer her on the whole time! This week I got some level 1 books at the library so I am willingly to give those a try if she will do less complaining while she reads! Also, she requires prompting most days to start reading at the top of the page at the left side. Sometimes she jumps around.
- We are using Handwriting Without Tears and I ask that she does a couple pages throughout the week to help make her handwriting more consistent. She learned most of her capital letters in VPK, but getting her to write them using the correct strokes (top to bottom, left to right) and having them correctly oriented to the line is what we are focusing on now. She tells me "I know, Mom!" but I still have her complete the activities in her workbook.
- I have been able to send in some worksheets and coloring pages to daycare with her and most of the time she gets the chance to practice those tasks. Maci told her teacher she wants to improve on cutting so some days she just does that. She's getting much better with holding her scissors and the paper correctly and can cut in a straight line and starting to cut curved lines.
- We keep a notebook that has become like a portfolio for science and history. After each activity is completed, Maci cuts and glues them into the notebook. This gives her more practice with cutting and gluing and helps to keep things organized which Mommy likes! There are other loose papers that I've been keeping in a folder. Still trying to figure out the best way to keep it all together and to show all the work she is doing each week.
- Our library system is amazing and I can go on their website, search the catalog, reserve books/DVDs that are related to the memory work and timeline, then they email me when they are ready to be picked up at my local library....and boy do I take advantage of that! At any given time, we have 15-25 library books at our house and currently they are mostly related to our school work. I have found a series of books that show how to make crafts related to the past so I got the Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, and Indians plus I found a book about recipes made by the Native Americans. As we discuss these topics, I like to incorporate the hands-on activity to help create a firmer foundation for understanding that concept.
- Both the kids LOVE the timeline song and we listen to it almost every time we are in the car. Each week we learn 7-8 new events in the timeline (currently about the age of ancient empires) on community day then we are able to practice reciting those events while singing the song. Davis loves it too and I'm sure he will know the timeline song even before he's old enough to be in CC!
Here are a couple pictures of what we've been doing the last few weeks:
That week Mom-Mom happened to be visiting on a community day so she joined us for the fun which started off with a trip to the brand new Dunkin' Donuts that just opened by our house earlier that week.
Reciting memory work wearing an owl mask
Moving to the floor to practice more memory work
Flashcards to practice Latin noun cases
Science experiment #1
Science experiment #2
ART!!! (their thing)
Learning about mirror images.
Timeline song with hand movements up to week 2
That weekend was Labor Day weekend so we headed to Rainbow Springs State Park and had a blast! We saw several spiders and talked about the science experiment related to the tension and how a spider knows when there is something good in his web or if he should run away. We also so several turtles and birds that we pointed out as we kayaked and tubed on the river. So much fun and I can't wait to go back!
We made it back home Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning Maci woke up with a high fever. She sustained 103-104 degrees until Thursday which was super scary for Mommy! Martin took her to the pediatrician (first trip without me there too!) where everything came back negative. There is something viral going around and unfortunately it found her!
We missed our homeschool playdate group on Tuesday and community day on Thursday and she didn't drive anywhere in the truck to listen to her memory work or timeline song so we didn't make much progress week 3. We did some work as she tolerated at home including some fun activities in the kitchen!
Animal cell pizza
Animal cell cake
Because he was worried about the babies and missed them so much (hadn't seen them since the end of July), Pop-Pop made the 3-hour drive to spend the evening and next morning with them. They got in some cuddle time on the couch and some puzzle time the next morning before he had to leave.
The next day, Maci was finally starting to act like herself again, so we got up, went to church and did a little exploring of St. Augustine as September is the month that St. John's County residents can ride the trolley for free and get into several of the local attractions for free - one of our favorite things to do each year!!
Old Wooden School House
The kitchen at the Old Wooden School House
The privy at the Old Wooden School House
Somebody crashed while riding the trolley!
We are just coming to the end of week 4 and slowly finding our groove. We have had some atypical events like visits from grandparents, a holiday weekend, and a tough bout of illness that has made things interesting, but this is one reason we choose to homeschool....to make school fit around our lives and not fit our lives around school.
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