Wednesday is our Classical Conversations day. We take a break from our work and learn a plethora of facts in math, science, history, grammar, latin and art. It is amazing to see how much information young children can retain. It's even more astonishing to discover how much I didn't learn in school. Either it wasn't taught or I was zoned out during the lessons; maybe it's a mixture of both, but I sure am glad to be learning too!
RightStart Math updates. We are moving right along with RightStart. We currently learning how to partition 10. We play several games to help reinforce this. Click actually asked to play a game today.
I believe in one of the recent posts I discussed using a different approach to spealling and writing. Everyday I've given Click things to write and watched him 'create' ways to spell the words. He's written a letter to Grandma, several menus, a grocery list, and he even wrote a letter to his Children's Church classmate... on his own time and prompting! So, for now at least, this will be the method we use to spark creativity, practice handwriting and spelling. When he matures and his penmanship improves, we'll move toward a formal spelling program.
Draw Write Now. I heard good reviews about this book and picked up a copy. To date, Click has drawn a Goose, a Rabbit, and a Hen. I was impressed with his production because he is the Stickman King! I am looking forward to seeing his progress over the next 12 months.
Story of the World 2. We now have the CD's to accompany the book. It is a major time saver for me. We open the book together, listen to Jim Weiss read and then move on to other things. I like the CD because I can pop it in the car for reinforcement, and the hubby and learn too.
What about Clack?
She is very much the tactile learner and outdoor baby. She loves nature and has enjoyed planting bell peppers and all of the 'creative' things her brother plants. She is fascinated by birds and airplanes. I am constantly studying her in order to prepare myself for her learning style. It is a joy (and challenge) to watch her personality blossom.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Light Bulb Moments
One of the awesome things about homeschooling is seeing your children 'get it'. That light bulb moment truly makes all that we parents put into teaching our children worth it.
Click recently switched to Right Start Math B. We are working on partitioning. It's a new concept but it makes you think. Click is used to just rattling off answers from memory, however, he cannot use that skill for some of the math exercises. Today, after feeling my fuse getting hot, I asked him to use his brain and think about the problem. He looked at me, the problem on the white board, and then his abacus. After about a minute he said, ' oh I know,' moved some abacus beads and gave the answer. Whew! This curriculum is a lot more work in terms of walking the student through the problem solving thinking process, but when the gears are clicking and they produce a thought out answer, it's invigorating!!!
Right Start Math - Finished lesson 10
Story of the World 2 - Chapter 4, The Emporess Theodora
Reading - Click read aloud a few pages from Message in the Sky Corey's Underground Railroad Diary by Sharon Wyeth. I read Hewitt Andersonson's Great Big Life by Jerdine Nolen. This book will be added to my Good Reads list. It's vibrantly illustrated by Kadir Nelson, but I also love the new vocabulary it introduced to Click. We may add this to our personal library. I think he read two Nate the Great books. I'm not positive because he was flipping the pages pretty quickly.
I read an interested book on teaching Spelling. It suggested allowing children to invent spellings (teacher code word for 'misspell words') while they are young and instead focus on encouraging children to write - composing stories, writing letters and grocery lists, etc. Click is my first born, and therefore he's also my experiment baby, so I'm going to try this method.
He's a natural speller and an early reader, but at 5 his fine motor skills are still developing. Most spelling programs that come highly recommended require a lot of writing or busy work. He doesn't enjoy workbooks, so I was debating how to approach spelling when I came upon the book Spel..... a four letter word?
For the past two days I put the concepts into practice. Yesterday I had him write a grocery list. Today I asked him to write something about the Hewitt Anderson story. It's late, but I'll have to post pictures of his writing.
Click recently switched to Right Start Math B. We are working on partitioning. It's a new concept but it makes you think. Click is used to just rattling off answers from memory, however, he cannot use that skill for some of the math exercises. Today, after feeling my fuse getting hot, I asked him to use his brain and think about the problem. He looked at me, the problem on the white board, and then his abacus. After about a minute he said, ' oh I know,' moved some abacus beads and gave the answer. Whew! This curriculum is a lot more work in terms of walking the student through the problem solving thinking process, but when the gears are clicking and they produce a thought out answer, it's invigorating!!!
Right Start Math - Finished lesson 10
Story of the World 2 - Chapter 4, The Emporess Theodora
Reading - Click read aloud a few pages from Message in the Sky Corey's Underground Railroad Diary by Sharon Wyeth. I read Hewitt Andersonson's Great Big Life by Jerdine Nolen. This book will be added to my Good Reads list. It's vibrantly illustrated by Kadir Nelson, but I also love the new vocabulary it introduced to Click. We may add this to our personal library. I think he read two Nate the Great books. I'm not positive because he was flipping the pages pretty quickly.
I read an interested book on teaching Spelling. It suggested allowing children to invent spellings (teacher code word for 'misspell words') while they are young and instead focus on encouraging children to write - composing stories, writing letters and grocery lists, etc. Click is my first born, and therefore he's also my experiment baby, so I'm going to try this method.
He's a natural speller and an early reader, but at 5 his fine motor skills are still developing. Most spelling programs that come highly recommended require a lot of writing or busy work. He doesn't enjoy workbooks, so I was debating how to approach spelling when I came upon the book Spel..... a four letter word?
For the past two days I put the concepts into practice. Yesterday I had him write a grocery list. Today I asked him to write something about the Hewitt Anderson story. It's late, but I'll have to post pictures of his writing.
Friday, February 15, 2008
It's Friday!
We had a pretty short day today. It's been a long week full of changes. Click and Clack both slept in - highly unusual for them, so we took it easy.
Click was creative today. He went in the backyard and planted some popcorn 'seeds' as he called them. It was fun watching him dig a hole with the shovel, put the seeds in, water them and cover the hole.
Classical Music - Anton Bruckner
Right Start Math B - Lesson 11
Handwriting - "Children obey" from Ephesians 6:1
Reading - Click read A Mare for Young Wolf by Janice Shefelman
What about Clack?
She participated in her favorite activities - taking counting bears and tally sticks out of the bag. She's expanded her scope of play, now she has stairs to throw the bears down! I will say she did take time to stand several bears upright.
Click was creative today. He went in the backyard and planted some popcorn 'seeds' as he called them. It was fun watching him dig a hole with the shovel, put the seeds in, water them and cover the hole.
Classical Music - Anton Bruckner
Right Start Math B - Lesson 11
Handwriting - "Children obey" from Ephesians 6:1
Reading - Click read A Mare for Young Wolf by Janice Shefelman
What about Clack?
She participated in her favorite activities - taking counting bears and tally sticks out of the bag. She's expanded her scope of play, now she has stairs to throw the bears down! I will say she did take time to stand several bears upright.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Partitioning With Right Start
Today Click encountered a new concept with Right Start Math. He had to separate a whole into 2 parts (partitioning) and he got it! This was different than anything we've done in the past so I was curious to see the results. Here was our Homeschool Day - I don't have any idea what week we're on......
Classical Music - Anton Bruckner
Right Start Math Level B - Lesson 9, Partitioning
Reading - He read Stink, the Incredible Shrinking Kid by Megan McDonald and listened to The Chalk Box Kid on tape.
Story of the World 2 - Chapter 4, The Byzantine Empire
We also had library time today.
What about Clack?
Daddy doesn't have class on Thursday, so she hung out with him while Click and I completed our work.
Classical Music - Anton Bruckner
Right Start Math Level B - Lesson 9, Partitioning
Reading - He read Stink, the Incredible Shrinking Kid by Megan McDonald and listened to The Chalk Box Kid on tape.
Story of the World 2 - Chapter 4, The Byzantine Empire
We also had library time today.
What about Clack?
Daddy doesn't have class on Thursday, so she hung out with him while Click and I completed our work.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Nearly A Month Later
Accept, Adapt, Overcome!
We've had LOTS of changes this past month. I'm happy to report that we closed on our house.... that should begin to explain the blogging absence. I've been busy painting, 'thinking about' packing and mixing lessons with Click in between.
Math Update - After a few sabbaticals and different approaches, I had to realize that Saxon Math 1 is not for Click. Every rational bone in my body wanted to make it work and not switch curriculums in the middle of the year, but I had to realize that 'change' is the reason I homeschool. I have the liberty to 'change' in order to meet the needs of my children. We can switch teaching styles & curriculums, or take a break whenever necessary.... accept, adapt, overcome. After accepting that Saxon would not work, I adapted and sought out a new program.
I chose Right Start Math. I'm very fond of the Asian math philosophy. I researched Singapore Math last year, but didn't find the teaching support or drill I needed to comfortably progress. Right Start Math combines the Singapore philosophy and gives teacher support as well as games to reinforce concepts.
We've used Right Start for a week and Click is once again enjoying Math. No more blank stares, no more drilling addition facts, no more blurting of erroneous answers, no more frustration. Right Start is a completely different concept from Saxon, but Click has jumped right in without missing a beat.
I have also had the opportunity to join Classical Conversations. We do use the Classical Method for homeschooling, so this group is a blessing. Click has the opportunity to meet weekly with a group of educationally like minded children, form bonding relationships, and be intellectually challenged. Here's a sample of what he learned this week - the area of a rectangle, the state of matter, Ephesians 6:13, events from the Industrial Revolution, and what Adverbs are.
In a nutshell, we've gone through several changes, but they've all been 'good' changes. I hope today will begin the revival of my daily blogging.
What about Clack?
She hit 19 months and is showing more interest in singing songs - especially those with hand movements. She'll even sit still long enough to have 2 or 3 board book pages read. She likes counting to five and playing with manipulatives. She has started using more sign language and as always, she loves the outdoors!
We've had LOTS of changes this past month. I'm happy to report that we closed on our house.... that should begin to explain the blogging absence. I've been busy painting, 'thinking about' packing and mixing lessons with Click in between.
Math Update - After a few sabbaticals and different approaches, I had to realize that Saxon Math 1 is not for Click. Every rational bone in my body wanted to make it work and not switch curriculums in the middle of the year, but I had to realize that 'change' is the reason I homeschool. I have the liberty to 'change' in order to meet the needs of my children. We can switch teaching styles & curriculums, or take a break whenever necessary.... accept, adapt, overcome. After accepting that Saxon would not work, I adapted and sought out a new program.
I chose Right Start Math. I'm very fond of the Asian math philosophy. I researched Singapore Math last year, but didn't find the teaching support or drill I needed to comfortably progress. Right Start Math combines the Singapore philosophy and gives teacher support as well as games to reinforce concepts.
We've used Right Start for a week and Click is once again enjoying Math. No more blank stares, no more drilling addition facts, no more blurting of erroneous answers, no more frustration. Right Start is a completely different concept from Saxon, but Click has jumped right in without missing a beat.
I have also had the opportunity to join Classical Conversations. We do use the Classical Method for homeschooling, so this group is a blessing. Click has the opportunity to meet weekly with a group of educationally like minded children, form bonding relationships, and be intellectually challenged. Here's a sample of what he learned this week - the area of a rectangle, the state of matter, Ephesians 6:13, events from the Industrial Revolution, and what Adverbs are.
In a nutshell, we've gone through several changes, but they've all been 'good' changes. I hope today will begin the revival of my daily blogging.
What about Clack?
She hit 19 months and is showing more interest in singing songs - especially those with hand movements. She'll even sit still long enough to have 2 or 3 board book pages read. She likes counting to five and playing with manipulatives. She has started using more sign language and as always, she loves the outdoors!
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Breakthrough
Homeschool Week - ?
We've finally experienced our breakthrough in Math. I revamped our Saxon sessions by eliminating much of the meeting book activities, and giving the worksheet to Click before our lesson instead of after when he's a little math weary. I've also moved ahead with the lessons even though he hasn't mastered the +2 facts yet. I've set the +2 facts to a rhythm and we're practicing them throughout the day. It hit me that setting facts to a rhythm is how we learned math, so I went back to the basics.
Classical Music - Antonin Dvorak
Saxon Math 1 - Lesson 62, spelling numerals 0-10.
History - Story of the World 2 - Chapter 1, The Fall of Rome
Reading - Click read A Sock Is a Pocket for Your Toes by Elizabeth Scanlon to his sister who wasn't paying much attention. He also read Days With Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel. He enjoys this chapter book series.
What About Clack?
She is an active 18 monther. Today she spent time biting chalk, pinching & eating modeling clay, tossing crayons across the room, and turing the television on & off. Needless to say, it's a miracle that Click & Clack can both learn in this environment.
We've finally experienced our breakthrough in Math. I revamped our Saxon sessions by eliminating much of the meeting book activities, and giving the worksheet to Click before our lesson instead of after when he's a little math weary. I've also moved ahead with the lessons even though he hasn't mastered the +2 facts yet. I've set the +2 facts to a rhythm and we're practicing them throughout the day. It hit me that setting facts to a rhythm is how we learned math, so I went back to the basics.
Classical Music - Antonin Dvorak
Saxon Math 1 - Lesson 62, spelling numerals 0-10.
History - Story of the World 2 - Chapter 1, The Fall of Rome
Reading - Click read A Sock Is a Pocket for Your Toes by Elizabeth Scanlon to his sister who wasn't paying much attention. He also read Days With Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel. He enjoys this chapter book series.
What About Clack?
She is an active 18 monther. Today she spent time biting chalk, pinching & eating modeling clay, tossing crayons across the room, and turing the television on & off. Needless to say, it's a miracle that Click & Clack can both learn in this environment.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Orator's Club
We were able to attend the Orator's Club today and Click recited a prayer. We also had a partial library day because we didn't go on Thursday. School went well today. I took a different approach to teaching the +2 addition facts. Also, on Friday we usually work with the abacus, so he seemed happy with this.
History - Story of the World vol. 1 - We finished volume 1 of Story of the World Ancient Times to the Last Roman Emperor (yeah!!). We'll begin volume 2 next week.
Reading - Click and I read How Do You Know What Time It Is? by Robert Wells. It's a book about telling time, but it also gives historical background on various time telling devices in a child friendly manner.
History - Story of the World vol. 1 - We finished volume 1 of Story of the World Ancient Times to the Last Roman Emperor (yeah!!). We'll begin volume 2 next week.
Reading - Click and I read How Do You Know What Time It Is? by Robert Wells. It's a book about telling time, but it also gives historical background on various time telling devices in a child friendly manner.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
We're Back!!!
I have been away on hiatus. Early in December I hit the brick wall. I didn't feel effective in presenting new material and Click, making attempts at times and zoning out at others, seemed unfocused. We took a break from the regular routine. The last week of December I was rested and Click was asking about school, so we started again.
Since then I've noticed that he seems to drift when we get to the worksheet portion of Math. He's never been a worksheet person, so that may be part of his frustration. I'm working on tweaking this while still teaching the necessary skills. Never the less, we've been moving forward.
This week we picked Saxon up but I modified the drill portion with materials from the Critical Thinking Co & Modern Curriculum Math and things were smooth.
We're one chapter away from finishing the Story of the World p.1
Since then I've noticed that he seems to drift when we get to the worksheet portion of Math. He's never been a worksheet person, so that may be part of his frustration. I'm working on tweaking this while still teaching the necessary skills. Never the less, we've been moving forward.
This week we picked Saxon up but I modified the drill portion with materials from the Critical Thinking Co & Modern Curriculum Math and things were smooth.
We're one chapter away from finishing the Story of the World p.1
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