Math - Saxon Math is chugging along. I'm busy making lots of fact cards. :)
Phonics - A is on a break from Explode the Code. We started using The Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading and we are currently on the consonant sound g. He was *way* ahead of that in ETC. I just want them to be somewhat in sync. OPGTR is going just fine. I think using the CD with it is good supplement. I wish we had started the program a bit sooner, though.
Reading - some recent favourites are A Toad for Tuesday and The Enormous Crocodile.
Poetry - a great fun book is Zoo Doings which we borrowed from the library. A said "I like short poems!" Ah, what a homeschool mom loves to hear.
Science - Sonlight Science. The activities are (sometimes) fun. We bought some tiny plants and created a terrarium. A great thing for winter! As for the curriculum, I'm not sure if answering the questions on the activity sheets is the best way for him to learn. I think it gets dangerously close to "rote" learning, just spitting out the "correct" answer without really knowing it. I'm open to suggestions, modifications.
Handwriting - A Reason for Handwriting is a big success! I'm so happy I bought this for A. I can't believe how many pages he did (without me asking him)!
History - we have read a whole bunch of books about Thanksgiving. More details here.
Art - on November 11th we went on our first field trip with our (large) homeschool group to the Seattle Art Museum. I'm not sure how much A liked the tour but he really enjoyed the craft project portion - he made a stand up giraffe (his favourite animal.)
Bible - we continue to go through Leading Little Ones to God. My only complaint about this book is the hymn at the end of each sections. There have been *so* many that I don't know and I grew up with a lot of hymns. I have searching to find mp3 and midis (yuck) to help me out. I think they should update the book with hymns that are more commonly known.
Physical Activity - A continues with his gymnastics class. I bought an old video called Mommy and Me workout. It is pretty cheesy but fun for the boys and surprisingly good at getting your heart rate going.
Crafts - we made a gratitude can, Thanksgiving corn and an Indian headress. Maybe we'll squeeze in the traditional handprint turkey tomorrow.Pin It
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
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1 comment:
Sheila,
Science can be a drag, and the activities less than stellar. In fact, we heard that a lot of families were just skipping over the activities altogether. That's why we created the Discover & Do DVDs. Many families have found those helpful in reinvigorating their science. ...but I'm biased toward them since I helped make them [smile].
As for suggestions for helping steer clear of encouraging simple regurgitation of information, I'd ask around on the Forums. I don't have much experience in that area yet, so I'm going to point you to the experts [grin].
May you find a science method that is a perfect fit for you and your family.
~Luke
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