Week 2 Report

Did I say week 1 was a success? Week 2 ...ummm... another story altogether! It was dd's back to college week, and she started a new job, we had doctor appointments, a friend's play, dh went to graveyard shift... need I say more? But we pressed through and got *almost* everything done. It was a hard week. I need a plan A and a plan B for weeks like this. I've read that other families just do the readings and forget everything else on days like that. I think I will follow this advice from now on.

Week 1 Report

I'd say the week was a success. We had many interuptions and outings this week and still got through with the scheduled work. YAY!

There's something about accomplishing everything on your list that makes you feel so satisfied.
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I found that if we get started promptly it still only takes about 3-3 1/2 hours to get everything done. Not as bad as I expected. It also depends on how well ds is paying attention. Getting started early in the day is better for him. As the day goes on, he gets sloppier and less attentive.
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As I was looking through my files for Year 5 I found some notebooking pages for Fairy Land of Science. Here's where I got them! You must be a member to view. I love the sharing that goes on between homeschoolers. It saves a lot of time! I printed these out, ds made a cover that I laminated and I comb bound them. At the end of the term he'll have his own book.

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Also this week ds wrote two different short narrations from his readings this week and I thought they were very nice. He's come a long way.
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The math switch-over has been challenging. One day he asked to do math first, one day he said, "I want my old math back!". We are sticking with MEP for now. MUS is always there if we need it.
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We also went on a nature hike this week. It was wonderful! The kids walked 5 miles, my friend and I walked 2. We made a nature notebook page from something we observed while on the walk. I really needed the break. The fresh air was great. It was a bit cold but not too bad on the trail, just in the open wind.

Here are a few pics my dd took (click to enlarge):





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Librivox

Can I just say a few words about Librivox? It has become one of my favorite resourses on the internet! I can download many books on the Ambleside Online Curriculum for ds. This is very helpful since his reading level isn't anywhere near his comprehension level! Did I mention it saves my voice? I don't really like reading out loud. I love the stories, but my voice just can't handle reading EVERYTHING to ds. Here are some of the gems I've found there for this year.

Age of Fable

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Kim by Rudyard Kipling

Lamb's Shakespeare Tales

Fairyland of Science

The Boy's Life of Mark Twain (Our substitution)

Additional Reading for Year 5:

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling
Puck of Pook's Hill by Rudyard Kipling
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Treasure Seekers by Edith Nesbit
The Wouldbegoods by Edith Nesbit
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin
Hans Brinker by Mary Mapes Dodge
Rilla of Ingleside by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Story of My Life by Helen Keller

Hymn Study All the Way my Savior Leads Me

Traditional Version


Modern Version

Folk Song Follow the Drinking Gourd

Bach Composer Studies

Biographical Info on Johann Sebastian Bach

Magnificat in D


Chaconne


Cantata~ Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring


Brandenburg Concerto no. 6


Art of the Fugue played by Nageeb Gardizi


Or to listen toArt of the Fugue On Organ

Term 1 2008

I decided to hold off on beginning AOyear 5 for ds. We will probably begin that after Thanksgiving or so. I have it all just about ready, so it's there when we need it. ;)
DS really needs to concentrate on reading fluently so our focus will be the 3 R's but I don't want to completely sacrifice the literary quality of his education. Children need ideas to feed on, so I worked up a "lite" schedule for him for the next 6-12 weeks, using some books that we never got around to. I really don't know how long he will need it so I'm trying to be flexible here. This is what we are going to do:

Daily:
Bible
Copywork
Dictation/Reading lesson
Math
Latin (oral only, but this will help stimulate the language part of the brain and help with grammar)
Poetry of Emily Dickinson

Weekly:
Music - Folk Song, Hymn
Artist -
Composer-
Art (drawing)
Nature Study
Timeline
Crafts

Other:
Biography- Abigail Adams
Natural History- It Couldn't Just Happen (I think this is a very important book and we haven't done it yet, so I really want him to read it)
Geography- Finish Minn of the Mississippi, then Ambleside Geography Book
History- Various (working on a Lapbook of Lewis and Clark)
Literature- American Tall Tales, then begin Age of Fable
Literature- The Princess and the Goblin, then Robinson Crusoe
Shakespeare Tales- As You Like It; King Lear; The Two Gentlemen of Verona; Macbeth

In chart form it looks like this:

























Another reason that I decided to start out "lite" this year is that my older DD is beginning dual enrollment courses at community college. So we will be going twice a week to the "city" 45 minutes away and I'm not sure how committed we will be to a full academic schedule. We are usually pretty much wiped out by the time we get home and don't get much else done. DS and I will be able to use the campus library and lunch hall while waiting for DD so we will be able to get some table work done. I also plan to do some nature study on those days at the nearby parks. We will not have a problem finding something to do, and pretty soon she'll be driving herself and we won't have to go every time. All of this is new to me so I'll really just have to see how it goes. I hate that! LOL I'd like to have everything planned out ahead of time, but one thing 10 years of hs-ing has taught me is that there is no such thing! LOL
Seriously another thing 10 years has taught me is that the little things really don't matter, as in which book is read, or not, or when, switching from this curricula to that. What matters is that you just keep moving forward, day by day. Doing the best that you can. It all comes out in the wash. Oh yeah, and LOTS of prayer!!!

That's my official statement of the day. ;-)