Simpson Snail!

Overall this week went really well.  We are still experiencing some "turbulence" as we continue to get back into routine, however it's getting better... well, that was until today (Friday), but we all have bad days, right?  :-)

I'm enjoying feeling like we're getting things accomplished each week.  We actually got through ALL our history and science planned for this week so I am very pleased!  We will phase in Latin for the older two this next week and then we'll pretty much be at a full load.  I'm contemplating vocab using Wordly Wise website for the older 2, however I'm not sure yet... I think I may wait until Greg gets the other computer up here before I take that on.  Then there will be more computers available.

I really rarely take photos of the kids doing their work so I made a point of doing that today.

Here's the lowdown:

4th Grade

Jayden working on his dictation.

Jayden continued reading The Princess and Curdie this week.  He brings me little reports each day of what he's read.  He seems to be enjoying it more this week.  He completed Week 26 in WWE3... he's doing so well on his dictations and narrations.  He's most certainly ready for WWE4.  We did Step 8 and 9 in spelling and the next three lessons in grammar.  In math he studied line graphs, reviewed division terms, finding parts with division and learned some new terminology concerning angles.  We added logic this week.  He did a mindbender, worked on a 3D cube puzzle on the computer and did a suduko puzzle.  I learned the suduko that I gave him was too hard so I'll either find easier ones or we'll put that on hold a bit.  He also did some of his own reading in science and wrote up narrations.  I tried to have him set up the science experiment this week on his own, however that was part of today that was NOT GOOD... so we'll tackle that another week!  ;-)

3rd Grade:

Kylie reading Bunnicula

Kylie read a story about Saladin (a Muslim warrior/leader) this week and started the book Bunnicula.  She completed Week 3 of WWE3.  We worked on really reading carefully and paying attention to what we're reading!  She did a much better job this week of answering the comprehesion questions and doing the dictation.  She worked on steps 2 and 3 in spelling and also did 3 grammar lessons.  Math this week was Addition review, Roman Numerals and ordinal numbers, adding in columns and subraction review. I'm actually glad the 3rd grade MM book is reviewing things she already did back in Beta.  She was about 1/2 way through Gamma when we switched, but I had this feeling we needed to spend more time in addition and subtraction just to ice down the facts.  We haven't touched multiplication yet in MM3 and she seems fine with that.  I also notice she's recalling her addition/subtraction facts easier so I think that additional time has really helped her.

1st Grade:

Rylan working hard on his narration/copywork.

Where else can your blankie assist in your school work?

Rylan continues to adjust to his new responsibilities as a first grader.  He did well this week.  His reading has exploded again and this week he started reading some chapter books such as Cam Jensen and Berenstain Bears.  He's doing so well!  Another little step up!  He just needs to slow down a bit when reading... his brain moves faster than his mouth can form the words!  Rylan read a book called Simpson Snail Sings.  It was SO cute!  Bryson liked it so much he had to read it too!  Rylan was particularly cute when he made up a tune for the song Simpson sings.  He loved that part and sang it over and over again.  Wish I video taped it... maybe I still will!  He usually rushes through things so fast, it was fun to see him stop and enjoy what he was reading.  Rylan completed the 4th week in WWE1.  He enjoyed the excerpts from Alice in Wonderland.  I was a little nervous on day 4 when he had to copy his narration from what I wrote (he HATES) writing and this was new this week.  Turns out  he did it without missing a beat!  That was God!  ;-)  In math Rylan worked on adding and subtracting within the same 10.  He seems to have no trouble with this, although number patterns take him a bit to see.  I think he's just not used to working with them.  Rylan completed 3 lessons in FLL1 and completed step 9 in spelling.

Kindergarten

Bryson practicing his number line jumps.

He loved this lesson!

Bryson had a great week all around.  He decided to read the book Rylan was (the Simpson one) and by golly... he did!  We have one more "chapter" to go, but he did a great job!  I thought for sure he had gotten in over his head.  I had to help him with some words, but he does a good job of remembering them once I help him.  I think this level book is perfect for our "read togethers" and I'll move him from Bob books to Hillert books for his individual reading time.  He has fancied only reading the easiest Bob books at reading time.  Bryson is doing well with copywork.  He's copying his AWANA verses from Cubbies.  Once they start AWANA I'll have him copy his memory verses for the week.  Now, it's a good review from last year.  His printing is really very good.  In math, Bryson did sums with 6 and started learning how to use a number line to add.  We read many books aloud this week including a couple Little Quack books and Lucky Leif which all the kids sat in on.  We're done with Vikings, but we're in a dry spot in history with not a lot of stories to read so I went for something I had to order on ILL.

Bible went really well this week.  We finished the timeline of the NT so next week we will start on the more detailed Bible study.  I'm excited to see how the kids will like it.  I think they will and I am just LOVING this curriculum!

Ky drawing her stick figures in Bible

History found us studying Richard the Lionhearted, the Magna Carta and the Diaspora.  We didn't do the reading on Robin Hood since we listened to the whole story a bit ago.  The kids are enthralled with history and really engaging in the stories.  It was interesting to learn with them this week that by King John (Richard's brother who took over the throne) signing the Magna Carta he was the one to initiate the law having more power than the king.  Something our country was founded on.  Amazing how the tide changes though.... seems we're moving in the opposite direction....

Jayden mapping the spread of the Diaspora Jews in history.

Science

We studied telescopes this week.  I'm hoping next week to get the little one we have out and let the kids look through.  We didn't get to that this week and the older two are now at Grandma and Grandpa's for the weekend.  The kids enjoyed learning about all the different types of telescopes, satellites and what they are used for as well as space probes.  Our science experiment showed them how size affects telescope images.  We learned that one radio telescope is over 1,000 feet across!  Most are about 80 feet which is big enough!  We also watched a really good video called "The Big Space Shuttle".  At first I think it seemed a bit childish to the *almost 10 year old* but as the video went on he started chuckling less at the kid voices and became more amazed with the content.  It pretty much showed astronauts training and then eventually executing a mission in the spaceshuttle.  I found it fascinating and a small part of me wants to be young enough to go to Space Camp.  ;-)  (that's the part that doesn't get dizzy and carsick pretty easily!)

Our science experiment... Bryson was our photographer!

One more just for fun.  Rylan's reading

Cam Jensen now.  So fun to see him

pick up a book for fun and just sit and read.

He actually does this quite often.