Wordless Wednesday

Parliament hill in Ottawa

School Plans for 2009-2010

School Plans

Goals for First Grade

First Grade Goals

Weekly Report

We didn't get as much accomplished this week as I had hoped (I've been feeling under the weather so we took a few days off). But TJ is still loving her workboxes and I am loving the bit of independence they've created.

It was also the first week at our homeschool group. TJ did not want to go - she was nervous about meeting new people. Truth be told, so was I! But we went and really enjoyed ourselves. I only enrolled her in one class so we could get a feel for the group and decide if it was something we wanted to pursue further. She loved the class and thought her teacher was great. I met a few other homeschooling parents and we are both looking forward to going back.

On to our week...

Math: No problems with the work - TJ is doing great. Still a few numbers that end up backwards but she'll figure it out in time, I'm sure.

Reading: We are still working our way through the r-changed vowel section. TJ already knows this material just from reading aloud to me and reading books on her own but we are going through the material anyway just to make sure she doesn't have any gaps in her reading ability. As for reading aloud, we are plowing through another pile of picture books from the library and working our way through The Children's Book of Virtues.

Language Arts: Spelling and writing are going well. Handwriting is improving in leaps and bounds. She's doing some simple copywork and very rarely needs to be reminded to start with a capital letter and end with punctuation.

Enrichment subjects: We practiced some new French words and TJ practiced her numbers (she says them much better than I do!). In geography, we studied India. I think the highlight for TJ was the sticker paper doll she got to play with. Music was fun - we listened to some excerpts from Carnival of the Animals and talked about fast and slow music. I'm saving TJ's science project for tomorrow. Nick will be helping her make a weather vane.

Now that I've written it all down, it looks like we accomplished more than I thought! Guess it was a good week! :)

Nature Friend Magazine

In the past year TJ has had an increasing interest in the great outdoors. We’ve spent a LOT of time on various nature projects. We’ve started identifying the trees in our neighbourhood with our tree guide, put up a bird feeder to watch the birds, found a bird book to identify all the birds that visit our bird feeder, made our own bird feeder to hang on our tree, made a sun dial, planted flowers, collected rocks, and started a garden, among other projects. Her interest in the world around her keeps growing and I’m just trying to keep up! Thankfully, I’ve found a great resource that can encourage her exploration -Nature Friend magazine.

Nature Friend magazine is filled with beautiful, full-color photographs and interesting articles that children or adults would enjoy. Their motto, “Helping families explore the wonders of God’s creation,” is evident throughout. Each issue includes a few puzzles (crossword, hidden objects, or word search), a drawing lesson, and a science project. In the two issues I read, you’ll find articles  about screech owls, weaverbirds, malleefowl (I’d never heard of that one!), walkingsticks, slugs, and turtles. You can learn how to draw a sunflower or a black bear and then submit your drawing to the magazine – they include a page (or two) of various submissions from readers. After that, you can take the fun further, with the included science projects. One issue gives directions on preserving an animal track. Another offers instructions on making your own chromatograph with simple things you’ve probably got laying around the house. The one thing you won’t find in this magazine? Advertisements. It’s totally advertisement free (which I think is a wonderful thing!).

If you’re interested in further learning opportunities, you can purchase the Study Guide edition of the magazine. This 8-12 page supplement is included in the center of each issue and can be photocopied for use with multiple children. The guide includes puzzles and questions taken directly from the magazine – a good way to reinforce what you’ve been reading. There are also a few questions for additional research on subjects from that issue, a “Photo Critique” that gives photography tips and an opportunity to submit your own photographs, and a section for creative writing.

You can subscribe to Nature Friend magazine for $36 a year (12 issues). If you want to add the study guide, you can do so for $2 a month. It is also possible to order back issues (magazine only – no study guides) for $5 each. To find out more about this publication check out their sample issues. You’ll easily be able to see for yourself whether this magazine is right for you and your family.

If you’re interested in finding out what other homeschooling families thought of Nature Friend magazine, check out the Homeschool Crew blog.

Fall into Reading

It's getting chilly and the leaves are starting to turn, so it must be time for another reading challenge! I've decided to keep my list fairly short this year - between our trip to Disney (68 more days!), homeschooling, and reviewing homeschool material with the crew, I don't have as much free time for reading.

Okay, here's my list:

1. The Iliad (I know - I've had this on my shelf for so long! I read a bit then get busy with other things and other books and avoid this one as much as possible, but I am determined to finish reading it!)

2. Surprised by Joy (another book that has been on my list for a long time)

3. Enchantment

4. How to Read a Book

5. The Power of Simple Prayer

6. Sarah's Wish

Weekly Report

After moving furniture around in the living room and dining room (and letting some of the dust settle!) we are back at work. My wonderful husband (with TJ's help) put up a new bookshelf for me in the dining room and we've moved some things around so there's much more storage. It looks so much better!

We also started using workboxes this week - which TJ loooooves! My version is slightly modified because I don't have the space for 12 shoeboxes and a rack to put them on. Instead, the basic work (math, spelling, writing, etc.) is in magazine holders on the bookshelf. All the other things will go in a plastic cart with six drawers. After I've worked the kinks out of our system I'll take a few pictures and blog about it.

Math: TJ is still working through Horizons - we've been practicing skip counting by 5s this week. She's doing very well with this but tells me that she will be very happy to get back to RightStart.

Reading: The end is finally in sight on the r-changed vowels section. There's about two more weeks of lesson to work through and then we'll start section 17 - two syllable words. As for reading aloud, we've been reading piles of picture books (The Seven Silly Eaters is TJ's current favorite) and we just finished The Random House Book of Fairy Tales and started The Children's Book of Virtues.

Language Arts: TJ had a few difficulties with her spelling lesson this week. She kept writing her "g"s backwards - and this lesson had lots of words with the letter g! :)

Enrichment subjects: TJ started working through Finding the Answers (one of the Rod & Staff kindergarten workbooks) and she's having lots of fun with it. Last year, when she was working through some of the earlier books, she hated doing all the cutting so I would do much of it for her. This year she does it all herself and does a very good job! She also studied frogs with Nick, we did a music lesson, lots of art stuff, listened to our French cd, and studied China. Tonight we'll be wrapping up our study of China with a Chinese feast.

Max Lucado’s “Fearless”

Swine flu, terrorism alerts, economic downturns, and job loss. Those are just a few of the things you’ll hear about after watching just ten minutes of the news (and that’s not counting the bits of news that scroll across the bottom of the screen). It seems as if there’s something for everyone to worry about, just take your pick – there’s plenty to go around. Is worry a necessary evil? A part of life? Do we even have a choice? Max Lucado’s newest book, “Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear,” brushes the dust away and uncovers our deepest fears, whatever they may be. At the same time, it offers us a hope – that Someone greater is in charge and taking care of us – Someone greater than the situations we may face.

In classic Lucado style, the author walks us through various scenarios by using thought-provoking illustrations. Along the way we are reintroduced to Jesus’ disciples in their toughest moments, discover the importance of Dean Martin’s cigarette, learn about the ball that Noble Doss dropped, and reveal the man that influenced Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

Of course Lucado uses plenty of quotes from the Bible, mentioning the 21 Christ-issued imperatives that “… urge us to ‘not be afraid’ or ‘not fear’ or ‘have courage’ or ‘take heart’ or ‘be of good cheer.’” Following these 21 directives, Jesus’ second most common command, to love God and our neighbor, only appears 8 times. I’d say that Jesus understands our worry and or fear. Think he realized we’d have a bit of a struggle in that department?

In the end, the author traces our fears back to our own understanding of Christ. Is He tucked safely in a box of our own design? How long has it been since “a fresh understanding of Christ buckled your knees and emptied your lungs? Since a glimpse of him left you speechless and breathless? If it’s been a while, that explains your fears. When Christ is great, our fears are not.”

Weekly Report

We had a pretty good week, though we didn't get to everything I had planned. We've been moving things around in the living room and dining area so the homeschool stuff is all over the place! I also had a dentist appointment on Friday (a root canal) so I ended up taking the rest of the day off.

I've also reworked a few things. After lots of consideration and looking at the things we've been working on I decided to move TJ's "official" first grade start date to the end of next summer. I figure it's just easier that way. She can work at her own pace but I won't call her a first grader until she would be one according to our local school calendar.

Math: Is going very well - TJ is not having any problems with the material. She's almost finished with the first book. After she's completed that we'll start Right Start B. I'm saving Horizons K book 2 for later.

Reading: Still working our way through the r-changed vowels section of OPG. No problems with the material.

Language Arts: Spelling and handwriting are going very well. I'm contemplating adding in First Language Lessons.

Enrichment subjects: Haven't gotten to them this week. Between my dentist appointment and the dining area in upheaval we just didn't fit them in. Hopefully we'll get caught up next week.

Booking Through Thursday

What’s the biggest book you’ve read recently?

(Feel free to think “big” as size, or as popularity, or in any other way you care to interpret.)

I haven't read any really long books lately, so I'll go with popularity!

This summer I read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - great book! I'm on the library waiting list for the next book in the series - Catching Fire.