Friday, October 24, 2008

Learning Notes: Week 12

Phonics

Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading: silent gh, kn


Read Aloud
Gilgamesh by Geraldine McCaughrean
The Long Silk Strand: A Grandmother's Legacy to Her Granddaughter
Beneath the Oceans


Independent Reading
Mrs. Broom
Minerva Louis and the Hat
Minerva Louis

Book Adventure

Junie B Jones and the Stinky Fish
Junie B Jones is not a Crook

Handwriting
Bow Wow said the dog


Math-
Work sheets -3, +5

Flashcards -3, +5

Timed test -3, +5

Video- Learning Subtraction

Dice War: I talked to Daddy about getting involved with G's fact mastery... Daddy is an engineer and likes games so I knew he would come up with something. He created dice wars. Each player gets 2 die and who ever rolls the highest total wins. Simple but FUN! Daddy has all kinds of die left over from his high school dungeon & dragon days so we have up to 20 sided dice to choose from.

Science- Invertebrates & Vertebrates
* Vertebrates
* Bird

Video- Eyewitness Birds, Bill Nye Human Body, Eye Witness Mammals

Social Studies- SOTW 1
Ch19 – Ancient Africa

*Audio, map, coloring
Video- African Tales, Anansi


Vanschool
Piano
* Pentascales
* C Position
* Review

NEW BOOK!!!!

Choir
* This Old Man
* Over the River & Through the Woods
* Navajo Round
* Jingle All the Way

Co-op

Community Helpers- Police Officer

Library
Food Drive

University Homeschool Classes
Music - Fall Theme
Gym- Paddle Work & Parachute

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Learning Notes Week 11

Phonics

Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading
Jumpstart Pet Playground


Read Alouds
Bill Pete-

Encore for Eleanor
Cocka-Doodle Dudley
Jennifer & Josaphine
Emma and the Silk Train- Julie Lawson (beautiful & exciting!!)


Independent Reading
The Mole Sisters & The Moonlit Night- Roslyn Schwartza
The Mole Sisters & The Busy Bee
The Mole Sisters & The Wavy Wheat
The Mole Sisters & The Piece of Moss
Growing Vegetable Soup- Lois Ehlert

Handwriting
Baa Baa Black Sheep pt2

Math-
Brainish -3
Jumpstart Pet Playground
Math Blaster


Science- Invertebrates & Vertebrates
* Vertebrates
* Mammals

Social Studies- SOTW 1
Ch19 – Ancient China
*Audio
Silk Worms
Mrs. Frizzle in Imperial China



Vanschool
Fieldtrip- History Train


Piano
* Pentascales
* C Position
* Quarter Rest

Choir
* This Old Man
* Over the River & Through the Woods
* Navajo Round

Library
*Gathering items for police backpacks
*Food Drive posters

University Homeschool Classes
Music - Theme: Animals
Gym- Balance games


Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Scheduling: 11 Week Update

At the beginning of the school year I made out these gorgeous plans for the year. I am pleased to say they are still fairly close to what I need. Yeah!! I did however go in and tweak a couple of categories and how I allot our lessons throughout the week. As I have totally over scheduled us to be out of the house I have had to rethink what needs to be done together in the house and what G can do independently (in the car). I have also reexamined how I use some of our curriculum especially Math U See.

I have noticed that one of the factors for why I wanted to homeschool is missing… “Things Regular Classroom Teachers Only Wish They Had Time to Do”. We have been covering the basics and that is it. Now this is partially because our house is in shambles and there is no room to do the “ooh ahh” stuff as that kind of stuff usually takes up space. But I am about to get my dining room back and maybe that is why I am finally rethinking things.

Here are some of our major changes….

*Math U See

While I still love this curriculum, spending one school year and eleven weeks in the same text is getting to me, not G… me. So we will still be checking out what Mr. Demme has to say on his video, he has great tips, but we will be focusing on one fact each week and drilling it hard rather than using the fact family approach for subtraction which I am not into right now, I feel like it is slowing G down in his mastery. MUS does not explain the lessons as a fact families so the pages seem random to me. Oh, I’m rambling, sorry. Anyway, Mr. Demme says mastery is knowing the answer like you know your name. G understands the concepts of addition and subtraction, loves to make up his own story problems but just does not know them quick. So we will work on quick & rote.

*Computer

I added this block to my spreadsheet. We will be using some of the of websites I have bookmarked as well as pulling out some of the software from my teaching days to our daily lessons. We will focus on these on our two busiest, tiring Vanschool days. So far we have used Study Dog, Math Blaster, and Jumpstart Pet Playground.

We also started this week using Book Adventure. Book Adventure is a site I used in my classroom which is run by Sylvan. It contains quizzes for thousands of books much like Accelerated Reader. Students earn points for the quizzes and then redeem them for prizes from sponsors or you. We are starting with our Junie B Jones Audiobooks. We know these stories by heart but G is re-listening to a story then taking the quiz. He got 100% on the first quiz. The questions are multiple choice but I read the question and he spit out the answer before I could even read him the choices. That a boy!

*Nature Study

I nixed that block off of my spread sheet. We marvel at nature and the world around us when ever we step out of the door but dedicating time to it is just not happening. So rather than having that blank space mock me in the face week after week, reminding me of what I am not doing… out it goes.

*Piano

I replaced the Music block with a Piano block. It reminds me to take him to Mamaw’s to practice as well as look up the current composer they are talking about so I can find a CD to play in the van. I dropped any original plans for music because the boy is in some sort of music class 3 days a week.

*Art

Art became Arts & Crafts. This block still nags at me weekly with its blankness but I am getting more excited to fill it because G really enjoys activities others set out for him. He should be the artsyiest kid around since his mom was an art teacher in a former life but no he does know squat. I don’t know what we are doing yet but I plan to fill in those pesky blocks more often this 9 weeks.

*Language Arts

Language Arts changed to Language Arts Focus. It is a small name change but reminds me of what theme to look for in our copywork.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Have a Happy Week!!

This cutie is a real spider only found on four of the islands in Hawaii. What a great field trip that would be!

Friday, October 10, 2008

Fieldtrip: Bee Keeper


Learning Notes: Week 10

Phonics
Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading Ch 13?-137 (gh)

Read Aloud
Cowardly Clyde by Bill Pete
Eli by Bill Pete
Jethro & Joel were a Troll by Bill Pete
Merle the High Flying Squirrel by Bill Pete
Mr. Popper's Penguins

Independent Reading
The Mole Sisters & the Blue Egg
My Pony Jack
Sweet Potato Pie
Pig Picnic

Handwriting



Math-
Brainish -2
MUS- Ch21a, Timed -2 sheet 59 seconds

Science- Invertebrates & Vertebrates
* Vertebrates
*Mongoose

Social Studies- SOTW 1
Ch9 - India
*Audio
*Video- Riki Tiki Tavi
Sindbad- Ludmila Zeman
One Grain of Rice - Demi
Look What Came from India by Miles Harvey


Vanschool
Fieldtrip- Firestation

Piano
* Pentascales
* C Position
* ties

Choir
* This Old Man
* Over the River & Through the Woods
* Navajo Round

Spanish
* Numbers- Chutes & Ladders, Color Words- Beading

Library

University Homeschool Classes
Music - Theme: Animals
Gym- Balance, Jumping Skills

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

No, What's That?


I have forgotten how to say no therefore have only picture blogs lately. I put on my Facebook page that I am tired of being a leader and simply want to follow aimlessly for a while. LOL Besides all of the wonderful activities we are doing outside the house, we are still remodeling, I am President of local Charitable Org, I am helping start a coop. Is it May yet? The Coop will be over as will the remodel (I hope) and the Presidency. I hope to write some words soon! Miss you all. BTW, I'll take some cheese with my whine! LOL

Learning Notes Weeks 8 & 9

(This is my friend teaching the Keepers Kids about her Bees)
Phonics
Study Dog
Reading Level Test- 3.2!

Read Aloud
Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles: A Giant Problem (Complete)
Mr. Popper's Penguins

Independant Reading
I am Lost
Cake, Cake, Cake Pie
Buttercup, the Clumsy Cow
Cat Traps
Big Egg
Strike Four
I Shop with My Daddy
Big Brown Bear
When the Elephant Walks
Little Elephant
In the Small, Small Pond
In the Tall, Tall Grass
Clifford's Valentine

Handwriting
Baa Baa Black Sheep
Name

Math-
Brainish- +3
MUS- Unit 2 Test

Science- Invertebrates & Vertebrates
* Shells
*Bees

Social Studies- SOTW 1
Ch7- Hammurabi
Ch8- Shamsh-Adad & Giglamesh
* Coloring Pages
* Audio
*Gilgamesh the King by Ludmila Zeman

Vanschool
Keepers of the Faith
Fieldtrip- Bee Keeper
Badge Ceremony

Piano
* Pentascales
* C Position
* ties

Choir
* This Old Man
* Over the River & Through the Woods
* Navajo Round

Spanish
* Number Bingo

Library
Fieldtrip- Police Station

University Homeschool Classes
Music - Theme: Farm
Gym- Group Games: Hospital Tag, 4 Corners, Who Stole the Cookies