Term 1 Highlights 2010-2011

I have decided to do Portfolio assessments at the end of this year. So, I have felt the need to add some different types of work to our day (i.e. a lot more written work). So, it seems some of our mainstays have suffered a bit this term but this is what we did get done:

1. Apologia Astronomy: we love this book- it is engaging and informative. We have been using notebooking mostly to record what we have learned in each chapter. The downside to this is because we are spending more time on "Science" we are doing less Nature Study. But, since Astronomy can be a Nature Study topic, I don't feel so bad. :)

2. Speaking of Nature Study.... this term we covered mostly the Buckeye tree, the Monarch butterfly, Milkweed and Otters. We also had plenty of natural food for thought from Character Sketches that we have been reading for Bible at breakfast.

3. Bible: have been using Character Sketches which include an animal and Bible story each week to demonstrate a character trait. Also, have been reading various Psalms with them randomly. Scripture memorization didn't get done. Working on a list of verses that I want them all to know. Also, want to start (again) A Child's Story Bible by Catherine Vos for the younger set and use The Picture Smart Bible for older.

4. Medieval History- we are enjoying our main three resources: Our Island Story, Story of the World, Famous Men of the Middle Ages (Caleb). This coming term we will add back in Fifty Famous Tales Retold (Ethan and Adam) by James Baldwin. We do the bulk of our narrations from these selections.

5. Read aloud literature- we read Inkheart by Cornelia Funke and The Voyage of the Dawntreader by C.S. Lewis. The boys have listened to the rest of the Percy Jackson series on CD. (Can you tell we like fantasy ?!?)

6. Arthurian legends- we read many picture book version of King Arthur tales (we especially like Hudson Talbott's) and Caleb also supplemented his knowledge with tales from Bullfinch's Mythology. (He just informed me recently that he is not sure if he likes this book, hmmmm.)

7. Composer/Artist Study- Bach and Charley Harper. This was a weak area for us this term.

8. Biography- Galileo and William Bradford (for Thanksgiving). We found this video series that we like on the recommendation of a friend.

9. All About Spelling- I really like this program. It is top notch Orton Gillingham based phonics and spelling. Unfortunately, I don't feel that I have used it to it's full potential. I need to sit down with the book over break and get myself oriented better.

10. Book log- each of the boys has started keeping a log of all the books that they are reading with a short paragraph about the plot and also a rating out of ten.

11. Geography- we used a set of flash cards and learned the states and capitals. We had some fun games with Daddy using these.

12. Writing- this is always a big area for me. What is working right now is a mix of freewriting in his journal, blogging and dictation for Caleb. Ethan tried freewriting but it was too stressful (he said he wanted to...) so he is just doing copywork as well as cursive. Adam's writing practice consists mostly of making sure he forms his letters correctly when doing his phonics work.

13. Abigail has been reading books with me from the Five in a Row booklist (meaning I read them to her..) and we have been cooking some recipes from the FIAR cookbook with her cousin Annabelle. We also read The Little Red Hen which she narrated to me. I typed it up and we are making it into a book which her brothers helped her illustrate.

14. Art- my mom took each of the boys on their own to address some specific art needs. Caleb worked on drawing figures. Ethan worked on using perspective when drawing steps for his scads of castles. Adam painted on two canvases. He said that one was Monet painting outside (actually he said, "Remember that guy we learned about last year that painted outside? Well, that's him"). Mimi said, "Look, he is painting Plein air!".

15. Poetry- not much here except one teatime and a reading of The Lady of Shalott. No. recitation. at. all.

16. Phys. Ed.- I'm claiming soccer all around. We also had some basketball, a bit of volleyball and Caleb is taking tennis lessons.

17. Spanish- didn't happen. Hopefully, we will be getting Rosetta Stone Spanish soon.

18. Pilgrim's Progress- didn't happen. I have a really great audio version of this and I want to do a story scroll with the kids to go with it but I just couldn't find the right time in our schedule for it.

19. Timeline project- this is endlessly on our list of things to do (which Caleb pointed out to me this week). But, we finally got one done this week! Now that I have demonstrated how to do this, I want some version of a Book of Centuries for each child to keep. There are many, many options out there for this. Check this site out, if interested.

20. Individual reading- Caleb read the Crispin series by Avi, Son of Charlemagne byBarbara Willard, The Incredible Journey and I'm not sure what else. Ethan has been a kind of awkward stage where I haven't known what to have him read but he has decided to read Harry Potter so I'm just leaving him alone. He has been fairly resistant to reading up to now so I prefer to stay out of his hair as long as I know that he is reading something. Of course, anything that looks like a comic is always a hit. Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack by Shannon Hale and The Unsinkable Walker Bean and Spiral Bound by Aaron Renier are a few.

Whew. All I can say is that you must really be my friend if you made it all the way through that. But, I do feel much better because all I have been thinking about lately is how behind I am on the plans that I made at the beginning of the year. So, now I have a better idea of just exactly what we have been doing for the last three months and what we need to work on after break. Very productive mentally. Once you get the clutter our of your mind and on the screen or paper, you can assess more objectively. I highly recommend it.