Thursday, August 26, 2010

Week 3: Aug 23-27

Great week!!  Monday was awful but the rest of the days made up for it!  I took very few pictures though.

Our morning time has expanded to include sign language and Keys for Kids devotional time.  Nathan starts out with us as we cover the two above and memory work.  Then he gets started on his workboxes while the littles and I go over the calendar. 

I made a calendar notebook for Kaleb this summer (should have made one for Gabriel too as it seems I will need to do that soon).  We also use a calendar set that I purchased at Mardels.  It covers the calendar, days of the weeks, seasons, weather etc.  We also use a 100 chart to count our school days with a BIG 100th day celebration planned and a straw counting set that I also purchased at Mardels.  All of that is mounted inside our morning board.  You can see all of that and the rest of our school space *HERE*.  Our memory work system is similar to the Charolotte Mason scripture memory approach but in a more Christie-friendly format.  I canNOT find the link now to show you how fabulous this system is though.  I will keep looking.  However basically it is a notebook form of the CM approach.  Instead of notecards, I used cardstock and put it all in a binder.  Each piece that we are working on goes in its designated area.  We include everthing we are memorizing including scripture, poems, songs, prayers, etc.  I made a notebook for each child so that when it is full, they will have a complete set of all their own personal memory work.  Soon our morning time will include some AO subject resources.

We love our workboxes still.  Can't wait until we have more room for the little boys to have them.  We complete SO much more work when we use this system!!  It keeps the boys on track....as well as their slightly scatterbrained mom.

We added science this week.  Week one and Nathan is LOVING Apologia Gen Science!  Loves that there are two experiments a week.  I had a *lightbulb moment* two weeks ago when trying to decide where to fit in the little boys' science.  Between the two 8 week co-ops we are participating in this fall, there just isn't a lot of extra time.  I realized finally that both Kaleb and Gabriel are ALREADY taking a science class...with me...during our Monday morning co-op (Anatomy) and Kaleb is also taking another anatomy class (called Blood and Guts) at our Friday afternoon co-op.  Just to add a little {one day a week or two} extra, we are also doing the science suggestions in Galloping the Globe.  Science is covered!  Thank God! :) 

And speaking of science, you can read more about what we did this week *HERE*.

We added First Language Lessons for Kaleb this week too.  He wasn't sure about it and started grumbling before we ever got started.  Lesson one is about.....5 minutes long.  Once he realized how easy and quick it was, he changed his attitude.  We haven't had trouble since. 

The rest of our subjects went pretty smoothly.  My biggest problem this week (same as last) was coming up with enough schoolwork for GABRIEL!!  He just insists on doing as much as Kaleb.  I spent a good part of Thursday printing and laminating some things for him that he can just pull down himself anytime he wants.  I need to add a few more crafts projects to our week. I'm pulling out Saxon Math K too and maybe adding those things to our day will appease my eager pre-k student.  If not, I know our co-op classes will!  ....just two more weeks!!

Week 3 results:
Together we....
...completed lesson 19 in history.
...worked on fingerspelling and learning how to say "I love you" "mom" and "dad" in sign language.
Kaleb and Gabriel together completed....
....several books and worksheets (Evan Moor Beginning Geography) in GtG.  You can read more *HERE*.
Nathan completed through....
...lesson 31 in math.
...lesson 67 in English.
...lesson 3 in Wordly Wise (yes the dreaded WW is BACK! We're approaching it a bit differently this year though).
...half of module 1 in science.
Also successfully took a spelling test on his WW vocab words.
Kaleb completed through...
...page 93 in ETC.
...lesson 3 in FLL.
...page 52 in MM 1A.
...lesson 125 in OPG.
He also memorized The Caterpillar by Christina Rosselli.
Still waiting on A Reason for Handwriting to arrive in the mail.  Hopefully we will have that for next week.  In the meantime, he has been working on writing the ABC/123's and copying some sentences from BOB books.

We are taking most of Friday off to get some much needed grocery shopping and errands done.  I am leaving on a girls' weekend on Saturday!!!

The boys get next Monday off too since I won't be back until late Monday night.  They will get to hang out with Dad and do guy things for THREE WHOLE DAYS!  {Psst....they don't know it yet though!}

You can read about Gabriel's week *HERE* and Drake's week *HERE*.

See you next week!! :)


Found these flashcards at Apples4teacher.com.

7 comments:

  1. I love your sign language cards. Very neat.

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  2. We need a video of him reciting The Caterpillar! LOL. Sounds like a great week.

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  3. It's so cute when they want to do school with their older siblings!

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  4. I love your wrap-up. So much done! We use the CM memory verse system as well and I love it. I would love to hear more about how you adapted it.

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  5. I love the idea of including memory work in an individual binders. I use a binder to store our memory work, so we can flip around to review, but I think I really need to get a binder for each child. Thanks so much for sharing your week.

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  6. great week an love the sign language....

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