Day 41

Another review day for Kieron, pretty much exactly like yesterday. Notes:

• We finished The Shakespeare Stealer. .. the last 5 chapters.
• In Latin, we've started Unit III (looking at the vocabulary). I'm having him review the grammar we've learned so far by declining a couple of nouns from the vocabulary list every day.
• He seems to rather enjoy the review readings and worksheets we are doing for Renaissance/Reformation and Chemistry. Doing these, though, I'm seeing why it wouldn't be a complete education to rely on them. That kind of information does not stick in the brain in the same way as the material from a "real" book. I think some summaries are useful for a framework at his age, though.
  
• We did part of this Peter Rabbit cloze for grammar. It actually is a quite valuable pre-composition/literary discernment activity as well as a verb sensitivity exercise, and he enjoyed it. It made him want to do mad-libs though, so I am going to look for some of those for next week.

Paddy:

• Read the subtitles in a cartoon. Wow! He can really read.
• Read part of a story in an Aesop's Fable reader.
• Did simple addition, subtraction and multiplication mentally.
• Wrote a "P" and an "A".

Aidan (who is a bit sick today and last night).

• matching numbers.
• tried to read a bit of Go Dogs Go.

Day 70

Today we woke up to snow! So the kids went out to play in it and the day took a different shape.

Clare and Sean and Kieron started playing with Legos. This was so unusual that I just had to go with it. Clare ended up making a whole stop action film with her camera and the Legos. I think the film is based on the Magnificent Seven.

The younger three kids came in and out of the house, sledding and so on.

Sean did his Greek and Vocabulary. I had him do Math which turned out to be really difficult -- subtracting simultaneous equations. When I tried to help him I ran into problems too, for some reason.

Kevin spent the morning working on his model train -- it's his pattern to have seasons of hours and hours of work (when he's finalling a product; he is a computer game designer and a couple of months ago he was working basically 70 hours a week) and then some times during the beginning of a new product when he seems not to be working much at all directly on the game.

He's watching a video about model train building, too.

We can't go to our normal Stations and homeschool meeting, because of the snow and our car isn't winter-ready yet. If I get the motivation I may do some baking this afternoon because it warms up the kitchen (which is next to the garage and usually kind of cold and draughty in the winter) and makes the house feel even cozier. We have the fire blazing and I sat in front of it with the laptop and wrote out plans and other things.

A little later I am going to have Kieron do a bit of math (I am going to try previewing a chapter and its objectives ahead of time, since the Ignatian manual says that previews help build understanding). Also I will ask him about his recent reading, and show him the Jesse Tree ornaments, which I laminated and backed, and perhaps have him look through some of the craft books for ideas of what to do.

Kieron made waffles today, and I read to Paddy.

ETA: The younger four played outside in the snow for a loooong time. Clare finished her stop-action Lego movie and we saw the premiere and trailer ;-). I did the chapter preview for math with Kieron (he LOVED the idea of doing a summary ahead of time) and then he did some oral division problems (his fluency has improved). Then I had him do some curves and diagonal lines on paper, and we also looked at the Jesse tree symbols and we both tried to figure out what they stood for (then he went to consult the MacCaughrean book and told me what he found)

Brendan helped me fix a shelf today and is keeping the hearth stocked with logs.

Week in Review

I put the summary for the Week in Review over at Every Waking Hour.

Planning for Week 15

So, as the five year old gently breathes in slumber and the hail pounds on our roof, and I sit in bed with this laptop (so cool) I am thinking I ought to plan for next week. Next week starts tomorrow, on Friday; continues throughout the weekend, though we don't do any formal academics for those days; and carries through next Thursday.

Usually I just jot down page number goals for the week, but just for variety's sake I thought I would try to do it differently this time, as a narrative. Hopefully it won't be too confusing; but if it is, we can just keep doing the basic "next thing" all next week, so it won't be too bad.

I am thinking that we have two weeks left in the term, but week 16 will gradually turn more and more into games and art and cooking and informal things because Liam will be home and we will be getting into the holiday. I would like to journal!

Math

Kieron starts chapter 8, on decimals. I want to start having him do a long division problem every day, since we skipped lightly over that chapter and it will likely come again in this chapter in some form.

Sean continues chapter 7 in Algebra. It looks like he can finish up just a bit after Liam gets home for Christmas break. So at that point I think I will do a bit of review with him and then we'll close down for the break on the 20th. Kieron's chapter on decimals will be finished at just about the same time.

That review I mentioned for Sean ought to be written out fairly so I can send it in to Kolbe.


Latin

Sean has resumed Lesson 11 in Henle. He can continue; and work on memorizing the third declension form. I am going to start Kieron on the third declension form, but go back quite a bit in the book and pick up at his easy comfort level, in order to consolidate and build confidence. Memoria Press says that it's better to go slowly, even repeating several times, than to rush through and have kids who fear and loathe the language.

I think I will use the Language Lessons to reinforce the grammar in Henle (details remain to be worked out).

Greek and Vocabulary/Spelling--

continue. Kieron is still in penmanship limbo. I was going to start him with SWR but hate to do it until the curves and lines are just a bit more fluent. Not sure exactly what to do about that. I've let the spelling tests for Sean drop. I think I need to have him do a comprehensive review of the whole lot of words; spelling and meaning; to send in to Kolbe.

Progym

Oral composition for Kieron (narration and learning to organize his thoughts in writing structure; I write down things for him).

Sean write a 3 paragraph paper from a topic of his choice, and continue notes narrations and copywork/dictation every day as the situation requires. Focus for this on writing to learn and remember. Focus for the 3 paragraph paper on structure and on expressing some sort of an argument in written form.

For me -- try to write some essays in progym form, for practice, and work on my story!!!!

Religion

Focus on Advent. Religion takes top priority this month. The Jesse Tree and story of Jesus are the main focal points. Also, the doctrine about the Incarnation. Books they are reading:

Sean-- The Life that Changed the World, Gospel of Luke.
Kieron -- The Jesse Tree, St Nicholas the Wonderworker, the Very First Christmas, sundry books from Advent shelf.

For doctrine -- Baltimore Catechism, Divinity cards, and perhaps Pocket Catechism and Baltimore Catechism explained. I had Sean copy out some of the Penny Catechism; it might be good to do this with a nicer-sounding catechism, like the St Pius X one.

I would like Sean to get up to the Incarnation in his Book of Discovery if possible. He is also continuing to read the Screwtape Letters -- not much to do with the season but he seems to be enjoying the book.

Vatican Treasures -- artwork and scripture.


I can't remember if Sean's already read the Bronze Bow?

Science

Takes a back burner for now. A couple of times a week Sean is reading Earth Science. I'm having Kieron look up topics in the Encyclopedia. I'm trying a method of having Sean memorize a few basics to do with the Earth Science topic, and having Kieron memorize the same thing too.

Geography -- I am thinking we will bring the atlases downstairs and just look through them a page at a time.

Art, Crafts and Music -- I wanted to have a lot of that this month. Realizing that, I realize I am not making that happen. I wanted to have a quieter, slower approach to our work this month, and mingle the academics with taking care of bits and pieces of our household. Little jobs like polishing one section, etc. .... concentrating on care rather than getting a whole lot done. The art approach was supposed to echo this. Actually, it's been happening a bit but I've been feeling troubled about the slowness rather than celebrating it. Hmm, something to ponder.

Also, I'd like to have some conversations about the meaning of Advent and Christmas. I will look at the Glorious Impossible and see if that has some questions to ponder together.

I guess that is it for now since it looks like my battery is running low. Still raining hard out there!

Weekly Charts

Here is a picture of this week, which was quieter than for several weeks past.

Here also is shown the progress in the basic subjects for Year 6 and Year 9.

Planning Daily Things to Do

I'm going to try printing these out for the first week or so to help me stay on track.

I'll put them on a clipboard.

A lot of activities are regular from one week to another so it wouldn't take much time.

Planning This Term

Focus on Decmber and January

• Make an Advent/ Christmas notebook
• Memory work-- prayers, verses
• Copybook -- use nice Christmas sheets, sometimes have him type things in.
• Jesse Tree readings and shapes
• Snow lapbook (go through slowly, geographical extensions)
• Mission Advent calendar
  

Practical

• Art projects
  
• Kitchen chemistry
• origami, paper crafts, sewing with felt and embroidery thread, embroidery, clay and sparklies, calligraphy. Christmas cards, recipes, devotions, music, games
• The Toymaker
• Lots of Christmas printables

Literacy, Language

• Latin -- copywork of traditional Latin carols, etc -- keep practicing declensions --Epitome Historiae Sacrae (Christmas story)
  
• Read Aloud: Treasures of the Snow, George MacDonald.
• Progym -- Christmas related stories, or fairy tales. (Here are some Advent stories and poems linked)
  

Service --

giving things away, decluttering, prayers and devotions.
Planner notebook

Basic

-- Greek, Math, Logic, Vocabulary/Spelling
There are these daily activity cards which can be useful for review for middle school (5th to 7th perhaps)

I was looking for something else but found this site for free worksheets and units. Linking to it to look over later.

Methods, Plans

This is just in note form right now; I have to fill it out a bit so it makes sense, but Aidan is up early and demanding attention so I will have to do that later.


--------------------------------


A and I method for language arts.

Preparation

• choose a model --
• write notes (see History, Geography ideas)

Process

1. Read, discuss, analyze (5Ws, graphic organizers) -- focus on different parts -- sometimes find 2 retellings to compare and contract, or activate prior knowledge.

2. Start outlining story. Word analysis -- not necessarily using the model -- outside in -- apply knowledge in easy form to the model, perhaps.

3. Write the story. Sentence analysis -- grammar, usage.

4. Revise story and correct. Read other background material or do extensions.

5. Write final draft. Review of what has been learned that week.

------------------------------------

Math

• One lesson every day (concept, and related problems).
• Review (selected problems -- draw from Ray's Arithmetic, Core Knowledge, Comp Curriculum)
• Math journal on one day -- how to do something/copywork.
• Game or Quia occasionally.

---------------------------------
History and Geography

• read the text
• choose a subject to research further
• find locations on atlas
• mark timeline
• story for the progym (primary source, or retelling)
• draw a picture of an artifact, or a diagram

-----------------------
Notebook for History

• Century pages (cardstock?)
• separate articles between century pages
• maps, miscellaneous pages like DK/Usborne format
• Little books (detachable)
• Include art, science history, and some journaling/essay questions.

When I look through their books I ought to quickly make a list:

• Persons -- Places -- Events -- Topics ---
• then activitiy ideas, writing, discussion ideas, correlations and extensions
• (make a template?)

-----------------------------
Science

• Nomenclature Cards,
• Minit Books,
• Games
• Posters or fact sheets or the equivalent

• Decide on a topic
• Reed a few different books -- take notes/narrations -- find overlapping information.
• Make some review-type materials -- visuals.
• Experiments, projects, field work.

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Planning -- overview of things to do

I have a big pile of 6 X 9 index cards filled with all kinds of notes I made while my older kids were out of town, while we were out of town, and during Thanksgiving vacation. The opportunity to think "big picture" for a couple of weeks is one of the things I'm thankful for during this season. Also the opportunity to sit and play games with the kids, talk with oldest son, and spend car time with them. I have a feeling that for many folk (including us at busy intervals) car time is the new equivalent of the old dinner table. Anyway, lots of conversations take place during these times!

So, here follows a list of things on my mind to plan/do for the next week or so before Advent starts in full.

1. I am working on some "method sheets" for next term, laying out how I intend/hope/dream to do things. They aren't going to be rigorous step by steps, but rather outlines I can pick up easily and revise easily according to how things are going. I coasted last term without an explicit written-down method, but with what I learned from experience from this, I can probably put together something that would help me remember how I do things when it's going well. At least, it's worth a try.
   
2. I am planning (proximately) for tomorrow and (mediately) for the next week or two. Since we've been off our "regular" routine for so long, and this week once again is filled with various appointments, I'm planning a couple of days at least of transition. What Transition means in our homeschool is that for a day, a week, or longer depending how long the vacation was, we work slowly back up to speed. I don't despair if things go "wrong" -- I just take notes and plan strategies to cope with the problems.
3. I am accumulating Advent plans... not just to do with Advent, but to do with the other things I plan/hope/intend to do during December and January. I already have more than I will be able to use, but it is fun to have lots to choose from so that if one idea falls flat, there's another ready to hand.
4. I am planning some sort of organized "attack" on the house to get it nice for Christmas. This strategy will have two goals -- decluttering and tidying, AND decorating and updating for the new season.
5. Of course, there is Christmas prep per se -- making or shopping for gifts; service projects, cards, meals, calls to friends.
   

Details to follow on all of these. Most of them are in draft form at least, but I have to think about the best way to organize them. I would like to make some more pretty forms. The 6x9s are great to scribble things down hastily -- I holepunch them and put a ring through the holes to keep them together --- but not so great for retrieval.

My husband just bought a color laserjet. We have never had one before. This one is for our home business, but I have access to it for our homeschool as well. So lower on my list is brainstorming how to make good use of it for homeschool. I don't think laserjets can work for photo-quality things like paintings and photos, but it would work fine for colored clipart and the like. It might make some parts of Aidan's homeschooling easier.... for example, I was going to buy him a set of flag flashcards, but now I could just print out his favorite flags and let him start a book of them.

Also, when my Spell to Read and WRite comes, I want to sit down with that and just.... take notes..... and think.... and plan.

Dragon Trail

I put a post about Dragons over at my Spacious Place blog. It belonged over there but I wanted to link it over here so I can find it later!

Second Term Plans -- Miscellaneous

Still planning:

• According to my Year by Terms, the second term starts right after Thanksgiving, comprises Advent and Christmas, and ends just around the start of March, a bit after Ash Wednesday.
• Here is the December liturgical year as a calendar; here as a list. January and February aren't up yet so I shall have to turn to my own resources for these.
• I think I shall try to take these plus the family goings-on and translate them into a more detailed calendar like my Year by Terms.
• You know, if I took some of the month's saints like Francis Xavier, Nicholas, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Wenceslaus, and Thomas Becket, I could have some geography-focused mini-units or "themes" there.
• Every time I look at the Catholic Culture overviews I think how fun it would be to draw or color some of the saints' insignias. They are so pretty. That is something to think about.
• I have revised our Weekly Chore Rotation -- finally! (if you wonder about the pictures, it is sort of a family joke). (Here is the explanation and dinnertime routine, but that needs to be upgraded a bit too). My next home management child training project is to get a system for the littlies -- going to look at Montessori for practical life ideas.
  

I am just going to keep posting these little brainstorming lists as they come up -- bear with me, and eventually I'll try to put it in some sort of order.

Winter TErm Gathering Snowflakes

I really wanted to try a lapbook sometime this year. The Homeschool E-store has a free What is Snow? lapbook out, suitable for grades 3-6. Easy stuff for Kieron, but he might have fun. He and the little ones had a ton of fun cutting out snowflakes last year. A simple thing, but the sort of thing I often get in too much of a hurry to do.

As usual, Real Learning has a wonderful compilation of resources on a thread about Snowflakes.

On the Advent front, there is Elizabeth's Advent and Christmas unit.

I found this Catholic Mosaic supplement booklist by Lara Muse over at Amazon.

We have any amount of books around about weather, and about Alaska (grandparents live there) as extensions. So Science and Geography will come in easily.

Of course, any amount of Christmas books too. This year, I have the Jesse Tree book by Geraldine MacCaughrean which I wanted to focus on with Kieron, along with a Jesse Tree. Also, the Madeleine L'Engle book with Giotto paintings as illustrations.

We have glitter paint and sculpey. What more could you need?

About the snow lapbook: I looked at the pages last night and finally, finally "got it" a bit, what the lapbook thing is about. It is embarrassing to admit -- I've been reading about them for absolutely YEARS and haven't been able to make any sense of them. I can be awfully dense. I think it must be some personal disconnect between cognition and action.

If I'm correct about almost grasping it, I can go through this one with Kieron and then I'll have the personal "tools" to try my hand at designing one. Maybe not right away, but sometime.

Why do I want to be able to do one? Honestly, the minit books and everything are cute, but that's not the main reason. But it's always seemed like a good review/interaction thing.

Links for Next Term's Planning

I found some bloggers' notes on the new term so I thought I would collect them here as I ponder my own plans.

Mother Auma's Thoughts on the New Term
Circle of Seven Now It's October.
Dawn's November Home Learning Plans
Mrs Darling has a post called Brainstorming, about her plans for her homeschool.
Cindy at Dominion Family posted her Morning Time plans for November.