Homeschooling

{Working in their main lesson books}

I think we are finally back in the swing of school.  It feels nice.  Oddly there hasn't been the resistance I am use to dealing with after a break.  Maybe they are needing it too.  Either that or they finally learned you're going to have to do your work anyway so why waist time complaining about it.  (seems highly unlikely)



We are only five chapters into this book here but we are all hooked!  It is our read aloud right now.



Some of Grace (below) and Jackson's (above) recent oil pastel and watercolor paintings.





This here might be the best book of fairy tales I have ever read.  I got it because we have been learning about Sweden and I thought it would be fun to hear some of Sweden's stories.  But they are all so good.  I think I will have to keep going with it.


{They have been doing a lot of skating down at the pond during "recess" and after school with each other and our homeschooling neighbors/friends}

Other things we're up to with homeschooling...

Math- (Grace) we just finished a long unit on fractions and now we have moved on to measurement
           (Jackson) we are reviewing times tables and learning division
           (Nora) working on learning her numbers.  She likes to do her "number work" with her big sister.

Geography- (all) we are still learning about Sweden.  I found this great documentary series called Families of the World.  We have only watched the one from Mexico and then recently the one from Sweden but so far they are a great window into the lives of families in other countries.  In addition to learning about the people of the countries we also like to learn about the nature and animals in that area of the world.  Today we learned about Sweden's arctic foxes.

Language Arts- (all) We are reading the above books together.  Grace is also reading Anne of Green Gables.  Jackson is often cornering me with a Star Wars book he wants me to read with him.  And Nora still loves as many picture books as we have time for.  We are always reading poems and learning tongue twisters.  Next week Grace will also be starting a new English curriculum.

Spelling- (Grace) earlier this year I discovered a new program that is proving to be incredibly effective at helping me teach spelling to Grace (a concern I have had as of late).  I do not usually use this type of curriculum and Grace did not like it at first because it was "too easy" (you have to start at the beginning regardless of age as each lesson builds on the previous).  But after working with it for several weeks she is coming around to it (and we've caught up to her level) and her spelling ability has dramatically increased.

Reading- (Jackson) we teach language arts more in the Waldorf style which means reading isn't officially taught until first grade.  And even then it is very slow and gentle.  The main basis of Waldorf reading education in the early years is to provide a substantial diet of high quality literature.  We always have a read aloud book going in our family and we read one on one regularly with our children as well.  But over the past month Jackson is also starting to work through some readers. We love these readers.

Art- (all) We have done some painting and are now starting on some knitting projects.  Grace is working on a small peacock from this adorable book and Jackson is learning to knit.  Nora also has learned how to finger knit.

Spanish- (all) We have been continuing to play our Spanish games (this one, this one, and this one being our favorites right now) and we are always learning Spanish songs as well.  Our Spanish learning is slow but continuous and repetitive.  This is our third year of learning Spanish this way and I'm realizing (at least with my kids) quantity is irrelevant.  Cramming too much Spanish learning in a short window of time has the reverse effect with them.  It's the hearing and using the same words and songs over and over and over again that makes it finally click for them.

I came across this quote the other day that made me think of Spanish, and all of our homeschooling efforts actually- "Success is the sum of small efforts- repeated day in and day out." (Robert Collier)  I think that just might be my homeschooling moto.