Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Upcoming Adventures
I'm working on getting two field trips put together for my family- one to the Twin Cities for a trip to the Science Museum and maybe Komo Zoo and the other to Itasca. We'll be going south to the Twin Cities August 14th-16th and will take in the Star Wars show at the Science Museum. We're also working on local history and will go to Itasca and camp two nights to enjoy the outdoors and the special perk of the Mississippi headwaters. I'm excited and looking forward to seeing something new with the kids.
Monday, July 28, 2008
End of July
We're back into our full groove and have had a wonderful day. No meltdowns, no stubbornness. It's a wonderful start to our full schedule.
We're using the curriculum again, and are repeating some of the last week we left off on. We are covering word families AR, AS, AT this week, and I can see the change in Ethan's reading from just a few months ago, it's much better. We started our day off with our morning circle and learned a new song and movement to the song- Oat Peas Beans, everyone participated and seemed to like it (imagine me and the three kids holding hands and walking around in a slow circle and giggling as we sing the song). We also did a few of our favorite Enki songs before closing with our morning poem. We did the word family AP with a letter matching activity. We then reviewed our spanish vocab, hello, goodbye, thank you, please, you're welcome, colors and numbers, and time of the day. While Ethan built his morning lego creation after the spanish portion, we covered several questions in one of our quiz booklets and then we took the mid-morning off for lunch and play. This afternoon we've gathered flowers, learned their anatomy and colored them in our daily lesson book. We will finish the day with a science experiment determining which items will float. Because we take off Tuesday and Thursday we do more Mon-Wed-Fri. This fall we'll do full days and weeks. The kids are coloring now and are settled into their afternoon flow nicely. Time to prep for the science activity.
Pt. 2
Prep for the project included going around the main floor and finding items that will be fun to explore their density. I choose a feather, a stone bracelet, a lego man, a wooden wheel, a cork stopper, and a small pink stone. I also created a chart with six rows and three columns- Items, Float or Sink. We're about to go in and while we're having our afternoon snack, explore density.
We're using the curriculum again, and are repeating some of the last week we left off on. We are covering word families AR, AS, AT this week, and I can see the change in Ethan's reading from just a few months ago, it's much better. We started our day off with our morning circle and learned a new song and movement to the song- Oat Peas Beans, everyone participated and seemed to like it (imagine me and the three kids holding hands and walking around in a slow circle and giggling as we sing the song). We also did a few of our favorite Enki songs before closing with our morning poem. We did the word family AP with a letter matching activity. We then reviewed our spanish vocab, hello, goodbye, thank you, please, you're welcome, colors and numbers, and time of the day. While Ethan built his morning lego creation after the spanish portion, we covered several questions in one of our quiz booklets and then we took the mid-morning off for lunch and play. This afternoon we've gathered flowers, learned their anatomy and colored them in our daily lesson book. We will finish the day with a science experiment determining which items will float. Because we take off Tuesday and Thursday we do more Mon-Wed-Fri. This fall we'll do full days and weeks. The kids are coloring now and are settled into their afternoon flow nicely. Time to prep for the science activity.
Pt. 2
Prep for the project included going around the main floor and finding items that will be fun to explore their density. I choose a feather, a stone bracelet, a lego man, a wooden wheel, a cork stopper, and a small pink stone. I also created a chart with six rows and three columns- Items, Float or Sink. We're about to go in and while we're having our afternoon snack, explore density.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Mid-July
Well, my son is an emotional wreck after having friends over for three days and two nights. He just had all of his privileges taken away and I'm completely fine saying no.
For schooling today Ethan attended the Terrific Tuesdays activity at the fair grounds and made a fish necklace, 2 paper boxes, and had a good time. Avery and Ethan also played the dice game this afternoon and worked on a mosaic with me for art. That's all my son would do and it was with difficulty. We're going to purge this week and remove 50% of our toys and de-clutter and de-stress. Clutter=stress.
Avery has been busy using scissors on everything she shouldn't. We're working on cutting skills and she has them galore. They will be entering flowers into the fair and hopefully get a prize. Or at least the joyful satisfaction of entering an item and seeing it on display.
I'm quite busy this week with work and getting ready for the fair. I look forward to a quieter week after the fair.
I find it difficult to get Ethan to do much these days. I think he's run amok with the summer breezes.
For schooling today Ethan attended the Terrific Tuesdays activity at the fair grounds and made a fish necklace, 2 paper boxes, and had a good time. Avery and Ethan also played the dice game this afternoon and worked on a mosaic with me for art. That's all my son would do and it was with difficulty. We're going to purge this week and remove 50% of our toys and de-clutter and de-stress. Clutter=stress.
Avery has been busy using scissors on everything she shouldn't. We're working on cutting skills and she has them galore. They will be entering flowers into the fair and hopefully get a prize. Or at least the joyful satisfaction of entering an item and seeing it on display.
I'm quite busy this week with work and getting ready for the fair. I look forward to a quieter week after the fair.
I find it difficult to get Ethan to do much these days. I think he's run amok with the summer breezes.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Back Again
We took a long hiatus from our schooling. My mind and hands were in the process of birthing my yoga studio and the children got first-hand experience with that process by helping me and their father to create my studio. We reconnected to our schooling last week and will school M-W-F. Ethan successfully completed his first summer session at Camp Invention in June. He made a mars rover, a phone using 2 cups and straws, and a car out of recycled parts. He also made another project that got left behind. He enjoyed his week with his friends and teachers and will attend next year. We're still working on our first grade curriculum. We'll reconnecting to the basics and will spend the next week continuing to establish a routine. It took a lot out of me to create my studio and now that it's in a good and stable place we're getting stable at home again. I missed our schooling every day I tried to start something but couldn't put my heart into it. Ethan and Avery are good kids and supported me in my transformation process. We are a good team.
Last week we learned about Minnesota, when it became a state, what our state flag is, and what we like about MN. We attended fireworks and learned about fireworks. We also attended a parade on the 4th and talked about the american flag and why we stand when the flag goes by. We talked about patriotism, nationally and globally. We enjoyed many hours in the flow of the 4th. We also worked on a project using an erector set, something that's very hard for Ethan to use but will be good when he's older. It's not easy for me to assemble because of the size of the parts, and it's the directions for him that cause him frustration. He can see what it needs, but it's the coordination of bolting bits together without loosing the bits that will take more time. Avery played a lot in her kitchen and drew all kinds of great picture for me.
This week we'll continue our lesson in MN lore as well as start a new building process using a new set. When the new bionicles come and we get the bionicle books we'll make bioncle movies. Perhaps something to do this fall and winter. Our garden is doing okay, and will get focus this week. The kids will also go on a frog hunt and identify as many patterns of dragonfly wings as possible for our nature walk.
Last week we learned about Minnesota, when it became a state, what our state flag is, and what we like about MN. We attended fireworks and learned about fireworks. We also attended a parade on the 4th and talked about the american flag and why we stand when the flag goes by. We talked about patriotism, nationally and globally. We enjoyed many hours in the flow of the 4th. We also worked on a project using an erector set, something that's very hard for Ethan to use but will be good when he's older. It's not easy for me to assemble because of the size of the parts, and it's the directions for him that cause him frustration. He can see what it needs, but it's the coordination of bolting bits together without loosing the bits that will take more time. Avery played a lot in her kitchen and drew all kinds of great picture for me.
This week we'll continue our lesson in MN lore as well as start a new building process using a new set. When the new bionicles come and we get the bionicle books we'll make bioncle movies. Perhaps something to do this fall and winter. Our garden is doing okay, and will get focus this week. The kids will also go on a frog hunt and identify as many patterns of dragonfly wings as possible for our nature walk.
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