Week of 09/21/2014-09/27/2014

Reading/Language Arts : Continued reading the Tale of Paddy Muskrat, and entering it into the reading journal. The poem we learned this week was "Who is that singing?" by Maud Keary.

Math : Did several worksheets, including : counting money, telling time on an analog clock, filling in the missing numbers in subtraction, addition, multiplication, and a multiplication speed sheet. She also practiced reciting her 2, 5, 10, and 11 times tables and did Splashmath.com once a day.

Social Studies : Read “Bridget of Ireland" and drew a picture relating to the story.

Science : This week we researched natural cycles some more, focusing on natural rhythms in nature. We discussed things that changed in each season (to plants, animals, weather, sunlight) and she drew a picture showing some differences visually.

Health : This week we discussed personal safety, including what to do if you're lost, both in crowded areas and in isolated areas.

Art : LOTS of drawing and coloring this week. Mimzy has really started to show great creativity and interest in her art. 

Music  : Continued learning recorder. She also spends lots of time every day learning new songs, singing, and dancing!

Craft : Continued learning to crochet. Mimzy hasn't made a scarf yet, but she has had a lot of fun making various jewelry items and "ropes". We also started collecting fallen leaves for later craft projects.

Extra : Karate lessons, Spanish lessons at Duolingo, and a trip to the Art Museum to see an exhibit on The Art of Video Games! 

Week of 9/14/2014-9/20/2014

Reading/Language Arts : Continued reading the Tale of Paddy Muskrat, and entering it into the reading journal. Mimzy was getting a bit overwhelmed by how much she had to copy, so we also talked about breaking her work into easy-to-consume "chunks". The poem we studied this week was an old favorite of hers, "Rhinos Purple, Hippos Green" by Michael Patrick Hearn.

Math : Worked on mixed problems (+, -, x, ÷) in her journal. We also used Splashmath.com once a day, and played math games with Easy Peasy Homeschool.

Social Studies : Read “Columcille of Ireland”, and drew a picture about the story. We also discussed the part that Druid and Christian monks played in preserving our history and knowledge during the Dark Ages.

Science : This week we researched natural cycles. We made a chart to track her sleep, hunger, and energy level through the week.

Health : We did a review of the past 5 weeks' lessons. She also had a chance to use her first aid kit on an injury at the zoo. 

Art : Drawing and painting for other subjects, painting with tempera paints just for fun. She did a great job mixing basic colors (white, black, green, yellow, red)! 
Music  : Continued learning recorder.

Craft : Continued learning to crochet.

Extra : Karate lessons, Spanish lessons at Duolingo, and we also went to Homeschool Day at the zoo! Mimzy also got some first-hand knowledge of plumbing when she watched the contractor (who also homeschools, pleasant surprise!) replace our leaking tub.

Homeschool Day at the Zoo!

Today was such a great day at The Zoo! Mimzy had SO much fun with the homeschool lessons that she was beaming and bouncing in her seat the entire ride home, raving about all the fun things she did.


Here's what they did : 
Made crafts with fingerprints and foam stickers.
Had a class about animal habitats.
Had a class about the food chain. ("Food Webs")
Went to see the "Science of Flight" bird show at the Museum of Science, which they both LOVED. Mimzy got to volunteer, and Shark now apparently wants to be a bird trainer.
Had a class about animal's skin (feathers, fur, scales, shells, called "Cool Coverings")
Went on a walking tour of the primate exhibits.
Played lots of games (animal print Twister, hop like a frog)
Got to touch lots of skin and bones from real animals (who died of old age) including : rhino skull, hippo skull, tiger pelt, polar bear pelt, gorilla pelt, elephant foot, etc.
Got to touch some real LIVING animals, including a prehensile skink, a screech owl, and a snake (I didn't hear what kind it was).
And then, of course, played at the park, saw a couple favorites, and ate lunch.

It was A BLAST!

Small victories

Homeschooling can be extremely stressful, and sometimes the rewards aren't obvious. But then you have a moment where your world lights up, and you know you're making the right choice. We had one of those moments today.

"I used to not like math," she said, in the middle of explaining her math homework to her grandmother. "But ... now I do! I think it's really fun, and I like being good at it."

It's a small victory, and I'm sure that in a couple weeks she might have changed her mind again. But for now, I'm beaming with pride.

Week of 9/7/2014-9/13/2014

This week we visited the local fair! Mimzy always enjoys interacting with animals, and the kids both even got to ride their aunt's horse before the rodeo!

Reading/Language Arts : Began reading the Tale of Paddy Muskrat. We also started discussing poetry. This week's poem to practice was Beneath The Sea by Maud Keary.

Math : Worked on mixed problems (+, -, x, ÷) in her journal. We also used Splashmath.com once a day, and played math games with Easy Peasy Homeschool.

Social Studies : Read “Tiger and the Big Wind: A Nigerian Fable”, and drew a picture about the story. We also discussed Native American local history.

Science : This week we researched how animals form symbiotic relationships in nature, and also how humans and animals interact with each other. Things we focused on were service animals, sea anemone/clownfish, and birds that coexist with animals and eat pests off their bodies.

Health : We watched several videos and studied basic first aid, such as how to care for a minor cut/burn, or how to assist someone who is choking. We also assembled a small first aid kit that she can carry with her.

Art : Drawing and painting for other subjects, we also talked about various techniques we hope to try next week.

Music  : Continued learning recorder.

Craft : Continued learning to crochet.

Extra : Went to the fair, karate lessons, library, and we also started Spanish lessons this week with duolingo.com! 

Week of 8/31/2014-9/6/2014

Reading/Language Arts :  Finished reading “A Tale of Jolly Robin” and entering summaries into journal. (Shown are three pages from her journal.) Reviewed consonant blends.

Math : Started using SplashMath.com once a day, Mimzy has really been enjoying the games! We've also been using games found at Easy Peasy All-in-One Homeschool! Following Oak Meadow curriculum, we also reviewed our two-times table some more.

Social Studies : Read “The Fish Basket Goddess: A Tale from Ancient China”, painted a picture about the story using watercolors. We also started collecting stories to assemble a Family Story book. This week she learned about how her grandma grew up on a nut farm, and how they would harvest the nuts.

Science : This week we observed three different animals, local squirrels, our pet ferret, and our cat. Mimzy drew pictures of the animals and wrote about their lives, such as what they ate, where they slept, and who their enemies were.

Health : Discussed how to care for someone who is ill, and wrote a checklist of things to do for someone else when they are sick. 

Art : Lots of drawing and painting this week for other subjects!

Music  : Continued learning recorder.

Craft : Continued learning to crochet.

Extra : Went to the library and to karate lessons as usual.