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Ok Fellow HOD Homeschoolers,

What was YOUR week Like?

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a- A picture
b- A blog Link
c- A written synopsis
d- Your favorite memory
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I hope all of you had a wonderful week of homeschooling!

We got 3 days in this week. The weather was beautiful and on our other non co-op day we visited a friend and had some good fellowship. Also this morning in church I was writing sentences for my 5YO to read and then she took the hymnal and turned each page saying what number hymn she was looking at.... she made it all the way to 254 with just a little bit of help! She really picks up on numbers well.

We were in unit 9 of LHFHG, unit 3 of Bigger, and unit 31 of Preparing. LHFHG was about David and Solomon. My DD5 has gotten over her hump in reading and is now doing well again and with a much better attitude. This makes working with her go quickly and it is such a joy! As you can see from above she is a bit of a math whiz and is 1/2 way through the B book in LHFHG math. I plan to keep going full speed with her until she starts having problems. As it is she picks it up really well. She really enjoys the Bible from the Family Time Bible. I always go back and forth about whether to read straight from the scripture or use the children's Bible. For her, the wonderful pictures really help her remember, along with the activities. So I guess since I already have it, we will keep going in that book.

Bigger Hearts is going really well now, my DD seems to be in a groove with it and we are getting used to our new routine with the extra work. I am proud of how well she has been able to pick up on the vocabulary, notebooking, and other new things Bigger has added. Daily science is fun too and she is learning a lot. She can't narrate back well from the One Small Square book. She usually narrates pretty well, especially story formats, but with the One Small Square she usually remembers the details in the small descriptions of the pictures of different creatures, not the main text on the page. I try to remind her of a few to help her out, but it is probably harder to remember since I usually read the main text first.
My daughter in Preparing is doing really well, and writing is getting better for her even. She usually is very emotional and struggles, she doesn't want to do it. Lately it's been getting better, which is good since we are going to move on to CTC in just a few weeks! I know we will need to continue working on it as we move up.

I am so thankful for HOD!

World History High School:
The Fine Arts study Wyatt is completing this year is one of my favorite things to see him do. It is not because he is an incredible artist, but rather that it is a study that is teaching him the beauty of appreciating the look of art and the talent it takes to create it from a Godly perspective. This is a continuation of how he has learned to view art through doing Heart of Dakota through the past decade. "God and the History of Art," which is narrated by Christian artist Barry Stebbing, has the unique combination of using beautiful colors, paintings and classical music to share narrative of the history of art. Learning about Michelangelo and Raphael this week was incredibly interesting to Wyatt. The Art Gallery Notebook that HOD has put together is simply breathtaking. The full color art pictured within the gallery really showcases the beauty of each piece. I cannot imagine the difference in studying art in black in white - a stark contrast we'd not enjoy nearly as much. Wyatt's writing project assigned in his "Short Lessons in Art History" was a great way for him to respond to his reading. The active part of the Fine Arts study continues to be a hit as well. Artist Pat Knepley helps Wyatt's art pieces turn out very well - her directions are so clear. His current project is on Pointillism Fruit, and I will definitely share a picture of it when he finishes it. What a neat study this is turning out to be, even for a student that doesn't necessarily gravitate toward art!


In R & S English 7, Wyatt had to give a speech. The rubric that was provided was so clear cut in what the expectations of the speech would be. Wyatt looked over the rubric, and he practiced his speech first in front of the bathroom mirror (something I like to have the kiddos do, as it is similar to standing in front of a group without actually standing in front of a group). Wyatt looked over his rubric, and he really did a good job overall with his presentation. I had a copy of the rubric and marked points and deductions, noting the reasons for the deductions and the highlights of the presentation as I listened. One thing he was deducted points for was simply not standing! He missed that and had I realized he was supposed to do that before he began, I would have reminded him - but, this was a good lesson in itself to carefully read through the rubric prior to beginning. His notes were organized, sequential, and interesting, and the delivery was very good overall. These are excellent skills to be learned and practiced. I am thankful R & S English is so thorough and clear. It will help him in his future studies!


Wyatt's written narration was about the important roles that women played in the time period he is studying. His narration touched upon women such as Deborah, Hatshepsut, Esther, and Penelope. He did a good job of describing each of their contributions to history, as well as describing the historical backdrop that made their contributions so remarkable.


Wyatt completed his Literary Synthesis Sheet on "Cyrus the Persian" for his Living Library assignment this week. Each area was completed a little at a time over the course of the book, and HOD's plans indicate which areas should be addressed within each day's reading, such as plot, theme, connections, conclusions, etc. He is really enjoying this, and the Word and Helper Idea sheet is helping him choose higher level vocabulary in his answers. My favorite part to read was Wyatt's Conclusions and Connections answer this time. It reads...
This books shows me that whatever God promises to do He will do in His own time and way, which is more planned and better executed than any we could think of.


Now THAT is what I'd call a 'successful' education! At least it is to me. I hope you had a good week too!

In Christ,
Julie

Resurrection to Reformation:
Riley learned about the symbolic nature of pennants this week. He read about Henry V and Joan of Arc and how pennants often were carried during the Middle Ages to show crests, emblems, or mottos. His History Project provided just the right assessment follow-up to his reading, as it had him design his own pennant. He really enjoyed this project, and he proudly waved his pennant galloping around the house with it to show little brother (who of course then also had to take a turn galloping and waving the pennant ).


An area Riley is taking leadership in more and more is within the subject of "Drawn into the Heart of Reading." I used to have Wyatt taking on that role of leadership when Wyatt and Riley were working together on DITHOR. But, now since Riley and Emmett are working together on DITHOR, and Riley is the older of the two, Riley gets to be more of the leader. For example, I let Riley read through all of the kickoff ideas and choose which one we will do. He realizes he will be helping set up and do the kickoff, and he loves to be in the decision making position. I also have him get out all of the DITHOR books, Student Books, DITHOR guide, and any needed materials for each day. For the final project, he must meet with Emmett and explain each one to him. Then, the two of them discuss which project each of them is most interested in doing. Sometimes they choose separate projects, but more often than not they settle upon doing one project together.

This week, Riley and Emmett chose to interview their big brother Wyatt for the final project for the genre Biography. They chose 3 topics to base their interview questions on: what high school is like, what his younger growing up years were like (as in before the two of them were born), and what outdoor sports Wyatt enjoys. Riley and Emmett each wrote 3 questions for each category. Riley gave the 'introduction,' and Emmett gave the 'conclusion.' Wyatt had the questions to look over prior to the interview, and I thought it was pretty interesting that Wyatt organized his notes exactly like he has learned to organize his notes for his talking points assignment in World History. (I love how skills are taught in HOD to naturally be able to be applied to new situations!) Anyway, when the interview day came, they were all 3 very excited! They got out the microphone, and they did it up big, as if there were on television or broadcasting on a radio! It was just plain fun to listen to!


Isn't it neat how families can be together in homeschooling? What a wonderful way to go about educating our kiddos!

In Christ,
Julie

Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory:
Emmett was beyond excited that he got to read about Daniel Boone and the Wilderness Road this week! He has always loved stories such as this, and dressing up to re-enact Daniel Boone and his men marking a trail to Kentucky for pioneers to eventually travel west on was such fun! Of course, the brothers had to join in on this one. Emmett placed 15 sticky notes with red x's he'd made on them to mark the trail that must be followed to brave the Wilderness Road. The boys donned some caps and hats and guns and chopping sticks to brave the trail. Emmett took them upstairs, downstairs, in the basement, and finally outdoors!


"American Pioneers and Patriots" does such a good job of continuously telling American history in storylike, narrative format, even as it moves its readers from chapter to chapter. So, after reading all about Daniel Boone marking the Wilderness Road, it made perfect sense to read about Molly's family preparing for and making the journey to Kentucky. The making of clothes that would last the journey was no small task to undertake, as Emmett certainly found out by completing his projects. Using cotton to be wool, Emmett learned to pick out 'sticks or burrs' to clean his 'wool,' to comb his wool with a comb, to roll the wool to make long sturdy pieces of 'yarn,' to add blue coloring to dye it, and to hang it up to dry. Whew! Now THAT will make you appreciate the work pioneers did to have clothes to wear!


In Storytime, we are reading "The House on Pooh Corner." Emmett is loving this book, and he is often laughing out loud as I read. His oral narrations are lengthening, and overall, I am seeing improvement. This was a week where I was to type Emmett's oral narration as he gave it. I am a fairly quick typist, but he is a faster talker! I had to have him slow down for me. Next time, I may take the idea of recording him first and then listening to it to type it. He did a pretty good job, but I can see I have another ds who likes to begin every sentence with "And then." To think I was so excited Riley had stopped doing this! It looks like this will be another few years of helping another ds to drop these words from the start of each sentence. Oh well! Overall, he is doing very well with his oral narrations, and he likes giving them, which is great!


In Christ,
Julie

Little Hands - Red Book
This week we started Unit 30 day 1,2,3. I love the review chapters to go over the Bible verses. For reading we also chose to review books from their "I can read it boxes". They did really well. I forgot to take many photos this week. The boys especially enjoyed the store of General Lee and his horse traveler. They enjoined riding around on their "horses".

Here is a pic of my older doing his SM. He loves math!


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Julie - we also loved The House at Pooh Corner! I hadn't read it in a really long time and was not thinking it was a humorous book but it really is and our discussion over it was hilarious too!