Ok Fellow HOD Homeschoolers,
What was YOUR week Like?
You can post:
a- A picture
b- A blog Link
c- A written synopsis
d- Your favorite memory
e- Anything you want that shares your HOD excitement!
Important Note: If you are linking us to your blog, please make sure it's not just a general link, but to your specific post of HOD. That way if someone reads through these a year from now they can find your share without needing to hunt!
Week in Review December 8-12, 2014
Week in Review December 8-12, 2014
Mom to:
dd 22 college graduate and employed as an Intervention Specialist
ds 18 US2, Loved Preparing, CTC , RTR , Rev to Rev, MTMM ,WG, WH and US1
http://www.graceandfur.blogspot.com/
dd 22 college graduate and employed as an Intervention Specialist
ds 18 US2, Loved Preparing, CTC , RTR , Rev to Rev, MTMM ,WG, WH and US1
http://www.graceandfur.blogspot.com/
Re: Week in Review December 8-12, 2014
Here is our week in the WG guide http://graceandfur.blogspot.com/2014/12 ... 22014.html
Mom to:
dd 22 college graduate and employed as an Intervention Specialist
ds 18 US2, Loved Preparing, CTC , RTR , Rev to Rev, MTMM ,WG, WH and US1
http://www.graceandfur.blogspot.com/
dd 22 college graduate and employed as an Intervention Specialist
ds 18 US2, Loved Preparing, CTC , RTR , Rev to Rev, MTMM ,WG, WH and US1
http://www.graceandfur.blogspot.com/
Re: Week in Review December 8-12, 2014
Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory:
Emmett is cruising along in Beyond, and he just finished Unit 32. We read about Ken traveling west in 1850 to meet his father on a rickety stagecoach headed for the California Trail. Ken's father had headed to CA to try to find gold, and when he had no luck with that, he opened a store there. He wrote Ken's mom to send Ken (who was not very old at the time to be traveling ALONE
on a stagecoach) to meet him. Ken's stagecoach driver ended up racing alongside another stagecoach to try to reach CA first to tell the exciting news in San Jose that CA had just become the 31st state! As always, the story was exciting, and Emmett loved it! 
I also found some new wisdom in it, though this is the 3rd time I've read it as Emmett is my 3rd child to go through Beyond. Ken's father said 'he'd send for Ken's mom and the other children later when the store was more successful' - and he'd already been gone 2 years! I recall my grandpa telling me a similar story when he had to take a job 3 hours away from my grandma during the Great Depression, and they were apart for a year or more. It was a reminder to me that being without my dh 7-14 days/nights in a row is NOTHING compared to this!
In science, Emmett learned about how the reflection of water changes the appearance of where something actually is, making it more difficult to find objects in water. After reading about this in his science text, he LOVED looking for 'gold' (actually pennies) in a big glass bowl of water! He would point with his finger above the water where he thought the 'gold' was, and then push his finger straight down, only to find the 'gold' was not there, but off to the side of where he thought it was. Using a slotted spoon to 'pan for gold' was the perfect finish to this science exploration that had a great link to history!
In math, Emmett is learning to count quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies. He played a fun game where he would roll the dice, take that number of pennies, and trade them in for coins worth more anytime he could. When he reached $1.00, the game was done. He became very adept at trading 5 pennies in for 1 nickel, trading 2 nickels in for 1 dime, and trading 2 dimes and 1 nickel in for 1 quarter. I had him line up the coins from least to greatest and count them for me each time. At the start this was very hard for him, but by the end, he was counting like a champ! I love HOD's hands-on activities! Emmett begged to do it again.
He's got the whole world, in His hands - that was the theme of our art project. It was linked to our history reading and Bible Study discussion of Psalm 121:1-8. I love pulling out Emmett's Bible each day in school. He is learning to look up his own chapters/verses, though it takes him awhile to find the less common books of the Bible. Emmett's art project had him tracing, cutting out, and coloring his hands. He then traced a lid, and I helped him draw on the shapes of the continents. He traced and colored the earth. He copied Psalm 121:2 and glued the world in the hands. What a beautiful reminder for us that God truly holds the whole world in His hands, and He is always there watching over us and His creation!!!
In Christ,
Julie
Emmett is cruising along in Beyond, and he just finished Unit 32. We read about Ken traveling west in 1850 to meet his father on a rickety stagecoach headed for the California Trail. Ken's father had headed to CA to try to find gold, and when he had no luck with that, he opened a store there. He wrote Ken's mom to send Ken (who was not very old at the time to be traveling ALONE
on a stagecoach) to meet him. Ken's stagecoach driver ended up racing alongside another stagecoach to try to reach CA first to tell the exciting news in San Jose that CA had just become the 31st state! As always, the story was exciting, and Emmett loved it! I also found some new wisdom in it, though this is the 3rd time I've read it as Emmett is my 3rd child to go through Beyond. Ken's father said 'he'd send for Ken's mom and the other children later when the store was more successful' - and he'd already been gone 2 years! I recall my grandpa telling me a similar story when he had to take a job 3 hours away from my grandma during the Great Depression, and they were apart for a year or more. It was a reminder to me that being without my dh 7-14 days/nights in a row is NOTHING compared to this! In science, Emmett learned about how the reflection of water changes the appearance of where something actually is, making it more difficult to find objects in water. After reading about this in his science text, he LOVED looking for 'gold' (actually pennies) in a big glass bowl of water! He would point with his finger above the water where he thought the 'gold' was, and then push his finger straight down, only to find the 'gold' was not there, but off to the side of where he thought it was. Using a slotted spoon to 'pan for gold' was the perfect finish to this science exploration that had a great link to history!
In math, Emmett is learning to count quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies. He played a fun game where he would roll the dice, take that number of pennies, and trade them in for coins worth more anytime he could. When he reached $1.00, the game was done. He became very adept at trading 5 pennies in for 1 nickel, trading 2 nickels in for 1 dime, and trading 2 dimes and 1 nickel in for 1 quarter. I had him line up the coins from least to greatest and count them for me each time. At the start this was very hard for him, but by the end, he was counting like a champ!
I love HOD's hands-on activities! Emmett begged to do it again. 
He's got the whole world, in His hands - that was the theme of our art project. It was linked to our history reading and Bible Study discussion of Psalm 121:1-8. I love pulling out Emmett's Bible each day in school. He is learning to look up his own chapters/verses, though it takes him awhile to find the less common books of the Bible. Emmett's art project had him tracing, cutting out, and coloring his hands. He then traced a lid, and I helped him draw on the shapes of the continents. He traced and colored the earth. He copied Psalm 121:2 and glued the world in the hands. What a beautiful reminder for us that God truly holds the whole world in His hands, and He is always there watching over us and His creation!!!
In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie
Re: Week in Review December 8-12, 2014
Resurrection to Reformation:
No legacy is so rich as honesty - that was the poignant Shakespeare quote Riley copied underneath his latest reading of "All's Well That Ends Well." Draw forth thy weapon, we are beset with thieve; rescue thy mistress, if thou be a man - another Shakespeare quote from his reading of "Taming of the Shrew." Riley's Shakespeare Notebook is so lovely. I like this introduction to Shakespeare, as the abridged "Tales from Shakespeare" book makes the reading more comprehendible and gives him a solid understanding of Shakespeare for his age that will serve to help him later in high school when he reads unabridged Shakespeare selections.
In history, Riley is in Unit 20 and is reading about the Spread of the Protestant Reformation in the Mystery of History. His oral narration was about Luther and Eck debating in Leipzig, as well as Pope Leo X's issuing a "bull" agains Luther and ordering him excommunicated. He is learning to use proper names and events in his oral narrations accurately, and he is also learning to truly think about what he is reading while he is reading it, so he can give me a strong oral narration.
His research was about Wittenberg, which became a town in 1293, and which was the town that Luther nailed his theses on the church in 1517. The beautiful postcard he gets to informally share his findings on is a wonderful visual of the place he researched and the questions he answered. Riley's timeline included entries about Suleiman becoming Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Charles V calling Luther to the Diet of Worms, and Menno Simmons being the Night Preacher. I think it is helping him remember names, places, and events to draw and label his own timeline pictures. I don't expect him to remember them all, but each time he reads more about a person or topic, he takes more and more from it and builds on what he learned before. This is very Charlotte Mason like, and it helps him put 'hooks' in the 'broader backdrop' of what he has learned through the years.
Riley's written narration was about Menno Simons reading the Bible and preaching the Word. He was often persecuted, and his family was on the run most of their lives. Fleeing to Germany, he died there soon thereafter. Riley's written narration shows that he is beginning to look for specific details that are important to share because they are what the person will most be remembered for. It has been difficult for Riley to know when to write in more general terms and when to write in more specific terms. I've noticed this not only in his written narrations but also in his history notebooking activity where he describes an important person. We have been talking through this, and I feel like it is clicking as I see him doing better in each of these areas.
Riley finished reading about Rapheal and labeling some of his art masterpieces. The artwork and full color pictures/maps in RTR's Student Notebook are absolutely beautiful! I am glad he is getting to see the beauty of art like this has he studies this particular time period that was so rich with it!
In Christ,
Julie
No legacy is so rich as honesty - that was the poignant Shakespeare quote Riley copied underneath his latest reading of "All's Well That Ends Well." Draw forth thy weapon, we are beset with thieve; rescue thy mistress, if thou be a man - another Shakespeare quote from his reading of "Taming of the Shrew." Riley's Shakespeare Notebook is so lovely. I like this introduction to Shakespeare, as the abridged "Tales from Shakespeare" book makes the reading more comprehendible and gives him a solid understanding of Shakespeare for his age that will serve to help him later in high school when he reads unabridged Shakespeare selections.
In history, Riley is in Unit 20 and is reading about the Spread of the Protestant Reformation in the Mystery of History. His oral narration was about Luther and Eck debating in Leipzig, as well as Pope Leo X's issuing a "bull" agains Luther and ordering him excommunicated. He is learning to use proper names and events in his oral narrations accurately, and he is also learning to truly think about what he is reading while he is reading it, so he can give me a strong oral narration.
His research was about Wittenberg, which became a town in 1293, and which was the town that Luther nailed his theses on the church in 1517. The beautiful postcard he gets to informally share his findings on is a wonderful visual of the place he researched and the questions he answered. Riley's timeline included entries about Suleiman becoming Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Charles V calling Luther to the Diet of Worms, and Menno Simmons being the Night Preacher. I think it is helping him remember names, places, and events to draw and label his own timeline pictures. I don't expect him to remember them all, but each time he reads more about a person or topic, he takes more and more from it and builds on what he learned before. This is very Charlotte Mason like, and it helps him put 'hooks' in the 'broader backdrop' of what he has learned through the years.
Riley's written narration was about Menno Simons reading the Bible and preaching the Word. He was often persecuted, and his family was on the run most of their lives. Fleeing to Germany, he died there soon thereafter. Riley's written narration shows that he is beginning to look for specific details that are important to share because they are what the person will most be remembered for. It has been difficult for Riley to know when to write in more general terms and when to write in more specific terms. I've noticed this not only in his written narrations but also in his history notebooking activity where he describes an important person. We have been talking through this, and I feel like it is clicking as I see him doing better in each of these areas.
Riley finished reading about Rapheal and labeling some of his art masterpieces. The artwork and full color pictures/maps in RTR's Student Notebook are absolutely beautiful! I am glad he is getting to see the beauty of art like this has he studies this particular time period that was so rich with it!
In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie
Re: Week in Review December 8-12, 2014
World History High School:
Pat Knepley's art project entitled "Horsing Around" had Wyatt learning how to use colored pastel chalks to create a scene with horses. He loved working with the vivid colored chalks, and he told me it was his favorite medium to use now. This fine arts study has been such a joy! Pat Knepley is a Christian artist with a lovely way of encouraging the budding artist to try new mediums. Wyatt's "Horsing Around" project was one of his favorite projects to date. He got his own camera and took multiple pictures of it when it was completed. He was so pleased with how it turned out, and so was I! The short answer questions he is answering for his Exercises and Activities for Short Lessons in Art History assignments have him taking note of personal style and how a person's background or historical significance of the times he/she lives in affects their art. We are really enjoying this fine arts elective. 
In response to one of his "People, Places, and Events of World History" readings, Wyatt wrote a 300 word essay about Islam religion. He explained how it was conceived, spread, and lived out. His writing about Muhammed was detailed and interesting. These assignments are helping him to become a better writer, and all of his previous years of written narrations have helped prepare him to write on these more difficult topics.
Wyatt's written narration was about Ambrose. He is learning to sandwich his writing - having a strong opening sentence, supporting details, and a closing sentence that repeats the opening sentence in a slightly different way. He is also learning to write a closing paragraph that sums up his previous paragraphs in an interesting way. Here is his opening sentence...
Once the Roman Governor of the providence which held the Cathedral of Milan within its boundaries, Ambrose rose to the occasion once he was proclaimed Bishop of that church.
One of my favorite sentences he wrote is...
Despite being unbaptized and writing a letter that pleaded removal to the Pope which was rejected, Ambrose then turned to the inevitable with all his might.
I snapped a picture of his unedited writing, so you can see he does misspell things at times still, but overall, he makes few errors and because we do the final edit together, he knows I'll help him fix the more difficult to spell words that actually 'make' the writing so eloquent. I think if I belabored the spelling of everything as he was writing, he'd choose easier more simpler to spell words, and the writing style that truly shows more depth and insight would be lost.
Wyatt also completed note booking assignments about Augustine. I like his description of the quote of Augustine's he chose, which said...
This quote is memorable because it describes Augustine's conversion, as he was very restless in the start of his life until he settled in his faith...
The inspiration or application he took from this quote was something I liked even more!
I can be inspired to secure my faith in Christianity in order for my soul to stop being and feeling restless.
How that describes the Christian walk of faith! The ups and downs of our walk with the Lord can leave us searching only to find that 'yes, we are sinners' and 'yes, it is only by the grace of God that we are saved.' How encouraging for Wyatt to see that important men in history struggled with coming to grips with this as well, but that when they did, they became great men accomplishing great things for the Lord!
In Christ,
Julie
Pat Knepley's art project entitled "Horsing Around" had Wyatt learning how to use colored pastel chalks to create a scene with horses. He loved working with the vivid colored chalks, and he told me it was his favorite medium to use now.
This fine arts study has been such a joy! Pat Knepley is a Christian artist with a lovely way of encouraging the budding artist to try new mediums. Wyatt's "Horsing Around" project was one of his favorite projects to date. He got his own camera and took multiple pictures of it when it was completed. He was so pleased with how it turned out, and so was I! The short answer questions he is answering for his Exercises and Activities for Short Lessons in Art History assignments have him taking note of personal style and how a person's background or historical significance of the times he/she lives in affects their art. We are really enjoying this fine arts elective. 
In response to one of his "People, Places, and Events of World History" readings, Wyatt wrote a 300 word essay about Islam religion. He explained how it was conceived, spread, and lived out. His writing about Muhammed was detailed and interesting. These assignments are helping him to become a better writer, and all of his previous years of written narrations have helped prepare him to write on these more difficult topics.
Wyatt's written narration was about Ambrose. He is learning to sandwich his writing - having a strong opening sentence, supporting details, and a closing sentence that repeats the opening sentence in a slightly different way. He is also learning to write a closing paragraph that sums up his previous paragraphs in an interesting way. Here is his opening sentence...
Once the Roman Governor of the providence which held the Cathedral of Milan within its boundaries, Ambrose rose to the occasion once he was proclaimed Bishop of that church.
One of my favorite sentences he wrote is...
Despite being unbaptized and writing a letter that pleaded removal to the Pope which was rejected, Ambrose then turned to the inevitable with all his might.
I snapped a picture of his unedited writing, so you can see he does misspell things at times still, but overall, he makes few errors and because we do the final edit together, he knows I'll help him fix the more difficult to spell words that actually 'make' the writing so eloquent. I think if I belabored the spelling of everything as he was writing, he'd choose easier more simpler to spell words, and the writing style that truly shows more depth and insight would be lost.
Wyatt also completed note booking assignments about Augustine. I like his description of the quote of Augustine's he chose, which said...
This quote is memorable because it describes Augustine's conversion, as he was very restless in the start of his life until he settled in his faith...
The inspiration or application he took from this quote was something I liked even more!
I can be inspired to secure my faith in Christianity in order for my soul to stop being and feeling restless.
How that describes the Christian walk of faith! The ups and downs of our walk with the Lord can leave us searching only to find that 'yes, we are sinners' and 'yes, it is only by the grace of God that we are saved.' How encouraging for Wyatt to see that important men in history struggled with coming to grips with this as well, but that when they did, they became great men accomplishing great things for the Lord!
In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie
Re: Week in Review December 8-12, 2014
I just have to brag on my son for this past week. My middle child is my child who has struggled with EVERYTHING! Every day for school, I still have to invest and sit and work with him on more than I prefer. There are days that I feel like I have to hold his hand for everything. He has been my hardest child to teach to read because his auditory processing disorder. He doesn't "see" things well to draw them still. And because language is such a struggle, math has been a challenge in the past. He just struggles if that makes sense. Well, we are reading the One Small Square Woods book right now for science and I had a really busy day this past Thursday. I barely got done with school in general because we had some other stuff going on in the AM we don't normally have. So I looked right at my sweet boy with pleading eyes while I was prepping dinner and said, "Sam, the last thing we need to do is science but I have to make dinner, will you read it to me?" I am thinking please say yes, please say yes. He CAN read, but it is hit or miss still a bit as to whether or not he will read it correctly. Sam said yes (which almost knocked me flat on my back out of sheer shock) and then ...... he even read it correctly!!!!! It was a such a great thing to see and such a milestone for him personally. I am just so excited for him and he was pretty excited for himself.
Daneale
DD 13 WG
DS 12 R2R
DD 10 R2R
Enjoyed DITHOR, Little Hearts, Beyond, Bigger, Preparing, CTC, R2R, RevtoRev, MtMM
DD 13 WG
DS 12 R2R
DD 10 R2R
Enjoyed DITHOR, Little Hearts, Beyond, Bigger, Preparing, CTC, R2R, RevtoRev, MtMM
Re: Week in Review December 8-12, 2014
That is very exciting Daneale! I'm sure that boosted him up as well as you. It is very exciting when we see from fruit from the labor. Thanks for sharing.
Nancy
Dd29 married (w/2 sons 1/2/14, 5/24/16), ds27, dd25 married (w/dd born 8/9/16), dd25, dd22
Dd 19 HS in special ed
Dd14 RevtoRev
Ds12 RevtoRev
Ds 9 Preparing
Dd 5 LHFHG
Dd29 married (w/2 sons 1/2/14, 5/24/16), ds27, dd25 married (w/dd born 8/9/16), dd25, dd22
Dd 19 HS in special ed
Dd14 RevtoRev
Ds12 RevtoRev
Ds 9 Preparing
Dd 5 LHFHG
-
4Hispraise
- Posts: 308
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 9:30 pm
Re: Week in Review December 8-12, 2014
Julie,
Wyatt's horse picture...oh my goodness! How fun. I always love the pictures you post. Makes me remember guides we have done and look forward to them again...or for the first time!! Thank you.
Daneale,
So exciting to hear how your son is growing into independent reading skills! What an accomplishment and reason to celebrate.
Wyatt's horse picture...oh my goodness! How fun. I always love the pictures you post. Makes me remember guides we have done and look forward to them again...or for the first time!!
Thank you. Daneale,
So exciting to hear how your son is growing into independent reading skills! What an accomplishment and reason to celebrate.
Shelly- bride of 22 yrs. to My Hero
Mom to 2 treasures on earth, and 2 treasures in Heaven
DS - 16
DS - 7 Bigger Hearts For His Glory
Mom to 2 treasures on earth, and 2 treasures in Heaven
DS - 16
DS - 7 Bigger Hearts For His Glory
-
MelInKansas
- Posts: 1700
- Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2010 7:32 pm
Re: Week in Review December 8-12, 2014
It's so great to read everyone else's weeks in review. I love celebrating the victories with all of you and hearing what others have done to help their children be more successful in the guides. I have to say I've learned a lot on this Week in Review board as well as the other boards!
Last week was a trial of "School light" which is what we will be doing until the baby comes, and probably sometime after I recover from birth we will pick it up again, though maybe at a still slower speed. For us this will be: Math, DITHOR, writing assignments and book reports for my oldest, along with being my house helper, Bigger and ER for my 2nd and LHFHG for my 3rd. It's amazing how much lighter this has made our days and SO FAR my oldest is doing well with being mom's helper and I see her learning domestic skills that she didn't have time for while doing Preparing full speed. I think it will be a much-needed break for her. She cooked dinner on Monday night and helped me with dinner each of the other days. She ended up cooking dinner all by herself and cleaning off the table for dinner because my 3rd DD had a demo during dance class which parents were invited to attend. Usually I drop her off and DH picks her up after work but instead I took her over there and stayed to watch her dance. My oldest was home cooking dinner while Dad was working downstairs. She burned herself and dropped a spoon down into the soup. She said "Mom that was hard! Now I know how hard it is for you to cook and clean up for dinner every night. I want to help you more." Well that was a welcome and unexpected side effect. A continuing theme with my oldest is I need to back off and let her grow in independence and let her learn lessons in her own way, rather than lecturing her.
My 2nd born DD is moving right along in Bigger and I also enjoyed having a little more time to focus on it with her. She finished reading Tornado in the ER set and I was impressed with how well she can read it now! She is taking off in reading and seems to really enjoy it. Since we haven't been doing as much school we are hitting the library once a week for new materials for the kids for free reading time. I am so blessed that they enjoy reading so much, even if I do have to push them to read "good books" sometimes.
LHFHG is also going really well and my DD, now in unit 13, has grown into it and is doing great! I am impressed with her recall, as she retells her Dad every night what she has learned about that day. I think the Rhyme and activities really help with this. Her reading is also going pretty smoothly, she just finished up Lesson 5 in TRL. So hard to believe we are 1/4 of the way through that and about 1/3 through the guide! With my younger ones I sometimes feel they are growing up too fast (well this DD in particular is quite precocious and really wants to be bigger than she is, so I may always feel this way with her).
A very Merry and Blessed Christmas to all my fellow HOD-ies here on the board, as I assume most of us are soon going to be taking a break for Christmas time.
Last week was a trial of "School light" which is what we will be doing until the baby comes, and probably sometime after I recover from birth we will pick it up again, though maybe at a still slower speed. For us this will be: Math, DITHOR, writing assignments and book reports for my oldest, along with being my house helper, Bigger and ER for my 2nd and LHFHG for my 3rd. It's amazing how much lighter this has made our days and SO FAR my oldest is doing well with being mom's helper and I see her learning domestic skills that she didn't have time for while doing Preparing full speed. I think it will be a much-needed break for her. She cooked dinner on Monday night and helped me with dinner each of the other days. She ended up cooking dinner all by herself and cleaning off the table for dinner because my 3rd DD had a demo during dance class which parents were invited to attend. Usually I drop her off and DH picks her up after work but instead I took her over there and stayed to watch her dance. My oldest was home cooking dinner while Dad was working downstairs. She burned herself and dropped a spoon down into the soup. She said "Mom that was hard! Now I know how hard it is for you to cook and clean up for dinner every night. I want to help you more." Well that was a welcome and unexpected side effect. A continuing theme with my oldest is I need to back off and let her grow in independence and let her learn lessons in her own way, rather than lecturing her.
My 2nd born DD is moving right along in Bigger and I also enjoyed having a little more time to focus on it with her. She finished reading Tornado in the ER set and I was impressed with how well she can read it now! She is taking off in reading and seems to really enjoy it. Since we haven't been doing as much school we are hitting the library once a week for new materials for the kids for free reading time. I am so blessed that they enjoy reading so much, even if I do have to push them to read "good books" sometimes.
LHFHG is also going really well and my DD, now in unit 13, has grown into it and is doing great! I am impressed with her recall, as she retells her Dad every night what she has learned about that day. I think the Rhyme and activities really help with this. Her reading is also going pretty smoothly, she just finished up Lesson 5 in TRL. So hard to believe we are 1/4 of the way through that and about 1/3 through the guide! With my younger ones I sometimes feel they are growing up too fast (well this DD in particular is quite precocious and really wants to be bigger than she is, so I may always feel this way with her).
A very Merry and Blessed Christmas to all my fellow HOD-ies here on the board, as I assume most of us are soon going to be taking a break for Christmas time.
Melissa
"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases
His mercies never come to an end"
DD12 - Rev to Rev + DITHOR 6/7/8
DD10 - CTC + DITHOR 2/3
DD7 - Bigger + ERs
DS5 - LHFHG
DD2 - ABC123
2 babies in heaven
"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases
His mercies never come to an end"
DD12 - Rev to Rev + DITHOR 6/7/8
DD10 - CTC + DITHOR 2/3
DD7 - Bigger + ERs
DS5 - LHFHG
DD2 - ABC123
2 babies in heaven
Re: Week in Review December 8-12, 2014
Thank you for your kind words here! Wyatt was my ds who showed his initial opinion about art as a young child by coloring everything... black... in big scribbles... as fast as he could... and then he would shout, "DONE!"4Hispraise wrote:Julie,
Wyatt's horse picture...oh my goodness! How fun. I always love the pictures you post. Makes me remember guides we have done and look forward to them again...or for the first time!!
I remember those "A Reason for Handwriting K" pages that I wanted him to color - they were not pretty. I eventually just had him stop coloring them, and I asked him instead to write his letters neatly. THAT he loved! He has always preferred to write rather than color. Still, anything that was assigned in his HOD guides through the years, I required him to do and helped him as much as I could without taking it over or requiring it to be perfect. I think it has paid off. He now can enjoy art and creative projects, and he can be happy with the final product. He will never be a person who sits down to draw or create just for fun, but he will be a person who appreciates art, and who can turn out a pretty good art project when called upon to do so. In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie
Re: Week in Review December 8-12, 2014
I like your "school light" plan you've shared! What a wise way to approach this busy time as you prepare for your new baby! I also love the idea of using this time for your oldest to be your "house helper." I think naming things such as this helps dc understand that you are making conscious decisions about how to approach your days, rather than just sort of letting them happen. I have found it a good idea to make a change of routine when I foresee a busier time headed our way. You are doing just that, and I think it is a super way to continue moving forward without trying to maintain an impossible to do right now 'normal' schedule. One last praise - I am very hopeful that our sons can each someday marry a Christian homeschooled girl that has a heart for the Lord, a head for learning, and a maternal side for mothering. (I know, I'm aiming high!) Domestic training such as your dd is doing right now cannot be underestimated, as it is becoming somewhat of a lost art! Your dd sounds like she is becoming just the kind of girl I wish our sons would someday marry. I have to work on many skills within my sons to help them with their role as husbands and fathers someday too! Anyway, thank you for sharing what is working in this busy time in your life, and may you enjoy this 'school light' and your sweet little 'house helper' as you prepare for your baby's arrival!MelInKansas wrote:...Last week was a trial of "School light" which is what we will be doing until the baby comes, and probably sometime after I recover from birth we will pick it up again, though maybe at a still slower speed. For us this will be: Math, DITHOR, writing assignments and book reports for my oldest, along with being my house helper, Bigger and ER for my 2nd and LHFHG for my 3rd. It's amazing how much lighter this has made our days and SO FAR my oldest is doing well with being mom's helper and I see her learning domestic skills that she didn't have time for while doing Preparing full speed. I think it will be a much-needed break for her. She cooked dinner on Monday night and helped me with dinner each of the other days. She ended up cooking dinner all by herself and cleaning off the table for dinner because my 3rd DD had a demo during dance class which parents were invited to attend. Usually I drop her off and DH picks her up after work but instead I took her over there and stayed to watch her dance. My oldest was home cooking dinner while Dad was working downstairs. She burned herself and dropped a spoon down into the soup. She said "Mom that was hard! Now I know how hard it is for you to cook and clean up for dinner every night. I want to help you more." Well that was a welcome and unexpected side effect. A continuing theme with my oldest is I need to back off and let her grow in independence and let her learn lessons in her own way, rather than lecturing her...
In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie
Re: Week in Review December 8-12, 2014
HIp! HIp! Hooray!!!Nealewill wrote:I just have to brag on my son for this past week. My middle child is my child who has struggled with EVERYTHING! Every day for school, I still have to invest and sit and work with him on more than I prefer. There are days that I feel like I have to hold his hand for everything. He has been my hardest child to teach to read because his auditory processing disorder. He doesn't "see" things well to draw them still. And because language is such a struggle, math has been a challenge in the past. He just struggles if that makes sense. Well, we are reading the One Small Square Woods book right now for science and I had a really busy day this past Thursday. I barely got done with school in general because we had some other stuff going on in the AM we don't normally have. So I looked right at my sweet boy with pleading eyes while I was prepping dinner and said, "Sam, the last thing we need to do is science but I have to make dinner, will you read it to me?" I am thinking please say yes, please say yes. He CAN read, but it is hit or miss still a bit as to whether or not he will read it correctly. Sam said yes (which almost knocked me flat on my back out of sheer shock) and then ...... he even read it correctly!!!!! It was a such a great thing to see and such a milestone for him personally. I am just so excited for him and he was pretty excited for himself.
What a success to celebrate! Your diligence in working alongside your ds and bringing him along in his skills is paying off! Boys do long for a challenge sometimes, and he certainly rose to it by reading his OSS Woods book impromptu. I'm impressed! Thanks for taking time to share what is working and how your dc are progressing in school, Nealewill. Thank you also for taking time to help others on this board! It is a gifting you have to help others as they homeschool. You have a way about you that is very encouraging yet practical. The time and good advice you give to others on this board is greatly appreciated. God bless!In Christ,
Julie
Enjoyed LHTH to USII
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie
Currently using USI
Wife to Rich for 28 years
Mother to 3 sons, ages 23, 20, and 16
Sister to Carrie
Re: Week in Review December 8-12, 2014
Thank you so much to all of you who have celebrated with me!!!!
Having this type of support group helps so much in homeschooling There are tough days sometimes and then there are just days for praises. It is fantastic to have such wonderful women such as you for both. Thank you so much!
Having this type of support group helps so much in homeschooling
There are tough days sometimes and then there are just days for praises. It is fantastic to have such wonderful women such as you for both. Thank you so much!Daneale
DD 13 WG
DS 12 R2R
DD 10 R2R
Enjoyed DITHOR, Little Hearts, Beyond, Bigger, Preparing, CTC, R2R, RevtoRev, MtMM
DD 13 WG
DS 12 R2R
DD 10 R2R
Enjoyed DITHOR, Little Hearts, Beyond, Bigger, Preparing, CTC, R2R, RevtoRev, MtMM
Re: Week in Review December 8-12, 2014
It has been my pleasure! I love your curriculum so much and can't imagine where we would be without it. I must be honest, I never envisioned that I would use a box curriculum. Most of the homeschool moms I knew when I first started homeschooling were seasoned homeschoolers. They were so seasoned that most of them had already graduated a few kids before I even started. They were all into the classical style of education (which actually isn't my style at all) and would just put their own thing together for their kids. So naturally, that was more of the beginning of my path. But I found that it was quite a bit of work! It was even harder to research what is an appropriate volume for different skills at different ages. And I felt like I was still missing that "fun" factor in my day. That was the hardest part, how can I include interesting, hands on activities that don't cost a fortune to complete along with adding to the learning? What a blessing my life has been since finding you! How can I not share how much love your stuff?! Even at my co-op, I am known as the HOD user LOL. I have already brought in all 5 of my levels a few occasions to show some newer homeschooling moms (they asked to see it) and a friend of mine is coming over this upcoming Monday night to see my stuff as well. It is such a wonderful treasure of a curriculum that I just can't keep it to myselfmy3sons wrote:Nealewill wrote: Thanks for taking time to share what is working and how your dc are progressing in school, Nealewill. Thank you also for taking time to help others on this board! It is a gifting you have to help others as they homeschool. You have a way about you that is very encouraging yet practical. The time and good advice you give to others on this board is greatly appreciated. God bless!
In Christ,
Julie
Daneale
DD 13 WG
DS 12 R2R
DD 10 R2R
Enjoyed DITHOR, Little Hearts, Beyond, Bigger, Preparing, CTC, R2R, RevtoRev, MtMM
DD 13 WG
DS 12 R2R
DD 10 R2R
Enjoyed DITHOR, Little Hearts, Beyond, Bigger, Preparing, CTC, R2R, RevtoRev, MtMM
Re: Week in Review December 8-12, 2014
I agree with you Daneale! I love it--and never thought I would use a "box" curriculum either.
Nancy
Dd29 married (w/2 sons 1/2/14, 5/24/16), ds27, dd25 married (w/dd born 8/9/16), dd25, dd22
Dd 19 HS in special ed
Dd14 RevtoRev
Ds12 RevtoRev
Ds 9 Preparing
Dd 5 LHFHG
Dd29 married (w/2 sons 1/2/14, 5/24/16), ds27, dd25 married (w/dd born 8/9/16), dd25, dd22
Dd 19 HS in special ed
Dd14 RevtoRev
Ds12 RevtoRev
Ds 9 Preparing
Dd 5 LHFHG