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Week in Review~1-15-09

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 10:03 pm
by gracelikerain
Ok, Ladies! :D
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!

Can't wait to see all your work!

Re: Week in Review~1-15-09

Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 10:15 pm
by gracelikerain
Hello Ladies! :D

We had another great week in Preparing. We finished up week 15. We really enjoyed our read aloud, A Triumph For Flavius.....my dc didn't want the book to end....yeah, I finished it early...I am so bad! :oops:
The book on Constellations is nice & easy to understand....makes learning about the stars neat.
We enjoyed our experiment with seeing how bright the stars are & why some are brighter than others.
Our timelines are coming along nicely.
We loved hearing about the history of the Persians attacking Greece & how it was Prophesied in Daniel that Greece would win....very cool... 8) I love that!!
We are making a Trireme ancient warship. We didn't finish it yet. When we do I will post a picture. Hopefully, tomorrow! :roll:

Looking forward to reading all about your week!

Blessings!!

Re: Week in Review~1-15-09

Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 9:32 am
by spidermansmum
We have completed another week.Im delighted that we are back on track and we have a routine working for us again.We have completed week 17 of Little Hnads for His Glory.This week we covered doubting thomas,which DS loved because he thought it was a bit gruesome.We covered the ascension and the call to spread the good news.
.We have been working on less handwriting better done and thats going well too.
We have been working on some sight recognition words .We have them on our fridge and we practice this often.We have been matching colour names to colours.
Grandfather Frog taught us that fighting never solves the problem.
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I realised this week He can count to a hundred .We have been sorting into tens and units and learning to read the words from eleven to twenty,a well as recognise the numbers.
We did the rising and sinking raisin experiment

Re: Week in Review~1-15-09

Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 5:02 pm
by Kathleen
Hi ladies! :D

This week I realize now as I look at my camera that I have none of Grant. (Ooops! :roll: ) We had a wonderful week doing Bigger. This week in history we were talking about some of the important battles in the American Revolution. It has been fun to watch the lightbulb go off in his head as he's connecting the things he knows with what we're reading in our history book. :idea: We read Guns for General Washington and George Rogers Clark earlier this year in storytime, and he loved knowing the big picture behind the paragraph or page they got in our history book.

The highlight of my week with Grant has been watching him be so on-task and eager to do his work. (Now I don't want to sound like everything is always perfect in our house because it's not, and we've had the other side of the attitude spectrum too. :wink: ) As a mom though, I'm really enjoying seeing the change for the better and the benefits that come with it for both of us! This week we began talking about initiative as our character quality and he's been able to share lots of examples from his life of how he's showing it. He's especially enjoying the extra free time when he completes his work well and we make the most of our morning. (He's looking for ways to help me be more efficient. :lol: )

Alli and Garret both had fevers for a couple of days, but they still enjoyed doing school. (I haven't seen anything slow Garret down yet in his 2 1/2 yr. life...)
We ended up with TWO :D Tape Days :D this week with where we were in the plans. We j-j-joyfully jumped on the "J".
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And here is our "K" from this morning.
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We finished talking about Samuel, and they really enjoyed the project where they got to paint oil on their person's head to "annoint" him.
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We have been enjoying the stories about David that they know really well from Sunday School. They like feeling like "experts". :wink: We had a lot of fun playing the game where I was a lion or a bear coming to get their sheep and they killed me. (Too bad I didn't get a photographer for that one, huh. :lol: ) They were good shepherds just like David, and I never got any sheep. :wink: Today we read about David and Goliath. We talked about how Goliath was much bigger than David, and they lined up quite a row of vehicles from smallest to biggest.
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Well, that about does it for our week. My little nappers are awake now, and Grant has one science experiment to finish. (He needed the magnifying glass from his room where Garret was sleeping...oops, mom didn't look ahead before nap time! :roll: )
Have a wonderful weekend, fellow HODies!
:D Kathleen

Re: Week in Review~1-15-09

Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 5:27 pm
by Mommamo
I haven't posted in a while, but we are now on week 28 of LHFHG, and I think this is our favorite so far, so I just had to post. (Sorry I don't have any pics. I can't figure out how to do it. I really need to start a blog I guess.....)

This week the kids got to pick cotton which was fun, especially since we are in a big cotton area. They built Monticello (well, Dalton took Monticello apart and Caroline kept having to rebuild it, but it was really cute to hear Dalton, almost 3, say Monticello :lol: .) They really enjoyed "dressing up" like Lewis and Clark and then sailing up the Missouri, climbing mountains, going up another river, finally discovering the Pacific, and then going back the way they came. In fact they are still doing it! :lol:

We also started the Emerging Readers from Beyond this week. Caroline has done 2 days of it and is really doing well. She's suddenly taking off with phonics, and I think reading "real" books helps a lot.

We also switched over to Singapore math from RightStart a while back and are on week 10 of Beyond for math. What a joy that has been! We have been working on adding two larger numbers and :"regrouping" (for lack of a better word) into a group of ten and some ones. Well... it really clicked today and she just took off with it. She can't get enough of the math in Beyond. It is just too much fun for her.

And then we also read more about Buster Bear. Caroline is getting sad because there is only 1 book about "our friends" left before we start "the regular Peter Rabbit and his friends" and she's convinced me to get some more of Thornton Burgesses books for when we finish the ones in LHFHG. They are just too sweet! I'm so thankful to Carrie for introducing us to them.

Anyway, that's been our week! I have enjoyed reading up everyone else's weeks too!

Re: Week in Review~1-15-09

Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 7:55 pm
by Carrie
Ladies,

I am thoroughly loving the opportunity to have a sneak peek into your weeks! It is such a joy to see and hear about your kiddos. Here's a bit about our week:

In LHFHG this week, Greyson really enjoyed testing items to see whether they were absorbant. He discovered that paper towels, tissues, and cotton absorbed water and a coin, block, plastic wrap, and waxed paper repelled water. This went along with our reading about Sir Walter Raleigh placing his red velvet cloak down to absorb the muddy water, so Queen Elizabeth wouldn't get her feet wet. :wink:

Greyson also loved painting a scene to go along with the settling of Jamestown in the spring. His trees were beautiful and his dogwood was in full bloom. Greyson's fine motor skills have REALLY improved this year. What a blessing! 8)

As we read about Henry Spelmen learning to catch fish by the light of a fire (from the Indians), Greyson got the chance to go fishing by flashlight for waxed paper fish that were floating in a sink of water. He only pretended to spear them, as he's an aquatic animal lover! My boys are SO different from one another! :lol:

Greyson has also really improved with his large motor skills this year. He is throwing and catching the balls so much better, tossing his beanbags in the bowls with much better aim, and is becoming more coordinated with his galloping, skipping, jumping, etc. He's learned much of this in doing the Rhymes in Motion each week. I never realized, until we did the rhymes, how many of those skills that he didn't quite have down. He really gives the appearance of being very coordinated but those specific skills I listed needed some work! :wink: I have to admit it is exercise for me to do the Rhymes in Motion too, and I need the workout! :D

Our Devotions for the Children's Hour is resulting in many heartfelt discussion about Jesus and God this year. I had forgotten how wonderful this particular devotional is and am glad to be going through it with Greyson! He loves to ask questions, and I can tell he's really thinking. :D

In Preparing Hearts this week, Shaw's favorite activity was making his denarius (Roman coins). He finished his pouch for the coins today and has been carrying it everywhere. :D It was interesting to research the denarius and see pictures of the various versions of the coin on the internet for research this week. Shaw is really becoming a good researcher and enjoys that box of the plans when it comes up each week.

I'm also excited that Shaw is able to find things much more easily on the globe these days. He is getting familiar with where the countries were located in ancient times and understanding more about the size of the world! :D

In science, Shaw has finished reading about the dinosaurs and has moved on to studying constellations. He's thrilled with making his own constellation book which he called "The Book of Stars". His little brother, Greyson, was so inspired after seeing Shaw's that he made his own! :wink:

I continue to love hearing Shaw singing the Psalms for his Bible study each day. I feel such a peace and joy when that music is floating through our home. I know the Lord is smiling down on us when He hears it! :D

My oldest son, Cole, is deep in the middle of a book that will be in our upcoming Extension Pack for our new guide. The book is Within the Palace Gates, and Cole says that he's enjoying it and that the plot is really building. :D He's also having a great year doing Exploration Education Physical Science, which is one that we most likely will recommend for the Physical Science year of our future guides.

I pray each of you are having a blessed week! We are praising the Lord to all be feeling well again. 8)

Blessings,
Carrie

Re: Week in Review~1-15-09

Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 11:06 pm
by funkmomma71
We finished up Unit 19 in LHFHG and once again we had a great week. We studied the early church and about martyrs; it was really cool to see the lightbulbs go off in Dina's head that life here on earth is just a vapor and eternity with God is worth giving up this life. We also cleared up a misconception she had, she thought that when Jesus was born is when He began, if you will. So we started in Genesis and ended in John discussing how Jesus was the Word and that the Word was with God and was God and became flesh when He was born as a man. Even though she understood that Jesus is God, she didn't quite understand that He always was and is and is to come, but now she gets it. Praise God for these moments of teaching and instruction. :)

The first day we learned about St. Valentine and made a Valentine, which my husband did with her and she made it for me. That was so cool, because since I am the one who does most of her work with her, she usually makes stuff for other people but this time it was for me and that was TERRIFIC!! Not only that, my hubby helped her write out "To: The Best Teacher", so I think some of his sentiments were reflected, also.

In math we began learning adding using the number line. She seemed to get it right away. We also celebrated finishing Singapore Earlybird 2A, which she was really proud of. :D

In RME we continued coverage of the short "e" sound which she sometimes confuses with the short "i" sound. That makes for some funny pronunciations. :lol:
We only covered two lessons this week, but I don't want to rush things and stress her out. We probably won't finish up with RME until we are ready to begin Beyond, next fall. She loves doing the drawings that go along the lessons in RME, and now we are using the Draw-Write-Now books to help her with her drawings.

She really did not like the Rhyme this week at first, but after she mastered :D making a circle with her fingers she liked it a lot more, and did it several times everyday. :D I am thankful for the scissors work in Finding the Answers, she really needs the practice and I think by the end of the book she will much better at using scissors and cutting.

Nancy

Re: Week in Review~1-15-09

Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2009 3:35 pm
by wisdom4us
I believe this is my first week in review! I guess my confidence is building. :D

We had a great week! It started off bumpy, you can read my "frustrated with handwriting" post on the main board but I finally got myself organized. I have put our schedule on paper for the boys to see too. I have blocks of time that I work with each boy and they know not to interrupt their brother's time. I am still searching for audio books to help occupy the two boys I'm not working with but for now they are watching education DVD's and playing educational computer games - QUIETLY! I laid the law down and when they are so loud that they are interrupting to the teaching time they stay in timeout until that teaching "session" is over that they interrupted. So far, so good! I feel like a drill sergeant at times but it really seems to be helping with the order. :roll:

My Bigger boy is really doing well with reading now. He has been struggling but he's doing so much better. We are working together through the emerging readers and I feel more confident with my phonics that I don't get flustered so easily. Still get there, don't get me work but it's better! The twins are doing well also.

We are having so much FUN with HOD! I've been apart of this board for a while now and I read how the moms have fun learning with their children and how they so much enjoy HOD, to be honest, I was jealous because we were not having fun. It was drudgery to get through the school day, don't even think about what are weeks were like! But since I've organized myself and gotten a better grip on things, I'm more confident and in more control and so I'm letting go and listening to the Holy Spirit more. Before I was fearful that I was forgetting something or not doing enough that I couldn't hear that "still small voice" inside of me. I was scatter brained!!! Now that I'm relaxed (more, not totally :oops: ) I can hear now!

I have found some wonderful forms and such at http://www.donnayoung.org . I probably have too many forms now! :lol:

Hopefully next week I'll have pictures to share.

Re: Week in Review~1-15-09

Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2009 1:05 pm
by Carrie
gracelikerain,
My sons loved the way the fall of Persia was foretold in Scripture too! It is amazing to glimpse the revelation of God's plans before they unfolded! My boys are enjoying reading about the constellations too and have been looking for them in the night sky. 8)

spidermansmum,
How exciting that your little one can count to 100! It sounds like you're making great progress and that tweaking the handwriting is helping. We love Grandfather Frog at our house. :wink:

Kathleen,
I loved the huge 'K' with Legos. That must have taken your little ones some time to do! I'm excited that Grant is connecting your literature with the history. Literature truly does make history come alive! Good for Grant for making the connections. I hope Alli and Garret are feeling better. :D

Mammamo,
I don't know how to post pictures either, so you're not alone! I still enjoy reading everyone's updates, with or without pics! :D I can just picture your kiddos dressed like Lewis and Clark! It's wonderful to hear that Caroline is taking off with her reading. What a fun stage! I'm also glad you're enjoying Singapore math. We can really "see" the thinking that goes along with it as our kiddos work on it too.

Nancy,
It sounds like you and Dina had an in-depth discussion about Jesus this week. I love the way you shared about personalizing your time with her. It is a blessing when those moments present themselves at our house too. :wink: How precious that your hubby helped Dina make the valentine. Those are moments to treasure. I'm glad Dina got the rhyme down and felt good about it by the end. The rhymes do a good job of working on important gross motor and fine motor skills, so they aren't always easy. Good job of persevering. 8)

Summer,
I'm so happy to see you on our weekly review. It sounds like you are a motivated mom with a plan. Good for you! It makes a HUGE difference in our day here if my kiddos know not to interrupt me when I'm working with someone else. It also really helps my kiddos to follow the same schedule every day until they have it down. Then, the freedom comes, as each one knows what to do when. I respect you for taking charge and doing the difficult thing for the time being, which will pay off dividends once the training periods over. I know what you mean about being still and listening to the Holy Spirit. I need to remind myself often to do just that. :wink:

Blessings,
Carrie

Re: Week in Review~1-15-09

Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 5:10 pm
by tre-planted
Hi everyone! It's been a long time since I've been on here to read and post. Things are moving along so well. My son is in 1st grade, working from the BLHFHG and loving every bit of it. My daughter, 3yr old, enjoys doing the art and stories with him from his work. I was doing the LHTH with her the first part of the school year, but she quickly lost interest and was more into what her brother was doing. It's been a challenge. I've added the Pre-K workbooks you can get at a local store, and she's loving it! I now do workbooks with her, then include her in on our daily devotion and memory verse, Art and Science projects from BLHFHG as well as the storytime reading. My son likes it when she'll sit and listen to him read his stories too. His reading has come a long way. I am using the emerging readers, as last year we did the Reading Made Easy. I am so happy with the results and his reading of the level 4 books have blown me away. We are currently on Unit 17, day 5 tomorrow. He's excited about his reader he started today, "First Flight" as he loves planes and is facinated that this took place in 1900. The Railway Children is the mystery book we're reading, and that one is challanging him. As I read it, he's unable to keep interest. The wording is not the norm he's use to and it's hard for him to follow. I've started reading it myself ahead of time, so I can reword it to his level when I read it to him. It's the only book so far, that he's struggled with. Anyone else have a simular problem? Over all, still loving it and plan to continue to the Bigger Hearts next year.
God Bless,
Tre :wink:

Re: Week in Review~1-15-09

Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 1:50 pm
by Carrie
Tre,

I'm so glad your son is getting a chance to enjoy Beyond. It sounds like your little one loves to join in and do school with her big brother when she can! Those second-born kiddos don't want to be kept out of anything, do they! :wink:

How exciting that your son's reading level is progressing so well. I love to see kiddos take off in their reading. It is a joy for a mom to behold! :D

I'm happy you've had a chance to enjoy the read-alouds with Beyond this year too. I will agree that The Railway Children does require a more seasoned listener, especially as it's a classic that is from a different time and place. If you haven't read much classic literature before, it does take some getting used to! It can feel a bit like the first time you read Shakespeare! :wink: I'll admit it took my kiddos awhile to get into the flow of the story too, however my older boys have gone on and read all of E. Nesbit's books after The Railway Children and loved them all. Nesbit is an amazing author and one that comes up often, so you may wish to persevere... not thinking you'll suddenly enjoy it, but knowing you're raising your kiddos (and maybe even your own) listening/comprehension level. :wink:

Blessings,
Carrie