Hi Liz!
I wanted to try to answer this when I had more time, and tonight is the night.
As you know, Wyatt is doing RevtoRev this year, and we are a little less than half of the way through the guide. Both Wyatt and I are enjoying this guide so much. Time is literally flying by.
The history books Wyatt is reading have captivated his attention. He can be found with his nose happily buried in his "Reading about History" books, or his headphones on soaking up Diana Waring's or Jim Weis' amazing storytelling talents. This feels like a harvest season for me, as there are some things that Wyatt has come so far with that I spent some real time working on with him within HOD's previous guides.
For example, I am honestly having a difficult time coming up with critiques for his oral and written narrations these days - and I'm one picky teacher when it comes to CM skills because I have come to believe they are extremely important. Using the checklists in the backs of the guide has made the editing process become easier and easier for Wyatt's written work, and it is rare he makes errors (and this from a boy who was NOT a natural speller).
I look forward to reading his written narrations so much these days. I like the variety in history materials that are used. Between the Reading about History books, the Storytime books, the audio selections, and the Primary Source documents, there are a LOT of different styles of excellent narrators to be found among these seasoned authors. I think this has helped him find his own style of narrating - and I am liking his style very, very much!
I can see him connecting with the material in a BIG way. This excitement about what he is learning in history is spilling over to "life" in general outside of RevtoRev time. For example, when hanging out with the cousins, he wanted to hold a trial and be a lawyer who defended the need for the Declaration of Independence. I happened to walk into this activity to hear him quoting different people to defend the cause. He was on fire!
He also has begun to talk with this huge vocabulary pretending to defend this right or that, in jest of course, but really - he sounds pretty convincing.
Again, this coming from a boy who did NOT like speaking in front of groups at all, having had speech therapy for years when he was little. He's been trading his computer time to watch the "American Testimony", which I got just to watch sometime, not necessarily now, as he's not doing the extensions and certainly doesn't need to. You should hear him talk his little brother Riley into watching with him - it's the history sales pitch of the time period... "Do you know this battle or that person is in this, Riley! Remember that was when so and so did this amazing thing, and you've just GOT to see this!"
He's also been writing a "newspaper", chronicling this or that happening in our home, or with the cousins, again with a style that mimics his history readings.
This leads me to the history projects. These are grown up history projects, and he is doing them all on his own. I love seeing what he is doing, and I am very thankful that hands-on is kept a part of the plans in RevtoRev, as so many guides drop it. This is where I see real life application as well. Wyatt LOVES to cook and to bake, and I think this passion has been ignited by some of the history projects in RevtoRev. Just today he pulled out a binder and some tabs and began labeling them to start his own cookbook collection of recipes he's made in HOD. He's photocopying his favorites to keep for "all time" and make again and again.
These projects are worthy endeavors for older dc. Baked pottery project, monogrammed coins, painted and oil pastel Chinese vase, original games written to match the history exactly, haiku/origami project, watercolor painting, mapping projects - the variety is huge! It's been neat to see some new talents and interests sparked by the history projects.
I've noticed that the Storytime questions are some "deep thinking" type questions. They really require him to do some analyzing to be able to answer well. I am thankful we are not doing basic comprehension questions with one word exact answers. This is so much more interesting for the both of us to discuss these types of questions! The poetry is difficult, as are the primary source documents. I looked at those and wondered if my ds could handle them. He can! I make sure to ask the follow-up questions and discuss anything noted in the guide, as I like to be sure he's understanding these, but they are really well-matched the history and definitely provide some unique insights, in-depth points of view, and higher level thinking for history.
I like the specific vignettes of history the Map Trek mapping assignments provide, alongside the bigger picture views of history the US Atlas provides. The two complement one another, and work together to help Wyatt learn some great mapping skills. This leads me to research. Wyatt is REALLY enjoying his research of the signers. "The Signers" gives just enough information to paint a good picture of each signer without overwhelming with too much information. The signers' cards activity is a favorite of Wyatt's. He loves to look at each of their portraits and signatures, and then answer the questions about each signer on the back of the card with his own unique answers that show he did the research well, but also show what struck him as most important and interesting.
His history notebooking is just beautiful. The full-color period artwork shown in the notebooking is another way he is immersed in the time period, and the questions that go along with it bring out much thought and good connections about history itself. His drawings with "Draw and Write..." are looking GREAT - again from a boy who did not enjoy drawing. His timeline pictures show the major events studied in each unit and help him better remember the major events of this time period. I like that he'll be able to join them with his previous timelines to make a book of centuries of sorts.
The State Study is interesting, Christian, full of full-color pictures, and totally independent! I cannot think of any other way I'd want to study the states. Each day he hands in his work, I check it with they key, and bada-bing-bada-boom, done.
It's done very narratively, believe it or not. The stories and facts Joy Deen chose are fascinating, and Wyatt is usually shouting out things like, "Hey did you know the first highway was in Mississippi?" or "Did you know there was a law that... in .... - isn't that weird, Mom?"
He is really enjoying it.
I've noticed a big interest in inventions as well, obviously sparked by the Inventor study. These books are so interesting - I LOVE listening to his oral narrations - these inventors just had amazing minds, yet many came from poverty-stricken homes. Inspiring - to say the least! I really like the Inventor notebooking pages. His written narrations are really full of his personality in these, as they are shorter, and he chooses just want he wants most to write about. The timeline he does along with them is neat too, and there is just something neat about seeing portraits of these people, and pictures of their inventions. It brings it all to life because we can visualize it so well.
Wyatt has been dreaming up ways to build a new kind of transportation for the average Joe - one that doesn't use gas on roads that don't need to be repaired. Wouldn't it be great if he really came up with something?!?
I can tell he's putting together his physical science and his inventor study and really thinking about how modern day problems could be solved using scientific methods. That brings me to physical science with "Exploration Education". He LOVES every part of this - the building of the racer/circuit/etc., the experimenting with it, the computer reading, and even the logbook. I LOVE that this is independent, and I can clearly see from my answer key and from looking at his racer/circuit/etc. that he "got it". His answers in his logbook are pretty amazing - definitely learning and using some new vocabulary there.
The Music Appreciation box has been fun. "The Story of Classical Music" is so narrative. I find myself just listening for fun along with him. The lapbook is something different that he is getting excited to see put all together. I've noticed carryover into life with this too. He sometimes puts in his music CD's just to listen for fun while working on something else. He also has been pausing some of his little brother's cartoons and saying, "Do you recognize this? This is one of the most famous musical pieces by ____!" Or he'll just notice the background music more and the mood it evokes - often commenting on it to his little brothers who look on with awe.
Wyatt's independent Bible Quiet Time and our partnering together to do the "Who Is God?..." study is a great balance. He has accountability for having his own Bible quiet time, and it's a great one. He really likes Evelyn Wheeler's studies. They dig pretty deep without being overwhelming. I have him say his Bible passage for me about every other day - and wow - it's getting long, but he can do it. I love to hear him say "BY FAITH..." over and over again with such conviction, as that heroes of the faith passage in Hebrews does. It honestly gives me chills, and I pray he always has this conviction that BY FAITH all things are possible. I've also noticed when he takes a turn praying before meals that he is trying to use the ACTS model of praying that he has does for his quiet time - it just fills my heart up with joy when he does this. The "Who is God?" study is narrative as well, and it is laying some excellent groundwork, explaining the nuts and bolts in ways that make sense. I really like how a friend of the boy's in the stories is being brought along to know the Lord bit by bit, and how the boy and his family take advantage of everyday happenings to explain God to him. It is not fake - it is how any of us can go about sharing the Lord, looking for opportunities that arise in daily happenings. I have learned more from this than I learned in a "how to share your faith" class I took at church. We have had some d-e-e-p talks about things happening in our lives and those around us as a result of the things that have come up in "Who Is God?..." I'm thankful for this guidance.
Dictation is a challenge for Wyatt at this level, but in a good way. He studies pretty carefully these days, and he misses one about every 3 days or so. He rarely misspells anything in his written work, and believe me, he isn't just picking easy to spell words! If you'd told me Wyatt would be an excellent speller 5 years ago, I'd have had real trouble believing it - dictation has certainly proven itself enough for me!
R & S English - hands-down the best English program out there IMO. It is amazing how much he is gleaning from this. This is one of those things that I feel we are in the harvest season of right now. He knows the answers to the oral questions, he can do the written work quickly, efficiently, and well, and it is carrying over into his writing in everything. Outlining, taking notes, etc. - it is all just coming together. Singapore Math - same thing. He just gets it. I think it is HARD, but he somehow is humming his way through it with a smile - he looks forward to it! I'm so glad the assignments are not long though - that would change his tune I am sure.
I let him write in the Textbook, so it flies. He is getting A's with occasional B's - way to go Wyatt!
He is doing "Drawn into the Heart of Reading" 6/7/8 this year and still loving it. The books Carrie has picked have all been hits with him. The projects he often does with his middle brother, and the kickoffs are just plain fun. He likes the workbook being written to him this year, and he is turning out some awesome work in it. That brings me to Creative Writing. This author is just an incredible encourager! She is talented and inspirational - what a winning combination. He just finished doing some in-depth character sketches - very interesting to read, as I know the people he chose as characters well. The sketches were detailed and accurate, but they held up to the golden rule standard Ruth McDaniel teaches. I'm really enjoying the work he is doing within this program.
Finally, I really appreciate that RevtoRev is letting my ds grow up gracefully, still under my tutelage but not under my thumb. He is soaring. I feel like my interaction with him is just the right amount of time, doing just the right variety of things, and the things kept best independent are. He wants to be treated as a growing young man, and I want to respect that but still hold on to the parenting/teaching things I need to. I feel like RevtoRev is helping us balance that well. We love our time together, but we're not together all the time. I have follow-ups that help me keep close tabs on his work without me having to hold his hand through all his work. I just cannot say enough good about RevtoRev. It is helping me navigate this "heading for teen years" well, and it is also giving me time to work with my other dc when they need more of me. I will remember this year as a special one for Wyatt and me - I will remember it with joy.
In Christ,
Julie
