heartofdakota.com

....never know what will come along to stop us in our tracks vacation, visitors, vacation, conferences, vacation, camps.....

Dd6 started in Beyond with 1st grade options and was beaming with excitement to do geography, real math (as she calls Prim. Mathematics), poetry, and most of all her own spelling list, finally!
She had tons of fun waddling, jumping, twirling from continent to continent! She enjoyed riding the routes, while seated on her ripstik. We made an enormous circle outside with chalk. The weather was beautiful here
We are adding fine motor skills (Going on Eagerly) and she has a few lessons left in ARFH book A.
She wanted to do more than 2 math pages, but I NEVER rush math and the timer rang for the end of her lessons She was super excited to get her spelling all right first try

Ds 8 started Bigger before summer break and already had 5 units under his belt, so he had a mostly familiar start, which fits his personality just great.
He was ecstatic to start with cursive, still something new and we picked right up where we left off with everything else. He loves, loves , loves the Hymns and wants to write his own songs some day!
I love the bible study questions as they stir him to thinking. I was delighted and blessed with his well thought of answers

Ds 10 continuing with CTC, he got a head start as well and is on unit 14. This one was excited to do math and was giving all the answers before I explained it all. The break did him well and he was encouraged! I was most thrilled to find that he picked right up and answered the questions in his English not skipping a beat! Handwriting on the other hand seems to continue to be his greatest challenge. When I can't read it and he can't either...We have a little problem
So, we will keep praying for strengthened fine motor muscles and eye-hand coordination, with this fine motor stuff. O, if only writing required gross motor skills, he would soar

Thank you to Carrie and her entire family for HOD, without it I would have been pretty lost in the homeschool wheel of curriculum searches!

Me reading your post: "aaaaaaaaaw! Sweet children, sweet mama."

I am so happy for you and your family. It is so wonderful when they actually enjoy schooltime. It says a lot about HOD... wish it were around when I was little.

We'll be starting Beyond hopefully in August! I enjoyed reading about your start. Aren't you suppose to use index cards for the spelling? I was thinking about laminating some? Then they could be used over and over... or is there a reason to keep them? Last year Staples had them on sale for 1cent...! During their school supply sale... would be a good place to stock up if they have that sale again.

Hi,
I noticed you use a timer for math lessons. How much time do you set for your daughter at that age? Are there any other subjects you've found a timer useful for?

Thanks,
Shannon, (thinking this might be a good strategy )

sted wrote:Hi,
I noticed you use a timer for math lessons. How much time do you set for your daughter at that age? Are there any other subjects you've found a timer useful for?

Thanks,
Shannon, (thinking this might be a good strategy )

I am sooooo glad you asked. I wanted to but didn't.

I am glad you shared your first day. And I agree, "How sweet!" Now I am even more excited about starting?

sted wrote:Hi,
I noticed you use a timer for math lessons. How much time do you set for your daughter at that age? Are there any other subjects you've found a timer useful for?

Thanks,
Shannon, (thinking this might be a good strategy )

I actually use a timer for each teaching session I do with the kids. I start with a 1 hour session and that is usually enough for Beyond minus story time, we do her math during this time.

For the older ones I do a one hour teaching session for their basics like dictation, English, WWTB, cursive etc. this time especially includes sitting with them and doing most of their math, than I send them off with seat work. For Bigger I need another 45 minutes to finish with all the other blocks.
For CTC I need a good 1 1/2 hour to do everything else, including checking his work and making corrections..

I have found that after an hour of time with each child, it does all of us good to switch activity. Keeps me a bit more focused on being joyful during the school day

Success

moedertje wrote:

sted wrote:Hi,
I noticed you use a timer for math lessons. How much time do you set for your daughter at that age? Are there any other subjects you've found a timer useful for?

Thanks,
Shannon, (thinking this might be a good strategy )

I actually use a timer for each teaching session I do with the kids. I start with a 1 hour session and that is usually enough for Beyond minus story time, we do her math during this time.

For the older ones I do a one hour teaching session for their basics like dictation, English, WWTB, cursive etc. this time especially includes sitting with them and doing most of their math, than I send them off with seat work. For Bigger I need another 45 minutes to finish with all the other blocks.
For CTC I need a good 1 1/2 hour to do everything else, including checking his work and making corrections..

I have found that after an hour of time with each child, it does all of us good to switch activity. Keeps me a bit more focused on being joyful during the school day

Success

Do you stop after an hour no matter where you are? If so, do you try again later or the next day just pick up where you left off?

raindrops wrote:
Aren't you suppose to use index cards for the spelling? I was thinking about laminating some? Then they could be used over and over... or is there a reason to keep them? Last year Staples had them on sale for 1cent...! During their school supply sale... would be a good place to stock up if they have that sale again.

I did write all the spelling cards out on index cards a few years ago when my oldest ds used them. They held up really well without laminating them. If only you knew my wonderful, fun, fast moving oldest ds personally you would realize that index cards alone must hold up pretty well . . From Preparing on, I have been very sad with the looks of my guides and have considered getting a second guide that looks and stays nice, lol.
Success

glperky wrote:

Do you stop after an hour no matter where you are? If so, do you try again later or the next day just pick up where you left off?

Yes, I do stop when the timer goes off and we pick up where we left off! The next child is usually ready for me, so that helps!

HTH

moedertje wrote:

glperky wrote:

Do you stop after an hour no matter where you are? If so, do you try again later or the next day just pick up where you left off?

Yes, I do stop when the timer goes off and we pick up where we left off! The next child is usually ready for me, so that helps!

HTH

That does help. Thank you very much. I pray your year continues on in such a sweet way.

glperky wrote:
That does help. Thank you very much. I pray your year continues on in such a sweet way.

Thank you and may your year be blessed as well!

Thanks for sharing about your first day!

We tend to start early too...summer vacation is not all it's cracked up to be