Week in Review 8/16-8/20/10

[1inheaven]

I am new to homeschooling and HOD. Just had to post our experience this week. I thought we would do a couple of days for my 9 1/2 dd in PHFHG this week to 'get our feet wet'. She got up Monday and said 'when do we start?' Well...now! The same happened on Tuesday so we ended up doing all four days this week in unit 1. She LOVED it and SO DID I! I"m not surprised but I am thrilled.
Our decision to homeschool has already brought my girls closer (have 3 y/o dd too) and me and my 9 1/2 y/o closer. What a joy. I knew I was frustrated during public school and now I know why! Thank you Carrie for your fantastic curriculum that is everything it says it is down to the "you have everything you need around your house to do this'. It's really true! Your curriculum gives me confidence as a teacher. I am not afraid to do what I am doing because of your curriculum and because I know God wants me to do this....He pretty much flung the door open this year and I was more than willing to run through it.

It was a pleasure to get your help at the May fair in Arlington this year. You were extremely helpful even with all you had to do and answer for your customers. Thank you for your passion and your faithfulness to God. It is so evident in this curriculum.

btw, my dghtr had the memorization done by day 2...and so did I Oh, one more thing...I am SO GRATEFUL for your recommended reading books in DITHOR. I admit, we did not start DITHOR this week but will next week. I need to get more familiar with it this weekend...anyway, we started reading the 2/3 books this summer and discovered she loves bio's and Hist fiction...which I think I read you do too. Such a joy to see her finally enjoy reading. I had no idea. I thought she'd just pick up enjoying to read but she didn't until we got something she was interested in...can I say 'duh!'

OK, sorry so long but I just can't express how much joy I have in our successful first week of homeschooling ever! We will start LHTH for the 3y/o and DITHOR next week.

God's multiplied blessings to you Carrie! Most Gratefully, Sarah in TX

Oh, I'm still not done! I have to mention that I taught my 3y/o's Sund School class a couple of weeks ago and decided to try out LHTH on them. It went great! My dd has been reciting a-a-Adam and the rest ever since

[Tree House Academy]

We had a wonderful, amazing, Blessed week using Beyond and CTC. we used Beyond for 8 weeks last year and I decided it was too much for my (very young - as in, he wasn't even 6 yet when we started) 1st grader. This year, our experience makes me so thankful I made that choice and recognized that need. He is so much more engaged in the curriculum this year. He listens to each thing I read to him and hangs on my every word. We have done two experiements in Science thus far (blubber and currents) and he had a blast with both. Today, he made his shield. He remembered the first one, but the one he made today was all him! The first one, I made and he carried around last year. This year, he was involved from the get-go and painted his rock, fort, cross (his idea), and heart. Above them, he wrote "Christ is my shield." Momma's heart is just singing.

Here is the part I really thought was cool...today, he was asked to say as much of his poem as he remembered. HE SAID THE ENTIRE THING!!!!!! I was blown away! Last year, his picture was scribbles around the side of the poem. This year, his picture had so much depth and meaning that he kept stopping his artwork and explaining to me what each thing was and why it went where it did on the page in relation to each part of the poem. Praise God He led me to HOD - we get such a blessing each and every day!

CTC has been just as wonderful for my older son. He is loving doing his work so independently. Our favorite thing this week has been the read-aloud "Dinosaurs of Eden." We have both really learned a lot from that book and it has spurned some incredible discussions. We have thoroughly enjoyed geography as well. He loves looking on the globe as I read and really connecting the world to the page. Write the Best is wonderful! I am so happy with the pace of the program. My son got really creative with his adjectives and adverbs today. His favorite was the Science experiment with the Skittles, though. While it didn't work the best because the skittles were so heavy and kept going to the bottom in piles, he still "got" the concept and really enjoyed eating the Skittles! He is already learning a LOT from CTC and we are both really enjoying the 4 day schedule!!!

[annaz]

We started Preparing a few weeks ago. Still trying to get it all done. We're doing the deluxe package though, like the Draw Write Through History. For some reason it's taken us 3 weeks to do Unit 1 and up to Day 2 of Unit 2. Between the first week of pure phone calls (I've now shut off the darn thing), a hair cut appt, a daddy day and a neighbor day, and this week dd is sick we're trying to get into our groove.

I've notice that HOD does DITHOR 3 days a week and we're going to try that instead of CLE REading, which we do daily. But in the defense of time, we really chat alot about the bible verses and character issues, which probably puts us way over timewise.

Either way, I love this program. The drawing, the science, and it's just plain more "doing". I just need to get our schedule down.

[creativemommy]

We were in Units 2 of LHTH & BEYOND this week. You can read about our week below in two posts...

Monday - Thursday Post:
http://ourlittlethinkers.blogspot.com/2 ... -work.html

Friday's Post:
http://ourlittlethinkers.blogspot.com/2 ... flood.html

[Carrie]

Sarah,
How exciting that you were able to jump in and get underway already! I am excited that it is going well and that the Lord is right by your side helping you fulfill His call for you to homeschool! Your words filled my cup today too!

Rebecca,
I'm am thrilled that your kiddos are correctly placed this year and that you're enjoying your HOD journey already! It sounds like your children are doing very well and are thriving. Way to go mom!

Annaz,
It's sounds like you're working to find your groove, which definitely takes me some time too! I do plunge in, as I tend to be an all-at-once jump in and do it kind of gal. However, it usually takes me a good month to get my routine down (and my time down). After that, my kiddos times for doing school seem to drop way back, as they've gotten into the flow of our routine and of the guide, and so have I!

Blessings,
Carrie

[gotpeace91]

CTC Unit 3 Day 3-part of 4
*On the way home from the fair today my ds asked me if I know what color skin polar bears have. When I answered black, he said, "but do you know why their skin is black"? So I guess Land Animals is really sinking in. LOL He loves this book.
*He learned about Abraham & Isaac, and Jacob & Esau in The Story of the Ancient World and Family Bible.
*He didn't quite finish his Unit because he was sick most of the week, which reminds me of another thing I like about doing separate guides! Sister and I were able to continue school when he was sick!
*Here's a tip about buying paint supplies for CTC. Buy tube paints rather than moist cakes/pans. It's kind of hard to mix the colors when you don't have the tube paints.


Bigger Unit 1 Day 1-3
*DD is thriving with her new curriculum! She loves A First Book in American History. She is able to read it herself and gives me very good oral narrations from it.
*She was so excited about Little Pillows and could hardly wait until time to read it on Day 3.
*She has written her entire poem out in cursive.
*She is very interested in the OSS Seashore book. Something about having her own books separate from brother has made her take a much greater interest in school.
*She almost has her verses memorized and really enjoys the hymn Holy Holy Holy and sings with all her heart every day.
I made a cover for her binder that has pictures of a few of the books she will be reading this year.

[annaz]

Gosh Leah. Very awesome.
Love that cute little book cut-out idea. That painting is great and love the notebooking pages!

[gotpeace91]

Aww thanks, Annaz!

[Samuel'sMommy]

Everyone looks like they are having so much fun! I love seeing these week in reviews. We had another fun-filled week with LHFHG. Here's my blog post http://cherish-each-moment.blogspot.com ... eek-5.html