Week In Review 9/21/12

Together Work:

  • We have decided to join CBS (Community Bible Study) in our community.  We attend class on Thursday morning from 8:50 until about 11:15.  The kids have a time or worship and then meet in smaller groups to go over the Bible reading for the week.  The ladies format is similar.  The Study guide has daily assignments and we go over those in class.  So each day this week we have worked on our respective CBS homework together in the morning.
  • History – we are taking a break from TOG.  I think we are going to become TOG drop-outs.  It’s just too……much.  “I” love it and would thoroughly enjoy the humanities/literature focused education that one could receive with this curriculum.  However, it just doesn’t appeal to my science minded kids.  I don’t want to spend so much time dragging them through history.  I want it to be enjoyable for us. 
  • Character Quality Language Arts –  My enthusiasm for this curriculum is waning.  I love the idea of it – grammar, spelling, writing all in one curriculum with a biblical character quality theme for each week.  However, the pages are busy with lots of brackets everywhere and there are optional exercises, extensions exercises and further extensions exercises.  Then the margins are filled with little gray boxes of more optional exercises or penmanship suggestions.  It’s just so much to flip through.  I also think the grammar exercises are too difficult for the suggested age ranges.  I’m not sure what to do with this one.  Since I paid so much for it, I’m strongly considering continuing on with it except for the grammar and subbing in the free KISS grammar program instead.
  • AIG God’s Design for …Animal World.  We learned about birds this week. 
  • Field trip to American Village for the Liberty program, which was a perfect tie-in to our Revolutionary War studies.

Guitar Boy (7th grade)

  • Teaching Textbooks Pre-Algebra  – took Chapter 2 test this week and really did not do well.  He must slow down and show his work….sigh
  • History  – We are going to take the approach recommended in The Well Trained Mind.  He read “Colonial Days” from National Geographic Almanac of American History and wrote down five interesting facts.  He will choose one fact to research further and either complete some outlining on the topic or write a report.  Additionally he read 4 chapters from Hakim’s The History of US.  We discussed these four chapters, which had to do with the time period leading up to the Revolutionary War. 
  • Completed a bird report on the Booby.  He chose this one because of it’s blue feet.
  • Robotics team – BEST competition.  Team met twice this week for over 3 hours each session!
  • Guitar practice daily and lesson on Friday.

The Giver (4th grade)

  • 4 lessons in RightStart E
  • History – I read/summarized 2 chapters from Hakim’s A Story of US.  We also listened to SOTW vol 2 chapters on the Revolutionary War.
  • Studies Weekly Alabama history – Tony has been working on this with him each night.  He made an 85 on his test this week. 
  • Studies Weekly 4th grade science – I only reviewed this week’s magazine briefly with him before he took the test.  It was very clear after looking over his test that he didn’t understand much of it.  So I went over the material with him and then we went through the test together.  I had not marked any of the questions so I let him make changes if he thought he needed to change his answer.  He ended up making an 80.  This process with the Studies Weekly magazines is painful but I know he needs this practice to give him the test taking skills he will  need for the SATs this year.
  • Daily Geography
  • Handwriting practice
  • Harmonica practice daily.  He will have a lesson once a month on Art Class day.  He did his first one last week and loved it!  (I just didn’t get a weekly summary written up!)
  • Completed his bird report on the Puffin.  He loves to use the computer to add pictures and change the fonts. 

Preacher Man (1st grade)

  • Three lesson in IEW Pal – this includes reading, phonics, handwriting
  • Four lessons in RightStart B
  • Bird report on Crossbills
  • History with The Giver
  • Daily Geography
  • Studies Weekly math magazine

One comment

Leave a comment