Spring Break

....is over.  Boo hoo!  Back to being sleep deprived (early morning seminary driver).  Back to chauffeuring my kids (choir, play rehearsals, doctor appointments, etc.).  Sigh.  I have enjoyed sleeping-in and relaxing.

Okay, trying to find something positive to say...

I ordered new homeschool materials and they should start arriving mid-week. : )

• Math Mammoth should be ready for download in a few days
• D'Aulaire's Greek Myths audio CD from Amazon
• Memoria Press's Famous Men of the Middle Ages set
• and MP's Grade 5 literature set (Robin Hood, King Arthur, Adam of the Road, and The Door in the Wall)

And, I ordered our "planners" (My Student Logbook) for next year.  I am super excited about those!  I used one this year and it actually worked for me.

Spring Break & Math Mammoth

I planned to homeschool 11yo during spring break.  Monday  - check.  Tuesday - laziness set in.  Wednesday & Thursday - 11yo accompanied her Dad while he manned a booth at a Maker Festival.  Not exactly what I had originally planned but a break has been nice. : )  Her sisters' Shakespeare rehearsals begin soon and life will be chaos for at least a month.

Website

Math - eek!  We will be making a big change soon from Rod & Staff to Math Mammoth.   I have appreciated and loved Rod & Staff for a number of years.  It is traditional, sweet, and practical.  But, we are bogged down by the amount of drill and I would like to have more focus on concepts rather than "memorize how to do this."  Luckily I hit the 50% off sale at Homeschool Buyers Co-op or I probably would not have been able to afford the change in programs.

Duolingo

Learn a language for FREE!  This is an excellent program for learning a foreign language, and you absolutely cannot beat free.  At this time you can learn: Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese.

Join me in my addiction!

Duolingo

Simply Charlotte Mason: Memory System

Did I blog about this before?  Oh, well.

Simply Charlotte Mason: Scripture Memory System

My plan is to use this for 11yo with different subjects like math and science.

Math

I'll be honest.  I hate spending an hour (usually MORE) on math every day.  Yes, she needs math every day, but an hour+?  There has to be a more efficient way to tackle this subject.

• First, I plan to stick with Rod & Staff Math while keeping my eyes open for another curriculum that is hopefully more efficient.
• Preview each lesson and see if we can cut back on the number of problems.
• Focus on instant recall of the multiplication facts.  This could really speed up the lessons!
• Flashcards!  Use flashcards to keep skills and facts fresh.

Since we started our homeschool journey I have been happy to have daily math lessons laid out for me.  I never questioned it.  I do believe that skills need to be constantly reviewed but I am beginning to question the necessity of long daily math lessons.  

Mid-March

Worksheets were a great way to get back into the swing of things.  But.  Since they don't align with any curriculum we use we often come across things 11yo hasn't been taught yet.  They are becoming more of a frustration than a help.  For now we have dropped reading comprehension and grammar minutes.  We'll probably use them again next year in preparation for testing.

The overall goal right now is to plod along.  Just do it.

We are getting close to the end of Rod & Staff 3.  Love their Science lessons.  And, I will love shipping off another set of books.  R&S is great when money is in short supply but boy does it ever take up room in the house.

We are back to full blown math lessons.  Blarh!  They take forever.  11yo dreads them so she drags her feet.  Can't convince her to pick up the pace and get it over with.

Playing Animal Jam has definitely helped with spelling.  We've been reviewing past lessons and are ready to move on.  Still tempted to switch from AAS to Logic of English.  However, I already own most of the AAS levels and from what I can tell the phonograms are slightly different.  I don't want to confuse her.  And then there is the argument that we would be able to move through LOE more quickly.

Rambling. :)