14 September 2014

We survived the first full week.

Monday through Wednesday we worked hard.  And then, I started to feel burn out.  Thursday I crashed ... sort of.  We had a couple of phone calls and I gave up and took 12yo shopping for fall/winter clothes.  Friday I got stuck on trying to find something that was missing and wasted a good hour.  Plus, I was trying to wash her new clothes before she left on a trip.  It wasn't as productive as I had hoped but we still had a fairly good day.

Saturday and Sunday 12yo attended a Maker Faire with her dad.

One thing driving our choices this year - Last Kid Homeschooling.  It is my last opportunity to use some of the curriculum on our shelves.

Math
Math fact fluency - continuing with Math Reflex.  We have switched from addition/subtraction facts to working with multiplication/division facts.

Normally we only use Rod & Staff Math.  This year we are combining R&S Math 6, Key to Measurement, and the Great Courses lectures "Mastering the Fundamentals of Mathematics."  We started out working with Key to Measurement.  Honestly, I'm nervous because we are moving through the first booklet so slowly.  The upside is the math has been more hands-on than in the past.

Latin
Latina Christiana I - we've moved quickly through the first 10 lessons since they should have been review.  We tried the DVD's for the first few lessons and they took too long.  We're focusing on learning the new vocabulary and doing the written work in the student book.   Looking forward to Lively Latin Big Book I as soon as possible.

Grammar
Rod & Staff English 6.  Doing both the exercises and the worksheets.  Reading through the writing lessons but using IEW for composition.  Four lessons per week.

Spelling
Picking up where we left off in Logic of English Foundations.  Slowly working through lesson 17 and reviewing the phonograms after a few months off.

Composition
Continuing with Student Writing Intensive A (SWI A).  Really not sure where to go with writing since she is older and increasingly creative.  I really like IEW but I wonder if I should have her in SWI B instead.

Literature
No concrete plan.

Geography
We've been re-reading Geography I (Memoria Press) before we watch CNN Student News.  We are in the Middle East and ready to cover countries we haven't read about before.  Turkey here we come!

World History
I am super pleased that 12yo finally seems ready for K12's The Human Odyssey: Prehistory Through the Middle Ages.  Yes, we are still stuck in ancients.  We are combining HO with World History Detective and DK's History of the World encyclopedia.  Working nicely although WHD is a bit challenging at this point.

American History
I'm looking for a good way to review what we've already covered before we continue in A History of US.  A timeline?

Classical Studies
We've been re-reading stories from Famous Men of Rome when we do Latin. After this week we should be able to return to a once-a-week schedule.  I'm hoping to also start using the Memoria Press study guide for the poem "Horatius at the Bridge."

Art
Home Arts Studio is the plan for the year.  Still waiting for the art supplies to come in.  One item is back ordered.   Until then, we are reading through the art sections in the Core Knowledge series.

Music
Not there yet.

Christian Studies
Another subject that we didn't squeeze in this week.  12yo gets enough religious instruction at church, so this is purely cultural literacy.

Science
Finally working through lessons in Science in the Beginning!  Awesome book.  I'm so pleased with it.  We are doing all three levels of activities since dd is older.  We are currently working on the first day of creation - light.

Homemaking
Home Economics for Homeschoolers - another set of wonderful books that sat on my shelves gathering dust.

Core Knowledge
Reading through What Your First Grader Needs to Know.  Just filling some gaps.