School Days
All the stores and commercials are all about back-to-school this and that these days. I love that Staples one that starts with June 2014 and goes backwards to now - the locker gets emptier, the backpacks and notebooks turn less drawn on/written in. It reminds me of school growing up - I LOVED trapper keepers, as all kids did in the 80s, I remember picking which color folder/notebook would be for which subject. History usually got red because I thought of wars and blood. Lol! Was that too far of a glimpse into my weird mind?
Well, we've been doing school for a while and you know we aren't traditional. Kara went to school for kindergarten and knows what it's like there, but school for us doesn't include quite the same supplies, and we can have a much smaller wardrobe because pjs get worn most/all of the day very often!
Home schooling is a very personal, unique thing. It's up to the moms to find the way their kids learn the best, then they are to find curriculums that the moms want to use and teach it the way their kids want to learn. It's a lot harder than it seems! AND, as kids grow, I'm sure their learning style will change. Right now we are blessed to be spot on. I was led (I believe by God) to a free, online, Christian-based curriculum that Kara adores. (It's called Easy Peasy and can be found here. We use the 'third' link on the side because it lines up with where she is, for the most part.) She thinks all the things she's doing are games and begs to do more and more and more. This may not be a good fit for her whole life, or even for this whole year, but now it's working, so that's what we're doing. :-)
Here's what we've been up to:
Bible
We use Easy Peasy's Year 1 Bible curriculum. They are having us study Matthew right now and they send Kara directly to scripture. I LOVE this. She is ready for this and is doing very well reading and understanding it. After we read the scripture, we answer a few questions about it - to make sure she understood what she read and to learn how to apply it to our lives. Today we learned about compassion and wrote and acrostic poem about compassion. Yes, I said acrostic. I'm learning so much in third grade.
Kara defined compassion to be "you care about them and want to help them." Then when she started listing people she could be compassionate towards, I said, "that person doesn't need any help." To which she said, "Everyone needs help sometime." Love. It.
Reading
We have been reading poetry these days. Poetry and literature are things I had a hard time with in school. I didn't understand why they didn't just come right out and say something they meant. I didn't find the hidden meanings and I didn't like it. Just say what you're trying to say. Fortunately, Kara does really well, so far. Whether she's reading it out loud, reading it in her head, or I'm reading it to her, she gets it. If she doesn't get it right away, I give her hints until she finds the answers.
Writing
We've been writing poetry too. Again, something I struggled with. Staring at a blank paper with a pencil in my hand is still something I struggle with. I am not good at writing and I don't enjoy it. (Unless it's journaling on my blog, which is different.) :-) Here are a few poems she's written:
The directions were, write a poem with the same rhythm as poem 23 we read today.
She looked outside, saw it raining, and wrote this down quickly without batting an eye:
Rain, rain, rain,
Is falling down
Hitting the ground
Making puddles.
YES!
And today's acrostic poem about the current month:
Then today we used a program that helped us write a theme poem. Wow. She thinks this is a game and is begging to play the poem game more. It just organizes your thoughts while you write your own poem. Okey dokey!
Spelling
I'm having a hard time with spelling. Every time I make a list (from other curriculums I find on the internet or from our Easy Peasy class), she knows 8 out of the 10 words. I think I'll check out spelling on Easy Peasy's older grades and see how she does with that.
Math
Again, I'm having a hard time with math. Kara is good at math, but not very fast. We are using xtramath, which I recommend to all you moms out there - it's online and free and fun - to help her speed up. She logs in using the account I created for us, and I can track her progress. It knows which problems she needs work on and those are the ones she is to do.
Today she got the most right in a row that she has ever gotten. 33!
We are also doing worksheets to make sure she knows all the carrying the one, borrowing, stuff she needs to know so we can move on. We're using the Easy Peasy worksheets and games and we're skipping way ahead because this stuff is too easy. I just need to be positive there are no building blocks missing for her that will make math hard for her later.
Science
We are not using Easy Peasy's science. We are using Apologia's Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day. We're still studying bugs and will study birds next. Right now I do zero games, crafts, etc because bugs are so fascinating to her, she just needs me to plain old read from the textbook. I sure hope learning about birds is this easy, but I'm not so sure it will be. We shall see!
Oh, and we are sure to inspect any random dead bugs we find.
This guy met his maker in the back of my car. He's missing a leg and is a little fried, but it was neat to learn they have spots, like a giraffe, on their bodies and legs. Interesting, huh? *ahem*
Social Studies
We are using Easy Peasy's social studies, which has been 2 weeks of Ancient Egypt. I am learning so much! Kara likes social studies okay, but she's not riveted, like with Science. That's my girl, she's just like her momma.
P.E.
My 7 year old is very active and day to day activities are way more than what is required by the state. I just keep a log of every playground trip, horse riding lesson, scooter time, etc.
Health
Health has been a little light in the Easy Peasy curriculum. We may go back to the Abeka book I bought used for a dollar, but I'm going to give Easy Peasy a chance because she doesn't like the book approach as the computer approach.
Art
Art is in everything when you're doing 3rd grade work. The Ancient Egypt lap book alone has had art daily.
Music
She sings weekly in church, and we are learning beat this week with a fun drum game online, thanks to Easy Peasy.
So, things are going really well and I love being so far ahead. Year round school is working so far. I plan to take time off in fall and spring to be outside while it's nice. I plan to take a significant part of December off to do Christmas "the right way" for once this year.
P.S. I recommend www.xtramath.com for moms/teachers to use for all their kids. I LOVE it.
Well, we've been doing school for a while and you know we aren't traditional. Kara went to school for kindergarten and knows what it's like there, but school for us doesn't include quite the same supplies, and we can have a much smaller wardrobe because pjs get worn most/all of the day very often!
Home schooling is a very personal, unique thing. It's up to the moms to find the way their kids learn the best, then they are to find curriculums that the moms want to use and teach it the way their kids want to learn. It's a lot harder than it seems! AND, as kids grow, I'm sure their learning style will change. Right now we are blessed to be spot on. I was led (I believe by God) to a free, online, Christian-based curriculum that Kara adores. (It's called Easy Peasy and can be found here. We use the 'third' link on the side because it lines up with where she is, for the most part.) She thinks all the things she's doing are games and begs to do more and more and more. This may not be a good fit for her whole life, or even for this whole year, but now it's working, so that's what we're doing. :-)
Here's what we've been up to:
Bible
We use Easy Peasy's Year 1 Bible curriculum. They are having us study Matthew right now and they send Kara directly to scripture. I LOVE this. She is ready for this and is doing very well reading and understanding it. After we read the scripture, we answer a few questions about it - to make sure she understood what she read and to learn how to apply it to our lives. Today we learned about compassion and wrote and acrostic poem about compassion. Yes, I said acrostic. I'm learning so much in third grade.
Reading
We have been reading poetry these days. Poetry and literature are things I had a hard time with in school. I didn't understand why they didn't just come right out and say something they meant. I didn't find the hidden meanings and I didn't like it. Just say what you're trying to say. Fortunately, Kara does really well, so far. Whether she's reading it out loud, reading it in her head, or I'm reading it to her, she gets it. If she doesn't get it right away, I give her hints until she finds the answers.
Writing
We've been writing poetry too. Again, something I struggled with. Staring at a blank paper with a pencil in my hand is still something I struggle with. I am not good at writing and I don't enjoy it. (Unless it's journaling on my blog, which is different.) :-) Here are a few poems she's written:
The directions were, write a poem with the same rhythm as poem 23 we read today.
First line, 3 syllables, then 2nd-4th lines, 4 syllables.
She looked outside, saw it raining, and wrote this down quickly without batting an eye:
Rain, rain, rain,
Is falling down
Hitting the ground
Making puddles.
YES!
And today's acrostic poem about the current month:
Then today we used a program that helped us write a theme poem. Wow. She thinks this is a game and is begging to play the poem game more. It just organizes your thoughts while you write your own poem. Okey dokey!
Spelling
I'm having a hard time with spelling. Every time I make a list (from other curriculums I find on the internet or from our Easy Peasy class), she knows 8 out of the 10 words. I think I'll check out spelling on Easy Peasy's older grades and see how she does with that.
Math
Again, I'm having a hard time with math. Kara is good at math, but not very fast. We are using xtramath, which I recommend to all you moms out there - it's online and free and fun - to help her speed up. She logs in using the account I created for us, and I can track her progress. It knows which problems she needs work on and those are the ones she is to do.
Today she got the most right in a row that she has ever gotten. 33!
She is so excited!!
We are also doing worksheets to make sure she knows all the carrying the one, borrowing, stuff she needs to know so we can move on. We're using the Easy Peasy worksheets and games and we're skipping way ahead because this stuff is too easy. I just need to be positive there are no building blocks missing for her that will make math hard for her later.
Science
We are not using Easy Peasy's science. We are using Apologia's Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day. We're still studying bugs and will study birds next. Right now I do zero games, crafts, etc because bugs are so fascinating to her, she just needs me to plain old read from the textbook. I sure hope learning about birds is this easy, but I'm not so sure it will be. We shall see!
Oh, and we are sure to inspect any random dead bugs we find.
Social Studies
We are using Easy Peasy's social studies, which has been 2 weeks of Ancient Egypt. I am learning so much! Kara likes social studies okay, but she's not riveted, like with Science. That's my girl, she's just like her momma.
P.E.
My 7 year old is very active and day to day activities are way more than what is required by the state. I just keep a log of every playground trip, horse riding lesson, scooter time, etc.
Health
Health has been a little light in the Easy Peasy curriculum. We may go back to the Abeka book I bought used for a dollar, but I'm going to give Easy Peasy a chance because she doesn't like the book approach as the computer approach.
Art
Art is in everything when you're doing 3rd grade work. The Ancient Egypt lap book alone has had art daily.
Music
She sings weekly in church, and we are learning beat this week with a fun drum game online, thanks to Easy Peasy.
So, things are going really well and I love being so far ahead. Year round school is working so far. I plan to take time off in fall and spring to be outside while it's nice. I plan to take a significant part of December off to do Christmas "the right way" for once this year.
P.S. I recommend www.xtramath.com for moms/teachers to use for all their kids. I LOVE it.
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