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January 17, 2006
School
For a homeschooling journal, this hasn't been much of a homeschooling journal.
We're on our second week back after the holidays. Everyone is sick. Predict no end in sight.
School is getting harder. Connor is about to turn 10, and I am coming to the point where I can't coast on that "Oh, the goal of grammar stage education is exposure ..." bit any more. Nope. He needs more challenging work, which means I have to make my own mental jump.
Luckily I'm slowly, slowly learning how to be organized at this school thing. Over break I printed out all the organizational-type forms I might need, along with weeks' and weeks' worth of corebook-style planning/recording pages of my own design (more recording than planning). I had them coil-bound at Staples. Somehow having it bound makes a difference. Do you know what I mean?
I've also made a template for copywork, so that I can plug in and print out weeks' worth of copywork at a shot. We never did copywork because I never had anything prepared. No more! Now we actually do copywork. How about that?
We experimented with Saxon Math for Connor. I liked it more than I thought I would, but he was quickly bored with the format. So back to Singapore Math we went. Connor's in 4A now, and doing well. Aidan is working through Singapore 2B, as well as Right Start Level C.
Connor is three lessons away from being finished with Latin for Children Primer A. Aidan is on lesson 15 in Latina Christiana I. He's doing well but we have to move very slowly; for a second-grader, though, that's fine. I think now that I should have waited another year to start him on Latin. He's going to be outpaced by the grammar. We may just stick to Minimus for awhile until his brain catches up.
Connor is working through Junior Analytic Grammar to solidify grammar concepts. It's a simple, straightforward, no-frills program.
Both boys are reading the Chronicles of Narnia, and Connor is reading through the Tom Swift novels. Both are ploughing through anything Bionicle-related.
Copywork, handwriting ... we are still working through Classical Writing, but slowly. The boys are taking a weekly astronomy class and piano lessons. They also have a weekly PE class. Connor and I take a weekly Spanish conversation class.
What a dry-sounding list that is.
We're not doing any formal history right now. I'm not enthused by modern history, and didn't really want to read the modern history text to Aidan. I'm just throwing history books at Connor until he will be happy with us heading back into ancient history. He can read all about the world wars. This Mommy is much more excited about making pyramids and chicken mummies and chain mail.
On most mornings the kids start school around 9 am. They do math, Latin, grammar, copywork or any writing we plan for the day. Then they read. They're often finished by lunchtime (except for reading).
It's not bad. We have plenty of time with this routine. It's a good routine. It's kind of odd to have a good routine. It sort of snuck up on me. I wasn't paying attention because we're still not where I'd like us to be ... but suddenly where we are is not bad at all.
Posted by lynx at January 17, 2006 10:01 PM
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Comments
can you tell me more about this copywork plug-in? is this something I can find on line? I've got a Draw Write Now book for Zachary and he's liking it, but he's also plowing thru it. I think I may have him redo the book though. He could really use the exercise of just writing his letters. That being said, he wants to now learn cursive...so I may get him a cursive workbook like Rachel's. He's learned to sign his name! So I guess he's serious about wanting to really learn it.
Zachary's just found Bionicle. Particularly the Lego figures he can put together.
Sadly, I'm not totally thrilled with what we are getting done. It's been nothing but the basics: For Rachel: math, reading/writing workbook, reading a book. For Zachary: math, reading/writing workbook, Draw Write Now.
Both would LOVE to do more. Rachel wants to do her history and chemistry stuff. Zachary wants to do his social studies book....sigh...but darn if they don't take up all 3 or 4 hours of our mornings just doing the basics...
Posted by: Diane at January 18, 2006 12:06 AM
LOL...I think I woke up one day to find dialectic-age children in my house where grammar stage kids once were. Sorta caught me with my pants down.
"Oh...*$&^, I guess we need to learn how to outline, huh?"
One of the beautiful things about the classical model (I think) is that so much happens naturally; your kids begin to make connections when they're supposed to make connections, because they're developmentally ready. I believe it *can* happen, if not totally naturally, then with a modicum of guidance, if you're still providing the exposure.
Or this might just be a long-winded justification for my laziness. :~)(Because a 'modicum' of guidance is pretty much all my kids get, some days.)
Thanks for the link to the Bionicle instructions! Oldest boy's birthday is in *May*, but I'm thinking it'll take me that long to get around to making it.
Posted by: Jill, The Crib Chick at January 18, 2006 10:15 AM
Diane, I read your blog, and you're too busy to do school ;-)
Jill (btw, do you have comments on your blog? Or is it just me?) ... sure, some of it is happening naturally. Some of it will only happen with the application of a delicate balance of parental force and bribery.
If you make the game, email me first and I'll see if we can get you those templates we used to make the cards. Then you'll have to do even LESS work than we did.
Posted by: MamaLynx ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.caerdroia.org/116/nav-commenters.gif)
at January 19, 2006 12:32 AM