We had a very busy week with the remodeling needing some major attention (exterior paint color, hiring a new designer). Therefore school was not as "traditional" in the sense.
We worked on the book "How to make an apple pie and see the world" by Marjorie Priceman. It is about a girl that travels around the world to collect the ingredients for an apple pie. It was perfect timing to have this book since we had just went to the Kiyokawa Apple Orchards in Hood River to pick 20 lb's of apples. This week we made applesauce, borrowed my mom's dehydrator and made apple rings, and last but not least, baked apple pie. Madeline did great and helped each step of the way. Tabitha helped with the apple peeling and coring using our Rotato tool, what a major time saver! We watched how bigger factories made applesauce on YouTube. This wasn't really "school" but at least now the girls know where applesauce comes from and shared their apple pie with the construction workers!
We probably did 3 out of 5 days of reading and writing. All other extra curricular activities were upheld. On Friday, we again joined our friends Erran and her daughter, Sophia on a Happy Home Learner's field trip for a bike ride at Sellwood Waterfront Park. It was a tough morning since none of the girls were up to riding. But as the time went by, the kids ended up off their bikes and running around and yelling. Perfect, outdoor activity!
On the side, Chris and I went to a "Intro to Paleo" talk at New Seasons on Thursday night with Charlynn and Scott. It's great hearing about Paleo from someone other than your spouse =). But the best thing we left discovering was about "earthing".
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Homeschool Week 3
Before Five in a Row Book: "Jesse Bear What Will You Wear?" by Nancy Carlstrom. This book is actually from the preschool curriculum. There really wasn't much substance to the story other than the rhyming and learning about morning/noon/night time. By the end of the week Madeline was making up her own rhymes based on the "what will you wear" part. Tabitha liked to read along with me and speak up when she knew what was coming next. One day I had Madeline act out the story as I was reading it to learn "drama". She did pretty good following the story. Both Tab and Madeline made morning/noon/night pictures, as in draw what we do during those times. This was a nice intro to teaching Madeline time. She learned that 60 seconds make up one minute.
Madeline continued on to read the "BOB" book series, Set 1 book 3 - Dot. She actually read book 4, Mac, last week. I'm hoping that the repetitiveness will help her to sight read some of the words. Especially the word "and". She sounds it out and says "had".
I have Madeline count out to 100 on the chart. I ask her to circle 5 numbers that I call out. She still struggles with finding numbers in the twenties.
Gymnastics is still on Tues/Thurs. Madeline is still liking it (crossing my fingers). Tabitha LOVES it. Madeline does TKD on Wed and Fridays. This week was the first week she sparred. It was so cool watching her with the boys, staying in there, kicking and punching!
Friday we went on a field trip to Sellwood Park with the Happy Home Learners Group. One of the moms organized a treasure/scavenger hunt. The girls got to use a map to find the treasure! Lots of fun! I got to meet several new homeschooling moms.
Madeline continued on to read the "BOB" book series, Set 1 book 3 - Dot. She actually read book 4, Mac, last week. I'm hoping that the repetitiveness will help her to sight read some of the words. Especially the word "and". She sounds it out and says "had".
I have Madeline count out to 100 on the chart. I ask her to circle 5 numbers that I call out. She still struggles with finding numbers in the twenties.
Gymnastics is still on Tues/Thurs. Madeline is still liking it (crossing my fingers). Tabitha LOVES it. Madeline does TKD on Wed and Fridays. This week was the first week she sparred. It was so cool watching her with the boys, staying in there, kicking and punching!
Friday we went on a field trip to Sellwood Park with the Happy Home Learners Group. One of the moms organized a treasure/scavenger hunt. The girls got to use a map to find the treasure! Lots of fun! I got to meet several new homeschooling moms.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Homeschool Week 2
It's been a great week so far, reading "Night of the Moonjellies"each day, learning about life in New England. The girls are learning the scientific name "tee-ne-for" for these moonjellies. Chris had a great idea and got the iPad out and showed movies from YouTube of these jellyfish. Each day we read the book and locate New England on the map.
I am still continuing the BOB book with Madeline, we are now on "Mac". She can smoothly read through the book, but gets hung up on the word "and". She sounds it out, but it ends up being "had". So, definitely a word to be focused on for our sight word list.
I bought a poster that lists the numbers 1-100. We count every morning. I'm hoping that the girls will learn how to sight read the numbers by repetition. After counting, I have Madeline circle numbers that I call out.
I also busted out the Melissa and Doug magnetic calendar. Each morning we recite the month, year, date and day and talk about the schedule for the day. Not quite sinking in yet.
The girls are still into their chore charts with a little nudging on the parents part. They completed one week and were rewarded kid size snuggies (a spontaneous reward from Costco). Quite the motivational tool, wish I had thought about it earlier! It's so nice having the playroom and bedroom is clean before bedtime!
Tomorrow is our first fieldtrip with other homeschoolers. To be continued...
I am still continuing the BOB book with Madeline, we are now on "Mac". She can smoothly read through the book, but gets hung up on the word "and". She sounds it out, but it ends up being "had". So, definitely a word to be focused on for our sight word list.
I bought a poster that lists the numbers 1-100. We count every morning. I'm hoping that the girls will learn how to sight read the numbers by repetition. After counting, I have Madeline circle numbers that I call out.
I also busted out the Melissa and Doug magnetic calendar. Each morning we recite the month, year, date and day and talk about the schedule for the day. Not quite sinking in yet.
The girls are still into their chore charts with a little nudging on the parents part. They completed one week and were rewarded kid size snuggies (a spontaneous reward from Costco). Quite the motivational tool, wish I had thought about it earlier! It's so nice having the playroom and bedroom is clean before bedtime!
Tomorrow is our first fieldtrip with other homeschoolers. To be continued...
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Homeschool Day 3
I'm definitely learning during this process...about my girls. Madeline needs rest. When she had a busy day the day before or if she doesn't get enough sleep, she's a crabby patty. Not the enthusiastic learner I'd like her to be. Tabitha just wants to play, be creative, and have fun. No workbooks for her quite yet!
On day 2 we continued our reading of the story of the Red Clogs. Got out the map and identified where Japan was. Madeline and I worked on our BOB book and Explode the Code workbook, although with some resistance. We took a field trip to Copyman to visit Oma so that I could herp her while Opa had a doctors appointment. Madeline didn't get a mark on her chore chart for being "happy" that day. I told her that she could make it up on day 3 if she showed me she could stay happy.
Day 3 we were on an upswing after the day before. The girls were dressed, had breakfast and ready to start school by 8:30am. Was I? not really...I was still rushing around making copies of coloring pages of Japanese children in their kimonos. We started out coloring and learning about Japan's traditional kimono and used the tokens to stick on the map to identify Japan. Geography lesson and cultural lesson in one. We read the Red Clogs book again and then it was time to go to church. Another field trip to watch mommy help the seniors. They were so good during. I was grateful. As soon as we got home, Tab took a nap while I helped Madeline write out 5 flashcards with sight words. "Have, all, but, ate, eat" We went through those together and had fun arranging the words into silly sentences. I got her to read a BOB book, but that was the extent to which I pushed her to read. She was feeling very artsy today. So, I pulled out her notebook that will compile the work she is doing. Feeling desperate, I let her have it and asked her to decorate it with anything she wanted. Then it was time for gymnastics...
I'm definitely learning during this process...about my girls. Madeline needs rest. When she had a busy day the day before or if she doesn't get enough sleep, she's a crabby patty. Not the enthusiastic learner I'd like her to be. Tabitha just wants to play, be creative, and have fun. No workbooks for her quite yet!
On day 2 we continued our reading of the story of the Red Clogs. Got out the map and identified where Japan was. Madeline and I worked on our BOB book and Explode the Code workbook, although with some resistance. We took a field trip to Copyman to visit Oma so that I could herp her while Opa had a doctors appointment. Madeline didn't get a mark on her chore chart for being "happy" that day. I told her that she could make it up on day 3 if she showed me she could stay happy.
Day 3 we were on an upswing after the day before. The girls were dressed, had breakfast and ready to start school by 8:30am. Was I? not really...I was still rushing around making copies of coloring pages of Japanese children in their kimonos. We started out coloring and learning about Japan's traditional kimono and used the tokens to stick on the map to identify Japan. Geography lesson and cultural lesson in one. We read the Red Clogs book again and then it was time to go to church. Another field trip to watch mommy help the seniors. They were so good during. I was grateful. As soon as we got home, Tab took a nap while I helped Madeline write out 5 flashcards with sight words. "Have, all, but, ate, eat" We went through those together and had fun arranging the words into silly sentences. I got her to read a BOB book, but that was the extent to which I pushed her to read. She was feeling very artsy today. So, I pulled out her notebook that will compile the work she is doing. Feeling desperate, I let her have it and asked her to decorate it with anything she wanted. Then it was time for gymnastics...
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Homeschool Day 1
Girls were excited to start school. I got up, showered, dressed, put make up on and got ready for the day. I had no idea what I was going to do with the girls, but somehow I was calm and just went with it. The night before I was inspired by an interview heard from Dr. James Dobson about not starting school too early. I was encouraged by that. Thank you Sarah Osterhoudt!
Started off putting together a chore/job chart that I got at the Learning Palace. Explained to the girls that because our family was a team that we needed everyone's participation to help keep the house livable. Chores included brushing teeth, putting clothes and toys away, and for Tabitha especially, using the potty.
Afterwards, Madeline read one of her BOB books to me and completed 2 pages from her Explode book while Tabitha painted a Princess Tiana picture.
Then, of course, snack time.
Read The Girls with the Red Clog and made cutout clogs with the girls by tracing their feet on paper, cutting them out and adding string as the thong part. I got the world map out. Will explore more of Japan tomorrow.
By then it was already noon and time for lunch. Went to McDonalds for a happy meal.
Not too bad for no prep. Not going to stress about it. I want to enjoy it, have the girls have fun learning and just go with the flow. Very hippie of me...but everyone knows I'm a hippie wanabe.
Started off putting together a chore/job chart that I got at the Learning Palace. Explained to the girls that because our family was a team that we needed everyone's participation to help keep the house livable. Chores included brushing teeth, putting clothes and toys away, and for Tabitha especially, using the potty.
Afterwards, Madeline read one of her BOB books to me and completed 2 pages from her Explode book while Tabitha painted a Princess Tiana picture.
Then, of course, snack time.
Read The Girls with the Red Clog and made cutout clogs with the girls by tracing their feet on paper, cutting them out and adding string as the thong part. I got the world map out. Will explore more of Japan tomorrow.
By then it was already noon and time for lunch. Went to McDonalds for a happy meal.
Not too bad for no prep. Not going to stress about it. I want to enjoy it, have the girls have fun learning and just go with the flow. Very hippie of me...but everyone knows I'm a hippie wanabe.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Joining the bandwagon
I've joined the bandwagon...I am now a blogger. The first time I heard about bloggers was from our last election when the news channels were so into what the "bloggers" had to say. Anyways, I found out that it's basically an on-line journal. I'm going to give this a try. If it's not too complicated and it doesn't take forever to upload pictures maybe I'll keep it up (no promises). Here it goes...
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