We started the term well, though we’ve had several distractions, we’ve managed to work despite these. Some weeks we’ve worked hard to ‘catch up’ on some previous weeks’ work.
Faith
- Saxon made his First Confession in July (on his birthday!) then has continued with preparation for his First Holy Communion. We’ve read First Communion Days, Ten Eager Little Hearts, The Mass Book for Children by Rosemarie Gortler and Donna Picitelli and have been revising knowledge using My Jesus and I by Aloysisus Heeg. Our aim was to be certain Saxon could answer all the questions we had set, which he now can!:)
- We decided that Genevieve would make her Confirmation this year too and have been preparing her and Mariah. As Mariah had already done plenty of preparation we’ve had to fast track Genevieve, and also she isn’t independently reading nor as old so we’ve had to be selective. Using our know/understand points we’ve managed to cover alot of knowledge, both girls have also been using a workbook, Sacrament of Confirmation Catechetics and Genevieve has been listening to various saints books in search of her Confirmation saint. We have also used parts of the books I selected (see link above)
- Malachi has read nearly all of Faith & Life 8 and
- Xavier has read alot of Didache’s History of the Church and taken notes.
Maths
- Introduced Ignatius to a maths/sounds workbook a fortnight ago, he completed the whole book (Kindergarten) in 3 days!
- Saxon breezes through maths, still enjoying it.
- Genevieve has had a ‘breakthrough’ with maths, soundly demonstrating she understand place values well. She does like to have me sit with her though for moral support
- Mariah also likes me to sit with her, she truly has hits some hard concepts and though she does understand she needs the emotional shoring.
- Malachi has been working through mathematics.com.au, achieving 40min daily.
- Xavier has been doing his Open Uni Calculus course. He started off well, feeling he was doing well and was totally demoralised when he discovered he wasn’t really understanding afterall. He took a hard hit when he failed his first course, Trigonometry and Algebra (as did 3/4 of his class). We are seriously thinking Open Uni for him at this stage is not the right path and looking at alternatives.
Language Arts
Reading
- Genevieve and Saxon took a ‘step back’ and read lots of easy picture books, capturing a love of words. This was the best move to do, Genevieve finally believes in herself, believes she can read. We then moved onto basic chapter books for G, she reads about 2 pages a day, taking it easy, not intimidating. S has ‘graduated’ to long picture books, taking about 3 days to complete one.
Dictation
- Malachi and Mariah have been using Spelling Wisdom, faithfully doing 2 exercises per week
Spelling
- Mariah has been working through the Spell Well book which she quite enjoys
- G & S have been doing a list a week of Schonell’s, not too certain that it is very effective they way they are approaching it
Copywork
- MJ & MT have been copying ‘The Man From Ironbark’ which I have been writing weekly on the board, in running writing.
Typing
- Malachi has been using free online typing courses, completing about 40min weekly.
Writing
- Mariah wrote weekly stories started by ‘story sentences’ created by me.
- Mariah wrote letters to Chiara and creative stories
- Malachi wrote a couple of stories using Story Starters.
IEW- Grammar of Poetry
- Malachi and Mariah weekly worked on lessons with me, we covered onomapamea, alliterations and more.
Logic
- Malachi is really enjoying Critical Thinking, completing a chapter a week.
History
- Reading Child’s History of the World – Hillyer with Mariah, Genevieve and Saxon. They are all interested and enjoy it. We’re reading 2 chapters a week. After each chapter MT writes a narration, and G & S must dictate at least 1 sentence and then copy. Sometimes they dictate a longer narration and when they are tired of copying I finish the narration for them.
- Malachi has been reading a chapter each week of Gombrich’s Short History of the World.
- Xavier has read alot of Didache’s History of the Church and taken notes.
- Xavier has been researching the Trojan War, he has found it all very interesting and is now keen to read the Iliad.
Science
- Malachi and Xavier have watched several science DVDs
Test Your Brain – Allan Butler (National Geographic)
Unlocking the Mystery of Life – Wayne Allen & Timothy Eaton
Underwater Universe, Season One – Jonathon Adams
Sleek Geeks Series 1 & 2
Ocean Adventures – Jean Michell Cousteau
- MT, G & S’s Geography book doubled up for science, extremely earth science orientated. See below.
Geography
- MT, G & S read the first few chapters of Child’s Geography of the World – Voskamp. As with history MT wrote a narration for each chapter, G & S dictated at least a sentence and copied. This wasn’t a good fit though, particularly for G, she cried and hated it with a passion. It is rather jam packed full of knowledge and yet quite wordy, I think it was too much for her. We have decided to abandon the book. Interestingly Malachi listened into much and remembered from when he heard to book 8 years ago!! We’ve decided I will create a unit topic on each continent, first stop Africa. We’ll begin this in Term 4.
Art/Craft
- The children have been on another ‘How to Draw’ book. MT in particular has totally shocked us with her talent!! G & S are also showing strong promise
- Paper plane folding has also been hugely popular and been a big focus
Read Aloud
- Golden Pathway Book 1 (several stories)
- Little Old Mrs Peppperpot – Alf Proysen
- More Adventures of Mrs Pepperpot – Alf Proysen
Saxon
- First Holy Communion Days
- Ten Eager Little Hearts
Genevieve
- Several short saints books (female saints)
DVDs
Watched by Malachi & Xavier, science topics
- Test Your Brain – Allan Butler (National Geographic)
- Unlocking the Mystery of Life – Wayne Allen & Timothy Eaton
- Underwater Universe, Season One – Jonathon Adams
- Sleek Geeks Series 1 & 2
- Ocean Adventures – Jean Michell Cousteau
Malachi, Mariah, Genevieve and Saxon
- Little House on the Prairie – lots of seasons
- Famous Five – Season
Literature
Genevieve & Saxon
Have read numerous picture books, revising back to the very basics and moving towards long picture books for Saxon and beyond to easy chapter books for Genevieve.
Mariah
- Bobby Brewster’s Scarecrow – HE Todd
- The Hundred Dresses – Eleanor Estes
- Little House in the Big Woods – Laura Ingalls Wilder
- Little House on the Prairie – Laura Ingalls Wilder
- On the Banks of Plum Creek – Laura Ingalls Wilder
Malachi
- Eragaon- Christopher Paolini
- Eldest- Christopher Paolini
- Brisinger- Christopher Paolini
- Inheritance- Christopher Paolini
- The Saucepan Journey – Edith Unnerstad