Genevieve Aged 13.6 years
Genevieve has a great passion for the study of logic, and applies discipline to her studies. Over the past couple of years she has discovered the joys of literature, devouring her favourites, it was a pleasure to see this and to nurture it.
English
Logic
To have the ability to think and communicate both orally and in written form is an underpinning of our educational goals; the study of logic is an excellent basis for higher level thinking.
Genevieve has a passionate love of logic, her favourite topic of all.
Last year we covered; what is a fallacy, what is good reasoning, benefits of listening, opposing viewpoints, red herring fallacies and recognising them, ad hominem attacks.
During 2018 we will cover genetic fallacies, tu quoque, faulty appeals, straw man, assumptions, circular reasoning, equivocations, loaded question, generalisations, analogies, post hoc ergo propter hoc, propaganda, appeals to tradition, hi-tech, snob, fear & pity, bandwagon, exigency and repetition.
Resource: The Fallacy Detective – Nathaniel Bluedorn
Grammar & Composition
Genevieve has a good grasp of certain parts of grammar; sentence structure, correct word usage and tenses. Some definitions she struggles to keep ordered in her mind at time, but once prompted generally remembers. Grammatical infractions are quickly ‘pounced upon’ by siblings so all the children are strong in this area.
Last year we focused on correct tenses, nouns, verbs and adjectives, homonyms, synonyms & antonyms, onomatopoeias, homophones, abbreviations, contractions and developing stronger vocabulary skills.
In 2018 we will also be covering literary analysis, characters, setting, plot, conflict resolution, development of writing style, paraphrasing, writing sequence, parsing, building a copia of words, figures of speech & description, poetry rhyme & metre, outlining, summarising and chronology.
Resources include: Cottage Press: Language Lessons for Grammar Students
Creative Writing
Genevieve enjoys creative writing when she has a great plot in mind, at other times she isn’t so keen.
Last year our local home education group held three Writing Workshops wherein we hired an English teacher, Genevieve participated in this. The last workshop was debating and this found Genevieve totally petrified which was rather unexpected. Next year we’ll look at it again but this time with better preparation, a more thorough understanding and prior exposure to what a debate is.
In the upcoming year our intent is for Genevieve to endeavour to write a creative story weekly. Assisting her in developing story plot, characterisation and conflict resolution.
Resources include: Writing Prompt Cards and English for Australian Schools – Ridout
Narrations
A retelling of what has been read/watched/learnt into one’s own words, requires a good understanding of the subject matter, it takes concentration and sequencing skills. Narrations can take various forms; oral, written, illustrations, acting, building or creating. As we consider narrations to be an extremely important skill, a foundation for logic and writing, we will be devoting time to narration regularly for the subjects of; Faith, Geography, History and Science.
Genevieve has strong narration skills; excellent comprehension, extracts the main points, remembers finer detail, can sequence well, can express herself clearly.
This year we will continue to focus on building on Genevieve’s narrations strengths, increasing the quantity, both orally and in the written form.
Spelling
Last year Genevieve applied herself with discipline to her spelling lessons, keen to become a stronger speller as she wasn’t happy with where she was at. She certainly improved in leaps and bounds 🙂
She completed All About Spelling Level 3, then began All About Spelling Level 4. Covering phonograms tch, dge and wor, when to use g & dge to spell j, homophones, and much more.
During 2018 Genevieve will complete All About Spelling Level 4, All About Spelling Level 5 and likely Levels 6 & 7. The goal is for her to become a confident, capable speller, we’re moving along nicely towards that.
Resource: All About Spelling Level 4 and All About Spelling Level 5
Dictation
Genevieve will continue with weekly dictation lessons, which continues to strengthen her spelling, punctuation, listening and recall skills.
Resource: Spelling Wisdom
Copywork
Genevieve has neat handwriting.
Last year we focused on cursive writing.
In the upcoming year she will continue to develop her cursive writing hand.
Resource: Startwrite
Creates customised handwriting practice sheets.
Independent Reading
Genevieve can often be found with a book in hand, for a child who was a late reader, I always take pleasure in seeing her engrossed in a book, to see her discover the joys of literature, to watch her devouring her favourites, it is was a pleasure and I love nurturing this love.
In the upcoming year I want to be certain she reads some of the classics she hasn’t yet read, and to guide her towards styles and genres she hasn’t yet experienced.
Shakespeare
Introduce Genevieve to the beauty and richness of Shakespeare beginning with the audio versions of his plays, then reading the re-tellings. Choose one play of her choice to read in full.
Resources:
Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare – Edith Nesbit (audio version)
Tales From Shakespeare – Charles and Mary Lamb (and audio version)
Shakespeare for Children – Jim Wiess (Audio)
Stories from Shakespeare- Geraldine McGaughrean
Literature
Nurturing a love of literature within our family is at the core of our family’s learning approach, we immerse our children in quality literature from birth. We read from many genres and delight in living books – a book that makes the subject matter ‘come alive’.
Genevieve still enjoys listening to our daily Read Alouds, we have a read aloud time for for just our teen girls and I, it’s a really special time that we treasure. Not only can our books by more aimed at teen girls but it’s a time of precious conversations. xx
Resources include: Our extensive home library and the town library.
Poetry
The listening to and memorisation of poetry is part of our family’s culture of nurturing a love of literature.
Genevieve will continue to be immersed in poetry daily and memorise at least one poem a term, to recite at our family weekly recitation nights.
Resources include: Banjo Patterson’s poetry, John O’Brien – Around the Borree Log, Classic Children’s Poetry and more from our extensive poetry collection.
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Languages
Spanish
Genevieve has been undertaking the study of the Spanish language since Stage 3. Spanish has become an interest with a few of her siblings (they also learnt Spanish for lessons) and her father, all enjoy communicating with one another using Spanish. Their aunt’s boyfriend is from el Salvador so as we’ve got to know him over the past year it’s been lovely to have these language skills, an unexpected blessing for all.
This year she will continue focusing on pronunciation and intonation patterns, including pitch, accent and rhythm. She will continue to work on reading Spanish and the grammatical structures and sentence patterns.
Resources include: Duolingo, aunt and her boyfriend 🙂
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Mathematics
Genevieve isn’t a keen mathematician, yet she surprised herself this year. She had been struggling with maths, took a solid break, then when she went back she flew through the work, what had been hard became far easier. Sometimes it’s the mental mindset.
Last year Genevieve covered ; primes & composites, factor trees, patterns & algebra, FDP conversions, fractions, place value to millions, Expanded Notation using 10, 100, 1000, Expanded Notation using Powers, positive & negative numbers, addition & subtraction up to 7 digits, long multiplication 2-3 digits, short division with fractional remainders, types of triangles, problem solving.
This year Genevieve will cover; fractions & percentages, problem solving, algebra, decimals, integers, equations, ration, geometry, constructions, area, volume. measurement, statistics & data and probability.
Resources include: Maths Online, maths board games and our living maths books collection.
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Science and Technology
We desire to encourage Genevieve’s knowledge of, and cultivate an interest in science and technology, to encourage her to foster a questing mind and to have confidence in tackling technological challenges. We have been owner building since Genevieve was 5 years and she has grown up observing, learning and building.
Genevieve often joins her younger brothers, who both have a particular fascination with ‘all things science’ in their experiments, often being the videographer. It’s not uncommon to see them seek as to why their experiment might have ‘failed’ and to re-do the experiement.
Last year Genevieve researched Marie Curie, Electricity, History of Medicine, to name some areas.
This year her studies will include; Biology; body systems, cells & reproduction. Chemistry; states of matter, elements & compound and changing matter. Earth & Space;minerals & fossils. Physics; energy transformations.
We have purchased her a year’s membership with Cosmos Lessons, they are a comprehensive and engaging collection of science lessons aimed at grades 7–10, covering the New South Wales curricula. “your favourite science textbook, workbook, videos, simulations, and assessments combined into a seamless teaching and learning experience”
We will also continue to be flexible to follow any further interests that arise and I visualise Genevieve joining in the boys science lessons and endeavours. To meet these studies we will use various mediums and resources, and we’re confident that other areas of scientific and technological interest and knowledge will be sought and pursued.
Resources include: Cosmos Lessons, Double Helix lessons, Mystery Science lessons, our home and town libraries, DVDs and youtubes and Experiment kits.
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History
We wish for Genevieve to have an interest about ‘all things history’ and want her have an awareness of World; Modern & Ancient and Australian history and to understands the pasts contribution to the present. Genevieve isn’t keen on history so it is a challenge to find material that fully engages her.
Last year Genevieve study included; World Explorers, Christopher Columbus, Marco Polo and Livingstone, and British History, beginning pre-Roman settlement through to the Plantagenet years.
This year Genevieve’s focus of study is; Australian History; the First Peoples, Convicts, Early Settlement, Exploration, Bushrangers, the Gold Rush through to Federation. and Biographies of various Famous People including: Caractacus, Boadicea, St Alban, St Patrick, Alfred the Great, Beethoven, Handel, Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Dickens, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Noah Webster and Mahalia Jackson. Resources Include:
Arthur Bailey’s – A Sunburnt Country, our collection of Biographies, our extensive collection of historical living books and the town library.
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Geography
We want Genevieve to have an awareness of and appreciation for different cultures, customs, the effect of environment upon peoples and how peoples interactions effect change upon their environment. To be familiar and confident with maps, to be able to recognise the different continents & countries, and to recognise the diverse features and characteristics of a range of environments.
This year we will continue to use Mega Maps for our mapwork which continues to be hugely popular with our children. We will also focus on the Australian environment which will tie in neatly with our Australian history studies and explore the countries of the Asian region. We will explore how landscapes & landforms are sustainably managed & protected, how the environment effects people’s wellbeing, the effect of water resources within countries & globally and the consequences of being globally connected.
Much of our geography approach is covered by using our collection of geography living and non-fiction titles, magazines and digital multi-media, we are always flexible to follow any interest areas that arise.
Resources include: Geography non-fiction titles incl Atlases & Geographica, Geography living books; Branch Library and our collection, Digital mulit-media, DVDs and youtubes and Mega Maps
Technologies
Built Environments
As we have been owner building since Genevieve’s earliest memories and likely for a few years to come, Genevieve has become most familiar with many aspects of design environments. She has been actively involved in building our home and learnt a variety of skills along the way. Some practical; reading plans, carpentry, painting, interior design and many intangible but extremely important such as patience, tenacity and teamwork. She is most impressive with her confidence, skill level and can do attitude.
Products and Information
Fashion Design
Genevieve will be focusing on machine sewing this year. She will be producing a few products including; shorts, skirt and at least one other project of her choice.
Food Design
Genevieve is to become more actively involved in food preparation this year. Our goal is that she is capable of preparing and presenting at least 7 meals of her choice for 9 people. Genevieve is to also take a more active role in menu preparation and shopping. Genevieve will also be undertaking more baking this year, already Saxon and her initiated a meringue ‘bake off’.
Jewellery Design
Genevieve is to design and make jewellery pieces; necklaces, braceletsand earrings with her older sister Chiara as mentor.
Information and Communications
Genevieve will be developing her skills in digital media design including photography and video production. She may choose to present these skills via multimedia to family away. She will also further develop her proficiency and confidence with using a variety of multimedia options such as webcam and email. Genevieve will also focus on information systems design via introduction to excel, ie menus and shopping lists are to be prepared in excel spreadsheets.
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Creative Arts
Creative Arts spontaneously happens in our household daily, there is always some form of creative arts being undertaken, currently I feel as if we live in the March household (Little Women).
Visual Arts
Last year Genevieve developed a passion for Artventure , with which we continue to be highly impressed and she begged to sign up again this year. She has most impressed us with the level of work she has produced. Interactive, guided lessons from an Australian teacher, using oil pastels and watercolours, the results have been incredibly impressive.
This year our local home education group has been selected to participate in the 2018 Drawing in Schools Outreach Program at the Grafton Art Gallery, at the conclusion of this Outreach Program their work will be displayed at the Gallery. Genevieve will be participating in this.
We will also continue to expose Genevieve to a variety of different mediums including, drawing, painting, collages, claywork, tracing and Artventure
Resources include: How to Draw books, youtubes and internet sites and our craft/art supplies including clay.
Music & Dance
Genevieve and Mariah are constantly singing and dancing for literally hours each day. Music is often playing and songs are being sung every day, every hour at times it feels. The girls have a wide interest of music genre & artists, Sing Star is all the rage here. As is Dance Star and dance moves are always being enacted and demonstrated. Last year Genevieve joined Mariah at Ashley Albert’s Performing Arts, learning Acrobatics and stunned us all with her ability and confidence at the year end Concert. Various musical instruments are available in our home which Genevieve can readily access, and she has been having drum lessons for the past two terms and making good progress, makes us smile, she doesn’t look like a drummer but she can play!
Drama
Last year the children became interested in shadow puppets which was widely popular, they designed puppets, props, choreographed the plays and manned the lighting. Most impressive.
This year ‘home grown’ plays appears to be the rage. We’ve already seen Red Riding Hood, which Genevieve and Mariah choreographed and all the children performed in, complete with costumes and props.
Photographic and Digital Media
Genevieve will be developing her skills in digital media design including photography and video production. She has quite a flair for this medium, her photography eye is quite impressive. She is comfortable with videography and we look foward to seeing her develop her talents further. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Development, Health and Physical Education
Self & Relationships
Genevieve is to have a strong sense of self identity and to have healthy boundaries.
To gain this through personal conversations and positive encouragement
Many of the skills needed here are covered by the values we hold as a family which are underpinned by our Catholic Faith.
To be confident in their own selves knowing their value and dignity, to understand they must treat their bodies with care, to remove themselves from situations in which may be harmful, to have strong, healthy boundaries, to treat others with kindness, consideration and generosity, to extend Christian charity to all regardless of their belief system.
Faith Studies
Genevieve is to deepen her personal relationship with God and increase her knowledge of God and His Church.
Resources include: Our library collection.
Individual & Community Health
Genevieve is to have an understanding of reproductive health, the need for personal hygiene and an awareness of health choices. This knowledge to be gained through personal conversations, positive encouragement and teaching strategies of how to handle various situations
Movement, Skill & Performance
Genevieve will continue to swim weekly with Swim Squad B this year and undertake Akido lessons. She will compete in our annual home education Sports Day. Genevieve will also participate in a Paddleboard session this year as she did last, which she loved. She will be competing in a 2 km local running competition again this year as she did last. Genevieve will occasionally participate in Park Run, a 5km run as she did last year. Genevieve will also be kayaking regularly, she shows great aptitude and a love for this sport.
Lifelong Physical Activity or Task
Genevieve to have an understanding of the importance of an active lifestyle and nutritional health, and the knowledge of how to make positive choices and put them into practice.
