As always the ‘best laid plans of mice and men’… We started this term with great gusto and ‘wins’ for the first week, then…as we were concurrently dealing with a crisis situation (not ours, a friends) our first three weeks of term were heavily affected. This meant by weeks 2 & 3 we were being exposed to plenty of emotions and consequently the younger children in particular were not achieving a great deal, though the older two girls continued to mostly achieve their goals. By week 4 I called a halt to the situation and we began settling back into our regular rhythm albeit rather burnt out. Week 5 was a great success so we are ‘back in business’, the girls in particular, along with myself are very keen for uninterrupted weeks.
Mind you amongst all this we’ve had plenty of our own ‘doings’ happening, I don’t ever recall such a full February. In the last 4 weeks, we’ve celebrated David’s 50th and my birthday, including a weekend away for the two of us on the Gold Coast. The two of us along with our two youngest also spent another weekend away in Sydney visiting our oldest three boys. I presented a talk in the Start Homeschooling Summit! I also attended two Rotary book sales, assisting with one of them, the older four children took a day off to enjoy Wet and Wild and we’ve been attending weekly Art lessons at the Art Gallery. The older three have begun Akido lessons which they thoroughly enjoy and the younger five are having swimming lessons and squad training.
Whilst the previous four weeks haven’t been uninterrupted weeks, oh how I love those weeks, we have still managed to maintain a fair amount of academics, though as always happens when I don’t record weekly, the highlights are all we can recall so the notes are incomplete…
Poetry
Mariah & Genevieve – Read 16 poems of AB Patterson, Mariah really enjoys as poetry is a love of hers. Genevieve struggles a bit, helps that they are Australian though some of the terms she is unfamiliar with.
Faith
Ignatius & Sebastian – The younger two boys are preparing for their Sacraments. Read and discussed about the Descent of the Holy Spirit/Pentecost. About the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Seven Sacraments.
Genevieve – The Mass Explained – Maria Montessori. Read 65 pages!! Learning plenty, finding some of it interesting.
– Read nearly all of St Catherine of Siena
Mariah – Didache Understanding Scriptures 2 chapters, finding very instructive.
– Finished Pius X.
Logic
Mariah & Genevieve – Read, discussed 3 chapters, still loving this subject.
Reading Lessons
Sebastian – On a huge roll here with All About Reading. Sebastian is progressing through the lesssons so fast with ease, it’s very exciting. He keenly seeks out any books he can manage and can often be heard reading aloud to himself as well as to anyone who will listen. He can be found reading in all sorts of places including on Park equipment 🙂
Siena– Using her All About Reading lessons she has mastered all the capital letters 🙂
Spelling Lessons
Sebastian – Using All About Spelling Level 1, he quickly catches on, just needing to be more regular with spelling lessons.
Ignatius – Using All About Spelling Level 2, managed to do a few lessons and he is picking it up easily. Needing to work on our consistency with lessons and he’ll be soon flying along.
Saxon – Moving well through All About Spelling Level 4. He is picking up spelling with ease, though he takes a little longer than I’d like to get through a lesson as he has a few dramatic moments.
Genevieve – Using All About Spelling Level 4, and is starting to reap benefits 🙂 She is certainly more confident and it’s wonderful to see.
Dictation
Ignatius – Struggling, it’s a real discipline, a new skill, we’ll persevere
Saxon –A couple of lessons, did exceptionally well with a difficult passage, blown away
Genevieve – 5 lessons, isn’t keen but it’s a good discipline.
Mariah – Completed 3 exercises. Enjoys, doing very well.
Handwriting
Boys – A little handwriting, still focusing on
Genevieve – 8 sessions, seeing improvement. Writing out Bible passages.
Creative Writing
Boys – A little writing, still keen
Genevieve – 6 sessions. Genevieve is gaining confidence and became rather enthused with a story she has been writing, spending hours crafting her story line. Using fabulous, descriptive words.
Grammar & Composition
Sebastian – Emma Serl – lesson on cats, appears we know little about cats, had to do some further research to answer questions.
Saxon & Genevieve – children are all not keen on Cottage Tales, struggling to ‘connect’. We need to just keep persevering.
Mariah – A lesson of Cottage Tales. MT is also not keen on Cottage Tales
Maths
Sebastian – Only managed a little, but not worried as he is so far ahead.
Ignatius – Has put in a consistent effort, determined to stay well ahead of Sebastian, understands easily
Saxon – 10 lessons, has a solid understanding of maths
Genevieve – Making a little progress, struggles with the concepts
Mariah – 20 lessons of maths!! Clicked well in an area she was struggling with.
Science
Saxon & Ignatius – Several lessons of the Double Helix lessons, they love it, learning so much!
History
Boys – Read from history spines about Aboriginal life, pre-European settlement. Also enjoyed a few picture books in that time period. Focusing mostly on the three waves of migration and hunting practices.
All three boys wrote narrations and illustrated and Saxon drew migration maps. Really impressed with their work.
Genevieve – Reading biographies: Read and finished Pocahontas
began Noah Webster – David Collins and
George Washington – Norma Cournow Camp.
Enjoying this approach and finding these well known figures interesting.
Mariah – Story of the World Vol 3 , 10 chapters. Taking notes. Enjoying.
Geography
Mariah – World Physical Geo, 2 chapters, learning new concepts well.
– Mapdrill – 4 sessions, she loves mapdrill. European capitals, mountains, rivers and seas.
Spanish
Mariah – Duolingo 20 lessons.
Art Lessons
All the children taking weekly Art lessons at the Gallery.
Music
Saxon – No longer keen on drumming, isn’t practising. We’ve given him a choice whether to continue or not, waiting to see his decision
Genevieve – Has been consistent with drum practice, sounding great.
Mariah – Picked up the amount of practices, doing well, really enjoying.
Literature Reading
Sebastian – So keen to read, reading all the time! 🙂
Small Wolf – began
Our Family (P) – began
Dr Suess beginner, beginner books
Ignatius – Battle Boy books, 1 & 2
Box Car Children – began
Saxon – The Family Book
Genevieve – Enchanted – Alethea Kontis
Hero – Alethea Kontis – began
