Less Traveled By ~ Homeschool Edition

It's a Wrap!

We are taking a couple of weeks off before we start second grade!
We are excited to be ending one year and starting another.  Here's to it!
:-)

Wrapping Up First Grade

JB and I have decided on an official end to her first grade year (May 15th) !  I can't believe  how fast the days have passed.  Second grade here we come!  Since we school year round, we are finishing up with first grade in a few weeks and then taking two weeks off before we head into our new year!  She is excited to see her new materials coming in, and I am having fun planning as well.

We are going to be using  My Father's World  Adventures program as our main guide for second grade.  JB really wanted to study more American history, so we chose that program.  She is also excited that we will be learning about the different states and their capitals.  If all goes well, we will follow that up with Exploring Countries and Cultures and then plunge into the four year history cycle.  Try as we might, ancient history just wasn't striking our fancy this year, so to speak.  :-)  We did study the ancient Egyptians, but it will be fun to focus on American history next year.  It is really where JB's interest is----along with current events.  She is very interested in political events already. 

She has also requested to learn French, so I am busily researching different beginning programs.  I'll post all about our new resources sometime soon. 

We so are so proud of JB and all of her accomplishments this year!  

Enjoying The Science Mouse

JB is happily reading the latest issue of  The Science Mouse (The Great Spring Migration)! Past and current issues are posted here.  JB submitted a book review for publication, which appears on page 9.  :-)

Congratulations to Science Mouse for another job well done!  We are learning a lot from your articles!

The Science Mouse-A Science E-zine for Children

Congratulations to Mouse for launching her E-zine, The Science Mouse this month! Be sure to stop by her site and check it out.  The first issue has lots of wonderful articles on the solar system along with an author interview, book reviews, a craft project, a recipe and a poem (if I'm remembering it all---You'll want to see everything yourself.  :-)  ).

JB has the okay to write a book review for the next issue, so we'll be sure to announce that when it is published.  She may submit her volcano poem for another upcoming issue as well.  You can find out the list of upcoming themes and also contact The Science Mouse if your child would like to submit work as well.

Poems

JB has written several poems today.  We hope you enjoy them.  :-)

**************************************

Dance
by JB

Dance, dance
Such a joyful way
To learn the steps of the musical way.
I put on my tights, leotard and skirt
Then I dance my way to ballet.

***************************************

The Art Show
by JB

The art show
The art show
One block away
I look out my window in an excited way
Because we're going to the art show today!

****************************************

America
by JB

Roses are red
Violets are blue
The seas are shining just like you!
You are my home, just as well
I love you and all is well.

****************************************

Best Friends
by JB

Friend, friend
Come play with me
In the meadow we run.
We pick all the roses
And dance around with the wind.

Weekly Report-February 20th

We've had a nature-art-science week, with a smidgen of history and math mixed in.  :-)  The weather has been beautiful here lately, and we are enjoying being outside more than usual.  JB also attended the last of our local zoo homeschool classes for the year this week.

We spent some time drawing and painting flowers with friends and on our own a few days later.

JB was really paying attention to the lights and darks on the stems and in the flower.  This is a Japanese Magnolia that has a few blooms on it right now.    Here is a photo of one of them  (not from the angle JB was observing):

And thanks to Homeschool Share, we are beginning an "Animal Classification" book.  We are putting the mini-books into a regular book format, instead of a lapbook, so we can add in different information if desired as we go.   Note the "thought bubbles" beside the animals asking or answering questions.  :-)

I decided to make a bunch of blank mini-books for JB to use as desired, and also re-subscribed to Enchanted Learning to have access to different materials there since she has expressed an interest in learning about many different things lately.  She has already written two chapters in a book she has titled "The Story of Nature".  She is saving the book as a surprise for me to see when it is finished. 

We are also going to start work on a book she has titled "Snakes Around the World" soon.  (Yes, family, s-n-a-k-e-s!   This is a small example of how much I love our girl.  :-)  LOL  That third grade class from long ago who noticed that I stood as far to the other side of the room as possible from an a animal keeper visiting with a snake, would see me as a different woman!  LOL)

For Math, the theme this week was "heart math".  JB estimated, measured, graphed, added, subracted and made comparisons all with candy hearts from Valentine's day.  :-)

JB has taken up a strong interest in how she can help America.  It all began with wondering how she could help America when she was a grown up.  She and her father were having a conversation about some of the current events and the economy.  She pondered all of this and quite seriously (and simply) came up with the idea that families should be in charge of themselves and make decisions for themselves; and that taxes should not be raised (so families could take care of themselves)! 

She does not think that the government should be in charge of so much.  Which I think must have gotten her thinking about how and why America started.  So she has decided that she can help America now by reminding people about how and why America began.  Since then, she has been busy working ideas for a play about the American Revolution and she wants to memorize parts of the Declaration of Independence.  Tonight I listened to shouts of "the Redcoats are coming!" as her father read through several short plays I found in a book today.  That's our girl!  :-)

Weekly Report- February 13th

Here is a picture post of some of our week:

Latin

Bible

Dictation

(JB was very excited to start dictation!)

Art

Reading

Valentine's Day Party/Nature Trail

(Our view at the end of a boardwalk path.)

Science Projects

Just a reminder that the Great Backyard Bird Count starts this week.   We are planning to participate this year.

Also, I'm pondering participating in this "Mystery Class"  project (on a small scale.....maybe just tracking our own photoperiod and trying to guess one or two mystery locations.....).  We may try it out a bit and continue or remember it for future years if it is too much for now.  It looks VERY interesting!!!  I'm not sure if we have a big enough map with enough details, but if nothing else, we are going to jump in (a little late) and track our own sunrise/sunset each day and also do some experimenting with shadow length and daylight cycles.  JB and I were both very happy to really notice how much brighter our evening was as we traveled home from ballet class tonight!

Happy Hearts

The Crafty Crow is featuring lots of great Valentine projects from around the web.  Be sure to check them out!  We had fun making the pipe cleaner garland described here.

JB's Most Recent Art Piece

JB completed an art lesson last week following an Atelier video.
It was modeled after Eric Carle's style and shows the life cycle of a butterfly.  Here are a few close ups from her finished work.

Fun at the Art Museum

Last week we went to one of our local art museums with friends. We had a great time and I snapped a few pictures in the children's section and outdoor gardens.  JB's favorite part in the children's section is a huge screen where she can dance around to the music playing and watch the screen change.  And I have just as much fun watching her!

It was beautiful outside!

February 6th- Weekly Report

We have had a nice week!  Though I don't have any pictures to share here is some of what we are working on (you'll notice quite a few new things starting up....I have been really analyzing and reviewing our year and felt like we should branch outward and upward a bit.)

Bible-We have started a Grapevine Study Overview of the New Testament.  This week we worked on the New Testament timeline.  JB really enjoyed this.  She thought it very funny that they draw "stick people" on purpose.  It was fun to listen to her musings about that.  We have never drawn stick people before!  LOL  :-)

We are trying out a different nightly devotion, as the One Year Children's Bible that I mentioned in the last weekly report seems to have added in some "commentary" that I'm not sure is in Scripture.  Both my husband and I have recently finished reading Genesis and did not recall some of the story line that the Bible seems to have added in.....we are going back to check.   I'm not too sure about our new devotion either, so I'm going to hold off on sharing it. 

History-I *think* I am going to follow History Odyssey's Ancients Level 1 plans for the remainder of the year.  (We shall see.)  So this week we reviewed a bit about archaeology and finished up a history pocket.

Science-I am excited to have also found R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey plans and lab sheets.  I had looked at History Odyssey in the past, but do not recall reviewing the science program. (there are wonderful "try before you buy" samples of both  History Odyssey and R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey at the Pandia Press website).  I think the Earth and Space lessons will give her new material to learn and think about----along with LOTS of  hands on experiments---her FAVORITE part.   She loves science and I can't seem to keep her going with enough of it (in her thinking), so here's to adding this new layer.  We have covered a lot of the Life Science module already, but I am thinking of using parts of it after we finish Earth and Space (or we may alternate mini units--I'm still thinking on that).  We are going to be adding in more science reading as well.

Natural History- We are continuing to read James Herriot's Treasury for Children and I also began reading Old Mother West Wind to JB this week.

Literature/Reading-I am adding another layer onto JB's reading as well.  I decided to purchase Drawn Into the Heart of Reading (after looking at it many times in the past) to use as our guide to the study of different genres.  She is now reading independently enough to begin literature analysis at a basic level (and I think she will enjoy it).  We have always talked through books, but with DITHOR we will add in some writing, vocabulary work and different types of thinking about the books.  

I have also been looking for ways to have JB branch out into different types of books, and I think this will help me to lead her to and through great literature.   We are beginning with "biography" and JB is reading Louis Braille: The Boy Who Invented Books for the Blind.  I enjoyed reading this book myself as a pre-read it to get ready for our study.   It was a short read, but I learned a lot and enjoyed the author's style.

JB read a few new Boxcar books this week on her own and we finished up Mr. Popper's Penguins (which I was reading aloud to her). 

Math/Logic-We are continuing along in Right Start and JB is enjoying the next level of the Mindbenders logic series.

Latin-Song School Latin is a hit!  JB was even teaching one of her friends some of the songs this week!  (She saw a Greek book at a local store and is asking to learn that too.  I'm excited to see that Classical Academic Press is coming out with Song School Greek, because there is no way this momma could have handled the program she saw for starters!  :-)  I'll be learning right alongside her.  So far, I can keep up with the songs.  LOL)

Writing-I am still thinking on this decision, but we did start working in Writing Tales Level 1 this week as well.  We may or may not continue very long with this at the present time----JB did a great job with the lessons this week, but I am just still thinking on the best way to approach the language arts right now.  She seems to have a knack for language, stories, poetry and such, so I am working on how to encourage her creativity most of all.  (Enter Bravewriter and The Writer's Jungle....my latest nighttime reading, along with Some of My Best Friends Are Books.....)

Art-We started an art class at a local home school store and the first project is working with paper mache so THAT was also a big  hit!  She wants to surprise her daddy with her project, so on that note, I'll end this report. 

There you have a glimpse into part of our week.  Thanks for sharing in our learning.  :-)

Little Visitors

We had several little visitors the other day, but most of them were too fast for me to get a picture-----especially a most beautiful cardinal!   I was able to get a couple  of good pictures from just inside our kitchen window before they all flew away.

It will be time for the Great Backyard Bird Count soon!  I think that we are going to try for a couple of different days this year.  I think we have enough bird books and guides now to figure out which ones we might actually see.  (Always a challenge for me!)

 

 

The Past Two Weeks

The end of last week and weekend was such a whirlwind of activity that I was not on the computer for quite a few days.  So here is some of what we've been up to the past two weeks:

Bible-We read through and discussed Colossians together last week and this week we are reading through Philippians.  We also started reading God's Little Princess Devotional Bible book together each morning and the One Year Children's Bible at night.  JB and I had a lot of fun acting out the first mini-play in the princess devotion book together!

   

Logic-JB finished her first Mind Benders logic book and excitedly started on Book 2.

Math-We began using Right Start level B and JB is happily whizzing through the beginning lessons, as these are basically review in content.  (The format is new for now.)   She especially likes the abacus!

There are several reasons that we switched from Horizons to Right Start.  We will continue along with some traditional paper-pencil activities throughout the remainder of the year, but for the most part those types of papers will be teacher/mom created.

Reading-I can not keep up with all that JB is reading right now!  Her reading has really taken off and she enjoys it very much.  Her favorite titles continue to be those among the Boxcar Children collection (I am convinced that she will eventually read every last one....LOL) and she also recently discovered Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew titles at the library.  Other books that she has read recently during her free time include the Samantha American Girl series. 

I started "assigning" books to be read during the day this week as well so I could be sure that she is reading from several different kinds of books.  She used to read a variety of books aloud to me during the week, but she really enjoys her silent reading much more right now (how did that happen so quickly? LOL), so I am working on a system of encouraging some history and science topic reading that I can also keep up with.  (Keeping up with----that's the tricky part.) 

We are reading Mr. Popper's Penguins together as part of our read aloud time.  JB and Daddy are reading through the Chronicles of Narnia series again at night.  (JB has been requesting this----she LOVES those books!)

Science-We are working through the Chemistry 101/Polymers Little Professor science kit.

History-This is an area that I am still floundering about with as far as what sequence we will follow.....but I am thrilled to report that I see a light at the end of THAT tunnel!  :-)  (I'll write more about that another time.)

We started reading This Country of Ours together and I am requiring an oral narration of the events as we go.  I went through the first chapter and wrote down all of the names and places and briefly reviewed those with JB before I began the reading.  It helped tremendously and she did a great job!  (I'd like to write more about the topic of narration at some point too, but I'm just determined to get our report for the week finished right now.  :-)  We've been gradually building up to more required narration for content areas outside of the exercises in Writing with Ease.)

Last week we also read a short biography of George Washington Carver called  A Weed is a Flower.

Language Arts- We are continuing happily along in Writing With Ease Level 1.

Latin-We reviewed the first two chapters and completed new material in Chapter 3 of Song School Latin.  This is one of JB's favorite parts of lessons right now!

Handicrafts-JB finished a very special project---her first one of these ever.

We also:

• have spent some nice time outside over the past two weeks
• started a study of works by Mary Cassatt, and read a story about her
• have been working on learning all the words to Amazing Grace
• are continuing along with memory work (JB is now working on her fourth poem!)
• are reading some natural history selections from James Herriot and the book Among the Meadow People
• are enjoying being together!  :-)

And there you have it-----our first not quite weekly report for the new year.
:-)

The Turtle and the Bunny

I thought I'd share a recent narration of JB's.  You might recognize the source,  though she did ask if she could add some of her own original ideas as she was retelling the story.  I think she did a wonderful job!

The Turtle and the Bunny

One day a rabbit teased a turtle.  The turtle said, "No matter how short my legs are or how slowly I walk, I could beat you in a race."   The rabbit said, "Okay, but we will need someone to declare who is the winner."

"How about we can ask the fox," said the turtle.  So they asked the fox and he said, "Ready, Set, Go!"

They all started off except for the turtle.  The turtle walked slowly and steady. 

But the bunny, far ahead and out of sight, was leaping and bounding all down the lane toward the finish line.  Then the bunny looked behind him and couldn't see the turtle.  So he thought to himself, "Maybe if I rested I could still win the race."  So he stopped by a willow tree in Mrs. Parson's yard.  So he laid down under the little willow tree and started snoozing.

After awhile the turtle came wobbling up toward the finish line.

In the rabbit's dream he was under an apple tree reading a book when an apple fell on his head.  Suddenly a willow branch fell on his head and he woke up!  Far off in the distance he could see the turtle heading for the finish line.

He jumped up and started racing to the finish line.  At that moment when he got to the finish line, the turtle crossed the finish line and won the race. 

"But I can run faster," said the rabbit, disappointed.

"Indeed you do," said the fox.  "But the turtle won the race this time."

So slowly going home the rabbit thought to himself, "If I had not stopped to take a nap, I could have won that race!"

The End

Butterfly Update

 Two of our caterpillars emerged as beautiful butterflies, but it seems that three have not made it.  It was AMAZING to see the transformation from caterpillar to chrysallis.  We actually were able to see two of them as they changed.  The pictures don't show the action like I wish they could.  It was really something to see-----and happened so fast!

 

The caterpillar wiggling/spinning around and the outer layer rising to the top before falling off.

 

Almost finished

 

The chrysallis

 

Almost ready to emerge

 

Hello world!

 

Goodbye, beautiful butterfly!

Christmas Crafts

Thanks to a few kits, an internet search and a fun idea at Skip to My Lou we were able to complete some Christmas crafts earlier this month with others in our homeschool group.  JB and I had a lot of fun!  Here are a few examples of her handiwork:

            

Weekly Report- 11/20

Since vacation we have had an irregular schedule with outside classes and theater performances, but over the next few weeks we should be able to get back into somewhat of a routine-----just in time for Christmas and New Year's.  :-)

Here's a quick report on this week:

Bible-For our Bible time we have started working on a Bible notebook that follows along with the Early Reader Wonder Devotional Book readings (we have moved away from the Sonlight schedule for now).  I read from the scriptures, JB reads from the devotion book and then she summarizes what the passage is about and copies it into her notebook. 

Reading-JB has been devouring the Boxcar children books she checked out from the library.  The other day she reminded me so much of myself when I was young and would read non-stop.  She looked so cute with her "nose in the book".   She shifted positions a lot which made me smile.  (And which also reminded of some of the Sonlight catalog pictures I've seen with kids reading in all sorts of positions)

Math-This week was light on math, but one activity struck a chord with JB as she announced,  "THIS IS THE MOST FUN MATH EVER!"  She got to roll two dice and add find the sum of the numbers represented and see what number reached the top of the chart first.  She kept going even after the shot pictured below until she saw what she ended up with second, third, and fourth. 

 

 

Science-We have CATERPILLARS!  We planted milkweed back in the spring in hopes of attracting Monarch butterflies, only to have the plants virtually wiped out by some strange bug that I have yet to identify.  (It looks like some type of beetle.) However, recently the plants were beginning to get some leaves back on them and then low and behold--------we found caterpillars on them this week!  I've been checking every so often, but a friend spotted them first.  We brought five in with us and I've since seen others on the plants as I go outside to gather more leaves to keep our little guys going.  We have been SO EXCITED!

Monday:

 

Monday evening:

 

Thursday morning: 

 

JB suggested that we work on a butterfly lapbook, so we have been using the pages found at Homeschool Share and are off and running on a lapbook as well.  (Thank you, Homeschool Share!  I'm glad I checked there first thing.)

Here are butterlies for the lapbook painted to be symmetrical (JB had a lot of fun with this!):

With two special events this week (a gathering with friends and support group Operation Christmas Child shoebox project time) that about wraps up the week for us! 

If you'd like to read the weekly reports of others, be sure to visit Trivium Academy to see a list of others who write about their learning time.

Thanksgiving-Fall Fun

We got together with some friends and had an absolutely GREAT time.  The kids played, the moms talked and we all had fun making crafts. 

We made rice krispy turkeys (thanks to this idea--HT: Make and Takes)

 

Fall wreaths

 

Scripture/Prayer frames

 

and cards

 

Almost Wordless Wednesday

 

JB's favorite is the last one.  I love them all.  :-)
She is enjoying her new book.