Schoolish Things

This school year is productive!

Maeve finally understands math. In fact, she understands math so well that she's almost completed Singapore 2A. Yipppeee. This is huge for her and I'm proud. Finn finished 2A a couple of weeks ago so I ordered 2B, or at least I thought I ordered 2B. It took two weeks for the book to get here and only then did I discover that I had inadvertently ordered the workbook instead of the textbook. I immediately ordered the textbook from a company that is closer to home and received an email today telling me that it's back ordered. Annoying, but no big deal.

Maeve has taken off with reading this year. She enjoys reading to her siblings and anyone who will listen. She sat on the couch one day and read an entire Frog and Toad book. I keep encouraging her to pick up a chapter book. I moved all of the kid chapter books next to the living room couch and am hoping that will entice her to read more. Finn can also read and continues to improve. Both he and Maeve read from McGuffey's Readers and Finn reads things on his various video games.

I like The Story of Our World. The kids like it too and I think we've finally found a history book that works. The text is informative, not overwhelming, and the activity book gives some good ideas. I am hoping we can complete the book by the end of the summer and start book two next school year.

I am following the science topics from Ambleside Online this year and it's working. We are currently studying planets and are doing one planet per week. I will have them make a big solar system when we are finished. Then we will learn about amphibians. Since we've been learning about amphibians since the beginning of time, I'm probably going to skip frogs and pick something else. Or maybe I'll have them do research project and presentation about frogs. That could be fun.

The kids love Handwriting Without Tears. They have both completed their books from the beginning of the school year and have started the next book. Maeve's handwriting has improved significantly and Finn's fine motor control is better as well.

We are moving like snails through Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind. The kids tolerate it and listen. I'm going to try to pick up the pace just a bit so we can finish the book and move on to book two.

I am going to add a Bible study to our stuff since we are regularly attending church (Yay! I should have agreed to go to my husband's family's church a long time ago), but are not able to get there early enough for classes. A friend recommended God's Great Covenant and after looking at it, I decided to order it. It looks like something my kids will enjoy and I think this will be meatier than the readings from Ambleside Online.

Oren likes school time and his attention lasts anywhere from one minute to 30 minutes at the table. He can recognize many numbers and can do one plus one, two plus two, and two plus one. He stinks at letter recognition and recall, but he is slowly working his way through Handwriting Without Tears. He loves that book.

Tillie likes to taste glue, bite the tips off of markers, and eat crayons. Her biggest strength is being cute.

Overall, I am pleased with the progress that the kids have made this year so far. It seems like we've finally figured out this homeschooling thing.