Week Twenty

-Language Arts Day-

We worked on word families today. I showed Devin how to create perfect circles by tracing around the base of a jar. Then, he spelled and wrote the “IT” words in each one. We played a quick game with these together.

For the other words, we recorded them in our main lesson books and added pictures inspired by each word family’s short story. “Bob was robbed on the job”, so Devin supplied him with some protection…

Devin wanted to do some math first thing today! I was happy to hear him ask for that!

Fiona stayed busy with her special, school time craft supply box and some brown paper on the floor:)

Week Nineteen

-Science/Social Studies Day-

I chose to add in social studies lessons for this quarter from our Oak Meadow curriculum. I’ve been leaving it out for a while since Devin wasn’t ready for the content surrounding maps last quarter.

Today I shared another Elsa Beskow book recommended in the curriculum, Pelle’s New Suit. Pelle worked hard and did lots of trading to create a new suit for himself.

After reading, I encouraged the kids to set up a shop and gave them a few ideas on what they could sell and how they could negotiate with each other.

They settled on an animal clinic that sells supplies.

For our science topic, I read a story from the curriculum about a seal who lives in the Arctic. It was an engaging story that contained a lot of real facts and information about the  lives of arctic seals. Devin was interested and remembered a lot from the movie we watched earlier in the week.

We entered drawings inspired by the story into our science main lesson books. Devin chose to add in the northern lights and I took his idea:) He actually learned about the northern lights in one of his enrichment classes last week and showed a lot of interest in them this week after seeing them in the movie To the Arctic. Devin drew a seal, a polar bear and a killer whale.

Week Nineteen

-Math and Painting Day-

So far, math lessons are very easy for Devin but that makes him feel really good. We watched a one minute introduction on DVD today and he worked through his worksheets, using the manipulative blocks. I’ve looked ahead and we will soon be in uncharted territory, that he has never experienced before;) I appreciate the simple and gentle start here.

I’ll have to add our painting at another time. We couldn’t get to it this day but will do it over the weekend.

Edit: We got to this a bit late but had fun painting “warm, red and pink hugs” today:)

Week Nineteen

-Language Arts Day-

We are now entering the third quarter of our Oak Meadow curriculum! I’m proud that we’ve made it this far and that we are having such a nice time with it still:)

We worked on word families today. We played a fishing game that Devin loved and wanted to play again and again. He fashioned his own pole and wrote the words on the construction paper fish. Each time he caught one, he read the word out loud. One or two of them still stumped him, which helps me realize that this is exactly the right level of “work” for him right now:)

Our fish were swimming in the sea he painted last week:)

For the other two word families, he spelled and wrote them down and drew a picture from the story for one of them.

I’m so impressed with his drawing for this one.

In preparation for Friday’s lesson about the Arctic, we watched a breathtaking short movie called To The Arctic, about a mother polar bear and her two cubs. We both learned so much. There are some sad aspects to this film and some killing of prey. Nothing my kids were upset by but I would screen before showing to children under the age of ten. This was found on Hulu.

Week Eighteen

-Science Day-

Elsa Beskow books are absolutely beautiful and enchanting. I really appreciate that one of her books was the suggested reading for our science topic this week! I shared the magical story of Ollie’s Ski Trip and we each drew a picture in our main lesson books. Devin’s picture is of King Winter sitting in his throne.

We also discussed how snowflakes are all different and how snow is made.

Week Eighteen

-Math and Painting Day-

We finished lesson one from Math U See today. We watched the video for the lesson and Devin completed work sheets that he really liked doing. Fiona went on to do today’s worksheets to the best of her ability…twice!

We painted dragons using the wet on wet painting technique. This was the suggested activity for Michaelmas in our painting guide. We are a little late…or early for that but it was still a nice process:)

Week Eighteen

-Language Arts Day-

We worked through three word families today. For “IG”, we drew pictures of pigs (Devin’s is in there somewhere;) and wrote the words in our main lesson books.

We played a card game for the “ILL” words. Devin helped write out the cards. He loves these Sharpie metallic paint pens and is always willing to practice writing if I offer them.

For the “IM” words, we first wrote the words on watercolor paper with crayon, then wet painted a beach scene over the words.

Week Seventeen

-Science Day-

We read a story in the curriculum about erosion today. It was interesting because it was told by a character who happens to be a river.

I also shared two books about erosion. Devin was interested in this topic and asked me to keep reading even though I thought he would get tired of one.

We drew pictures of different things we learned in the main lesson books. Devin’s is a volcano covered in Lichen. We learned that Lichen is a source of erosion today!

Week Seventeen

-Math and Painting Day-

Our fourth painting lesson had us “plowing the fields” with green. I love this weekly activity and so do the kids. We used some of our paintings that have been put away to make Valentines for friends today.

I’m going to give Math U See curriculum a shot and see how Devin enjoys it. I ordered Primer and the manipulative blocks. I ordered everything but the workbook used.

He did his first lesson and said “This is so easy and fun!”, so that’s promising:)

The day the blocks came in the mail, both kids played with them for over an hour. Devin built an impressive structure.

Week Seventeen

-Language Arts Day-

We worked on word families today and had a good time with it. Outside lessons are key to everyone’s happiness.

We made bibs and Devin wrote the “IB” words from the story on the front, using fancy metallic paint pens. He cut his out on his own.

We played a game from the curriculum with the “ID” words which involved me doing nothing, so that was nice;)

The “EW” words were simply written into the main lesson books and a “running form” border was added.