Weekly Wrap Up Week 13 {2014}

Like I mentioned in my little girl's post, I'm a bit behind on my wrap ups.  I may never catch up, so I'll just move forward like it never happened (except the part where I skip from week 10 to week 13).  I figure I could go into all the reasons I got behind, but I think I'll just stick with the part where I'm 30 weeks prego and am homeschooling 4 kids.  That seems good enough for me ;).

I also appears that I have all of four photos to show you from this week.  But, hey, that is 400% better then the zero I had a few weeks ago, so at least we have improvement, right? Right.

So let's see...

History

Our biggest activity this week was learning about Abraham Lincoln.  We've been reading a little page about each president and we finally made it to Lincoln.  I decided that we should spend more then 5 minutes learning about him, so I checked out Abraham Lincoln by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire. 

Really, I just chose it because it had cute pictures, but it turned out to be a gem {maybe if I had noticed the part that it was a Caldecott award winner before we read it I would have been clued in}!  Man, am I glad we got to read it!!  It's super awesome and the kids loved it!! Of course, it totally avoids parts like... Mary Todd Lincoln was a bit nuts...and....Abraham Lincoln got shot....but overall, it had a ton of fun info.  


We will probably read another Lincoln book this week that fills in the (kinda important and memorable) gaps.  I highly recommend this one, though!  


Science

We're still using our Space calendar cards and the kids begged me to bring out the planets model that we have.  I can't blame them, it's really cool.

The lights were actually off when I took this (cause the sun lights up).  I can't believe how bright my flash is!

We also watched Bill Nye's The Planets {Yes, I'm a Creationist, but this is what our library had.  Thankfully, he just talked about the current properties of the planets-which is what I was hoping for}.

Math

I introduced triple addends with the beads.  I love how simple Montessori Math is to explain, understand, and work through!  

We also started the multiplication layouts, but no photo. Actually, we don't technically have enough beads to do the entire layout at once.  I'm hoping it won't scar the kids forever.  I've now got more beads on my want list!

Both Mustang and Charger have finished the basic addition strip board and charts.  Mustang knows her addition facts well, and Charger is working on memorizing them.  We've been working on IXL to solidify their memorization (instead of flash cards and games).  They are doing well and love it.  (We received our subscription free last fall for doing a review).

Language Arts/Reading

Charger has been asking to work on his Primary Arts of Language (PAL) a lot lately.  Though, I guess in this particular photo it looks like he is interested in the glue.  He is solidly reading now, though still needs help with bigger words.  

I'm always amazed when I realize that I {by the grace of God} taught 2 kids how to read.  It really does help with confidence to believe that this homeschooling thing really is working out!

Everything Else

I signed both Mustang and Charger up for baseball and softball.  For the month of June they will each have 2 ball games a week, and I'll have a new baby.  Should be interesting, but it's actually local (which is rare) and Mustang has been begging to get out of the house and make new friends.  Hope she likes it!

Charger is one verse away from finishing his AWANA book and Mustang just has a couple more.  I was actually concerned they wouldn't finish since we missed a ton last fall when I was sick and then this winter with all the snow.  So, I'm really excited that they are going to finish!

I've also finally started getting ready for the new baby.  Hard to believe that if she were to come as early as Charger did (I hope not!) she could be here in just 5 weeks.  Eeek!  At least with the 5th child you know you don't need much :).

I hope your week has gone well!!  We are planning to start our human body unit next week.  It will be our LAST unit before our 2 month baby break, so I'm just amazed it is coming so soon!

Have a great weekend and God Bless!

Lisa  

Things we used this week (amazon affiliate links in this widget).

Weekly Wrap Up Week 10 {2014}

Well, it was bound to happen.  A week where there was more life then school.  But, well, that's life, right?  :)

Our week started with our annual gym night at the gymnastics center in town.  This is the night that all the kids look forward to and talk about all year long!  They get 3 hours to run, jump and play on all the gymnastics equipment.  The parents get 3 hours to sit, talk, eat some yummy snacks, and let their kids run wild.  It's really a great night!  (Yes.  This is homeschool socialization).

Sunday night we went to Mustang's Spirit Squad recital.  To mark the end of their season, the team hosted a pizza and awards night, and then the girls performed their routines for all their family and friends that wanted to come and see.  Mustang received a certificate for participation.  Sorry that the picture on the right is a bit blurry, I had to crop it close so that the other girls on the team weren't in the picture.

The rest of us enjoyed pizza, snacks, hanging out with other families, and a performance.  (Also considered homeschool socialization, ha ha).

On a not as happy note, we received word that our Great-Grandpa passed away on Wednesday night.  He lived far away, so we will not be attending his funeral.  But, we have spent a lot of time this week remembering him and discussing what happens when we die.  We, thankfully, have the hope of knowing that he knew Jesus as his Lord and Savior, and someday we can see him again if we, too, know Jesus as Savior.  So, we've had some conversations about how one gets to Heaven, too.  It's been a good week of discussions.  

For the 'official' school front, we were able to spend 2 days doing work.  

This week we learned about Vincent Van Gogh.  I found a wonderful book (left) of huge and colorful prints of his work.  It was great for giving the kids a true chance to view and appreciate his paintings.  

We started watching a biography about Van Gogh and really enjoyed it (but we need to finish it on Monday-it was kinda long!).  I learned a lot of things I never knew about Van Gogh.  Did I mention that I LOVE homeschooling my kids? I learn so much!! :)

The booklet to the right is free from Confessions of a Homeschooler.  I added this booklet to their workplans.  Mustang chose to do it right away, so this is her book.

One of our two days of school included 'outdoor learning' AKA soak up the 72 degree day in March!  Well worth it!

We've continued with our calendar days about space.  The space cards are from 1+1+1=1.  This has been a blessing, because on his days off school.  Charger has begun his own learning about space exploration, space stations, rockets, and more.  

He brought me his homemade NASA station (interesting because I didn't even know he had seen a picture of it).  Apparently Daddy had shown him a few photos online that I didn't know of.  

I have to be honest I was rather impressed.  No one told him to make this, or how to do it.  On the right you see the space station control center-with a window to see out to the rocket launching.  Not sure if that's exactly how it looks in real life, but Charger thinks it should.

To encourage his interest, I picked up a nice stack of books at the library this week.  He seemed very interested, but has yet to start reading them.  He has been more interested in building instead.  So, we may end up reading a few of these together this coming week.

Mustang turned her free days to reading American Girl books.  I'm always pleased at the history she learns from reading them.  These were her picks for the week.

We did get some math in.  I thought I'd show you this photo just in case you have a kid that just doesn't do well with the Montessori layouts.  If you have the strip board, you know that all the little sticks are supposed to come out of the boxes and layout next to it.  He refuses to take them out of the boxes and say that it's too much work-he will just take out the one he wants wen he needs it.  You also know that the idea is to put the rug UNDER the work-not wadded up next to them.  But, he got a rug, right?  LOL!!  Good news is that he completed his subtraction problems and got them correct.

Mustang used the gold beads for a review of various math problems.

We continued reading Leprechaun in Late Winter (Magic Treehouse) and read about Franklin Pierce, but pretty much this was our week.  I hope to get back on track this next week and hopefully spend 4 days doing school.  But, overall, I am quite pleased with the learning that went on this week.

I hope your week went well, too.  

Thanks for stopping by!

God Bless,

Lisa

Things we used this week (Amazon widget contains affiliate links).

Weekly Wrap Up 2014 Week 8

Another fun week!  It was much lighter this week, though.  I think I prefer lighter :).

Parts of a Fruit

Our biggest area of learning this week, was the parts of a fruit.  We labeled apples, bananas, and oranges.  I took it a step further and added some food prep activities.

Banana prep.

We also tried 'opening a banana like a monkey' which was going around Facebook this week.  Turns out, you can just squeeze the bottom end and it will pop open!!  We were all quite impressed.

We used our apple slicer for the apple.  Charger found it a bit harder then he thought he would.

Orange prep, we used an orange peeler.  This was the most challenging, but I could tell the most rewarding, too!

Printables used:

We used the FREE parts of fruit cards from The Helpful Garden.  They are part of the Botany Nomenclature Set.

We also used the FREE parts of a pear book and definitions from Montessori Workjobs.

This added to the workplans the parts of fruit mini books which are also in the set from The Helpful Garden.  

Black History Month

We completed our Black History Month studies this week.  Our discussions were about Ben Carson, Mae Jemison, Pres. Barack Obama, and Michael Jordan.  

We read The Young Jackie Robinson, which lead to a discussion about what a stolen base is in baseball.  It was classic.

We discussed slavery and the things that were given to slaves, and not given to slaves (at least on average).  After I presented them, I cut them apart for the kids to sort later.  

We then discussed segregation laws after slavery.  These cards each represent something that was not equal for whites and blacks.

With this map and cards shown below, we also discussed which states were in the Union and which states were in the Confederacy.

Using the map and the shape of the states, one of their works this week was to sort the Union and Confederate states.  

Printables used:

For our calendar this month, we used the Black History Month Calendar Connections FREE from 1+1+1=1.

The three last printables: map and sorting states, things slaves were allowed to have, and the segregation laws all came from a FREE printable pack from Every Star is Different.

Geometry and Math:

In Geometry, we reviewed a solid, point, line, and plane. 

I introduced the line segment, ray, straight lines, and curved lines.

I also introduced vertical and horizontal lines.  The jar of water is part of the Montessori lesson on horizontal lines. 

In math, I presented the second half of the subtraction strip board lessons.  I think they both got it really well before, and probably I could have skipped the lesson.  BUT, I always hate to do that just in case.  Mustang went ahead and completed the rest of the booklet of problems, I suspect Charger will next week.

Our last highlight of the week was in honor of our 'fruity' week.  I decided we needed to graph...RUNTS!!!!  So, we drew our on graphs, put pictures of little fruit at the bottom, colored some boxes...but mostly we just ate Runts.  Yep, great way to end a Friday!!

Printables used:

The Montessori Geometry Lessons came free from Cultivating Dharma.  Unfortunately, it looks like she may have taken them down for now, but she says they will be back at some point.

The parts of and types of line cards were FREE from Homemade Montessori.  Thank you, Homeschool Den, for letting us know about them!!

We are awaiting yet ANOTHER snowstorm tomorrow which has put a wrench in a few of our plans.  But, *hopefully* this will be the last one for the year???  One can pray!  I need a new printer cartridge, so it will depend on the weather as to what our school plans for next week become.  Could be interesting :).

I hope you had a great week!  Thanks for stopping by!

God Bless,
Lisa

TOS Review: IXL

Being sick while you are homeschooling is TOUGH!  Because of this, I was really happy to get a chance to review IXL.com.  Having an online resource to assist in teaching my children over the last couple months has been a God-send.  You may have heard of IXL before, in fact we have reviewed IXL in the past.  That's how I knew I wanted to try it again!


IXL offers a unique program that has drills in math and now language arts, too!  In Math, it starts with Pre-K and goes all the way up to Algebra 2.  They plan to add Pre-Calculus soon.  In the Kindergarten area alone, there are over 120 skills to be practiced.

Here is a screen shot of what you see when you are working on a kindergarten math problem.  This is under my parent profile.

The problem reads 'How many dots are there?'  If your child can't read, they can click the green button next to the question and it will read it to them.  They put their answer in the box and then hit submit.  

On the right hand side you can see problems attempted, amount of time they have been practicing for, and then their average score of correct answers compared with the number they tried.  

Here is a look at the awards screen.  You can see that Mini Cooper has won 3 medals, answered 50 questions, practiced for 19 minutes, mastered 3 skills and earned 3 prizes.  She needs to practice 11 minutes, 50 questions, and 2 skills to get another prize.  Her prizes so far have been a book, car, and slide.

Here is a look at the skill page for Mustang.  The ones that have green bars next to them are ones she has tried.  Ones with medals are ones she has mastered.  If you could scroll down the page, you would see that there are many more skills she has been practicing.

The .1 of each skill is the easiest, so I asked her to go through all the .1's and then go on to the .2's.

For the parent, there are many nice reports to view how your student is progressing through the program.  You can look at their individual profiles, but it is nice to see them in a report-this is just one of 4 views you can see.  You can also allow for emails so that you are updated right away when your child hits an achievement.

Brand new this year are language arts lessons.  I was a little hesitant to have Mustang try them, but she did much better then I thought.  We still have a lot to learn!  Language arts lessons are available for 2-4th grades, with more to be added in the future.

So what did we think of IXL?

Overall we really enjoyed it-and are continuing to.  It has been very nice to have the kids spend 30 minutes or so every couple days practicing without my help (extra nice when you are feeling awful!).  And, they seem to enjoy this work as it's a bit different from the other options that they have.

Mini Cooper really didn't like it at all.  She didn't enjoy having to press the button to hear her question, and it just wasn't fast paced enough to keep her attention, so while it has pre-K skills, I wouldn't recommend it for the little ones.  Charger is 5 and does very well with it-but he CAN read the questions.  It might be different if he could not.  Mustang and Charger are the ones who have really used the program since they both enjoyed it.

Now, one thing to keep in mind is that this is not a learning web-page.  What I mean by that is, that while there are excellent little tutorials if you get a question incorrect, this page is to quiz your child on what they already know. So, I can't use this to teach my kids instead of teaching them myself.  I can only use this to be sure they are understanding, practicing, and mastering their skills.

The price is very affordable!  It starts at just $9.95/month with just $2.00 for each additional child (homeschool family pricing).  They also offer yearly pricing of just $79/year ($20 each additional child).

Overall, we loved it.  But, be sure to check out the crew blog to see what other families thought of IXL.com, too.  Just checkout the crew blog.