This was a week, where we were incredibly busy feeling, but looking at the pictures, I don’t know just how much we got done. Maybe it will seem like more as I write it.
{This post contains affiliate links. See my full Disclosure statement for more information}
Reading
Superman is ZOOMING through All About Reading 3 {affiliate link}, and it’s great to see him catch on like this. Batman is almost done with level 2 {affiliate link}, and is doing his best to catch up to his brother.
History
We spent the week learning about the Minoans, with a quick side jaunt of the ACTUAL history lessons for the week. The kids would say their favorite part was the minotaur maze. My favorite was the bull jumping. Either way it was a blast to learn about all of that.
Geography
We’ve continued using the young learners schedule in Illuminations {affiliate link} and it has continued to be a life saver. I keep trying to put in catch up time of doing 4 days of Geography, but it just doesn’t happen. I guess there is a reason they only plan it for 2 days
As a side note our dog loves to make himself at home in whatever we’re attempting to learn that day.
Math
was boring this week, no pictures of a thing.
Science
We finished off studying bones, and the kids thought it was the coolest week ever because they got to start mummifying a chicken AND play a new science game ( Skeletons In The Closet Game, affiliate link).
Spelling for the week:
It’s amusing to see how each of my kids’ brains work because my daughter carefully wrote the words and chose pretty colors. My next son did it, but didn’t do the different colors, and the final son, I believe this is Superman’s didn’t worry if the words crossed each other, just that the pattern looked right.
Fun shots that amuse me and life in general
Mac (the dog) likes to sit on Batman’s chair, this usually doesn’t bother him because Batman likes to stand while he works, but every now and then he wants to sit down.
Princess spent Saturday cleaning the church where her AHG troop meets for National Day of Service, or at least I think that’s what it was, now I’m trying to com up with other names. Our troop has decided to clean the location we meet at, since we make plenty of messes while we’re there.
I finished the mock up of Princess’ flower girl dress, and then she declared it to be itchy and wanted it off. So I tried washing it, and she tolerated it a bit more….. But not much.
What I’ve figured out this week
What kind of teacher would I be if I didn’t learn too?
Here’s what I’ve figured out:
- It does me no good to put the math lesson on my Illuminations schedule, if I don’t check the silly thing, and if the math papers are in the wrong order for the kids
- On that same idea, I need to write the lesson number up there, or I will get them in the wrong order
- I need to paper clip a day’s worth of work together, because when the kids get into their folders, they make a mess of them, and papers get out of my carefully placed order.
- My kids are not good at word searches or crossword puzzles. I’m trying to decide if this is a learned skill.
- I’m going to start adding in the laundry I need to do that day, so maybe it’ll get done.
I read “The Ultimate Guide to Brain Breaks,” which helped solidify my thoughts on the importance of movement, now I need to put together our “Brain Breaks jar.”
Go check out the other posts over at Collage Friday.
Great summary – your school is very hands on and probably perfect for your kinetic learners. I think crossword puzzles and searches require people not to get stuck on one thing that you cannot figure out – some people are better with that than others…
Princess gets stuck and obsesses over things. She’ll get stuck on a word and just keep looking and looking.
Now I’ve got to think about word searches and crossword puzzles…are they a learned skill? They takes some reasoning skills that might just be too old for your children…but I’m sure some of the strategies can be taught, too…hmmm.
I remember the kids doing it when I was teaching and they were 1st and 2nd graders, but it always seemed like they did it in groups. I’m beginning to wonder if this is a learned skill.
I ordered that skeleton game. I hope my kids like it – it seemed like our sort of game.
Sounds like you have been getting a lot done this year!
I hope they do too. My kids LOVE it and spent a good 15 minutes (would have been longer if I’d let them) playing with the skeletons afterwards.
I am ordering that game too for Q. I love all your tips and hints. It looks like you had a great week. I love the service project.
I loved it too! It was great to see Princess playing and cleaning and having a ball doing it. I can assure you she is not that cheerful cleaning at home.
We thought about that game but it looked a bit too young for our older guys. What age would you recommend it for?
Hmmm…… I’ve been trying to think of a good answer for that, because T11 might be too old, but I think your girls are a good age for it because I’d guess it’s really geared more towards 4/5 grade which would be about 9/10 if you do the trivia question version. We really did the simplest game version with my kids.
Fun stuff. I love that the dog joins in – I have many pictures of our dogs “doing school.” So cute.
🙂
Many of the pictures of our dog doing school are the “No Mac, don’t lay right smack in the middle of the map.”