Learning Notes: Weeks Five and Six

As I predicted, there will be weeks that are not so stellar. These past few were those. Week 5, the weather was just too nice. Plus we had to go to the city for Athena's eye exam*.Week 6, the flu*. A sick dog*. Oh, and company and Thanksgiving. Anyway, here we go.

Math

Ordering

Telling time

Graphs

2D and 3D shapes

Writing numbers

Counting by 2s

Most and least

Counting by 10s

Counting forward and backward

Reading numbers

Groups of tens and ones.

She also played Shut the Box a few times. Fun game.

Language Arts

Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading
Lessons 41 to 44.
Read Bob books Set 2 Books 1 to 10

History

Thanksgiving History in Canada

Science

Finished up Fall study.

Created an indoor moss garden.

Planted fall spinach and radish.

Nature hike. Collected some wasp nurseries and old bird nests.

She wanted to do a real science experiment to we dissolved salt in water, hung a nail by a string inside the glass jar. Still waiting on the salt crystals to appear.

While we were out in the yard, this huge flock of Sandhill Cranes flew directly over our yard. It was breathtaking...and very loud. Craaaakarr.

Reading

What Happens in the Autumn

All About Animals in the Fall

Canadian Holidays : Thanksgiving

Warm as Wool

Strega Nona's Harvest

Harvest Song

A Thanksgiving Wish

Nickommoh!

Various Thanksgiving inspired poetry

(I told you it was nice out. Eating Shrimp Creole on the

deck in October...in Saskatchewan... in one's pajamas?

Unheard of.)

Writing

Athena wrote and sent two thank-you notes to her Auntie and Cousin for gifts given. And then of course, since the weather was so nice, we just HAD to walk to the post office to mail it. This was the first time that I remained outside (with the dog) and she took the mail key and found our box and got the mail herself. She was pretty proud of herself.

Art

Lots of modeling clay work. This theme was dinosaurs.

* No glasses for Athena yet. Optometrist says likely next year

*Flu for Athena. Started with a headache on Wednesday last and she is still sick 6 days later. It is mostly just a cough now. Was it H1N1? Maybe.

*The dog we just adopted has lost 8lbs since we got her. She has a bladder infection and is being treated for Tapeworm. $228 later, I hope all is well.

Learning Notes: Week Four

Another great week. I know there will be times I say otherwise but as for now it is going well. This week:

Math:

Addition

Counting backwards

Sets

Introduction to Money/counting money

Began subtraction

Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading

Lessons 38 to 40

We are finished all of the short vowel sounds. She is reading so well.
I love this method and this book.

History:

Hieroglyphics and cuneiform. Made name plate and pendants with cuneiform lettering.

Mapwork: Egypt and Sumer. Colored in the Nile River and labeled map.

Science:

Bird Migration

Picture of Sandhill Cranes

Learned of Autumn Equinox

Made African Harvest Drum

Reading:

Seeker of Knowledge (The man who deciphered Egyptian Hieroglyphics)

The Incredibles, a movie story book

Dot's Pot

The Busy Little Squirrel

By The Light of A Harvest Moon

Honk! Honk!

The Flight of the Snow Geese

Luck

Black Sky River

Poetry:

Fall

Signs

Mushrooms

Blackberry Picking

Words

A Cold October Night

Late Fall

Fall's End (began to memorize this one)

Copywork:

Began a copy book.

Athena is a girl.

She has green eyes.

She has a dog.

It is a Golden Retriever.

Music:

Listened to Josh Groban on the way to Regina.

On our trip we were lucky enough to come across a migrating flock of Snow Geese. We drove onto a grid and were able to hear their sounds and get a few pictures as they were taking off and landing.

And as luck would have it, on our way back on Sunday she spotted some Sandhill Cranes!! Again, I turned into a farmer's field and we could hear their sounds and see them fly. The pictures are not great but I'll share them here anyway.

Homeschooling

"My education was only interrupted by my schooling." Sir Winston Churchill

"Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of the originality." Beatrix Potter

Make me think, those quotes do. Make me think really hard.

My little gal will start Kindergarten in the fall. She'll be 5 1/2. I hate it. I hate that I will have to send her off from 9 til 3 every other day. I hate that she will have to sit inside a classroom all day long. I hate that she will have to be told what to do, what to draw, what to color, what to read, what to think. Hate it, hate it, hate it.

I am no stranger to homeschooling. I taught my oldest three at home for 3 short years. I loved it. 2/3s of them loved it. (Hi Jen). I thought that it was the very best way to learn. The very best way to live.

So why now do I hesitate? Why am I sending little Athena to pulic elementary school? Why indeed? I ask myself the same question every time it crosses my mind. My answers? Not so convincing. Well, she is an only child. She needs to be with other kids. Good reason? Maybe. Maybe not. Second? I will get some much wanted time to myself. Time for me. Good reason? Um, no.

Oh, what to do what to do. Anyone out there home school an only child? Anyone out there with an opinion? Anyone out there at all?