Homeschool Review (5th and 1st Grades)
We have had another adventurous year learning. John Gannon completed the 5th grade and Jackson completed 1st grade. Here are some of the highlights of our school year.
DISCLAIMER: If you homeschool and have a tendency to compare what you do with others or feel bummed out when reading what someone else does...please just quit reading. I do these posts every year to document what we do. I absolutely love when other moms share what they do. I have gotten lots of ideas and encouragement from others doing the same. I salute all of you out there who have taken on the task of homeschooling your children. The beauty is that we all do it differently!
Here was our first day picture!
Our first large project was working with friends to create a movie: America:The Land of Hope, Opportunity, and Freedom. The movie is a compilation of interviews documenting the stories of people who have moved to the USA and now call it home. They were able to interview people from all over the world. The four boys interviewed, filmed, and edited the work over the course of a few weeks. Once the project was complete, they hosted a movie premiere at the library. They loved the entire process and learned so much from this. They still talk about the experience.
This year we participated in a coop (Homeschool Learning Community) that started up in our area. We met on Thursdays from approx. 8:15-12:30. The boys participated in the following classes: 2 semesters of World Geography, Anatomy, Botany, Nature Sports (John), Survival Skills (John), STEM (John), Indoor Games (John and Jack), Lego (Jack), and Apologetics (Jack). The boys loved attending, and I enjoyed the connection with the other moms. We (parents) teach/assist during 3 of the 5 periods.
We went on one career quest this year. You can go back into the blog history and read about those from the previous year. Here are links to two of them (Career Quest Nettleton Post) (Career Quest Tupelo) Time just didn't permit adding more of them during the year. I will still say they are one of the most effective and engaging things we do. For this quest we visited the following businesses in Saltillo: E911 office, Elmo's Military Supply, the Mayor's Office (which included all of the public utility and community helpers), and House of Bounce. Every place we visit takes such interest in the children and really helps them understand the work required.
I issued the boys a challenged this year with their business, Cox Brothers. They started with $10 and worked to see how much they could turn it into by the end of the year. They had daily business meetings to plan what their work activities would be for the day or week. They picked up cans, did work for people, sold things from their rooms, and promoted their business. They also planned, directed, and did all the video editing for a commercial for their business. It was quite a hit. As a result, they were able to turn their $10 into $1574! They donated some of the money to causes they wanted to support, kept some from spending and saved some. Of course some of the money stays "in the business" to buy supplies to operate. I love the fact they are learning to make money on their own. We do not give them an allowance. We have only allowed them to earn money from us when they participate in a task we didn't expect them to pitch in with. John Gannon has been most impressed with the scrap metal. One day, he loaded my trunk up with mess he scavenged laying around at someone's house. They were happy it was leaving, and he was happy to take it!
Here is the commercial they created.
As for more traditional field trips we visited Elvis' Birthplace, National Civil Rights Museum and Botanical Gardens in Memphis, Three Rivers Landfill, Oren Dunn Museum, and the Pumpkin Patch. We also attended several play-days and picnics with homeschoolers at area parks.
We participated in several challenges that a fellow mom hosted this year at her house: a poetry challenge, a marble maze challenge, a clay sculpture challenge, a cardboard challenge, and a comic book challenge. They also created a photography book highlighting life in Mississippi. Jackson photographed and wrote about "country stores" and interviewed the owner of the store by our house. John photographed and wrote about Elvis. I love how all the kids take the general idea and make it their own. Challenges without very restrictive rules are the best! It allows uniqueness and for individual personality to come through. It is much more enjoyable to me than seeing boards with "more of the same" following the same format. It reminds me of assembly lines and is very restrictive.
We participated and/or attended classes in Origami, gymnastics, martial arts, a Science Fun Day, and a Space Day. They also played spring soccer with the CHENM Spartans group.
We hosted a Thanksgiving meal at our home with some of our homeschool friends. We also did several projects throughout the year in which we made gifts to give to others (for example: the UPS guy, people who we knew were going through a tough time, the homeless, etc).
As for more formal academics, we primarily got our reading material from the Bookmobile! Ms. Barbara is so wonderful. We love her! We meet the her at a store on Birmingham Ridge the second and fourth Tuesdays.
Reading:
We did several book-based projects together this year, like reading a short story and doing a project or two related to the book. I blogged about a few of those during the year. I don't follow any formal reading program now that the boys can read well. Here is an an example of one project. We read a book about owning pet monsters. We made our own monsters and wrote about their personalities, what they ate, and how they acted.
John continued to read a mixture of fiction and non-fiction. We used Dibels to progress monitor on occasion. He loves doing the assessments, I just didn't want to waste the ink printing all of them, because I don't feel the need since he has been able to read and comprehend everything he has chosen. He is right at grade level. He will always be a little slower in pace (fluency) but his skills are sound at this point. John made an observation this year while participating in the reading fair. He did a non-fiction book about several natural disasters. He LOVED the book. He still talks about facts from that book. You should ask me sometime about his experience at the book fair. I love his literal brain. He doesn't think the book fair exists to promote the enjoyment of kids sharing about books they love. He said it is more like kids creating stuff that adults say "should" be on a board. He said there are much better ways to communicate the information that on those terrible boards. I agreed to allow him to be expressive in his own ways from this point forward!
Jackson has continued to increase his reading and decoding skills. He loves fiction and non-fiction as well. He participated in the reading fair as well. He chose a Fly Guy book. He hated the process of making the board as well. I made him push through it. He wanted to do a dramatic re-enactment of one of the scenes instead of the board. I so wish I would have allowed him to do that. Lesson learned! I also use Dibels to progress monitor him as well. He scored mid year second grade on his final assessment.
Vocabulary
As the boys read, they keep a word journal (notebook) with them. They write down any word that they have trouble pronouncing or understanding. We practice saying the words every day. We also have bi-weekly "smart" words that I write on a dry erase board. They are words that I often don't know. The first week, we learn to pronounce the words, write the definitions, draw pictures that illustrate them, and act them out. The second week we have fun demonstrating and practicing the words in actual usage! The best story was when Jackson asked his dad why he was being so caustic!
Math
John Gannon finished all of the Intermediate Series of Life Of Fred. He was ready to start the Pre-Algebra book several months ago but I opted for him to continue practicing because he was still often making simple errors even though he knew how to do the problems. He also completed 100% of 5th grade math on Khan and is now 46% done with 6th grade on Khan. He also did multiplication and division drills on Xtra Math two times a week.
Jackson responds to a much more structured approach to learning than John. He doesn't learn through narrative like John. As a matter of fact, he HATES being read to and isn't really at a reading level to be able to read some of the stuff in the Fred books with understanding. So at the beginning of October we scraped our plans and started using Horizons. Even though we got a late start, he still completed both books for first grade. We continue doing LOF as a supplement for him on occasion. We completed the Apples book and have about 3 chapters left in Butterflies. He has completed 69% of the K-2 math on Khan.
Spelling:
My nemesis...I STILL HAVEN'T FOUND AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO TEACH SPELLING. We wrote words on windows with chalk paint, wrote them in shaving cream, made them with magnet and scrabble tiles, kinetically spelled, painted words, filled up windows with sticky note words, used large paper and decorated the words, used silly spelling tactics (songs, etc.). We continued to use Sequential Spelling as our guide. I still just don't think we are making adequate progress. Next year I am going to do a more traditional approach with Jackson-he will respond well. As for John...I just bang my head against the wall and shout, "I don't like this part of dyslexia!!" PLEASE, I need all the help I can get!
Language and Writing:
Began basic introduction of language concepts with Jackson. John completed the Daily Grams workbook, and we discussed and observed the concepts in use. We also continued to practice writing mechanics. With Jackson I primarily focused on handwriting skills. His fine motor skills are still underdeveloped. But hey--watch out with those gross motor skills...really, he has those down! John Gannon still loves writing stories. Both of their writing journals got pretty thick this year! I purchased a writing program that I think I can adapt for both boys to try out this upcoming year.
History
We listen to Story of World cd's in the car and talk about the stories as we go from place to place. So many times they want to keep listening!
Science
In addition to the science they learned at the weekly coop (anatomy, botany, and Stem--John), we did science experiments that were related to their interests and just went into detail as to "why" things happen. One of the biggest hits-we put a piece of bread in a bowl with a lid in Sept. It is still in the cabinet. They get it out about every two weeks and observe how it has changed. It is almost gone at this point, but has changed into quite a sight to behold! They want to get some bread from McDonalds and see if it will mold. We have "heard" that it will not. We plan to test that out and will try to figure out "why" if it does not. Or debunk what we have "heard" if it isn't true.
Bible
We start with Bible every day. A friend let us borrow the curriculum Answer for Kids by Answers in Genesis. The boys loved every single lesson! When we finished the curriculum and before, our normal day included reading a section of the Bible, discussing it and applying it to our lives. Around January we started selecting verses to memorize. The boys have also gotten really interested in the Voice of the Martyrs. They love to hear the stories and enjoy identifying on the map the countries the people are from. Jackson participated in an Apologetics class at the coop this year, and John will participate in it this coming year.
So, there you have it! Another year in the books. In hindsight, I still learn more about my boys and myself every year. Somedays we make it look easy. Other days, we completely make a mess of it! But, we are in this together and are committed to learning, loving God and each other and having fun!
Now the exciting part--planning for next year! My brain is flooding with ideas. I have started creating our charts and notebooks for certain subjects. I am trying to fine tune our schedule but am waiting on a couple of materials that are expected to arrive today. We are heading out on Thursday for our next summer travel adventure!
Live a Meaningful Life!
DISCLAIMER: If you homeschool and have a tendency to compare what you do with others or feel bummed out when reading what someone else does...please just quit reading. I do these posts every year to document what we do. I absolutely love when other moms share what they do. I have gotten lots of ideas and encouragement from others doing the same. I salute all of you out there who have taken on the task of homeschooling your children. The beauty is that we all do it differently!
Here was our first day picture!
Our first large project was working with friends to create a movie: America:The Land of Hope, Opportunity, and Freedom. The movie is a compilation of interviews documenting the stories of people who have moved to the USA and now call it home. They were able to interview people from all over the world. The four boys interviewed, filmed, and edited the work over the course of a few weeks. Once the project was complete, they hosted a movie premiere at the library. They loved the entire process and learned so much from this. They still talk about the experience.
This year we participated in a coop (Homeschool Learning Community) that started up in our area. We met on Thursdays from approx. 8:15-12:30. The boys participated in the following classes: 2 semesters of World Geography, Anatomy, Botany, Nature Sports (John), Survival Skills (John), STEM (John), Indoor Games (John and Jack), Lego (Jack), and Apologetics (Jack). The boys loved attending, and I enjoyed the connection with the other moms. We (parents) teach/assist during 3 of the 5 periods.
We went on one career quest this year. You can go back into the blog history and read about those from the previous year. Here are links to two of them (Career Quest Nettleton Post) (Career Quest Tupelo) Time just didn't permit adding more of them during the year. I will still say they are one of the most effective and engaging things we do. For this quest we visited the following businesses in Saltillo: E911 office, Elmo's Military Supply, the Mayor's Office (which included all of the public utility and community helpers), and House of Bounce. Every place we visit takes such interest in the children and really helps them understand the work required.
Here is the commercial they created.
As for more traditional field trips we visited Elvis' Birthplace, National Civil Rights Museum and Botanical Gardens in Memphis, Three Rivers Landfill, Oren Dunn Museum, and the Pumpkin Patch. We also attended several play-days and picnics with homeschoolers at area parks.
We participated in several challenges that a fellow mom hosted this year at her house: a poetry challenge, a marble maze challenge, a clay sculpture challenge, a cardboard challenge, and a comic book challenge. They also created a photography book highlighting life in Mississippi. Jackson photographed and wrote about "country stores" and interviewed the owner of the store by our house. John photographed and wrote about Elvis. I love how all the kids take the general idea and make it their own. Challenges without very restrictive rules are the best! It allows uniqueness and for individual personality to come through. It is much more enjoyable to me than seeing boards with "more of the same" following the same format. It reminds me of assembly lines and is very restrictive.
We participated and/or attended classes in Origami, gymnastics, martial arts, a Science Fun Day, and a Space Day. They also played spring soccer with the CHENM Spartans group.
We hosted a Thanksgiving meal at our home with some of our homeschool friends. We also did several projects throughout the year in which we made gifts to give to others (for example: the UPS guy, people who we knew were going through a tough time, the homeless, etc).
As for more formal academics, we primarily got our reading material from the Bookmobile! Ms. Barbara is so wonderful. We love her! We meet the her at a store on Birmingham Ridge the second and fourth Tuesdays.
Reading:
We did several book-based projects together this year, like reading a short story and doing a project or two related to the book. I blogged about a few of those during the year. I don't follow any formal reading program now that the boys can read well. Here is an an example of one project. We read a book about owning pet monsters. We made our own monsters and wrote about their personalities, what they ate, and how they acted.
John continued to read a mixture of fiction and non-fiction. We used Dibels to progress monitor on occasion. He loves doing the assessments, I just didn't want to waste the ink printing all of them, because I don't feel the need since he has been able to read and comprehend everything he has chosen. He is right at grade level. He will always be a little slower in pace (fluency) but his skills are sound at this point. John made an observation this year while participating in the reading fair. He did a non-fiction book about several natural disasters. He LOVED the book. He still talks about facts from that book. You should ask me sometime about his experience at the book fair. I love his literal brain. He doesn't think the book fair exists to promote the enjoyment of kids sharing about books they love. He said it is more like kids creating stuff that adults say "should" be on a board. He said there are much better ways to communicate the information that on those terrible boards. I agreed to allow him to be expressive in his own ways from this point forward!
Jackson has continued to increase his reading and decoding skills. He loves fiction and non-fiction as well. He participated in the reading fair as well. He chose a Fly Guy book. He hated the process of making the board as well. I made him push through it. He wanted to do a dramatic re-enactment of one of the scenes instead of the board. I so wish I would have allowed him to do that. Lesson learned! I also use Dibels to progress monitor him as well. He scored mid year second grade on his final assessment.
Vocabulary
As the boys read, they keep a word journal (notebook) with them. They write down any word that they have trouble pronouncing or understanding. We practice saying the words every day. We also have bi-weekly "smart" words that I write on a dry erase board. They are words that I often don't know. The first week, we learn to pronounce the words, write the definitions, draw pictures that illustrate them, and act them out. The second week we have fun demonstrating and practicing the words in actual usage! The best story was when Jackson asked his dad why he was being so caustic!
Math
John Gannon finished all of the Intermediate Series of Life Of Fred. He was ready to start the Pre-Algebra book several months ago but I opted for him to continue practicing because he was still often making simple errors even though he knew how to do the problems. He also completed 100% of 5th grade math on Khan and is now 46% done with 6th grade on Khan. He also did multiplication and division drills on Xtra Math two times a week.
Jackson responds to a much more structured approach to learning than John. He doesn't learn through narrative like John. As a matter of fact, he HATES being read to and isn't really at a reading level to be able to read some of the stuff in the Fred books with understanding. So at the beginning of October we scraped our plans and started using Horizons. Even though we got a late start, he still completed both books for first grade. We continue doing LOF as a supplement for him on occasion. We completed the Apples book and have about 3 chapters left in Butterflies. He has completed 69% of the K-2 math on Khan.
Spelling:
My nemesis...I STILL HAVEN'T FOUND AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO TEACH SPELLING. We wrote words on windows with chalk paint, wrote them in shaving cream, made them with magnet and scrabble tiles, kinetically spelled, painted words, filled up windows with sticky note words, used large paper and decorated the words, used silly spelling tactics (songs, etc.). We continued to use Sequential Spelling as our guide. I still just don't think we are making adequate progress. Next year I am going to do a more traditional approach with Jackson-he will respond well. As for John...I just bang my head against the wall and shout, "I don't like this part of dyslexia!!" PLEASE, I need all the help I can get!
Language and Writing:
Began basic introduction of language concepts with Jackson. John completed the Daily Grams workbook, and we discussed and observed the concepts in use. We also continued to practice writing mechanics. With Jackson I primarily focused on handwriting skills. His fine motor skills are still underdeveloped. But hey--watch out with those gross motor skills...really, he has those down! John Gannon still loves writing stories. Both of their writing journals got pretty thick this year! I purchased a writing program that I think I can adapt for both boys to try out this upcoming year.
History
We listen to Story of World cd's in the car and talk about the stories as we go from place to place. So many times they want to keep listening!
Science
In addition to the science they learned at the weekly coop (anatomy, botany, and Stem--John), we did science experiments that were related to their interests and just went into detail as to "why" things happen. One of the biggest hits-we put a piece of bread in a bowl with a lid in Sept. It is still in the cabinet. They get it out about every two weeks and observe how it has changed. It is almost gone at this point, but has changed into quite a sight to behold! They want to get some bread from McDonalds and see if it will mold. We have "heard" that it will not. We plan to test that out and will try to figure out "why" if it does not. Or debunk what we have "heard" if it isn't true.
Bible
We start with Bible every day. A friend let us borrow the curriculum Answer for Kids by Answers in Genesis. The boys loved every single lesson! When we finished the curriculum and before, our normal day included reading a section of the Bible, discussing it and applying it to our lives. Around January we started selecting verses to memorize. The boys have also gotten really interested in the Voice of the Martyrs. They love to hear the stories and enjoy identifying on the map the countries the people are from. Jackson participated in an Apologetics class at the coop this year, and John will participate in it this coming year.
So, there you have it! Another year in the books. In hindsight, I still learn more about my boys and myself every year. Somedays we make it look easy. Other days, we completely make a mess of it! But, we are in this together and are committed to learning, loving God and each other and having fun!
Now the exciting part--planning for next year! My brain is flooding with ideas. I have started creating our charts and notebooks for certain subjects. I am trying to fine tune our schedule but am waiting on a couple of materials that are expected to arrive today. We are heading out on Thursday for our next summer travel adventure!
Live a Meaningful Life!
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