Nervous about starting Week 3

We won't actually start week 3 until Tuesday, but week 3 is when things kick it up a notch. Tomorrow (Monday), we'll do Week 2 Day 5 - the post-test of learning the states. I think the kids will do pretty well. I'll probably have to write for Pooh and Tigger. Rabbit will do fine, except spelling them correctly of course.

My nervousness has to do with having the 2nd/3rd grade supplement and the regular History and how much time it will all take. I've been reading the 2nd/3rd grade supplement read aloud at bedtime, and that is working fine. The boys enjoy that, and Rabbit usually listens in. This week we add in U.S. Facts and Fun and See the U.S.A. These first couple of worksheet pages will be fine. We'll have to see how the rest go. We also add in the Story of the World Volume 4 this week for Rabbit. I pre-read this week's, and the boys could join in for Day 1 (and would probably enjoy helping build the Crystal Palace). Day 3 and Day 4 both have wars, but nothing graphic or anything.

I did type up the Review Questions from the Story of the World Activity Book for Rabbit. I often forget to have the kids narrate (either as we read or listen to the CD, or at the end of the reading), so I thought having the questions typed up with space to answer them might help. Plus, at the beginning here, I'm going to read through the questions and the outline before we read so that we know for what we're suppose to be listening. 

This week won't be quite as busy as last, so that will help too. 

1850MOD Week 2 Day 4

Ahhh. School goes a little faster when the boys don't have English.

So, we didn't start until 8:30ish, but Bible time was relatively short today. So, we got Spelling done, and the kids got their snack break, and we were back on by 9:30. Reading went fine (Pooh is getting better - reading 6 to 7 pages a day in those 10 minutes). Math still took an hour. It was the first time introducing carrying (regrouping). They know they're doing it, but they don't quite understand it. Handwriting was quick, as the letter y is just a combination of the letter u and the letter g in Handwriting without Tears. We had to listen to the Middle States song a couple of times more for Pooh and Tigger to be able to name the rest of the states, but we were able to finish off History, and read yesterday's and today's science readings.

Rabbit worked on her independent work while I did the above, but I can tell she wasn't as focused as previous days. I helped her some with her Progeny Press guide (she was having trouble finding words in the dictionary) while the boys were doing math. We're having trouble squeezing Writing Strands in somewhere, though.

After lunch, we did the science experiments scheduled for the day. We couldn't get the one with the water bottle to work, but I think it is because we used a small water bottle, and the 3 holes directed the water too far away from each other. The pepper one is of course very cool, and we've floated a paper clip before. But the kids decided the most "epic" experiment was the milk, food coloring, and dish washing soap one. The results of that one:

I thought it was interesting that the colors never really blended to form purple or green (but they did when I dumped them in the sink that had water left over from lunch dishes). Anyway, the kids really liked this one.

I read through the art lesson in God and the History of Art, but the kids aren't really interested in doing the drawing. I'm not going to make them do it.

The boys still had Piano and Book Basket to do, so they did that while I worked with Rabbit. Science only took 15-20 minutes with her (no experiments today). We used the new Student Notebook that arrived yesterday to take notes in and answer the "On Your Own" questions. (I may write up a separate review of it.) Then we did math. Rabbit can do converting proper fractions to improper, but the other way is harder for her. She'll get there, eventually. Math took less than an hour. It was one-step multiplication problems that were way easier than the ones in Singapore, so we just read through the first example, then did the Lesson Practice and Mixed Practice.

Life group is at our house tonight, so we are about to spend a couple of hours cleaning and baking.

1850MOD Week 2 Day 3

Life has seemed hectic this week. Between hair appointment, vet appointment, life group, Dance classes, and a used curriculum sale things are busy. 

The boys are taking longer than I thought they would for math. Closer to 45 minutes to an hour! Which I think is a little too long for 3rd graders, but I'm not sure how to speed it up. I am trying to decide what to do with Rabbit during this time. She is usually done with her independent work by the time we get to math. It takes me about 15 minutes to work with the boys to explain their lesson. Then they could work on the workbook by themselves - we'll Tigger could. Pooh needs lots of encouragement to stay on task. But, I could possibly do the warm up with Rabbit during this time, but I want to be available to the boys, but she gets frustrated when she is interrupted in math. And sometimes I get frustrated too, when I am constantly interrupted by the others. I could have her listen to her science. I don't know. If the boys take too long in math, then we don't get history and science done before lunch and the days go really, really, long. (I probably should pray about it.)

Things would go better if we would start earlier, but we have been having trouble starting by 8:15. I don't think it's an unreasonable goal, but when the dog has to be at the vet's office between 8:00 and 8:30, it does throw your day off.

What would a perfect day look like?

1. Children would be ready to start school with a good attitude.
2. Children would move immediately to the next thing when the timer goes off.
3. Children would go to the bathroom during snack and lunch breaks and not interrupt class time.
4. Subjects would actually take the time allotted, and not longer.

Well, I can dream, can't I?

1850MOD Week 2 Days 1 & 2

Well, things are cruising along.

Yesterday I was sure the kids hadn't memorized the Eastern border states, but when I tested them today, they did know them. They really LOVE playing state rummy. We decided that you could make a run as long as the states were touching in some way. So, like New York and Massachusetts could be a run, even though they're not touching along a border.

Almost all subjects went fine yesterday, even though we started a little late. We still got through History by lunch (and there was no science).

After lunch Rabbit had a Math test - she got a 60%. Sigh. Most of her mistakes were typical of her: reversing numbers, not realizing she needed to borrow, switching to subtraction in the middle of an addition problem. Her dyslexia does that to her. And, all the stuff she missed was from Lesson 1 and Lesson 3. So, I've decided we're going to have to work ALL the mixed problems until her test scores improve.

I had to leave for an appointment, so she read her science to herself after I left. She took some notes, but I told her not to do the experiments.

Today went okay, though we didn't finish until 3:45. The boys had a practice page in Math, so I wrote their problems for them in their notebooks, and they worked the problems. Pooh needs lots of encouragement to stay on task, but he did get it done. Everything else is going pretty smoothly. We're not moving very fast in spelling with Pooh, but it is hard for him to remember how to write letters.

For Rabbit, we did Math until I saw that she was shutting down (got through Mixed Practice #16). So, we took a quick snack break and switched to Science. We did the experiments from yesterday, and then today's reading. After that, we finished the last 14 problems in math in 15 minutes. She was surprised, so we talked about how when her brain shuts down at math, it is okay to switch to something different, and then come back to it. I wasn't sure if we really needed to do the word problems exactly as the Saxon book said to do them. The word problems were all easy (as compared to Singapore), and she knew how to solve them without setting them up the way the Saxon book recommended. She didn't like having to do more work when she knew how to solve them, so I would set them up, and then she would solve them. I know why the book did it that way, but part of me says if you can find the right answer then it is fine.

I'm really pleased with how Rabbit is doing on her independent work. She doesn't always get the answers right, but she does work hard and try to get it done.

Only two more days this week, as Friday I have a used curriculum sale to go to and try to sell off my old Abeka stuff and maybe my MFW 1st grade. Not sure if I want to let go of 1st grade yet. 

1850MOD Schedule Changes

So after experimenting a little with the schedule last week, I've reworked things just a little. We'll still start with Bible, and then Rabbit can go work on her independent work, as long as she starts with Spanish (because that is on my computer, and the boys will need it later on). The boys will do Spelling/Math Drill, English/Rosetta Stone, Reading/AWANA, then Math and Handwriting. If we stay on task, we should be done by 11:05. While the boys are working their Math pages after I've explained things to them, I can look over Rabbit's English, Writing, or even go over the Progeny Press guide questions with her. Then we'll try to get History and Science done before lunch (and science isn't scheduled every day). After lunch, we'll do Music or Art (when it is scheduled). Then the boys can do Piano, Wii Fit, Book Basket (if they didn't do it earlier), and Typing (if it didn't get done earlier). That's when Rabbit and I will do her Math and Science. Theoretically, we could be done by 2:45 each day. Theoretically. We'll see how it goes.

1850MOD - end of Week 1

Whew! We made it! Right now there is Apple Crisp baking in the oven as part of our US History Cookbook. I called my husband to find out when he was coming home and mentioned what was in the oven and he said, "That sounds like a good kind of school."

These last two days have had their ups and downs. Yesterday, we did things in the order I wanted. Because the boys don't have English on day 4 of the week, that allowed us to get Bible, Spelling, Reading, Math and Handwriting done by a little after 11:00. Then we did the History. They LOVE, LOVE, LOVE playing state rummy. And they all did better learning the Southern border states, and even Pooh is starting to get the Northern border states better. I think I even squeezed in the science reading yesterday before lunch. Then after lunch I was able to solely focus on Rabbit and her topics. I still need to figure out how to work in going over the Progeny Press guide and Writing Strands with her. Someday it will come to me.

Today was our light day. We did Spelling, Reading, and Math. We also read the chapter of the US History Cookbook that we didn't read on Monday. We also didn't do a nature walk - but the kids have spent a lot of time in the backyard today, so I'm okay with that. Rabbit did her Module 1 Test in Apologia. She really didn't do too bad. She got a 79% - I gave her a 1/2 point for one of her written answers, and she missed 4 of the matching. It is just so hard to keep those scientists straight. There were some tears, but I tried to explain to her that the first test with a new subject is always hard - you are learning how the teacher tests, what kinds of things you need to study, and how much you need to study. I have ordered the Student Notebook that Apologia offers to go with this course. I think it will help her. But, I also think she is going to have to study a little in the evenings or something.

I still need to do some schedule adjustments, but I'm pleased with how it all went.

1850MOD Day 3

Let's just make everyday different. So, today we had no out-of-the-house errands nor surprise visitors, but still...

We got started about 8:35 with Bible. That went well. I needed to go through the Chapter 1 & 2 section of the Progeny Press guide with Rabbit, so the boys did book basket while she and I did that orally. 

Then Pooh wanted to do science, since it was only 15 minutes until snack time. So, we did that next. It was just finishing a page in World of Science. Then a 10 minute snack break (with the timer - will do that all the time now). 

Next I worked through Spelling, English, Reading, Math and Handwriting with the boys. I was hoping that would only take until 11:30, but it took until 12:00. After lunch we did history - which was learning the Southern Border states. That went a little better than learning the Northern Border states. Pooh was able to put his cards in the correct order without help. After that, I did Math and Science with Rabbit. We finished up Lesson 9 (continuing from yesterday). Rabbit said she liked the reciprocal stuff. Then we filled out the Study Guide for Module 1. We're going to study some more tomorrow before doing the test on Friday. We called it a day at 3:00.

My plan is to change up our order. Do Bible first, then Spelling, English, Reading, Math and Handwriting. Then History and Science. Then work with Rabbit on her Math and Science. I feel like our day flows a little better with that order. Though, we don't have English tomorrow, and I'm not planning on adding in writing yet for my boys (they get dictation in All About Spelling, so I was going to start some writing maybe the 2nd half of the year), so I'm not sure how that will play out with our "independent" work for the boys. I may have to rearrange.