Educational Report: Week of August 31. 2014

Our schedule is still needing work- it's far too full- but I was more at peace with it all this week. Mama's state of mind has a HUGE impact on everyone else's. :) Through the years, I've learned that our schedule will constantly shift so I have to constantly adjust it. Currently, it's so busy because we are gone majority of the day on Wednesdays for piano/errands + Thursday afternoons for co-op. We get some lessons done on each of these days but I need to write out what needs to get done when on our new schedule so I don't have to THINK about it so much. :)

Covenant Classes: Jonathan & Elizabeth studied land forms for their geography class, Benjamin & Matthias covered chapter 2 for Latin & Patricia continued to study Consolation of Philosophy. A main reason we had Patricia take this course is the writing required. This next week she is working on a 2-page report on the medieval mindset of the world. I'm grateful someone else can give input into her writing. The younger children mostly did review of their memory work for their Bible class & were assigned to memorizing God's first promise found in Genesis 3:14-19. Patricia's Bible class covered a test on Westminster Shorter Catechism #61-62.

Reading Aloud: we listened to a dramatized version of The Magician's Nephew from Focus on the Family. I prefer unabridged books but since we know the Chronicles of Narnia very well, this was a fun treat. Thanks, Papa, for the CD!

Memory Time: sigh. None.

History: we covered two lectures for Gileskirk on Christopher Columbus & the Conquistadors. Still need to fit in that third lecture. Benjamin & Patricia also took part of an opportunity, wrote in their reading journals & read Longitude. Younger children did supplemental reading.

Science: Patricia & Benjamin began module 7, which is about fossils. The younger children covered two lessons: the first on cells, tissues and organs; the second on the skeletal system.

Math: everyone did lessons this week but drill practice didn't happen. I should write more about math- we do it but it's something that I never seem to write about. I'll try to change that! :)

Language Arts: Patricia finished week 28 on documentation of Writing with Skill & Benjamin actually finished week 6 (I thought we had done it all last week but I forgot the last writing assignment). Matthias completed dictation from week 5 of Writing with Ease. I'm only using the dictation in level 4. It has tough passages- I'm not sure I could retain the length he's required to! It's a great skill to learn.

Everyone did spelling. Patricia completed her last chapter of Vocabulary from Classical Roots, Level A. Her & Benjamin will take a break for a bit from vocabulary because I need to order new books. Jonathan & Elizabeth did a key word outline & then wrote a paragraph on dairy cows. LOVE, love, LOVE IEW! For the younger crew, grammar is taught via Latin & their writing plus they memorize grammar jingles. Benjamin & Patricia are working through Our Mother Tongue- this week, they completed chapter 3 on adjectives.

Latin: because of Covenant Classes, our week is now split- the boys take their quiz/test on Wednesdays & start a new chapter every Thursday. We worked together each day on vocabulary & I had the boys work on some extra translation on several of the days. Patricia completed chapter 14 of Latin Alive.

Logic: Benjamin & Patricia took a test & also studied fallacy of induction & sweeping generalizations. They didn't meet with Eric this week. :( Several children did MindBenders & Critical Thinking.

Art & Music: we went to piano lessons this week and Abigail was THRILLED to start this week! Never seen her smile so big before:

Abigail: somehow, I've forgotten to put this part into my reports. Ooopps. I really look forward to my time with Abigail- I try to work with Emily & then Abigail first thing each day. It's not long because they join us for majority of what the older children are doing but it's good to have one-on-one time with these young ones, especially since they still need to learn to read & write. I have a few hours with Emily & Abigail (& Katherine) while Covenant Classes are going on, so this week I started making an alphabet book with Abigail. This week, we did a page for the letter B: 

What fun! I'm grateful for this set time each week to do this- it's sometimes hard for me to want to do projects/crafts with my youngest but they LOVE it when we do. Emily enjoyed making a letter also, though she's not ready for a book yet (she's got her colors down though!):