Week 3

So long since my last post. I kept forgetting to do it and thinking "I'll do it tomorrow" or even next week. Such is the life of the home-schooling parent.

This month has been dotted with meetings, travel and other miscellanea for Keith and I. It makes it hard to keep a routine for Hannah especially, but we are a moveable feast with home-schooling, so we do work around it.


WEEK 1

The first week of school gave us a mixed bag.

Zach and Issie began the week working on nouns in grammar. I am still surprised by how much they are meant to know but don't. I think we have a good understanding of the concept now. They also worked on getting back into the swing of their maths. Issie is still struggling but is grasping the concepts faster and faster, so I can see that we are making real progress. Zach, as always, steams through his maths.

Hannah did some reading, some Reading Eggs work and her Targeting Math CD-rom, which she loves. As we were waiting for her Targeting Maths book to arrive in the mail, we had to begin another maths activity book, but that was good to have a different approach too. It's all experience for us.

Charlie decided he'd like to do school work too. I had purchased a "Starting School" book from Jenny's Classroom in Orange, so we began that. He doesn't like to do too much at once, just an activity here and there, but he's beginning to show recognition with a few letters so that's nice for him. I would never have started on this path so early if he didn't show interest, and presently we are led by him. Some days building a rocket is far more important than drawing anything or writing in his school books!

The three younger kids had the opportunity to attend the Burren Junction Public School swimming carnival on the Tuesday, so not much work happened that day, but they had a great day, catching up with friends and swimming. I still believe that there is much to be learned outside the "classroom".

Art classes began for all the kids too. They thoroughly enjoyed it, even Zach who made it very clear that it fitted into the "lame" category too well.

Isobel attends quilting with me on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month. She's been making a cover for her journal/visual art diary and learning from the other ladies too, which is great! Hannah is desperate to come with us, but the stipulation from me is that she needs to be able to use the sewing machine, or hand sew, so she's desperately sewing by hand to get there. The problem is that she won't let me teach her a stitch that won't fall apart - like backstitch. Oh, well, it must mean she's not ready yet!

We had our first French lesson too. It was from iTunes. I was surprised by how good it was. The kids actually liked it and they got to sing a song or two.


WEEK 2

The second week saw us begin piano lessons with the local Reverend's wife, Virginia Stuart. It was fun to see the kids tinkle at the keys and for Virginia to set them on the path of learning a new instrument. Hannah and Charlie didn't appear to learn much there, but they came home and clunked away on our keyboard. It kind of confirms my theory of children learning by osmosis. The experience of watching and hearing teaches them a lot. Isobel loved it - you could see she was right at home. She practiced every day and also taught herself "Ode to Joy".

Zach missed out on piano as he was rained in at "Pampas", Stephen and Lorna's place. He had visited on the weekend to do shooting, sheep work and other "boy stuff". The predicted half inch of rain turned into three inches and he was stuck there. We faxed school work out to him and we finally got him back on Wednesday.

On the Tuesday we went to Narrabri with Keith as he had meetings and training. Frankly, Old Mother Hubbard's cupboard was bare so we took the opportunity to go to a decent supermarket! We got our jobs done, the kids did a bit of school work and had a swim, and we stayed to see Aunty Helen, Uncle David and the two Grandmas that night at "Kitty Hawk".

Hannah began her new spelling book, which I was surprised she took to so well. She is not the least bit thrilled by English generally, so to find that she was happy enough with this work (not to say she was thrilled - she wasn't - but the whinge factor was down on her normal English work!).

We did "l" words. Her spelling book has three-letter words in a word list, and activities that revolve around those words. We also made a chart of "l" words that we thought of. She seemed quite satisfied with what we'd done at the end of the week. Her handwriting was also "l", and she did that quite well - much neater than last year. Her pencil grip still needs a bit of work - she reverts to two fingers on top.

The big kids continued with their grammar and creative writing work. We moved on to concentrate on adjectives. Their creative writing work is getting better too. More use of rich, descriptive words that build an image for the reader. It seems simple to me, but it's another thing that was missed in mainstream school. They are also doing written expression and comprehension activities, which is helping Zach, in particular, a lot.

Charlie decided that he was tired of his "Starting School" book, so he wanted to do some Targeting Maths work. He did enjoy it. I think this is how this year will be with him - between two stages - wanting to do what the older kids are doing, but drawn to play and other things, as he should be.

Art class was on on Wednesday again - the little kids experimented with watercolour and Issie worked on an embroidery sampler. Zach sketched a car and worked on shading it to give depth to the image. Art was cancelled on Thursday, so we did some beading instead. Hannah was very industrious and turned out many creations. Charlie mainly fashioned what he said were "cowboy swords".

On Saturday, we travelled to Dubbo for Zach and Issie to have their first guitar lesson at the Macquarie Conservatorium of Music, with Greg Gordon. Issie hated every second of it and I was greeted with a pouty, unhappy face when I arrived to pick her up. Zach, however, was right in his element. He loved it - he's practiced every day since!

Zach and Issie went droving on Sunday with Wayne. Again, both loved it and came home filthy but happy. Issie's friend, Anna, came to visit on Sunday afternoon.

WEEK 3

Sunday of last week, and the beginning of this week, saw the Vomit Fairy visit our house. We dropped like flies - Hannah first, then Zach, and then the rest of us. We were truly glad to say goodbye to the Vomit Fairy on Wednesday night.

As the Vomit Fairy was staying with us, school work was very bits and pieces this week.

Hannah, who had recovered suitably by Tuesday, worked on her Targeting Maths book, which arrived in the post last Friday, as well as her CD-rom. She also did her spelling - which was "t" this week, and her handwriting. she also attempted to sound out larger words, like "eleven", which is huge for her! She attended speech therapy again and both Robyn, the speech therapist, and I are really pleased with her progress. She has the sounds that previous evaded her entering her everyday speech now, which is wonderful! Hannah went to piano with Zach, Charlie and Daddy on Wednesday afternoon and came home able to play "Stepping up", which she has practiced religiously since.

Zach was a mess on Monday night and Tuesday, so that was a write-off. He is working hard to catch up on his verbs work and creative writing, which was our focus this week. We are still stuck on finite and non-finite verbs - actually, mainly it is me who is stuck. I can't find a solid rule to make it apply. I'm sure it will become clearer as we go. If not, I might ask Joan to help out, I'm sure she'll know.

All of the kids are trawling through their maths. It is good to see progress being made!

Drama class was cancelled this week. It was a blessing as three of us were out of action anyway.

I found some neat science games online for the bigger kids too. Things like National Geographic Kids and NASA have excellent sites. I have been letting the kids explore and give me feedback. One of my main aims was to ensure that what they accessed on the computer has some sort of education value, not "GirlsGoGames", which is a pet hate of mine.

The kids are interested in photography again, so we'll concentrate on that for a while too within the parameters of Art. The annual Walgett Show is approaching and it'd be nice to let them enter some things.

Art is on again this afternoon at the library, which we will go to. It's nice go there to allow the kids to explore different art forms, as well as have the exposure to others their own age and different ideas. Christine Duigan deserves a medal for the work she does there - I am sure there are days that are very, very challenging.

Zach is off to Werris Creek for tennis this weekend. He, Charlie and Daddy and camping. Hopefully this time Keith will remember to take sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, and the tent ropes and pegs. Other wise it might be a loooooong weekend for them.

Well, that's it! Whew! I'm done! And I'm not leaving it three weeks again!