What we're working on - Part 2

Ahh - a good night sleep will do wonders for a weary brain. :)

So to continue - I already talked about Math, Reading, Penmanship and Spelling. That leaves writing as the next subject to focus on. The ways to approach writing are numerous and actually somewhat overwhelming. After reading several HS books, I have decided that a systematic approach will work best for the kids. They understand that letters are the written symbols for the sounds of our language, and when you combine the letters you form words. The next step is for them to practice combining the words to form sentences. The part that seems to bother all of us is that their spelling skills are still quite limited. The kids seem to have a hard time getting sentences on paper because they have a difficult time spelling many of the words they want to write. I have encouraged them to "just spell it the way it sounds", yet they still don't seem to be overly thrilled about any significant amount of writing. I am hoping that as we learn new spelling and vocabulary words, and begin writing sentences using those words, the kids will gain a little more enthusiasm as we progress. Once we get rolling along a little more smoothly with our writing, I plan on implementing the curriculum from IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing). I picked it up this past summer and must say I am impressed with it. It really does get the kids writing using simple guided techniques. I am looking forward to it. In the mean time, I plan on incorporating more "copywork" into our routine. It seems to be a little less daunting for the kids, and Mom is happy that they are getting pencil to paper. We have also started using "lapbooking" and "notebooking" as a means to record information we have studied. So far the kids seem to enjoy it, and they see how to record and organize important points into a presentation.

This brings me to our next subject of Speaking. I have decided that once we have finished with a particular unit study, the kids will have to present (to Mom and Dad) what they learned, using their note/lapbooks as a visual aid. I have the kids review their pages with me periodically as we work on a particular unit which will help prepare them for their actual "presentation". I may go as far as having the kids dress up for their presentation, and make a Family Evening of it. I think it will be fun.

As far as History goes, I have decided that I would love the kids to have a thorough understanding of the life of the 1st Americans in our country. The Native American Culture has always held much fascination and truth for me, and I would like to pass some of that to the kids. It is a part of our history which doesn't seem to get adequate coverage no matter which school you attend (other than perhaps a Native American school) and I feel it has much to teach us as Americans and as Human Beings. I'm sure I am barely touching the tip of the iceberg, but I figure it is more than what they would get anywhere else. So - We have been studying the major regional differences between tribes and lifestyles. As part of our studies (of the Plains Indians) we went out into the woods behind our house and gathered several long pole/sticks and proceeded to build an actual Teepee. It is about 10-12 feet high, with plenty of room inside. We had to use painting canvases for the outer covering, but hey, we're on a budget, and it worked amazingly well. Of course to go with the Teepee, we gathered some sticks and fashioned a bow and arrow for each of the kids. After all, the Native Americans had to track and hunt their food. It was great fun, and the kids really enjoy playing in the great untamed wilderness behind our property. As we studied the Northwest Coast Indians, we gathered armloads of Cattail Reeds and I taught the kids how to weave a (very small) mat using them. I think this was probably their favorite lesson so far. We also went on a field trip to Hutchings Museum for a Native American Class where the kids learned about ancient weapons and Knapping (making arrow and spear heads from stone), how they made pottery from clay (yes this included a pot the kids made), Native American customs and sacred ceremonies, Native American dance and drumming, and how they gathered and/or grew their food, how they found water, and how they made medicine. If you ever have the chance to attend this class, I highly recommend it. The people at the museum did a wonderful job presenting the information to the kids. Still coming is making Indian Fry Bread and learning a few Indian games, and possibly even making something out of a genuine "chamois" hide. As we wrap up our studies of the First Americans, we are heading into the Colonial period, coinciding perfectly with Thanksgiving. I think we'll be referring to Colonial EPIC Adventures which we have heard about through a friend of ours.

I'm saving Science projects for after the holidays. I figure once we get into January, we'll be ready for something new and exciting to get us through the rest of winter.

Another little fun project we recently started is making a lapbook "Dollars and Cents - Learning about money and the things it does". The kids are having fun with it, especially getting to touch "real" money! H has especially enjoyed checking to see if all our dollar bills are counterfeit or not. L just wants to play store...

In my next post I will share some of our upcoming projects. And I'll dig up some photos of what we have done so far as well. Until next time - :)

PS) After reviewing my posts, I realize just how much we really are accomplishing. I really had no idea, in fact I was worried that we weren't covering enough info. Man O Man am I glad I started this blog! If anything, it has really helped open my eyes to our direction and our progress.