Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Finally Getting a Grip on GRAMMAR
First of all, I didn't get along well with the script of FLL, so I rarely pursued grammar lessons with my kids and we took FOREVER to get it done. My solution was to jump ship after G#1 finished FLL3 and try R&S English grade 5 with him. I still didn't do well to make the lessons happen UNTIL... I read about the Table of Contents clue. Victory! Now that I know each lesson must be done with the teacher/student pair is in bold, I am scheduling and grading lessons on a regular basis. The plain text titles in the TOC are done by the student individually (G#2 below left). I do a quick run through oral exercises with each person three times a week. The Bold-faced lesson titles in the TOC are done with me and a G elbow to elbow.
Yes, the terms are defined differently in Rod and Staff books, but we still recite the same definitions and qualifiers that Mrs. Wise and Mrs. Buffington used. We are simply practicing the grammar skills in a different way AND GETTING THEM DONE! So, needless to say, we are not using the new Logic Stage grammar materials from Peace Hill Press. We don't use the writing materials either. Here is a picture of G#3 finishing writing with forest materials from Hands of a Child lapbook that I bought years ago and am finally using. They must answer comprehension questions about the reading in complete sentences and then report about the topics in the reading weekly. We get other practice writing paragraphs that are placed on the history notebook pages about topics outlined in the Logic Stage history section of the Well Trained Mind. Someday, we will study writing. And from the research I've done so far, I'd use IEW materials, but I need to get past the cost of those first.
Yes, the terms are defined differently in Rod and Staff books, but we still recite the same definitions and qualifiers that Mrs. Wise and Mrs. Buffington used. We are simply practicing the grammar skills in a different way AND GETTING THEM DONE! So, needless to say, we are not using the new Logic Stage grammar materials from Peace Hill Press. We don't use the writing materials either. Here is a picture of G#3 finishing writing with forest materials from Hands of a Child lapbook that I bought years ago and am finally using. They must answer comprehension questions about the reading in complete sentences and then report about the topics in the reading weekly. We get other practice writing paragraphs that are placed on the history notebook pages about topics outlined in the Logic Stage history section of the Well Trained Mind. Someday, we will study writing. And from the research I've done so far, I'd use IEW materials, but I need to get past the cost of those first.
Monday, August 15, 2011
G#1 and Tales of Ancient Egypt
Oh the joy instilled in me as my oldest read without pain and suffering the first few stories of Tales of Ancient Egypt by Roger Lancelyn Green. I was able to discuss the stories with him because I bought the Kindle after Paige's advice pushed me over the edge. I followed the direction of Laura Lund at Classical House of Learning Literature when she described mythology and various questions regarding the text. Now my oldest actually thinks that I have a clue and it's so SWEET.
See what I'm referring to after you follow the links above.
See what I'm referring to after you follow the links above.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Visit From Gramma
One can not partake of certain delicacies just anywhere, but to indulge is simple.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Chapter One SOTW Logic Stage Ancients
This link to study about Catalhoyuk is cool. I promised to take them there someday. I've been missing Turkiye and desperately need practice in making kofte.
Synge is more interesting that vanLoon or Gombrich. Even listening to Dr. Bauer's SOTW chapter was better to G#2 than the evolution from vanLoon or Gombrich. I told her it'd get better when we got to more interesting stuff about Ancient Egypt in Tales of Ancient Egypt.
Mapwork for this chapter was fun because we got to add physical features to the trip that Abraham took along the Euphrates with Synge. Again, Librivox.org saves these people from having to work too hard on history.
Art history with Mrs. McCoy at Harmony Fine Arts is good for us because we got to check out Susie Hodge's book from the library. We visited the Lascaux cave website to learn more about the art. The project for last week was to draw on brown paper bags. This week we spray paint over our hands onto a brown surface. Somebody said that this kind of art resembles my directions to do stuff.
Synge is more interesting that vanLoon or Gombrich. Even listening to Dr. Bauer's SOTW chapter was better to G#2 than the evolution from vanLoon or Gombrich. I told her it'd get better when we got to more interesting stuff about Ancient Egypt in Tales of Ancient Egypt.
Mapwork for this chapter was fun because we got to add physical features to the trip that Abraham took along the Euphrates with Synge. Again, Librivox.org saves these people from having to work too hard on history.
Art history with Mrs. McCoy at Harmony Fine Arts is good for us because we got to check out Susie Hodge's book from the library. We visited the Lascaux cave website to learn more about the art. The project for last week was to draw on brown paper bags. This week we spray paint over our hands onto a brown surface. Somebody said that this kind of art resembles my directions to do stuff.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
First Day of 4th and 5th Grade
What more can I say, but that we got started! It was a hot day and very nice to be inside and proceeding according to precedent.