Homeschooling Update

I try to update every so often, mainly so I can look back at where we've been. Right now we are in that sweet spot where I no longer have a newborn, and I am not pregnant, so we have been getting a lot done! Also, I am not actively teaching anyone to read, so that has also freed up my time, LOL. It's so much nicer when they are reading well on their own, and don't need every single instruction read to them!

Nathan and Luke are working quite independently right now. I have given them what they need to accomplish each week, and they work to finish that however they want to break it up. For Luke, that means he gets up early and does as much as possible, so that he gives himself every Friday off. Nathan is not so much for the getting up early part, and he paces himself more through the week. They both are in writing co-ops, so they have their assignments for that as well. Nathan and Isaac McC are also doing Traditional Logic, put out by Memoria Press, each week. I bought the DVDs, so I am not even teaching that, which is nice. Both boys are finding that class interesting. We so need more logical thinkers in this country. Reading the paper everyday makes it obvious that many people missed out on logic growing up. So during the week, the boys do math (Saxon 1/2 for Nathan, Saxon 7/6 for Luke), English (Rod and Staff 7 for Nathan, and Rod and Staff 5 for Luke), science, spelling, and Latin (First Forms by Memoria Press). If they have questions, they ask me, but I'm not really actively "teaching" them all day.

I do more stuff directly with Caleb and Jonathan. They do First Language Lessons and Prima Latina orally together with me on the couch. Sometimes we read a Miller story or Leading Little Ones to God, although we haven't been as consistent with that this year. Next year, when I do more with Anna, that will back again. They pretty much do their math on their own (Saxon 3 for Caleb and Saxon 2 for Jonathan). They don't usually need help figuring out how to do it. I've started Caleb in Sequential Spelling, since I have had such success with Nathan using it. I'll start Jonathan on it next year, once he finishes up the Veritas Press Phonics Museum that I always use. I've been breaking down each day (25 words) into 2 days, either 12 or 13 words, and that has worked out really well. Both boys also have a Memoria Press copybook they do for handwriting (although I won't say any of my boys have particularly nice handwriting. It just isn't that important to me, LOL). Caleb does Explode the Code every day too, which Jonathan will start next year when he's done with the phonics program. Right now he just does his ETC book occasionally.

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday we all review CC stuff, and we listen to our CC audioCDs in the car whenever we're driving somewhere too. They definitely know their memory work! We also listen to Story of the World CDs in the car too. We're almost done with the Ancients again. We haven't done any extra activities with SOTW this year, since we're learning and doing other stuff at CC. The kids have really enjoyed the art and science projects at CC too. And of course we are still doing our other co-op, which has unit studies for different history, science, and other topics. So far this year they have covered first aid/safety, ancient Egypt, fine arts, Asia, economics (right now), and birds & fish is the last unit.

Anna and Grace are really good to amuse themselves while we are doing school. They play Little People or sometimes watch a video. Faith wanders around and tries to get up on the table if no one is watching her. That is definitely her new trick, so we have to be on our toes. Many water cups and cereal boxes have been spilled when we aren't paying attention. Next year I'll do more with Anna, and probably, by extension, Grace. Anna is working on recognizing letters. She can write her name, but lately she has been modifying it to make it more efficient--"AANN". Just write the same letters at the same time! Much better! LOL, so she has obviously not gotten the whole concept of each letter saying a sound in a word or anything. I'm not in any hurry for her to learn. In fact, I am hopeful that I will be able to teach both her and Grace to read at the same time, so I'm willing to wait even longer for that to happen!

So that's where we are. I think we know what we are doing next year, but I am going to put that in a different post. I'm excited though!