'12/13 Week 21 Day 4

Like I said, it was a short but busy day. We finally made it to the library story time and came home laden with books. Again. Andrew was hunting for books about human anatomy more than of Star Wars. He has been enjoying our science classes a lot and it shows. The boy can tell pretty much how any major organ works. At least the ones we have covered so far.
As the last thing today, we built a model of the layers of skin. My left-over yarn came handy in this project. Although, I can not categorize it as a 'yarn craft', I think, I liked building it as much as Andrew did.

Now, we are going to enjoy a long and busy week end.  

At the library. We normally arrive early and we all enjoy the time we can spend browsing books, reading, playing, etc. Thankful for our library.

Andrew considers himself too old for the story time. Saara still enjoys it a lot.

The story time was centered around the Groundhog Day and shadows.

Taming the hair. No glue worked, so we finally had to tape the fuzzy sicks down. Can I do that with Andrew's cowlick?

Our simplified model of skin layers.

'12/13 Week 21 Day 3

We had a whale of a day! Actually, most of it was centered around the Groundhog Day. This year February 2nd falls on a Saturday and as we are having our last (short) school day of the week tomorrow, I decided to make today the 'groundhog special' day. The 'special' consisted of several worksheets and a video on groundhogs. But, it was something different and it surely brought a bit of excitement into our day.

I did not plan this to be the main thing, but the kids did like the 'whale' I built for our Bible story time this morning a lot. Of course, the story was "Jonah And the Whale". I left the 'whale' up for the whole day and we did most of our school work on the 'back' of the animal.

Tomorrow, we will go to the library for the story time and do some more work at home. Should be another fun day! 

My 'Jonahs' on the ship about to be thrown overboard.

:o) I got the idea for the whale from a picture I saw on Pinterest.

Our 'Nineveh'.

We started our 'Groundhog Special Day' with a video about groundhogs.

Saara's coloring within lines is pretty much perfect now. The coloring page is from Education.com

For his Language Arts today, Andrew copied and compiled sentences about groundhogs. The ideas for the sheets came again from things I have seen elementary school teachers post on Pinterest.

Saara is working on Groundhog Day Addition sheet (1st Grade level!)

All smiles. Andrew took his 8th test today and scored 26 points out of 27, and completed his last pages in Book 1. Onto the Book 2 now!

'12/13 Week 21 Day 2

A full day of studies. And they still have energy to run outside! It is horribly windy there, but warm and completely 'un-Januarish'. 

In Math, I printed out extra sheets for both kids. I came across a 1st Grade common core geometry assessment materials online compiled by Teaching and Tapas . Although Andrew's math workbook includes tests on everything he learns, I thought it a good idea to try some 'outside' source as well. Andrew completed page 1 out of 3. Full score, except spelling help once. 
Saara, too, had an extra sheet of shape patterns to complete. Hers came from Education.com  Saara also practiced number recognition/writing and counting by first writing down the numbers I told her, then gluing them on paper cups, and finally counting the required number of beads into each cup. She said, it was not as easy as she thought! She adores beads. Why not take something she loves so much and use it in the class?

The rest of the day went as 'prescribed'. Our final class was Science where we continued our studies of water. Mixing, making solutions, and separating mixtures was our subject today. I had the whole table full of stuff, including a big number of glasses full of water. (In my mind's eye, I was already mopping up the floor.) But no disaster followed. Instead, we had fun experimenting with different substances. I did spend some time cleaning the glasses once the lab was closed. :o)

Saara wrote down the numbers I told her, glued them to the cups, and then started counting beads into them.

"It's not as easy as I thought!"

Andrew's geometry assessment sheet #1.

Saara's handwriting practice - from Education.com

The end of our Language Arts class: Saara doing her sight words and Andrew practicing his cursive.

 

Mixing. "Shaken. Not stirred!"

Recording our findings.

Separating the mixtures using a filter. The solids of the blueberry jam that did not dissolve.

'12/13 Week 21 Day 1

After getting to know our new Bible verses this morning, we changed things up a bit and did some crafts. Pretty pencil stamped valentines.

And then it was back to the 'grindstone', so to speak. Just that it was not boring at all, even the 'boring' stuff. Andrew was super focused today and got his work done fast and well.

We spent the whole afternoon outside playing tossing games and throwing ball back and forth. They say the rain is moving in again and we want to make most of the almost 80 F weather in January!

Stamping away! I was not sure about the hat and the sparkly shoes Saara had on, but if that helped with the creativity - bring it on!

Cursive practice again.

Andrew's new spelling words end with -ey.

Saara was hunting for words that start with the letter 'K' in her books.

Story sequencing. Saara has almost completed a thick SchoolZone workbook for the Kindergarten (!) level.

We love being outdoors!

'12/13 Week 20 Day 5

Link to the video clip about Romulus and Remus

Because I decided to dwell a bit longer on the Olympic Games we are a bit behind with our History Classes. It has been a great fun and Andrew has been learning a lot (and remembering) about the Ancient Greece and the birth of Rome. As to the latter, we watched a short animation about Romulus and Remus on Youtube. Andrew seems to remember facts better once he 'sees' them. Also, we stepped into the Ancient Assyrian Empire and started our studies of it. Although, at first I was not much convinced about one of Andrew's history books ("A Child's History of the World), its style and subject handling has grown on me and I am starting to see the benefit of using this book that mainly relates legends and myths, and combining it with another history book that is all about facts and dates. It works out well and makes the classes very interesting.

The school day was peppered with history, but we also did our numbers and letters. In Math, Andrew reviewed the well-known subtraction poem of "if it's more on the top - there's no need to stop. If it's more on the floor - go next door". His subtraction is a notch more difficult now, but the poem helps and Andrew does very well solving his math problems.

'12/13 Week 20 Day 4

A busy day. At the end of it we were able to do another Estonian lesson. I normally play the language class by ear - if the day has been strenuous, I do not add the class on top of all the other classes. Today, however, we did have plenty of time left over and the kids love sounding out the Estonian words.  So, we had one and enjoyed it a lot.

We also did a number of other extra things which the children liked very much. After reviewing the Olympic Games one last time, we headed outside and tried our hand at a couple of events. My personal favorite has always been discus throwing. I need to get a light-weight one, I know, Andrew would love learning how to get it flying. The same with the javelin. Anyway, the kids had fun and were proud of their paper laurel wreaths they made a couple of days ago.

Saara has been practicing a few useful things. Her Spectrum Reading workbook encourages her to pay attention to the question and then give a full answer instead of a two-three word answer. Also, she is starting to focus on following instructions. Her High Five magazine has nice craft ideas with pictures and descriptions. Of course, she is not able to read all the words yet, but with a little help from me and the pictures, she can get the craft done. Today, both children made Valentine's Day 'Love Bugs'. 

Andrews Language Arts brought us to the next set of plural words - the ones that end with -ss, -x, -ch, -sh, or -z. Adding -es to these words was what Andrew practiced today. 

But now, out we go again. It is gorgeous weather out there. We need to enjoy it while it lasts.

Time flies. I printed out some clock faces off the internet and both children practiced telling the time in our math class.

Saara is right there with Andrew learning about time.

The dog's Frisbee has to work for now for a taste of the Olympics.

The footrace.

The winner.

The other winner with her completed second book. Onto the third one now!

Love bugs in the making.

The love bugs. All four of them.

'12/13 Week 20 Day 3

We were literally on the wrong side of the tracks today. Not living but waiting. A train had stopped in the middle of the town blocking a number of streets for a long time. Later in the news we learned that there had been an accident just a street or two down from where we were waiting. Thankfully, the driver who 'went around the crossing arms and was struck by the train' (stupidity personified, I'd say) was just injured and not dead. 
But as we were not able to cross the tracks, we missed our story time at the library. The children were a bit disappointed, but they got happy again as soon as I asked them to sing the 'Ants Are Marching One By One" song. They love it so very much. 
At home, I had planned a short school day. It was over fast and the kids piled out the door. The weather has been warm and sunny. It almost feels a sin to be indoors.

'12/13 Week 20 Day 2

Today turned out to be a deeper and more intense version of yesterday. We did a lot of reviewing and assuring that Andrew understands and remembers things we have read and talked about. At the end of the day I happened to ask if the kids wanted to do some painting. Of course they did. And we will do it again. 

Andrew practicing writing with the fountain pen.

Preparations for our Olympic Games.

E tu, Andrew?

The end of the day art class. Subject: warm and cool colors.

'12/13 Week 20 Day 1

We enjoyed having Dad home for four days in a row! It was a great work-filled weekend. Andrew and Dad were busy as bees building outside every day. Andrew got to pound in some nails and help (or hinder) Dad for hours.

We got our shoebox 'camera' working! It was truly cool to see the world turned up-side down. Here's Andrew helping Dad.

Here's the same 'picture' right-side up.

Saara with her arms raised above her head. Up-side down, of course.

The 'camera' worked!

The Boxcar children gave us a delicious idea for the week end - to bake an apple pie.

We squeezed in a morning at the park.

Making friends on the playground.

The busy week end ushered in a busy first day at school. We did some old things in a new way and did some new things in the old way. One of the 'old' things, but new to Andrew, was the fountain pen. One does not see this around much any longer. It is, however, a very efficient tool for teaching good penmanship. Putting pressure on the tip, holding your hand correctly, writing with the perfect speed, etc. I can not think of any other tool that is better suited for teaching cursive. This is something that Andrew started today as well and he loved it all.

Our history lesson brought us from Sparta to Athens and the Olympic Games. Andrew remembered the dress-up Olympics we did last year and he asked me if we could do it again. Of course! We might not have costumes for the weather is not hot and humid as it was during our last year's 'Olympics', but we will go outside and go over the pentathlon events one more time, plus I have a new craft to add to the mix this year.

Science was a lot of fun today. We learned about the ear and how we hear. We also reviewed a bit about the sound and how it travels. I like the book we are using - good illustrations and easy-to- understand descriptions.

Both children loved listening and learning Saara's song of the week "Ants Went Marching". Even at the dinner table they tried to hum it.

The boy with the fountain pen.

Getting used to the pen takes a while. Simple exercises of tracing circles, loops, etc. is a good beginning for cursive.

Getting to know new spelling words in a different way today.

Saara's collection or 'loot' of things beginning with "J".

Andrew enjoyed hearing the difference between talking without and through a tube.

Simple piece of Press and Seal at the end of the tube acted as 'the eardrum'. Andrew actually felt the voice vibrating the plastic.

A very simplified inner ear. I wanted Andrew to remember the organs that carry the sound vibration to our brain.

One of Saara's assignments: to use blocks to build something (a zoo, a farm, etc) for her animals. She chose a stable for her horses.

Creating problems. Math problems. Andrew choosing numbers for his assignment.

Once he had his numbers, it was easy to make up the addition and subtraction facts.

Spring is almost here! A pot of primroses reminds me of that.