Things on the homeschool front have been pretty good. The last month has brought some illness as well as some really good times. Last week we took a break from regular school work but I still sneaked in some learning on a couple of fun field trips.
Here's the basic update:
Colin continues to do really well in math. We still haven't really reached material that has challenged him but he did enjoy a lesson on finding the mystery number (for example ? + 6 = 10). He thought that was kind of fun. I'm supplementing his usual math with Monopoly Jr. as well as a few other activities. We also regularly review his skip counting from CC. His reading is also good. We've done some read alouds and he also listens to some more challenging books on CD while following along in the book. He finished The Trumpet of the Swan and is now doing The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. His handwriting is slowly improving and his letter reversals are becoming more rare.
For history we've looked though lots of books about ancient Greece and Rome. He (and I) enjoy going though library books together on the couch and he seems to retain the information pretty well this way. It's a pretty gentle learning approach that doesn't involve a paper trail (which bothered me at first but I've gotten over it) but we both have gotten a lot out of these times together. Right now we're starting to learn about Japan and I'm hoping we can put together a book about Japan for him to present to his CC class on Thursday. We'll see.
Science has been lacking other than the weekly science experiments at CC. This week I'm trying to focus more on doing some fun experiments. Today we did the classic blowing up a balloon with the gas created from mixing vinegar and baking soda. It went well. We also blew up a 2 liter of diet Pepsi last week with a roll of Mentos mints. I'm not sure how much valuable scientific facts he got from these but if he decides that "science is cool" from these things I think it's worth it.
With Anna we're still spending a lot of time playing with letters and counting everything. We've been sounding out some simple words when she's in the bathtub using her bath letters and also using her letter blocks. I'm hoping to start her on more formal reading lessons next fall if she's ready. We're also working on some fine motor skills with coloring as well as cutting things out.
Our field trips have included going to the Columbus Science Center (COSI), Cincinnati Museum Center and the Air Force Museum. The kids also came with me to the polls to vote last Tuesday which led to a good talk about why citizens vote and the importance of making your voice heard. My parents were in town for a couple weeks in early October and my mom and I took them to the zoo as well. Also, early this month we had a great trip with other homeschooling families to the local fire station.
Here's a few pics from the last month:
Colin getting his turn holding the fire hose.
Colin at COSI learning about gears.
Anna and Colin with Grandpa doing some research on Ancient Rome.
Astronaut Anna at the Air Force Museum.
Colin sitting in a cockpit at the Air Force Museum.
Colin getting his turn holding the fire hose.
Colin at COSI learning about gears.
Anna and Colin with Grandpa doing some research on Ancient Rome.
Astronaut Anna at the Air Force Museum.
Colin sitting in a cockpit at the Air Force Museum.
