2008-2009 School Year Report 1

The Crafter and Wild Thing started school July 7th.  We started very slowly.  This is the first week with all core subjects.   I hope to add in some art and Spanish in the next few weeks.   I like to get a couple of months of school in while the weather is so miserable.  We'll take a week or two off in October when it cools off.

Wild Thing has finally taken an interest in schoolish things.  We are working on very basic phonics, math, and some preschool workbooks from Rod and Staff.  So far he has been doing Starfall for phonics.  He really enjoys doing anything that involves the computer.   The Historian made him some math blocks that he enjoys.  Wild Thing recognizes his numbers up to 12 but falls apart after that.  He's only 4 1/2, so I'm not rushing.  He's mainly doing school to keep him occupied while the Crafter works.  He likes to tell Sweetie that he can't play with her because he has to do his school work.  All in all his formal preschool pursuits take less than 30 minutes.

The Crafter is in 4th grade.  How that happened, I don't know.  It seems like yesterday when we did the first page of Phonics Pathways.  Here's what she has done:

• Bible:  Explorer's Bible Study Lessons


• Math:  Saxon 65 through lesson 45  We skipped a bunch of lessons.  Now we are working on Singapore 4A since I finally bought the books.


• Grammar/Writing:  Alternating weeks of Writing Tales 1 with Rod and Staff.  We do a lot orally, so we can move faster through the easy stuff and then we won't feel behind when the tough stuff hits.  I am debating letting her have her own blog for her final drafts of her Writing Tales projects.
  


• Spelling:  Spelling Power plugging along with level C.
  


• Reading:  The Story of Martin Luther from Google Books
  


• History:  Story of the World Lessons


• Science:  Started Real Science 4 Kids Chemistry 1.  I love chemistry.  The Crafter has therefore decided that she hates chemistry and will whine incessantly while doing chemistry.  Nice.  I'm not sure about this curriculum, but then again I am very picky.  This seems like too much too soon.  We'll see.  She's finished chapter 1 and is almost done with chapter 2.  Maybe the marshmallows for the next experiment will help.

So far so good.  Our biggest problem so far has been Sweetie (that's just a code name) who is becoming less sweet all the time.  She is two in every way.  She will scribble or play with play dough for a little while, but during school time, she seems to want constant mama attention.  The Historian is home for the first part of our school day, so he keeps her entertained.  That helps a lot.

Another obstacle is a lost library book.  We can't check out anymore books until it is turned in or we pay for it.  That book has to be in this house.  Any ideas for new places to look?