Week 1-3

I want to try to document a little more about our school activities and studies.  Again, this will be fun to look back at and it helps me notice what the girls found really important and interesting.

All Grades
Bible - We are reading through 1 Kings.  The girls have learned about King Solomon and his gift of wisdom.  We have also been noticing the out pouring of blessing and prosperity that God granted him.  We were talking about all the blessings that we have especially compared to other nations and are trying to pray more for the poor and needy.  We have been amazed at the detailed description of the Temple and how grand it all was.  We are also reading God's Smuggler as a read aloud during family worship and are enjoying it so far.  It has been hard to read some of the sufferings of this man during WWII and afterwards when he served in a war for Holland and loss the use of one of his legs, but we rejoice as he is learning to seek after God.  Can't wait so see how he becomes a smuggler for God???? LOL

Foreign Language - We are still loving the Salsa videos and we are also using another curriculum I found on sale.  It has songs for learning phrases and vocabulary.  This week we have been learning the names of many of our favorite foods.  Also, Lydia got a free book from the library and she chose one teaching Spanish.  Greek and Latin are going along fine too.

Science - We are studing weather and climate right now.  The girls love to watch Storm Stories or any weather videos on tornadoes and such.  We found a really neat video on a storm chaser who has slowed down the photography of lightning and were amazed at what we saw.  When the naked eye sees lightning we think it is coming down, but we are actually seeing the return strike.  Check out the video here:  http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/406-discovery-wonders-of-weather-lightning-phenomena-video.htm
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/science/earth-sci/climate-weather-sci.html  Here is another one that is really good especially starting at 5:00min in showing the initial and the return stroke!
We are using the Rod and Staff book to lead our study and I am so thankful to use a science curriculum which always reminds us of God and His Word in our study of His world!

Artist  - We are studying Norman Rockwell this term (12 weeks) and the girls are really enjoying the autobiography with so many of his pictures.  Hannah has been trying her hand at drawing more sketches of people and the younger girls are detectives studying all the interesting details of the paintings. 

Music - We are listening to the music of Aaron Copeland and really enjoyed Appalachian Spring.  The girls are also making more time for piano practice.  I am trying to sit down at least once a week and work with them on technique and skills, but they are spending lots of time playing the songs.  Hannah and Sarah are really catching on with reading the notes.

Spelling/Vocabulary - The girls are still using the Wordly Wise books.  On the first day they copy the words and definitions.  On the second day, they write the words in sentences to show meaning.  On the third day they play games with the words on a sight called Spelling City.  The fourth day is a crossword quiz.  Test day is the final day of the week and they right the words and definitions. 

Typing - The girls are using an online free program to learn to type!  So far they are enjoying it.  Hopefully soon they will be able to email or type paragraphs for their typing practice!

History - Mary is enjoying reading about Marco Polo and finding the places on the map.  We are also beginning US history this week! 
              Hannah and Sarah studied FDR today and we all learned many interesting facts.  I had been talking to them about our economy and the great depression of the 30's last week.  We were talking about the deficit of America and how it may lead us to have another Great Depression.  I didn't realize that the American government had never had a deficit until the second term of FDR after the GD was over.  Also he was the one who started Social Security which obviously wasn't such a great idea afterall! I was amazed to find out that at one time the taxes on anyone making $50,000 or more were 75%.  I drew a pie chart to show how much would go to the government and how much the person could keep.  My girls both were amazed at this robbery!

Math - Hannah and Sarah are continuing on in Saxon 65.  We have ten more lessons to go before we start Saxon 76.  We have a DVD for that so I will be interested to see how that goes. 
Mary is finishing up various 2nd grade math sheets I had in various workbooks.  She is still working on learning her multiplication facts.  Slowly, but surely!

Literature - The girls are enjoying some great stories right now.  Mary is reading Caddie Woodlawn, which is very similar to the Little House books.  She is also listening to Men of Iron by Howard Pyle.  I am pleased she is enjoying it as well.  Hannah and Sarah are reading about Aristides, a Greek leader and will start reading Shakespear's The Merchant of Venice (in story form) next week.  They also beg for our nightly installment of Where the Red Fern Grows, which is a childhood favorite of mine.  They could read it themselves but they beg me to do it, and I don't mind because I love that book! :)  I earned our copy by using Swagbucks and cashing in for a Amazon gift card!  I love getting school books for free! ;)

Lydia is enjoying studying with us as much as possible. She also loves her Starfall program and playing games with Memaw.  She is really loving checkers right now!  She has not pushed to do lots of writing lately so I am letting her slow down a bit.  It has been wonderful to see all she is learning just being around us during school.

Well, I will try to make this more interesting in  future posts with samples of work hopefully.  :)