12.12.12

Okay, it's been about 8 months since Fred left school, and we have begun to have the kind of home-schooling days I imagined it would be.

Today 12.12.12 F did 2 lessons of his TT Math5, so he's up to 49. I read a chapter of The Midnight Fox and we read through the first unit of CGP KS2 English Study book together. He really enjoyed it.

Ruby & I watched her TT7 lesson on long division together yesterday as well as various other tutorials & practice sheets. Today she did 2 long div worksheets & then started today's TT math unit. She said she was getting the answers right, but the remainders wrong. So we need to do some more work with remainders. After about 10 minutes she lost patience though.
I have an idea that, once she's got long division, she can go on to pre-algebra.

What we have been doing- this takes me back to my own school days. sitting, bewildered, as the teacher placed random numbers in a bewildering array of positions, all the while my fellow pupils were all shouting them out & seemed to know where they would go, and why.

When a kindly teacher would explain how to do a particular sum to me, i would be able to do it that day, but have no idea again the next maths lesson. My mind would be blank when i saw the sums set out.

What have I learned, that  am able to pass on to my beloved students, is:

To do this sum you need to follow a sequence of steps. Each step is made up of a sequence of steps. We are going to slowly learn the names of the main steps in order. once we know them we can start learning the steps... there is no hurry. we only need to look at the names today (etc)
So Ruby made a poster based on  "   divide, multiply, subtract, drop down " symbols.
And we are getting there slowly.

F...well, I scribe for him for everything at the moment.  He has very large handwriting and sums are set out far too small for him to fill in. Also, each sum in a row, he needs to refocus on thinking about maths as his thoughts leave the book immediately! It is quite tiresome & today i tried to show him that he was winding me up


However....it had been peaceful, no shouting or recriminations today!!
So consider it a success!

Friday 30 Nov '12

Okay, so apart from Ruby-not-getting-up-til-11.45am, just in time for lunch, Today went pretty much like I imagined home schooling would.
We began with a bit of tidying, then did some maths, R did a page of English, then we found (!) and did our bible study, and then talked a little bit about the geographical/political boundaries of Israel, then did a music theory practice sheet on ledger lines.
And all this took 3 hours because F is so loath to use a pencil, and there was a lot of tapping-based annoyance.
I am ready for bed!

28 Nov 2012

today we read Psalm 1 and talked about what it means.
R did the diagnostic test for pre-algebra and she got everything correct except the division, which she did not attempt. I would like her to do the diagnostic for Algebra as well.
Frank did well at cleaning & loading the dishwasher With A Positive Attitude! And learning the first half of 6x skip counting.

Monday 1st Oct

Today I didn't go to Cafe, I'm on a sick day cos I've been so tired and unwell. So I used the time to catch up with a little home schooling. We did our BSF, then F did math chapters 31 & 32. R did 1 unit.
Then we did some science, and an experiment which didn't go that well. Then a little music theory.

typing

Yesterday I was with 2 lovely home edding mums, one of whom mentioned a fun typing tutorial with funny regional accents. I haven't found it yet, but this would be perfect for F as he doesn't really write.
I looked at a few and today F did the first two typing lessons of  freetypinggame.net. He couldn't really relax his hands into the typing posture, and he got very frustrated and tense when he made a mistake. I did the whole "baby Gareth learning to walk" act that I do, this time baby Gareth made a mistake - fell over - and shouted "That's It! I'm never going to try again!" etc.
Then F had a go on the linked typing games.

I cannot get my TTmath5 to work on this computer so we'll go back to the book. I've emailed TT.
I actually prefer the book, and I will only order the book for math6 next year.

Science 1st lesson & experiment

 We did our first Apologia Science lesson today! Wahoo! There was a couple of pages to read about the history of science, then, TA-DAA! our first experiment!

The computer told us what to do.

pour in the golden syrup

Doing the experiment. Note the safety goggles (snorkel and swimming goggles). I think you knew it would be the density experiment. You did, didn't you?

results!

The writeup

F willingly annotating his own sketch, yay!

Music: The note pyramid, showing time values of notes from semibreve to semiquaver. Y'all! It's been a good morning!

After a well-earned pasty & cake each from Sayers, F did maths 30 geometry and R did maths unit 7. Tidying and Done!

I was very encouraged by F's articulation of the science experiment - he spoke, i typed. no problemo.

times tables required.

F is on chapter 28 1/2 of his maths, and we have to take a break from it to learn times tables (or multiplication facts if you are of US origin!) So we have been on a few times table games websites, but i found almost all the games, which are cute & fun, have time limits. So this causes panic. This is no good. Something like this is good though.
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/timestable/square.html
and we are doing a bit of reciting and such too.
I have never learnt my times tables, so that will probably happen now.

they both did their 2nd unit of music on Monday, they got the hang. They are using "Elephant George beats drum fast" and "FACE" for treble clef and "Georgina Bear Deserves Food Always" and "All Cats Enjoy Grieg" for bass clef. We are doing a little consumable workbook called Theory Is Fun. And it is, kind of fun, so far.

My hope is to complete the book, and then actually do the exam. I have no idea if we will do grade two. But I would like the kids to experience an exam, without the whole "Your entire future hangs in the balance!" Hysteria.

bit of maths & music

Today F remembered 6x6=36 and 8x6=48, so we are getting there!
F practiced placing the notes egbdf on a stave. (treble clef)
F did unit 25 and 26 of maths tt5.
R is away on 'Work Experience Residential' i.e. staying with & hopefully caring for grandma after her surgery!

5th sept 2012 the PSCC.

Maths:                  F TT5, units 19 & 20.                              R TT7, units 1&2.
Times tables:                     6x Needs practice                                   7 x All Correct
                  made a poster of Larger Roman Numerals. made a number square. I need a physical set of numbers to practice times tables. (made of lego?) R wants help with 8x table.

English:        F read aloud Chap 1 of The Midnight Fox.   R private reading Ch8 of Chil Of New Forest.
P.E. cycled to Asda Hunts Cross

Practical skills prep: I made a folio & system for R with a challenge, leading to certificates, ££ and a prize award at completion.
There is a long list of the practical skills I use in an average day. She practices each skill 60 times OR 30 days-in-a-row for a certificate.
The practical skills involved in the PSCC (Practical skills certificate challenge!) are:
1. wake up early using an alarm
2. read a chapter of the bible
3. pray for people
4. empty & fill the DW (dishwasher) before breakfast
5. empty & fill the WM (washing machine) and TD (tumble dryer) in the morning
6. make G or dad a packed lunch
7. wake the children
8. prepare breakfast for the family
9. shower & dress in clean clothes (washing hair every other day)
10. tidy my bedroom
11. decide what is for tea tonight and look up the recipe
12. prepare lunch
13.  go shopping & carry it home
14. cook the tea
15. phone, or write a card to someone I care about
16. notice what foods have run out, and make a list
17. clear the table before tea
18. make sure the sitting room is clean & tidy for when dad gets home (aim for 5pm)
19. empty & fill DW (evening)
20. empty & fill WM & TD (evening)
21. clear the table after tea
22. check my calendar - what am I doing tomorrow? How can I prepare?
23. get clothes ready for tomorrow
24. clean my teeth & remove all makeup

throw in bringing up 4 kids, homeschooling 2, all my church duties, BSF, meeting friends & you have my life!

bought curricula

I have heard that no-one spends money like a home-schoolin' mama, and I'm afraid that seems to be true. I am quite excited having just ordered Teaching textbooks math 7 and Apologia general science.

They are aimed at Ruby's age, but I am kinda hoping that Fred will follow along. Maths & Science are the subjects I feel I cannot adequately provide myself, most other things I am fairly confident, we will muddle through & eventually find our own simple methods & systems.
When I worry, it is generally because I have forgotten that our Lord is going to help!

timetable

Look! I made this cute timetable for the kids.

No doubt this isn't the final draft.

they can just tick or write a note in each category.

Cuisenaire Rods get their first outing

Today F was simply refusing to round 5's upward / or was he struggling with the concept of it? hard to tell.
We got out the Cuisenaire rods!
He had to play with them first, which was a little frustrating for me as we only had 3 questions left in today's maths unit.
But this is the joy of being at home - as well as doing all his maths in an australian accent, we just CAN take five minutes to play "minecraft" with the cuisenaire rods before using them as a concrete illustration for rounding upward!
Oh Joy!

p.s. little does he realise - he thinks he is making a colourful pattern - but he is actually finding number bonds to ten as i type!

that's something i had noted down to practice. He is doing it himself, yay!

planning / thinking out loud

thinking out loud - trying to plan for september.
Ruby:

1 or 2 units of busuu.com spanish
snork's division game on kidsnumbers.com
reading: a chapter of Heidi

Fred:

a unit of busuu.com french
his TT maths
reading: ? FIND SOMETHING

both:
cycling.
our BSF
2 lines of a hymn
a chapter of Our Island Story
a chapter of Children Of The New Forest

Steve spangler science experiements
Get Flylady involved!

r maths 7 diagnostic

Today R did the teaching textbooks diagnostic test for maths 7. she basically knew all of it but the division. so we should probably buy it for the division.

Monday 30 July 12

F did lesson 10 of his maths.  This book is too simple for him it really, i would love him to speed through and move on to the next one. But F, speeding?
We talked about literacy "I was the smartest in maths but the dumbest in literacy"
I explained that he isn't in the least dumb in literacy but that at school they were teaching it wrong. He was quite enthused and we only had a few Q's left of maths, and he picked up his pencil & did them!
the point here is He Picked Up His Pen, i am usually his scribe and that's the first time he has written in months!
R has done page 5 of CGP KS3 maths. We struggled with changing a fraction into a decimal, we need a little help. We googled it, 1st site was mathsisfun.com and we could understand the sums, but cannot do without a calculator. So i am wondering if we would need this for a GCSE without a calc.

Well, today we did Quiz 1 of Fred's maths (in the book, he answer the questions & I scribe 4 him). Ruby did up to p4 Q2 of her CGP KS3 maths. did v well.

We did the next two lines of Before the Throne of God above.
Ruby made gluten-free pizza base.

Planning to revise with Ruby all her spanish from Y8 book.
Fred insists on french. need to go back to square 1 OR just put languages off again for a bit!!!
I wrote and emailed a report on all our learning for Local Authority.

Thu 7 June 2012

We read another chapter of Children of the New Forest, Ruby did a page of this KS3 maths, to give her a break from the big book. Fred did the first chapter of his new Teaching Textbooks maths.

The kids painted dracula teeth & blood dripping from their mouths, and then wondered why the insulation installer man was looking oddly at them!

Tuesday 6 June '12

Today we read chapter 3 of "The Children of the New Forest" (CONF).
And Ruby did the starter of chapter 2 of her GCSE maths book.
We received delivery of "Our Island History" and the Cartoon book of Modern History Part 2.
Plan:
I will make a map of the area mentioned in conf, and we will read the chapter of OIH that pertains to the conf.
We also took delivery of Fred's Maths: Teaching textbooks 5, but it needs a DVD rom drive, so i ordered one from Amazon. Can begin maths as soon as it gets here!

what do we do?

I've found it too hard to separate what's education and what isn't for the purposes of recording on this blog, so I just didn't bother writing anything! So for the moment I'll just be using my cheerfulmum.blogspot.com.

Titanic at the Maritime Museum

It was wonderful to meet up with "CHEF" Christian Home Educators Fellowship i.e. 3 other mums, a dad, & approx 12 other home ed kids to have packed lunch on the Albert Dock and then into the Maritime Museum for a history lesson with Dave, who presented a live action retelling of the fateful night 100 years ago, using us as the actors. There were plenty of artefacts to interact with, and we learned a bit about the construction of the ship, jobs involved, real-life people, a bit of sociology & philosophy thrown in!
It was surprisingly informative for one hour, and I believe the fun way it was presented will help the info stick in our minds.

Also, I sent Robin's deregistration letter into school today. Thurs 19 April will be her last day.

the theme for this term!

The theme for this term up to Easter is "How much God loves me!"
So first thing, we are having a little bible study & prayers to prepare us for the day: planning what we will do each day, what we know about the Lord, and how it affects how we are going to behave.
I have a lot more patience with the boys when we are not rushing, last-minute trying to remember what I was supposed to bring....etc... and they are calmer and more willing to obey too. YAY!

Mon 19 March 2012
We did behaviour - getting on together. Also how we need to act differently among the elderly.
Cycling.

Tue 20 March
We did a little maths test to see what needs teaching.
Also did some spanish pronunciation.
I read a Mrs Pepperpot story.
Cycling.

cycling

Today the boys and I cycled approx 16 miles, along the Loop line to Sainsbury's East Prescott Road, where we had lunch. It took about 80 mins each way. We saw squirrels, bees & a robin as well as plenty of nesting birds.
We did a bit of maths working out how fast we were cycling (6mph).

This will be a diary of what we've learnt while Home schooling

Starting in April I will be home educating the boys age 8 and 9.
This will be a log of our learning.
I called it Lego, mortgages, french and cakes because those are some of the things we will be learning about straight away.
We wrote the deregistration letter this morning, as well as cards for the boys two teachers.
I gave the letter in to the head & she was quite supportive. Yay!
They will be "home edded" from Monday 19th March 2012!