Another busy-at-work week, so homeschooling suffered a little. Next week is practically back to normal as far as my hours go - what a relief! The extra money for extra hours is nice, but I really, really dislike being away from home that much.
This week we...
Read more of The Search for Delicious. I highly recommend this book. It is delightful, intriguing, a little suspenseful without being scary, and the kids and I are very much enjoying it.
Had a chemistry lesson with a friend! Jenny has a book on teaching chemistry in the kitchen and so we are doing chemistry classes at her house. We learned about calories this week, and the kids, both hers and mine, took a lot of delight in burning various foods to determine calories. We're looking forward to more lessons!
The kids swam a lot this week, played on a trampoline, decided they want Taekwondo lessons in the fall, drew pictures, played card games, watched a couple of movies, did their chores, played at the park, and had a great time at my mom's.
Right now I am in the process of compiling a short list of some books I think Cyrus might like this upcoming year: Stuart Little, Abel's Island, The Magician's Elephant, The Phantom Tollbooth, and a few others. I am also working on books to share with Cassia, among them Pippi Longstocking, Charlotte's Web, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Ordinary Princess, and The Girl Who Could Fly. Just because Cassia can't read these yet herself does not mean she's not ready to enjoy them!
I am also reading more in Home Education. And have come to the conclusion that while Charlotte Mason is definitely a big part of our homeschooling approach, I would truly classify us as eclectic. To me, building a curriculum - that is, a course of study - for my children is like puzzle building... a piece here, a piece or two there, and soon the whole thing comes together!
Great book lists! We loved Abel's Island and that reminds of of another by the same author: The Real Thief. Check it out. (At least I'm pretty sure it's the same author.) The Ordinary Princess remains one of my daughter's favorites. That makes me think of The Light Princess. But they are not by the same author.
ReplyDeleteI gave up trying to classify myself as a particular type of homeschooler a long time ago! It is rather freeing, actually, not to feel tied to one particular method or ideology.
For me, finding books that my son will enjoy reading is always the trickiest part of any school year. I try to alternate goofy stories that will make him giggle (right now we are reading "Sir Fartsalot") with classics (prior to this, we read "Dr. Doolittle", which he loved, and today I checked out "The Secret Garden" for him; read that when I was just a little bit older than him, around 1984, and loved it).
ReplyDeleteSo I'm definitely going to add the books on your list to our list here. I think my son is old enough to give "Charlotte's Web" a shot, though I don't know how he'll respond to how sad it is! Did did "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" last year, and it was interesting to see the differences between the book and the movie. :)
Alright, I have added Sir Fartsalot and The Light Princess to our reading list ideas. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteOh, and The Real Thief.
ReplyDelete