Quarter Update- Winter 2008

It has been a great quarter -everything has just falling into place.

Sam is doing very well with 100 EZ lessons. He has just completed lesson 22 and the blending is coming along nicely. He has started completing 3 lessons a week this week. He is excited about the stories and will probably start completing a lesson a day shortly.

MUS is working out well for him. He usually insist on doing math first. He has finished lesson 17 and we are doing 1 lesson a week. He is remembering the +1 and double math facts with just a little help. We just started learning counting by 2s this week.

Five in a Row has been a really enjoyable resource to use. I've read books that I would have never picked off the shelf and they have been a joy. The is a great resource for 5yos....it is helping Sam look at more in the story than just the entertainment value. I am hoping that this extra attention to specific aspects of each story will help him develop that habit of attention that Charlotte Mason encourages and thus will help him with the narration next year.

We have finally started lowercase letters with HWT. I want to work with encouraging him in doing copywork in his brand new Nature Book that he just started this day.

We have added a Nature study following the Green Hour challenge. Love, love ,love it! Sam started his Nature Notebook today. I didn't plan on starting a NN until age 6 but he really enjoyed doing it. He is usually reluctant to draw or write anything "special" that will be kept so this is a huge development!

He has been doing school at Grandma's on Wednesdays. Grandma picked up some items at a local teacher supply and they have been doing arts/crafts, practicing his letters, and playing educational games.

Speech is still ongoing - we attend biweekly. He is so very ready for ST to be done but we aren't quite there.

I started this blog. I've been concentrating on the little kids mainly to not mortify the older kids by blabbing about their ups and downs. I don't even think I mentioned the older kids names yet. This blog has helped me to "switch gears" with my thinkings and doings in regards to school and to actually see just how much I am actually doing with Sam.

Habits- Sam is now going to bed all by himself. Wow what a difference. Charlotte is now the trouble maker at bedtime since moving to her big girl bed. Sam has been such a helper with picking up. He has started picking up his toys without being asked.


Things I want to change next quarter.....absolutely nothing!

I want to encourage him to copy his words into his nature book.

I want to encourage more art/drawing....not only in his nature book but also start an art book. Perhaps I can ask Big Sis to draw with him. They spent an evening this week drawing together and he really enjoyed....I think she did as well. I think there is a copy of Draw Write Now up in Big Sis' stuff from years ago perhaps she'll be willing to devote a special time just the 2 of them. I'll suggest and see how this works out.

New Habits to work on....??? I need to think on this a bit. Perhaps limiting tv/computer time.....our tv/computer time increased substantially this winter due to poor weather so I would like to get it back under control. This should be relatively easily replaced with outside time. Sam has learned how to completely operate the computer and can find his games and I find him on the computer at all times of the day....so I need to either block his access or redirect him when he gets on. Computer time is going to be harder to control in the evenings because he likes to play games while Dad is online next to him. Perhaps this will be easily replace with activities outside when the time changes and it is light enough to go for a family outing when Dad gets home from work.