Looking back at what we covered in Term 1 (which I will post as soon as I can get my laptop fixed), I see that we didn't get in any: Geography, Nature Study, Art, or Music. Well, we did listen to some classical music CDs that I own, but that was "free listening," not something I actually scheduled. And we did sing hymns.
Nature Study is something I've not fretted about because up until April 2005 we lived on a small farm and nature studies happened EVERYDAY spontaneously. But now that we are temporarily away from the farm, I feel like I should do something. The dc do feed the birds and play outside. They've explored the creek that runs through our yard. We now have a salt lick and a mineral block to attract the deer that abound in this area. So I guess they are still getting their natural, spontaneous "nature study" this way. I still want to make a more concerted effort, though. I'd really like to make use of Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study that I paid $18 for, you know? LOL!
Geography has always been rather hit and miss. We have maps and globes and we casually look things up when the need arises to clarify something. We actually did more actual geography studies when we were doing Five in a Row. Dd10 has read the Komroff Marco Polo book that is used in AO Year 2, but I didn't make her do any map work with it. She is now reading the Young People's edition of Kon Tiki. I still haven't made her do any map work yet, though. :-S
So, these subjects -- Geography, Nature Study, Art, and Music -- are going to get more attention this term. As well as Shakespeare and Plutarch. We've started Plutarch finally. I have yet to start Shakespeare, though. We have also picked back up with Art studies which we haven't "officially" done since last school year.
But I'm getting there. We are slowly adding things in at a pace we all can handle. :-)
Well, dd5 is asking for another reading lesson, so I'm off. :-D
Comments
Posted by HomeSchooling4Jesus Posted by Hallmark That's a subject that, in itself, doesn't tempt me. Don't know why, but it may be that in school, "geography" meant memorizing a bunch of dull facts about various places that I'd never seen and had little likelihood of ever seeing.
But AO's geography was kind of fun, the year that we read Paddle to the Sea and Tree in the Trail. And there was another year when we read Hillyer's "Child's Geography of the World" which I found in a used bookstore for $8--one of those happy finds that I picked up when I didn't even know who Hillyer was, but the book looked interesting.
Do you know, when we finished reading Hillyer's Geography, that the girls clamored to start it all over again? Good book.
Thanks for all the info you've posted here. It is very motivating. I might start posting my own efforts, simply because the accountability is a good thing. It's a lot harder to slough off, contemplating having to show the world that we only did Bible reading (*lots* of it, though, a chapter aloud per child per day), Math, and The Little Duke this past week...
(And I can't always blame fevers and birthdays, either, though at least I can get away with that excuse for this particular week that has just passed.)