Jan. 18, 2006 - Pulleys, Lillian Gilbreth, Ramona, moody teen girl and more

Well, we just have a plethora of new books pupping up today!

Sprite was starting The Soul of a New Machine today, but it seemed to just cause wayyyy too much confusion and stress.  As I'm not up to fighting with that every day, it'll have to wait until she's more ready for it.  So, when I ran to the library at lunch time, one of the books on the hold shelf was an autobiography of Lillian Gilbreth Moller ~ the mom in Cheaper by the Dozen. I gave Sprite the option of reading that instead.  Thank goodness that caused less trauma:)

Paris is through with the first chapter of Ramona and Her Father ~ which I realize isn't the most "literary" book, but none of the books I had reserved for her were in yet (until TODAY, after she'd already read a chapter)...grr.  Anyway, I had read through the first few chapters and made a list of "vocabulary" words out of Ramona and Her Father for Paris to review before she read a chapter. 

I used to do this with the boys when they seemed "stuck" on a certain reading level and it really helped to boost them up to the next level.  And it also helped that they could read "older" books that peaked their interest far more than the easy readers.  I suppose I should post the vocabulary lists I made for Red Dog, Wizard of Oz, Zia and Matilda.

A Dog Called Kitty is the book Kainan chose for his independant reading book (he actually HAS a dog he named Kitty:) and Jaedin is reading, Thomas Alva Edison Great Inventor by David A. Adler. 

After all that excitement, we did a new prayer for copywork today.  We edited a parent prayer for getting along with family members... building healthy relationships, etc.  I may post those here as well... I don't know.  I'll do it separately if I do it.

We learned about pulleys for Konos, watched the How Things Work video (they are SO cute and get the idea across so well!)  and briefly discussed pulleys, with the homework assignment of building their own pulley of some sort to show everyone tomorrow.  I figured since they are all grounded from friends, that will give them something to keep them busy while they are in the house all evening.