Learning Together

Learning to Read

Well it is that time again.  Back to teaching the next one how to read.  Having done it once you would think I would have some idea of what to do but I am back at the internet again working out what to do!

The problem is that I am trying to combine 2 programs - Sonlight and Thrass and I am not quite sure how to!

In my hunt I found the following website that has lots of downloads for reading activities.

http://www.fastq.com/~jbpratt/education/langarts/main.html#tracingpaperfonts

And of course there is always good old starfall  www.starfall.com My girls do like this site and there does seem to be constant updates to it making it always new.  Plus there are downloads sheets to add into what you are doing.  My only complaint is the American Accent.  Some letters are pronounced very different to how we say them in Australia!  In spite of this the site is still worth a play on. 

So what are we doing - We are going to spend the next few weeks revisiting all of our ABC which we did last year with B4FIAR but she seems to have forgotten most of them.  I am going to follow Thrass and teach the letter names NOT sounds following the order in sonlight PK and see how we go!  Plus lots of ABC games.

Long week

Well it has been a long week so far and a very long day.

The weekend was filled with the beginnings of being housebound, as Bunny (3G4) developed chickenpox.  I have no idea where from.  Luckily she has them very lightly and other than ending up in my bed most nights since she has not been worried by them. 

It was also a weekend filled with constant prayers for my brother-in-law and sister.  Dave's appendix burst a week ago and he had an emergency opp to deal with the after complications and ended up in intensive care.  It was very stressful.

This is also the end of week 2 of hubby being away.  (week 2 is always the hard one - it drags).  This is the first stint of Peekers being in a new place.  So far I have only mobile contact and this is outside of work hours as the phone drops out when he enters the office.  He is 2 1/2 hours behind us so the timing is interesting!

But we are coping (just).  The weather has turned very cold and rainy and the wind has been so strong.  There is a house/s being build right next to us and the trucks have turned up for the last 2 mornings at 6:30am and woken me up!  At least it got me up early this morning with time to do Yoga.

I have thrown all routine for school out of the window instead we have morning jobs for all girls (I am using Managers of their chores and the chore packs work really well).  So get up, dressed, PJ's under pillow, hair brushed and ready in the lounge to do the daily bible readings.  After this breakfast and then more jobs - each child has their own to do some of which are clearing the table from breakfast, unloading the dishwasher, feeding pets, putting clean washing away.

After this school starts.  I have just been working with whatever child is ready and trying to do a maths lesson (MUS), somesort of copywork ( this week has been catching up on Sunday School homework from when we were away), running through the THRASS chart and then anything else they show an interest in doing.  Duckie (2G5) has been first in and all done then happy to go off and play although today she had a temp and spent a lot of the afternoon laying on a beanbag in front of the fire.

Zebra (1G7) is another story.  School for her lasted until 4pm today as she spent all morning working on a caterpillar project she has decided to do.  Normally this would be fantastic except she did not SS yesterday and so we had to get 2 lessons done today and I knew that one had a lot of writing.  She did get it done and managed to have a break in the middle to do yoga so I guess we did get all the basics done except Maths.  She is enjoying the quiet time with mum after the others are all in bed when we do her reader so this (sometimes 2 a night) is being done.  I am not sure whether to force somesort of structure into her day or just let her continue with her own interests.  I am thinking of making something similar to the chore pack with school things on it and she has to do some each day plus have a box with other choices in that she can choose to do if she wants to.  This will add in some choice but mean the basics such as Maths will get done.  She does love her chore pack and even had me make up extra cards for her so she would remember everything.  (ie cleaning teeth).  I guess this is a child's version of Flyladys journal with daily routines. 

How does Charlotte Mason ideals fit into this?  I read somethings on the web that seem to say that CM means child directed totally yet CM chose the books and planned that tasks for the children.  Nature Study was planned as was narration and maths.  Have you looked at some of the tests the children sat?  I couldn't answer half of them!  I don't think we are getting in enough reading of books.  We have bible readings in the morning and a reading of books before bed some the children choose and then one book we read a chapter of.  I am wanting to get back to Sonlight but at the moment the sheer volume of work is putting me off.  Maybe I should just start Duckie and forget about Zebra at the moment?

Bunny (3G4) has a preschool activity book that I bought when I did my last lot of grocery shopping - numbers, shapes, beginning letters and she is doing 2 pages a day and loving it.  She feels like she has school too.

I feel a little let down about this whole week as I was just starting to get excited that this year was going to be great because God had a new suprise (and I mean suprise :) with another addition to the family due November.  I had adjusted to that and was sure this meant a great year and with the worry over Dave I have been rethinking just how many suprises may be around the corner.  I still think it will be a good year but it is not looking as rosy as originally assumed.  The close call with Dave is a reminder of just how frail man is and how much we are in need of God's continual care and support.  Plus the stress of it all seems to have brought on the morning (all day) sickness in waves.

Inspite of the rain the sun will come back into our lives in 3 days Godwilling when Peekers comes home.  This time is just the weekend and not the usual 2 weeks but I can't wait to see him.  After having 2 months together being apart again for 2 weeks at a time is hard.

Well I am off to bed for an early night to get some sleep before being disturbed by a little someone joining me in bed or a buldozer awakening.

Intro - Who we are

We are a homeschooling family in beautiful Down Under Australia.  We follow a bit of everything with Charlotte Mason's ideas being the ideal behind what we are hoping to achieve.  If you were watching this blog before you will notice that it is all gone!  Yes life is changing for us and it was time to start again and follow our new journey.

Peekers was and still is a qualified electrician but has moved mostly out of this field and now works as a SAP specialist.  We run our own business and he is currently contracted to BHP.  These contracts involve a lot of time away from home.  Generally 2 weeks away and 1 week home.  We have been doing this for 9 months now with the first contract just finished and a new one just starting (more about this later).  This has meant some changes to how we do everything in our house.  We "school" (that is formal bookwork) during the time Daddy is away and just have fun together as a family during the week he is home.

Me (Shaz) I am a SAHM who enjoys scrapbooking, sewing and lots of other hobbies as time permits.  I am very interested in all things natural and we try to be a healthy as possible.  We also have another side to our business that involves helping people find better health and a better quality of life, plus make some income (for more details  visit www.myneways.com.au/got-a-way ).  This means I am always on the look out to learn more about health. 

I also homeschool our 4 beautiful girls. 

Zebra (1G7)  loves reading and is always keen to learn.   We go through remes of paper with her constant art creations. (Sonlight 1, MUS)

Duckie (2G5) is very outgoing and a real people person.  She is also the cuddly one of the family.  She loves learning too and is very quick to learn new skills. (Sonlight K, MUS)

Bunny (3G4) We have not begun formal learning with Bunny yet but she joins in all the others are doing.  We will possibly start B4 FIAR with her later this year.

Monkey (4G2)   What else can I say? The name says it all!  The baby of the family who is very cute (and knows it).  Into everything - She's 2 !  Loves to be the centre of attention and has numerous ways of making sure she is.  A very bright little girl who keeps Mummy on her toes!

This is our family!  I am sure this year will be an interesting year from a few hints already given I know that God has a lot of new adventures and learning planned for us this year and it should be a fun and exciting journey.