Silver Moon Learning

Sep. 2, 2009

First week down. :)

I'm a couple days late, but you should be used to that by now. I'm used to it. Week one already!! That f.l.e.w. The kids all did great, every one of them. It's taking us awhile to "get it all done," but our time is dwindling already as they learn new books and get in the groove. I'm so very glad I wrote those lesson maps in pencil. We're still in the adjustment phase, here a tweak, there a tweak, everywhere a tweak, tweak. The new organizers are working out great!! The kids get a visual of exactly what's left. Taking a moment to stuff a card in a pocket and check the next one seems to help them shift gears for the next subject more readily. It takes me no more than five minutes in the evening or early morning to get them all back out again and ready for the new day. the first few days I was having to reglue one or two velcro tabs back onto the plastic sleeves. By the fifth day I just grabbed the stapler when one came off. Apparently the rest of the lot just had to see how serious I was and they've caused no problems since. Little to big? Faith's day hasn't changed much. She gleefully chases the sib not currently involved in a lesson wherever they'll go. And occasionally tries climbing between a sib and the book they're reading, much like a cat. Grace is blossoming at a rapid rate. She'll finish the first of our four kindy level readers this week. She's starting to chunk her reading, picks up new sight words in the story within one or two lessons, and will literally do a happy dance when she can read a word from a sign when we're in town. Her Comprehensive Curriculum preschool workbook is just about eaten up. She's up to letter "Ss" and number nine. (I have the kindy one in the same series waiting for her, in hopes of sparing my printer ink!) Honor's workload has increased somewhat. Grammar and spelling being added in are the major differences. His first spelling test is today, he's looking forward to it! He absolutely loved every part of his spelling unit, front to back. I think it's been his favorite all week. In First Language Lessons he's learning the definition of a noun, and can already recite his first poetry assignment from it. The Caterpillar by Christina G. Rossetti. The big two had a hard time restraining themselves and not saying it along with Honor. They both loved their time in the first FLL book. Joy *loves* the new organizers. I thought she would. She's successfully diagrammed sentences like "A Boy Scout troop made a monkey bridge," read at least two books on the Revolutionary War period and another fictional history of George Washington's childhood, been charmed by Aesop (narration practice), jumped into MindBenders with glee, nearly memorized I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by William Wordsworth in three days, and taught the younger two a few crafts from her own library book. She's a very self-motivated learner that tends to have two independent lessons done before I have one cup of coffee in my circulation. Justice has impressed me at how well his week has gone. His week has consisted of possessive plurals, irregular verbs, outlining up to three points, rewriting an Aesop fable after thoroughly dissecting it, finishing up his last MindBender book (7-12 grade level!), learned five Latin roots, nearly memorized America For Me by Henry Van Dyke, read at least four chapter books and a couple Marvel Heroes books on the side, and started his new math book (first chapter is all review so far). The only challenge of our week is trying to map the individual days out for the best of everyone. Starting all three bigs at the same time and tag teaming between them worked, but had us constantly crashing each other. Then I tried starting earlier with Justice, which had Joy starting her independent lessons on her own accord. That landed them both at needing their most mom intensive subjects at the same time, which was when Honor was ready to start too. Needless to say, that didn't work. Today I tried getting the bulk of Lawyer's mom intensive subjects done while keeping Rj busy with a craft so she didn't jump in on her own. Then when I had him down to just readings and math left I pulled her in. Once they went their own ways with reading to do Grace had gone to bed, and I had a perfect window for Honor and I to be one on one. I think this is going to work out well, but I don't know how to tell Joy she can't do school until Justice hits his halfway point. LOL  Maybe we can make mornings craft time? Joy could "teach" the Honor and Grace some animal science then? Hm...

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