Posted in Teachers Corner

We're trying to get into a habit, but with our very inconsistent schedule, it's all rather haphazard.

We usually start out with her "starters" -- aptly named if I do say so myself. This includes updating her calendars with the weather, date, day of the week; a tangram exercise (we love these!); a spelling and grammar calendar activity; a math drill and flashcards in addition; a chapter in the Bible (Psalms currently); and a character-building activity (usually a little ditty or poem, a coloring page, and discussion on a trait we've selected).

As for major categories, we're going a sort of hit-and-miss, whatever-strikes-our-fancy tactic. Her major topic lately is American History. She wanted to start with who discovered America, so we've begun with Christopher Columbus (I know he didn't really discover America, but it was a place to start). Tied to that, we're going through what was happening in the world around 1500 AD, maps and navigation, clothing styles, art and architecture, and science of the time. Really just a lot of reading and discussion, internet searches and color pages, and lots of library books. We're trying to read many different sources to get a more rounded perspective of it all.

As a family, we're spending a great deal of time exploring at the moment. Here in about a month or so, the rattlesnakes will emerge on the landscape with the increasing heat, and both will hinder these adventures, so most major studies are being set aside on Daddy's days off so we can go out for a hike or drive. Lots of geology and history in this area, especially as relates to trains or landforms.

She's also into science in a major way right now. She has multiple topics going from multiple sources: astronomy, anatomy, chemistry, physics, geology and geography, machines, bugs, animals, dinosaurs, meteorology, .... and the list goes on. She's at a wonderful phase where she just picks up books and reads them. Of course, she then says, "Mom, you should read this!" I can't keep up with her! Once in a while, she asks to do an experiment from one of her readings; she has turkey bones in vinegar and water behind the kitchen sink, where she's studying the effects of acid on calcium -- great project, by the way.

She's jumping into multiplication, but still only in the early concept phases. Won't be long though. On the other hand, she's doing very well in time, money, measurements, charts and graphs, and beginning fractions.

Her main problem at the moment is writing. She's reading at a 7th grade level, but gets frustrated because she can't write and spell at the same level -- that perfectionist side starts rearing its ugly head (my, where does she get that from?!). So, we're trying to journal or notebook to get her penmanship practice in; she's doing a spelling program on the computer; and there's plenty of other writing activities -- Draw Write Now lessons, write-in-the-blank assignments, emails and letters, art projects and birthday cards.

Beyond that, it's just a lesson in osmosis -- she just absorbs information at every turn. She asks a lot of questions, and is learning how to find the answers. We use the internet, the TV -- videos and cable alike, the radio, the library and research materials, magazines, daytrips and everyone's brains. She's alos becoming increasingly health-conscious; it will be by her prompting that I actually get into shape again.

What are you studying?