Here are some thoughts for the last 2 weeks in October, for which I didn't journal, yet.  I am so excited that I have kept up journalling this long and so I would really like to keep going.

One thing I can say for the last 2 weeks is that we have been in cruise or maybe it's just "survival" mode.  Or maybe it just has been ho-hum school.  Everything has been straight forward and by the book.  Not too many "a-ha" moments or really "cool" moments, either.  But that's ok, right?

Reading: Joshua is reading well through the Pathway Readers.  These are lengthy stories and are pretty complex, and he flies through them well.  He is still reading these aloud to me, but come next semester I may have him read them silently then figure out a way to test his comprehension.  The workbook seems to do that pretty well.  Not sure yet how to go about it.

Math: Still working well through Math-U-See.  We were up to Lesson 8, but took a detour into counting money.  So now we're working with a workbook and he's doing well.  I know that workbooks are an oxy-moron when it comes to learning money.  I know that the best place to learn about money is in real life.  Joshua enjoys working workbooks and so we're doing this as a foundation.  I've already told him that he will need to practice this in real life the next time we're at the store.  I'm going to ask him to count out the change and bills when it comes time to pay for something!

Writing We're coming near the end of the Handwriting Without Tears workbook for grade 1.  Joshua's writing has always been the weakest area--probably for lack of writing practice.  So I've tried to get in writing everyday.  He's still so sloppy.  I have him redo most of anything that is really unreadable or carelessly written.  But maybe I'm expecting too much and his handwriting is on-par for his age/grade level.  When he completes this book (in just a week or so) I'm not sure where to head with writing.  Currently he has been only doing copywork.  How and when do I let him loose?  This is one area to research.

History: Still moving along slowly in The History of The World.  We're on chapter 11 talking about ancient Egypt.  Joshua is familiar now with the Fertile Crescent, Mesopotamia, Babylonia, Egypt, the Nile, ancient China, Nomads, Abram and his family, early writings, archeologists and historians.  He couldn't come up with too many names or dates from memory--probably no names and no dates, actually.  But he has used the Fertile Crescent in conversation!  Just planting little hangers of information for the real study of history to come.

Science: Invertebrates, Vertebrates, Mammals, Primates, Amphibians, Reptiles, etc. are all part of Joshua's vocabulary now.  And he knows pretty well what makes a mammal a mammal.  I think he knows all 5 characteristics by memory--I know I do!  Once again we're just planting little hooks for more information to hang later on down the road.

Draw, Write, Now: This is one curriculum that may be put away after Christmas.  I'm not sure where we're heading with this.  Joshua has drawn some neat pictures--for his age.  We're definitely not using it as a writing curriculum, only as a drawing/coloring program.  And for that it's ok.  I'm just not sure if the time and effort are worth it.  This one will go on the evaluation block at the end of December.

Piano: Joshua has completed Book B of the Bastien books.  He ended with a "recital" in front of family playing "When the Saints Go Marching In."  We'll be moving excitedly into Book C whenever it is shipped to the music store.