» Learning Notes: September 22-28, 2008 Mind Games

Posted by: piseco | 29th Sep, 2008

Learning Notes: September 22-28, 2008

We have finished 13 weeks of “first grade” and I’ve put together our required quarterly report. I continue to be amazed (and grateful) that the file-folder system works so effortlessly for us, because putting together the quarterly report was a breeze, with 13 weeks of learning notes in front of me. What a good feeling!

If you’re interested, you can find my summary of the week’s learning notes behind the cut.

Math

Math-U-See Beta, Lessons 13, 14 and 15: Column Addition, Measurement, Perimeter - dvd segments, student pages, and tests (rounding to hundreds, multiple digit addition with regrouping, adding money) - We had been doing well before this week covering all the pages of each lesson, and I thought the repetition wasn’t bad. This week, JediBoy told me that doing all the pages is boring, and that he “hates” the tests because he doesn’t like to do the writing. (We do student pages orally, with me writing things down on the white board as he says them, but he had been doing the tests on his own in pencil.) I agreed that we don’t have to do all the review, so if he can breeze through the first page of problems, then do the test orally, we will move on. He was so excited that I’d listened to him, and I took the time - of course! - to gently point out that this is one big reason why I homeschool him: so he won’t need to be bored just to follow a plan. I want to be sure to note, though, that he loves Lesson 13: Column Addition and asks frequently throughout each day to do some “big adding puzzles.” Repetition can be fun when he chooses the type of problem we’re repeating!
played “On the Number” - Right Start Math game A55 - adding cards from your hand to make a target number

History

The Story of the World Volume 1: Chapter 12: Middle Kingdom of Egypt, reading and review questions - He was slightly put off that we were going back to Egypt, though he did like the conquering stories of the Hyksos.
map work SP33 Africa
re-read several of our personal collection of books on Egypt
made “gold” bracelets from toilet paper rolls and gold glitter
burned (and smelled) incense for the first time
played “Nubian merchant” selling bracelets, gold, gems and incense
drew and cut out two Hyksos warriors with their special weapons and two chariots to stage some battles

Science

observed the changing leaves and changing weather
picked several kinds of wildflowers
star-gazed with PisecoDad
examined two snake skins that came in the mail (from the same snake, first at about 3 months then at 1 1/2 years) and several feathers we found in the yard
We discussed what he’d like to do next in science, and he chose electricity - he’d like to do more hands-on experiments.

Language Arts

Handwriting Without Tears numerals 5-9, 10, review page
read “Rumpelstiltskin” from Learn to Read With Classic Stories, Grade 2
completed the worksheets on this story p.253-266 - skills included comprehension (summarizing, sequencing, story details, problems and solutions, dialogue/characterization, using illustrations, main idea), genre: fairy tales, study skills: alphabetical order, word structure: possessives, word meaning: story vocabulary, grammar: pronouns, writing (mechanics, a letter)

Spanish

reviewed introductions and greetings daily
listened to Boca Beth cd

Misc.

sick with a cold on Monday - did a lot of “PBSschooling” that day!
had his portrait taken with the Chessos
played with the Chessos and other friends all Wednesday afternoon and evening
perfected his Inigo Montoya costume for Halloween
talked about the post-placement social worker’s visit for BabyGirl’s adoption; lots of discussion about the paperwork involved in adopting and the terminology - he continues to call her birth mother her “real” mother, and I continue to gently correct him

Reading

JediBoy continues to read tons of books each week. (If you’ve ever seen our house, you know this might turn out to be an accurate claim, by weight.) I know he read: