5/21 to 5/27

J's last regional dance competition of the season was this past weekend.  She did great - scored a High Gold award, even when she forgot a whole section of the dance.  She was annoyed with herself, but that morning was crappy and I don't blame her for not being fully there.  Her groups numbers did phenomenally well, with great placements (8th, 5th, & 2nd in the top 10 of all teen groups - competing against dozens and dozens of teen group numbers from other studios).  Now all that's left is the recital and then either a Nationals or something similar in July.  Still not sure what we're doing yet.

Tuesday evening was the big recital rehearsal.  The kids worked on the opening number, ran through the mainstream numbers, and ran some company numbers.  J's group of babies were adorable. They are dancing to Beauty and the Beast and J gets to be on stage with them dressed as a princess.  She's thrilled.  

J got an A on her English essay.  The assignment was to write your own creation myth.   I remember when she told me about this assignment.  She worried about it having to be 3 pages.  I thought she felt it was too much, but her next sentence was, "I don't think I could write less than 4 or 5."  Again, this is coming from a kid who did her own thing as an unschooler for 6 years.  That kind of freedom allowed her to build up a level of maturity and independence where now that she's in high school, she so enjoys putting 110% to everything.  It's pretty cool to watch.

W had his last Sunday School (CCD) class.  His report card was great and the teacher said he is a wonderful student and did great on classwork and tests.  I got a bit teary-eyed with that, because he got a 35% on his last test.  He was upset with himself and felt very stupid.  He'd never told his teacher he was dyslexic.  So, the next week he mentioned it and said that it takes him a little longer to read and needs a little more time to take a test.  W has no issues with it and is comfortable talking about it.  The teacher allowed him to re-take the test the following week.  The first time it was open-book.  The 2nd time it wasn't, but W still got a 70%.  He was over the moon with joy and so proud of himself.  I was too.

He has recently told me that he likes writing.  That was my cue to try a written narration.  He hasn't done much writing except for copywork and maybe some spelling and dictation exercises, but I knew he was ready.  We started with his independent reading book.  He read his 2 pages and wrote 2 sentences of a summary in his notebook.  It had proper flow and correct punctuation.  I was impressed at his style.  We'll do these once a week - more if he wants to. 

Nothing else really new with academics this week.  It's pretty much the same books and we're almost finished with those.  He did his copywork, poetry, narrations, etc.   In math he's doing 3-digit x 3-digit multiplication now.   We still use only the textbook for TT5 and he now zips through a lesson in about 20 minutes.  I'm glad we already have TT7 -  I wouldn't want to buy a whole new program if he's only using the book.

We've had a really great year so far.  I'm looking forward all the activities coming up in June!

5/14 to 5/20

It was a rainy week here in NYC.  We didn't go to Chess or Wayfinders.  We did catch up on some academics, though. 

W's new idea is to read 6-8 pages a day of his book (Cricket) instead of just 2.  He said he would still read 2 pgs at a time, but do this several times a day.  Sounds good to me!  Let's see if he does it.

He has gotten over the hump of long division.  I don't know what it is about it that makes kids crazy, but we faced a wall with it as well.  I believe the answer boils down to practice and patience.  One of the reasons I love Teaching Textbooks is that it's a spiral math program that keeps returning to previously learned concepts - unlike a mastery-type program where I think W would forget what he learned the year(s) before.  Getting to do a few long division problems in the middle of each new lesson was what really helped.

I feel W is just about ready to start on written narrations.  I think it goes hand-in-hand with AO Year 3, since by that time, so much great literature has been read and narrated.  I'm curious to see if what he writes down  will be as nicely flowing as when he narrates out loud.  I'd like to try doing one a week for the next month, then 2 a week starting in September. This is probably the third time I'm saying I'll get to this, but we're really going to give it a shot this week.

The Weekly Academics:

An Island Story (Richard the Duke of York, King Henry VI, War of the Roses), Robin Hood (Finished chapter 3), Joan of Arc (finished!), Seabird (Chapter 18), Excellent narrations of all readings, Spelling Skills 4 (Long O words, definitions, synonyms, capitalization), TT5 (2 digit x 2 digit multiplication, estimation, review of circles, quadrilaterals, & long division, and Math Quiz: he got 100%!), A Year of Poems (poetry & copywork), A Cricket in Times Square (2 pages/day), ScienceSaurus (the meaning of observation).

Dance Competition

April Competition Pic

This weekend we were in New Jersey at our 2nd to last dance competition of the season.  There were a total of 19 different studios there competing from all over NY and NJ.

J was in a solo, a duet, 3 small group numbers, and 3 large group numbers.  She performed Friday evening and then again on Sunday morning.  Adjudications were given on Friday night and overall placings were Sunday afternoon.

Solo (lyrical):  Overall Teen Solo Winner
Duet (hip hop):  Overall Teen Duet/Trio Winner
Small Groups - this means there are 4 to 9 dancers in that number:
          Jazz: Overall Teen Small Group Winner
          Modern:  1st runner up overall
          Open (combines dance styles):  2nd runner up overall
Large Groups - more than 10 dancers in the number:
          Open:  Overall Teen Large Group Winner
          Jazz:  1st runner up overall
          Tap:  2nd runner up overall

"Overall" means that not only did they win in their particular category (e.g. Teen Jazz Small Group) but got the highest score for all teen numbers in ANY category.  Needless to say I am so proud of J and her whole dance team.  I screamed and cheered so much my voice is gone today.

The last competition of the season is next weekend.  By then we'll know which Nationals we are doing in July. 

W found another little brother from another studio and hung out with him for hours, playing DS and trading Pokemon cards.  I'm so glad about that.  These things can get real boring for a 10-year-old boy.  K spent the weekend at my moms in Long Island.  They went to the mall, got their hair cut & colored, wrapped favors for my sister's baby shower (that will be in June), and just enjoyed some great girl time.  K's prom and graduation is coming up and she's been busy preparing for that.  She gave herself enough time for her new hair to "settle", her prom dress is at the tailor getting altered, she's making her hairstyle and mani-pedi appointment soon, the party bus is paid for and ready to go, and the after-prom 4-day vacation trip is awaiting them.  K is an amazing planner. 
        

Thinking Out Loud

Although I had wanted to get to Ambleside Online Year 3, before the start of W's 5th grade, I'm starting to realize that for him, AO3 and 5th grade will be great together.  I have come across so many people who prefer to do this.  And with W's mild dyslexia, holding off on the readings is probably best.  He is just starting to come into good reading flow.  He reads well independently and his comprehension is great - even with difficult Shakespearean language.  This past year has been so amazing.  The strides W have made in all areas is unbelievable.  I love AO.

I have recently decided to increase the rigor a bit.  Up to now we've always gotten to the academics when we could, on days without classes or trips.  The classes and trips always come in waves, peaking in fall and spring, slowing down a bit in summer and winter.  This is probably why AO2 took 2 years to complete instead of 1.  I don't want that to happen with AO3.  So, we're going to try adding in more seatwork time. 

W wants to spend more time in Manhattan, visiting places he loves or hasn't been to yet.  I don't want to curb our field trip/outing time (because there's just so much to do here), but I also want to leave room for everything else.  I work from 6pm-10pm, so evenings are out.  Early mornings are doable.  We normally start academic stuff at around 10:30am, but there's nothing wrong with starting at 8:30am, right?  I'm up at 6:30am getting the rest of the troops out of the house.  W is usually up before 8:30, so I think that's what we'll do.  

Right now W's regular weekly outings are late enough in the day so an early start could actually work.  W said it was a good idea.  He is more of a morning person anyway.  Ok, good.  So now I'm going to stop worrying about taking so long with AO2.  We can relax and enjoy the final weeks of it.  W will continue with TT5, Word Study & Phonics, and daily independent reading throughout the summer.  He'll be going to day camp every day starting at the end of June, so spending about an hour on academics each day shouldn't be a big deal.  He definitely needs to keep up at least the bare minimum over the summer before starting AO3 in the fall. 

I feel good about it, W thinks it'll work out well, and I'm looking forward to summer and starting AO3 in the fall! 

4/30-5/6

It was a beautiful day for "doing Manhattan" this week.   The sky was blue, the trees and flowers were in bloom, and temperature was just right.

Tuesday was our weekly Wayfinders get-together.  The kids spent 3 hours doing some cool improv games and playing Capture the Flag - which is always more fun with 40+ kids.  W could do this every day.  He spent a good while at the end analyzing Pokemon cards and battling friends with them. 

On  Thursday, we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  We went a few months ago on our own, but this time we were part of a homeschool group tour.  I love tours - you really get a good idea of the whys and hows when looking at something.  This was a group of about 15 4th-7th graders and we focused mainly on Ancient Egypt.  We walked through tombs and temples, learned about Hatshepsut, and discussed some of the mummification process.   








This week's academics include: 
AO Readings w/narrations:  Robin Hood, Seabird, Joan of Arc, & Pagoo, A Cricket in Times Square (independent)
Math: TT5 - long division, radius, diameter, circumference, quadrilaterals (rhombus, trapezoid, parallelogram).
Word Study:  Short & long vowels, Hard C/G, Soft C/G
Poetry/Copywork:  Christina Rosetti poems.

National Museum of the American Indian

Today we went on a homeschool group trip to the National Museum of the American Indian.  It was a wonderful workshop on Bentwood Boxes.  The kids were shown a cute movie about how the night sky became lit with stars, the moon, and the sun by being let out of an old man's cedar bentwood boxes by his grandson.  We were then brought into an area where we saw masks, boxes, and glass depictions of the story.  Finally, the kids were part of a workshop to make their own bentwood boxes, stenciling a traditional picture onto the front of it.  We hadn't been to that museum in a few years.  It was great to go back. 

The Sphere before 9/11

The Sphere after 9/11

 A bunch of us then headed over to Battery Park.  The kids ate a quick lunch and ran around and played.  The park keeps a remnant from the World Trade Center - a large brass sphere sculpture that was destroyed when the buildings came down.  It breaks my heart to see that.  In front of it is a memorial plaque and the eternal flame for the victims of 9/11.

 In the afternoon, W started his first of a series of advanced beginner chess classes in Brooklyn.  It was a quick 15 minute subway ride from lower Manhattan.  There was about 12-15 kids total.  I have been looking for something like this for a long time. 

In a Nutshell 4/23-4/29

Academics this week was pretty much the same as last week.  We read, he narrated, did copywork, math, etc.  Nothing new really.  Wayfinders was great.  He loves it.

K went to speak to an advisor at college.  She now has all her classes and schedule ready for the fall.  In about a month she goes to an orientation and gets her ID card.  It's a pretty campus and she can't wait til the end of August to start.

J had another dance competition this weekend.  This one was in Long Island and we stayed overnight at my mom's.  Her solo placed 5th overall, her duet placed 4th overall, and she was one of only several kids chosen to go on this big 6-day trip to.....New York City.  Sigh.  The next competition is in 2 weeks in New Jersey.  We'll be staying at a hotel for 2 nights.  I love competition season!

Next week is busy and I've been bringing the camera everywhere - so watchout!  LOL

J in Front of Juilliard

4/16-4/22

This weekend (and almost all week), W played with his friend Matt from next door (who turns 10 this week).  Nerf gun wars is still the game of choice and thankfully we have a nice backyard to play in.  He also went to the playground for hours, playing basketball and manhunt.

Tuesday Wayfinders in Central Park was lots of fun.  It was a rainy, muddy adventure, and W loved every second of it.  There looked to be about 40 kids - mostly boys between the ages of 9 & 12 (with some older and younger thrown in too).  The premise is a sort of game like Capture the Flag.  Each were given a foam sword (think: pool noodle) and were told to battle and then die like you mean it, rolling on the ground, writhing.  I thought the guides were hysterical.

W went home with one of his best friends and slept over.  On Wednesday, they had an awesome Pokemon party at the house.  Tons of Pokemon decorations, prizes, goody bags, pinata, etc.  The kids wore Pokemon T-shirts, Pokemon was playing on the TV, there was a table with How-To-Draw Pokemon books and tons of paper and colored pencils, and I counted more than 15 kids there.  I got there at around 4pm to pick W up and then go to work. I was so impressed at how this mom put together such a cool party so quickly.  I have party-planning-phobia and get nauseous even thinking about throwing parties.  She inspired me, though.  I may have one myself one day.

Academics this week included the new math workbook.  Flash Kids 4th (and 5th) grade gives a great review of what W has already done in TT5.  The thing I've learned about math is that my kids may have seemed to master a concept, but without continuous practice, it fades a bit.  The review workbook ($6.95 - $5.25 after discount) is a great idea for now before we continue onto pre-algebra.  He'll be reviewing addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, place value, angles, perimeter, area, decimals, graphing, & inequalities.  Then we'll finish up TT5 before the fall and combine that with Flash Kids Grade 5 and he'll do fractions, measurement, percents, exponents, and more advanced versions of the basics (like multiplying with exponents and graphing coordinates).

We also read more of Robin Hood.  The original language is difficult (reminiscent of Shakespeare with it's "dost thou art"s), but I decided to stop paraphrasing.  I now read it as is - with as much inflection as possible - and W gets it.  I asked him what he thought was going on in a certain part and he gave me a great narration, along with his own thoughts on what might happen next.   We're also continuing with Joan of Arc.  We're almost done with that one.  It's not his favorite, but I do try and make the bloody battles really exciting for him, lol.  He did a whole page in the Spelling Skills book.  As he read me the new words, I noticed he said behind for beyond, cannon for cotton, button for bottom.  If I have him slow down and try again, he usually gets it right.  He is definitely getting more right than wrong, though. The 2 spelling activities were classifying and answer the questions.  This gets W to write out the words which helps him remember how they're spelled.

In the Spectrum Phonics & Word Study book W looked at a picture and circled the word as to what the picture was.  Now that sounds simple and I remember similar activities being done in preschool, but again, it was like it was made for him.  One of the pictures was of a desk.  The 4 words given were:  deck, disk, dock, and desk.  W tends not to look beyond the first and last letters, so he chose "deck".  I told him to look at it again and he caught the mistake.  So this is the kind of thing he needs to overcome.  I feel it's because he rushes through his reading and skims over words too quickly, and that causes one word to look like something else.  Thankfully when he reads books he has to backtrack and correct himself or it won't make sense.  The other activity in that book was changed the given word with a new vowel so it makes sense in the sentence.  This can get tricky for him, but he got them all correct.  I love this book. (The one I have is the OLD version with the pig on the cover - NOT the new one with the light blue cover.  The new version has changed the inside contents as well.  I just prefer the 1999 version not the 2006 version).

W also read a few pages of Cricket in Times Square.  He's taking his time with it, which is ok since it's all about understanding.  I'm also thrill about him still loving those Pokemon cards.  He reads them constantly.  One very popular method of helping a slow reader is by having them read nonsense words.  This way they have to use more than just the immediate picture of the word, they have to actually sound it out.  Pokemon is full of that and I don't even have to schedule it into our day! 

The girls love having the week off.  K is more than ready to get to the end of senior year.  She has a meeting next week with an advisor at college to create a schedule for the fall.  Prom is on K's mind all the time, too.  She chose this beautiful dress and MIL offered to pay for the shoes and hair.  In lieu of a limo, about 15 of K's friends will take a party bus to the venue.  I love that idea.  It's huge inside, with a great stereo system, flat-screen TV, refrigerator, and bathroom.  Way cooler than a limo.  The picture to the left shows what the inside generally looks like.  K has also been working and hanging with friends all week.  And we joined a gym together!   We've been going every other day.  I love going with her.   

J has been busy with dance and friends all week.  I spent some more time planning her summer.  Her school requires continuous dancing throughout the summer.  She'll certainly be busy all summer.  She's starting with a workshop in Manhattan for a week, then Nationals for a week with her team, then the rest of the summer is dance almost every day - in Manhattan.  She's so comfortable navigating through Manhattan now.  Subways are easy and she revels in the whole atmosphere. 

On Tuesday this week J was part of a master class with Ellenore Scott (top 4  in season 6 of SYTYCD).  Not many knew about it and only 5 people were in the class.  J brought 2 friends and 2 older girls showed up. Later in the day, Ellenore was giving a master class at Broadway Dance Center, which I know was packed, but this earlier class was at a lesser-known studio.  I thought it was the luckiest thing ever.  So much individual attention and focus.

Happy Easter.

4/9-4/15

Tuesday's Wayfinders was rained out, but he enjoyed time with friends the whole afternoon anyway.

Wednesday was an all-day set of classes on the Upper West Side.  W checked in at 9:30am and started his day with Cake Decorating.  He learned a lot of new words (like "fondant") and got to eat what they made.  After that was Chess.  It was great that he finally had some good, formal chess instruction.  He plays well, but loved learning some new strategies.  After that was lunch, then Photography.  I gave him my small camera to use in the class.  The instructor showed them how to center a photo, cool things a regular camera can do, etc.  The last class was Cartooning and Graphic Design.  Needless to say, this was his favorite.  The kids came up with ideas for their own comic books and W said he learned some great things.

I spent the whole day in the nearby Barnes & Noble.  6 whole hours to relax and read and browse.  Ah...heaven.  It was Educator's Week, so I got 25% off my purchases.  I got this really cool science book, 2 new novels for W to read (at around the same level as his current book), & 2 Flash Kids math workbooks.  The math workbooks are basic review.  I want him to go over all the 4th grade and 5th grade math.  We still love TT5, but he'd like to switch it up a bit.  We'll go back and forth.  The novels I got for him are:  Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (because he's been on a survivalist kick) and Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli.   The listed reading levels for these books are 6.3 and 5.4 respectively.   This is right where W is right now.   I'm so proud of him.

Friday's music class was called "Mock Rock Band".  The kids got to alternate playing bass guitar, acoustic guitar, and drums trying to make some sort of music with those, lol.   W thought it was really fun.  He's still leaning toward the bass guitar as something he'd like to maybe continue with. 

At Cub Scouts W is working on his Athlete Badge.  There are 20 activity badges for the Webelos to earn - 4 in each category:  Physical Skills, Mental Skills, Community, Technology, & Outdoor. W has already earned most of these.  In the fall he'll move up to being a Boy Scout. 

I'm looking forward to a full academic week.  The girls are off from school, so I don't have too much running around.  W has Wayfinders and a science class scheduled, K will be working, and J has some dance stuff going on.  I can't believe summer's only 2 months away.  This school year went extremely fast.

4/2 to 4/8

We spent last weekend at my moms's in Long Island.  My hours at work changed so I actually have the weekends off now.

Monday we spent time on some academics - a few readings, narrations,and some math.  He's doing great and seems to be right on track (and above) for just about everything.  We're getting the academics done, but we're spending more time outdoors since the weather has been nicer. 

Tuesday was W's last film class on the Lower East Side.  He had fun with it and learned a lot.  The finished product was cool - a short film with cool effects, lots of explosions, and cute acting.  We start something new on Tuesdays next week - Wayfinders!

Wednesday W started a new series of science classes here in Queens.  It's one-and-a-half hours of classroom time and trail walking each week.  He loves this place and lots of his friends are there, too. 

Thursday we relaxed at  home.  W spent the day modding a few of his Nerf guns, organizing Pokemon cards, and playing his new DS games he got from Grandma on the weekend.

Friday was music class.  This week was voice.  I love when my kids sing and I was right outside the door listening.  I stayed out of sight, lol.  I gotta give a hand to the awesome teacher they had - teaching 3 10-year-old boys to sing can't be easy.  So far they have done violin, piano, guitar, drums, and voice.  I think the idea of getting an introduction to each instrument is so wonderful.  W would never have gotten this anywhere else.  I'm hoping he likes at least one enough to continue.  He's leaning toward bass guitar, but we'll see.

K and J are both doing incredibly well in school.  They both stepped it up a higher notch this spring.  K is so excited to start college in about 4 months.  She took a math placement exam, chose a foreign language, and went to find the dean of the business department to discuss her major and her classes.  In the meantime, she looking forward to prom, graduation, and summer.  J's grades have been in the 90s and 100s and I couldn't be more proud.  She's adjusted to high school beautifully and (knock on wood) there have been absolutely no issues whatsoever.  She has made tons of friends and has been keeping busy.  In addition to the 15 hours a week of ballet & modern at school, she is at her studio taking tap, hip-hop, contemporary, and pointe.  She still teaches her new ballerina babies on Saturday mornings.  There are 3 more regional dance competitions coming up, then the big dance recital, and then Nationals.  I'm really looking forward to a fabulous spring and summer.

Sorry for the lack of pictures lately.  I keep forgetting to bring my camera out with me.

Academics This Week

W took a TT5 math quiz.  It had a little of everything - addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, word problems, inequalities, decimals, and fractions. He knows how to do all those types of problems, but will make the avoidable mistakes like adding wrong or mistaking his messy 0 for a 6.  I gotta start reminding him to take his time and stop getting distracted.  We're starting to really get into division now.  The few lessons he's had so far have pretty much sunk in.  He still enjoys Teaching Textbooks.  I was thinking about trying another spiral program, like Saxon or maybe even a mastery program like MUS, but he seems content to stick with TT for now.

This weeks readalouds were:  Joan of Arc (Stanley) , Macbeth (Lamb), and Robin Hood (Pyle).  The latter two have very difficult language, but I can see that he's finally starting to see past it.  Until recently, W would usually focus on the fact that he didn't  understand certain words and meanings - and that frustration prevented him from even trying to understand the stories.  Now he realizes that these words and phrasings aren't going away and that he has to push through and get underneath them in a sense.  This weeks narrations showed me he is doing just that.  I love seeing things click for him.  With Joan of Arc we used maps to point out England, France, towns, and rivers. Learning geography through the context of our readings is effective and well-retained.  It doesn't even feel like a lesson.

He's also doing great with that Word Study and Phonics workbook.  One page this week was all about words ending in "ind" and "old".  Another was putting the correct word into the sentence from a choice of 3 similar-looking words.  And another one was putting the correct long vowels into certain words in a paragraph.  It is truly unbelievable how this book is hitting on every area W has been struggling with.  Out of everything we've used so far, this workbook is W's favorite thing to do.  I already see so much improvement in his reading ability.  With 'A Cricket in Times Square' he reads silently, but has gotten faster.  I hear him read his math word problems out loud and you'd never know he has an issue with reading.  I'm so proud of how far he's come.

We're reading poetry every day and W still does his copywork from that.  Two lines.  I've notice his  handwriting is getting sloppier as the months go by.  I think it's time to get more focused on that.  He can write neatly if he wants to.  But then again, I'm the same way, lol.

First Dance Competition!

We all spent the weekend out in Jersey for J's first dance competition!  As usual, the first is always my favorite, as we get to see all the number on stage with full costume.  J was in 8 numbers and received all Gold and Ultimate Gold awards, which are the two highest given.  J was thrilled when Diane Gudat (a prominent figure in the competitive dance world and who writes books and articles on dance) called her up for a special award for her solo.  She praised J's intensity and she went on for a good minute about it.  I was so proud.

The hotel was lousy, the days were long, and I left there feeling like I'd run a marathon.  But I wouldn't trade it for the world.  My daughter shines on stage.  Her studio owner pointed out how beautiful her lines have become, how much she has grown as a dancer, and that she was definitely meant to do this. 

K spent the 2 mornings doing everyone's hair.  She definitely has a knack for getting it just right.  Moms were even slipping her money to ensure they were one of the first done the next morning, lol.  W enjoyed hanging out with the other boys his age there - one a performer, one a twin brother.  The grounds were nice and grassy, so the boys got to run around outside.  

Next one is in a few weeks!

Piano, Film, & Phonics

W's music class this past week was all about the piano.  The kids got a basic introduction to it.  They talked about different types of pianos.  They learned about chords and melody and Beethoven and Mozart.  W was lukewarm about the piano, just like he was about the violin.  I'm waiting to see what will capture his interest.  He's looking forward to the next class.  Not sure what instrument is next, but he's excited.

Today at film class, W learned more about editing.  The kids went to the playground across the street and filmed some more of their movie.

The updated version

I found a new workbook that I absolutely love.  It's called "Word Study & Phonics" by Spectrum.  I had it in my closet from when J was in 3rd grade. She didn't like it then because it was too plain looking and too easy for her - even though it is a 4th grade book.  But it's exactly what W prefers.  It's on his grade level and the fact that it's plain makes it all the better for him.  The exercises seem to exactly focus on what he struggles with regarding his dyslexia.  To him, the words "these" & "those" look the same, "for" is still "of", and "want", "went", and "what" are so confusing.  The workbook had him read a sentence like:  "We all (chase, chose) a topic for our report."  It makes him look inside the word and distinguish between vowels.  There are all different types of exercises where you have to stop and really think about and look at words.  This is already so helpful for him.   Oh and he enjoys it so much, he does 2-3 exercises in one sitting.

Charlotte Mason

Every now and then, I like to take a "refresher course" on the Charlotte Mason method.  We have always incorporated some CM into our homeschooling ever since 2005.  I feel like I know all there is to know about it, but when we fall into a regular routine, sometimes key things get neglected.  My favorite place to start is right on the Ambleside Online website.  I just pull up the page for beginners and read everything in order, clicking on all the links and reading those pages through as well.  Doing this reminds me why I love Charlotte Mason.  It also gives me new ideas for when we hit different stages of learning.  We do things differently with W now than we did 2 years ago. 

I have been neglecting things like artist study, composer study, nature study, Spanish, timelines, - even copywork sometimes.  The funny thing is that we love those activities, but pushed them to the side, being in such a hurry to get through AO Year 2.  The problem with trying to rush through this curriculum, is that it defeats the purpose of the whole CM method.  I'm promising to now make time for these no matter what. 


Reading Charlotte Mason's Original Home Schooling Series lays out her whole philosophy.  It's a great idea to read this to understand the hows and whys of the method and how she implemented it in her own schoolroom.  She believed that children were so capable.  She believed learning should be very child-led, but also parent-guided.  "Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life" is one of her mottos. This means that,  1.  A child absorbs a lot from his home environment,  2.  It's important for your child to cultivate good habits,  and 3. We should give children living thoughts and ideas, not just dry facts.  The other quote always associated with Charlotte Mason is "I am, I can, I ought, I will".  It seems so wonderfully unschooly to me and is what my kids always innately believed about themselves.  I like this explanation from the Simply Charlotte Mason site:  ["I am" means that we can know ourselves and understand what we're really like. "I ought" means that we have a moral judge inside us. We feel like we're subject to it. It lets us know what our duty is and compels us to do it. "I can" means that we know we have the ability to do what we know we're supposed to. "I will" means that we resolve to use the ability we know we have to do what our inner moral judge has urged us to do.]  

I also love to google "Charlotte Mason" and read various websites and blogs and discussion boards for any new ideas or suggestions.  But mainly I like to be reminded of how much we love homeschooling and living this way.

Some of the other things I'm reminded of are that: 

• Reading through books slowly over a few months makes them so much more enjoyable.  
• Good literature and an incredibly gentle entrance into writing and composition are things that W responds so well to. 
• W went from a first-grade reading level (and having 25 out of 26 symptoms of dyslexia) when he was 8 to now being able to read a book with  "RL 6.2" on the back, silently and quickly with full comprehension (and enjoyment).
• W doesn't want to part with most of the books we finish
• There are so many ways to correspond an art project with any reading
• Having short lessons and afternoons free allows us to do so many classes & field trips and for W to pursue his interests.  And he has lots of interests, lol.
• Living books are so much cooler than textbooks
• Narrating after reading shows so much more of what they got from the story than any test could show  - plus it seems to create fuller and lengthier retention of info.
• Getting outside every day is really needed, no matter the weather
• I love the word "handicrafts".  :)

Violin, Friends, & Fun

W started a 7 week series of music classes yesterday in Brooklyn.  Every week he and a few other kids get to try one new instrument for an hour.  The first instrument the kids got to try was the violin. The instructor gave them a brief overview on how to read notes, what strings are what notes, how to hold the bow, how to position the violin under the chin, and how to play a few notes in sequence.  I watched a little bit of it at the end and was proud of how W gave it his all.  He looked adorable with the violin.  Then the moms got to try it!  W said the violin was ok, but he wouldn't want to continue with it.  So onto a different instrument next week!

No one in my family plays an instrument.  K did some violin and clarinet in middle school and she has a guitar that she tinkers on.  Piano keyboard was a regular class in J's gifted school (2nd & 3rd grades).  I can play a few things on the piano by ear and all of us sing.  Nothing really substantial, though.   I'm excited for these classes because W may find something he'll want to stick with.  He's looking forward to trying out more instruments.

After the music class, we enjoyed a fun few hours at a nearby Chuck E Cheese. We haven't been to one of those in years and W had a great time.  He and a friend payed tons of games, ate pizza, and sat together sharing Pokemon cards and playing Pokemon on the DS.   When we got home (remind me not to drive to Brooklyn anymore.  The train would have been much easier, lol) I picked up the rest of the family and W's friend Matt, who lives next door, to go bowling!  We did a "Family Bowl" which is $78 for 6 people, shoe rental, pizza, pitcher of soda, and 2 games of bowling.  Great price.

Today, K is working, J has dance, then both girls are hanging out with friends into the nighttime.  B & W are going upstate for a birthday party and I'm working at 5:30pm.  My work schedule is changing next week and I'll have both weekend days off!  I can't wait.

Film Class, Birthday, Reading

W went to his film class yesterday in the Lower East Side.  This time they learned all about editing.  The kids (6 boys, ages 10-12) broke up into 2 groups and filmed some scenes a few weeks ago based on their own ideas for a story.  They took that footage and learned how to add music, fade in and out, add lighting effects, cut pieces out, and more.  We moms came back just in time to see the 2 films.  I was impressed with their acting!  I also loved how the instructors asked the kids questions on their feelings about the movies, what they liked, and what they didn't like.  It was fun hearing them be film critics. 

After the class a bunch of us went to the playground for a while.  We got home around 6pm and ordered Japanese food in honor of W's 10th birthday.  It's his favorite.  Everyone was home around 9pm and we did cake and presents.  Due to all our busy schedules, we decided to do our usual birthday outing on Friday evening.  W decided he really wants to go bowling with all 5 of us.  I can't believe my youngest baby has hit the double-digits. 

Today we hit the books again.  Like I said before, I'm no longer in a rush to finish AO Yr2.  It's a lot more comfortable taking our time with it and allowing for all the time we need for field trips, classes and other outings.  We have about 9 weeks left in the schedule.  We're up to Lesson 63 in TT5 - starting division.  I know most math programs start with basic division, but I know W.  He is more of a "big picture first" kind of kid.  So, I gave him a brief overview of what basic division is (recapping from our Times Tales days a couple of years ago) and how to do fact families.  Then we did some with the division box and some with fractions.  After that, I went right into long division.  To me, it's easier to bring that in early, show him how it's done, let him do a few problems (with and without remainders), and then go back to basic division, working our way quickly back up to long division.  It worked.  He understands it and actually thinks it's fun (for now, lol).

We also read some of Joan of Arc & Seabird (with oral narrations), learned about subject and predicate in Spelling Skills, he wrote out a few lines from a Christina Rossetti poem for copywork, and he read 2 pages from A Cricket in Times Square.  He's doing well with that book so far.  I purposely made "Read to Me" part of our homeschool schedule since W does have mild dyslexia and I'd like to keep tabs on his progress.  His reading aloud is ok, not great, but he gets through it.  He's been asking to just read the 2 pages to himself instead, but I was reluctant since his "Read to Me" is full of skipped words, backtracking, and confused looks.  But I figured we could give it a shot.  He read silently on Monday and today.  Both times I would then read those pages myself and ask him to tell me back what he just read.  Would you believe that not only did he have full comprehension, but he was narrating back almost verbatim?  It blew my mind.  He even stopped to ask me what "scornfully" meant (he knew that word??).  I guess I should listen to him more often, huh? 

Stonewall & Streams

 

  On Tuesday we went to our usual homeschool get-together at the pool hall in the West Village.  There's so many kids there his age and there's so many things to play.  Afterwards we went across the street to a small "park" where all the kids played tag, Nerf war, cops & robbers, and relay racing.  It was a gorgeous day out.  Right next to us was the infamous Stonewall Inn and in the park were life-sized statues of gay couples.  It seems to be a big tourist attraction.  The kids were climbing all over them while people were trying to take pictures, lol. 

Yesterday W and I went out to the Garvies Point Museum for a really nice class on stream erosion.  It was basically all about how streams are formed, why they curve, how they shape the land and move the sediment, deltas, alluvial fans, etc.  The instructor had this large sandbox which illustrated the movement and effects of both young and mature streams.  W enjoyed it.  Then we walked around the museum a bit.  It's major focus is on American Indian artifacts and ways of life.  It's right near the water and the woods, too, so you really feel like you're a part of it.

Oh, and three LaGuardia High School alumni (alumnae?) are in the top 24 of American Idol!!  Go Pia, Karen, & Rachel! 

FOOTBALL!

So, W went back to football practice this week and decided he wants to join the team again.  It was a good few hours and W felt he did really well.  They're practicing in a school gym for a few weeks and then they'll move out to the park.  I'll admit, the drills are tough.  But W is tough, too.  I told him that in order to be really good at anything, you need to work hard at it.  It might not be fun all the time, but it will be worth it in the end.  He thought about that and agreed.  He may eventually hate football, but at least for now, he's giving it a chance and putting his all into it.  Back in the summer of 2008, W played defense. I kinda think he'll be doing that again this time.  :)

Football, Scouts & Dance

It's been a nice week off so far.  The girls are enjoying the break from school, and W gets an almost-free week as well.  Last Saturday, W wanted to give football another try.  He loved it a few years ago.  It's really rough and tumble, with full-on tackling and brutal practices.  For not being there a while, he got through the whole 2.5 hours of off-season practice.  He was hurting for a few days afterward, though, and isn't sure he wants to get back into it.  We'll see.  His Boy Scout Blue & Gold Ceremony was on Friday and W is now officially a Webelo.  At next year's Blue & Gold, he will be a full Boy Scout.

J has been so busy with dance.  The weekends are filled with pointe class, teaching new babies, and 3-4 hours of perfecting the new choreography for the upcoming competitions.  On Monday and Tuesday this week, She was one of six kids from her studio to get to go to the High School Dance Festival at Hofstra University.  Both days went from 10am-5pm with classes in Modern, Ballet, Jazz, & Hip Hop.  On Tuesday they got a nice dinner at 5:30pm, then were part of a performance from 6:30-7:30pm.  B, W, & I went out to see it.  They performed a routine from each of the classes they took.  It was impressive.