Weekly Report, August 8

Technically we're still in 2nd grade, just finishing up our studies and I don't know what number week we're on, we're just using August to finish. 3rd grade will start September 15th, preschool is being done informally right now and I plan to start Danny the same time as Camille.

Because of the way this year has gone, we're able to have a fairly light August and start our 3rd/PreK year a little heavier than what I would typically do.

Bible: We started the Keepers of the Faith character book- Willingness and it has made a change in Camille this week. Her chores are being done without reminding, she has a more pleasant attitude. I've really focused this week on teaching moments for both of the kids and I'm seeing the fruits, even in little ways from the time spent doing that.

Math: I am glad to say that we will finish Horizons 2 before our September start date! We completed lessons 134-139 this week and if we continue in this way, lesson 160 will be done on September 8th and I can give Camille some time off from math until the 15th when we will start Horizons 3! Whew. All I can say is...what a year.

Camille is doing multiplication fact copywork, we are reviewing our skip counting songs (I prefer Ron Brown's Intelli-Tunes Skip Counting cd), and we're reading a few math literature books. Right now we have The Best of Times - Math Strategies That Multiply by Greg Tang and Harry Briggs from the library. A friend says that Times Tales is working for her, I'm waiting to see how our daily practice and using what we have will work out for Camille.

French: I've been practicing with Écoutez, Parlez! myself this week and renewing my goal to make this an integral part of our lives. The only thing I worry about is Danny, I don't want the exposure to French to stifle his speaking progress. I've decided to make a conversational reminder on our bulletin board which is in plain sight. A French calendar will go up as well in our learning room so that Camille and I can practice telling each other what day it is. On the current conversation reminder is:

Bonjour, comment t'appelles-tu? (Hello, what is your name?)
Je m'appelle Camille. (My name is Camille.)

Il s'appelle Danny. (His name is Danny.)
Elle s'appelle Camille. (Her name is Camille.)
Elles s'appellent Camille et Jessica. (The girls names are Camille and Jessica.)

Comment ça va? (How are you?)
Ça va mal. (I am not well.)
Ça va bien. (I am well.)
Ça va comme ci comme ça. (I am okay. or I am so so.)

Then I have 3 two part conversations that have us ask how we are doing and responding, as well as asking about how other people are doing. We have covered this many times but since we've taken such a long break, we need to review.


Poetry: Camille reviewed the last few poems she was working on and we found that a few need work so she is currently working on Rain by Robert Louis Stevenson and Singing by Robert Louis Stevenson. I might have her skip Happy Thought by RLS and Purple Cow by Gellett Burgess and just move on to The Secret Song by Margaret Wise Brown. After typing that I think that IS what we'll do. After she masters Rain and Singing, we'll move onto The Secret Song and if she masters that before September 15th, then we'll do Happy Thought and Purple Cow. I feel the completion of The Secret Song is more valuable than the shorter poems because I chose that particular poem as a 'next stage' poem, a way to show Camille that I have faith in her to start memorizing longer poems.

Danny is working on nursery rhymes, whichever fits his fancy that day. :)

TOG/History: This week we have read The New Americans by Maestro and will finish Paddle-to-the-Sea by Holling C. Holling over the weekend. Camille colored a picture of Iroquois warriors.

Science: We had nature study this week and we're reading about invertebrates, for science literature we're reading Children of Summer by Margaret J. Anderson and enjoying it very much! I haven't had Camille do the worksheets that I intended but will remedy that this coming week.

Piano/Soccer:
We have a new piano teacher for the month of August, due to unforeseen circumstances we will have another new teacher in September. Either way, Camille is glad to be doing lessons again. We are going today to get a copy of Danny's birth certificate so that I can finish registering him in SOCCER. He will not be attending an outside preschool but will be running his heart out on a regular basis. Dh is enthused too and got Danny his own little soccer ball with goal cones to practice in the backyard.

The plan is to have Danny play soccer for a season and see how things go. I'm going to continue working with him at home (of course) on his academics and discipline issues. We are on the waiting list at a local Karate school and Danny may do that after the soccer season. I'm just praying that he will be able to play soccer, we're signing up at the end of the registration period and we've never done this before.

Extras:
We had tea this week with animal crackers while I read Children of Summer, it was supposed to be a fairy tale but the kids wanted me to start reading the book about insects instead. We have our needlepoint projects for first quarter, I will take pictures soon and I'm working on a plan of action for Drawing With Children.

Danny is working on tracing his Aa's and Bb's and completing his chores, as well as obeying the first time. :) Our mascot, Jack has seen the vet and is scheduled to be neutered (yay!). The visit to the vet's office was very trying with a puppy and little boy super excited at all the new canine friends to make. I was given the news that Jack will calm down more with age so I am resigned to wait both of them out, Danny and Jack. Danny was scared that Jack wouldn't come back home with us when Jack was taken into another room to get weighed. "Mom, Jack going with Magnum?" (Magnum was our previous dog that passed away last October.) "No Danny, they are just finding out how much Jack weighs and he'll be right back." Danny smiled, "Okay, we take Jack home!"