WR24 - Spring is finally here

Today is the vernal equinox! Everyone go celebrate spring.
Our project for spring is planting an apple tree, and learning a little about the value of things while we are at it. The local orchard charges $90 per hole to dig a hole for a tree. We have nice hard clay. We are learning the value of $90. Later, we hope to enjoy the fruits of our own trees and our labor.

For school this week, we only really skipped school one day because of the nice weather, really. We worked through plenty of pages of math word problem happily multiplying and dividing until Wednesday when CC couldn't do math anymore. She could not see anyway that 72 could be divided by 3. I tried explaining it on paper, then I pulled out the little wooden math blocks. We ended up dividing 72 by everything that it could be divided by. We spent an hour dividing 72. I was really tired of 72 by the end, but I refused to be defeated by such a simple number. A child that can divide 219 by 3 can surely see that 72 can be divided by 3. Of course, I see difference between the two and know that 219 is easier to divide, but still. Today, we did some addition and subtraction puzzle type problems and some multiplication problems and ended with a division problem. Next week we will spend the whole week working on the multiplication facts.

What else - I am questioning my Language Arts approach again. This week, I almost bought a new LA program three times - and each was different. We are really doing mostly copywork. She's in second grade, and I think that is plenty. We memorize poetry. She reads tons of books on a variety of levels, and we discuss them. She loves to retell stories and is great it. She knows the basic parts of speech and what is required to make a complete sentence. I think we are fine, but since I think writing is so important, I am always afraid that we are missing something.

We read about the crusades this week in history, and I read a wonderful version of El Cid. It was a perfect read aloud version and went well with our history this week. It was in the Golden Hoard by Geraldine McCaughrean. I had reserved it from the library weeks ago and it finally came in, just in time. It is full of beautifully told stories from all over the world - just the kind of thing we love.

We also went to the zoo this week and got to see the vultures eat. It was really fun. We learned quite a bit about them too - did you know that they can eat meat with anthrax or something equally bad in it and be just fine? They are an important part of a healthy ecosystem.

Reading, copywork, math, history, literature, science, art, poetry, repeat. Another week complete. 120 days done so far.