What we are using

04 March 2011

Week 23 - Weekly Report

The week in books:
Invent Your Own Computer Games with PythonMini Weapons of Mass Destruction, STOW3, Kingfisher History (red), HP (CC, the last one finally), Happily Ever After Stories, Romeo and Juliet, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Roxaboxen, Stories from India, Harold and the Purple Crayon, History: The Definitive Visual Guide, a Bob book a day (LB), Our Island Story, The Pokey Little Puppy, LoF Fractions, Rattletrap Car, Fairytale Favorites.





This week in pictures:
School - what more can I say?

ETC is still awesome

The zoo is more fun when we're the only ones there

Together is better


Math in my office



This week in words:

I had a lot of fun playing hangman with LB this week over breakfast.  We started with BB when he first learned to read and found that its a great way to pass time when you're waiting for something.  I've now been playing hangman with my own kids for more than 16 years.
 
BB is taking a trip this weekend with his school to Kanazawa

CC made a "Guess My Number" computer game this week and learned about random number generators and got more practice using functions. 

CC and I took a good, hard look at history (again).  She's dissatisfied with the Kingfisher history encyclopedia because it doesn't give enough detail for her.  The History Odyssey assignment this week was supposed to be to research and write about the idea of the divine right of kings.  She didn't find enough information to satisfy her own questions about it in Kingfisher.  After she did additional research, we had a great discussion of it including how it contrasts with the Mandate of Heaven and how it related  to  Agamemnon from the Iliad.  We decided to not do the history assignments from HO (glad I used the sample), but to go back to reading our other history encyclopedia, discussing as we go, and writing about a topic of choice from the assigned reading (2 pages, 3 times per week).  She elected to continue from her spot in the beginning of the history book.   I decided that she'll also finish reading STOW3 and Our Island Story.   We're going to finish a round of history this year.

I had a hard time focusing on work Tuesday because the sun was shining.  The kids did over an hour on fun math after they did their regular math (Rocket Math counts as practice, right?).  After math, reading, phonics, and other things we went for a long walk at lunch.   I think we'll all come down with spring fever early this year if this weather holds.

Extracurricular: The girls tried out a Judo class this week which they loved.   I think it will be a terrific addition to our week.   CC is  competing in her first fencing tournament this weekend.  Her pottery is great - she's a bit bigger and stronger than last session, and she can see her own improvement.  LB loves tap even though she complains every week before she gets to class that it's too hard.

I'm really satisfied with what we accomplished this week.  I skipped PR phonics this week in favor of ETC and Bob, but I want to get back to it next week.  We are comfortably doing all 3 of the 3R's plus LB is getting lots of stories and CC is being challenged by her history.  We're in a much better place academically than we were even a few weeks ago.  As they make these conceptual leaps in understanding, it is hard to get things back to being at the right level of challenge then get into a routine with the new material.

5 comments:

Gifts for Girls Academy said...

It looks like you had a great week! Your girls are adorable!

Audrey said...

Looks like a good week! =)

Mandy in TN said...

My little man is really enjoying Mini Weapons! We modified the tongue depressor catapult by using 10 craft sticks banded together. Instead of a bottle cap we used a paper egg carton. This can be glued with plain school glue instead of a glue gun. We then used it to launch marshmallows instead of erasers. It was so easy that he used this project as a how-to presentation with his CC class.

Thanks so much!

Anonymous said...

I especially love the ETC picture!

Ritsumei said...

This sounds like a fun week! The programing book sounds like fun; I may have to look for a copy. My boys are too little right now, but I enjoy programing myself, and might do a few things, plus I'm sure it'll be useful when the boys are older.

I love the way you do your pictures, with the polaroid look, and I may have to start doing something similar!