Week 18

We are officially on Christmas vacay!!  We will resume our studies on Monday, January 6, 2014!!  We have completed 86 days of school.  Almost half way done!   When we return, we will pick up where we left off in writing, grammar, math, and science.  In history, we will start The Story of the World: Volume 4, The Modern Age.  For computer, Justin will be learning how to make a Minecraft Mod.  (Don't ask me what it is...I have no idea, but he does!)  During our break, I will be working on lesson plans for the next six weeks.  I need to pick what books I want him to read this semester.  This is always such a hard process.  There are so many great books out there! 

Week 17

One more week done!!  Only one more week to complete until Christmas vacation.  Our days are shorter right now since we are concentrating on the basics.  If we are diligent, we can be finished by lunch.  Justin will finish Number the Stars this week. 

Week 15 & 16

We quickly completed our two days then we had three days off for Thanksgiving.  We enjoyed our time together with family and friends.  On Monday, it was back to reality.  Since Justin has completed some subjects for this semester, our days are shorter.  We only have two more weeks until Christmas vacation. 

Justin is reading Number the Stars.  On Monday, he will start 'chemistry' in science.  Pre-Algebra and his other subjects are moving along.  We are reading A Christmas Carol together.  =)

Week 14

It was nice having a few subjects off our plate last week.  This week will be really short.  Only two days until Thanksgiving vacation. 

Week 13

We enjoyed our week off.  We went shopping in Florence on Monday.  Tuesday and Wednesday we went to the farm and Thursday I had MOPs.  I also spent the week cleaning out my closet and under my bed. 

It was hard to get started back with school this past Monday.  The good news is that we will be off for a few days for Thanksgiving in one week and two days!!  This week we finished up the first history book and will be putting this subject away until the new year.  Also, Justin finished the Windows programming book and will start the gaming book in the new year.  Unfortunately, the computer program has made Justin sure he does NOT want to be a programmer.  LOL 

Week 11 & 12

It's hard to believe that we have completed 12 weeks of 7th grade, but it's true!!  Since we are following a 6 weeks on 1 week off schedule, next week is our week off!  Yay!!  We will be taking 3 days off at Thanksgiving and 2 weeks for Christmas/New Year. 

Everything is coming along.  I have been pleased with most of the curriculum choices this year and already have a few ideas for next year.  (It's never too early to plan.  LOL) 

Here is a picture of Justin with his science experiment this week.  Yes, I know he's not wearing a shirt.  I have decided it is his school uniform. 

Week 10

Another week done!  We have two more weeks until our next break. We don't really have anything exciting happening these next two weeks.  We also don't have any exciting plans for our week off.  I guess at some point I need to buy Justin some long pants and shirts, so maybe we'll go shopping one day.  Our lack of excitement is overwhelming!  Haha!

Week 9

The weather has been great the past few days which makes it hard to concentrate on school work.  Justin has been taking small breaks throughout the day to run outside and swing, ride his scooter, or shoot his BB gun. 

Nothing exciting to report his week.  We're just plugging along enjoying our "ordinary" days! 

Week 8

This week flew by!!  We have completed 39 days of school!  Below is an update of what Justin is doing.

Bible:  Still working on "Because You are Strong" Bible study.  He is about halfway through with this study.
Math:  He has completed 35 lessons of Pre-Algebra.  So far, so good!
History:  He is about halfway through The Story of the World: Volume 3.
Science:  Lesson 17 (Physics)
Reading:  About 2 more weeks left of the Redwall study. 
Writing:  Lesson 13, He is working on making a magazine.
Grammar:  I decided to go with "Easy Grammar Plus".  This curriculum always starts with prepositions.
Computer:  He is still working on "Windows Programming".
Vocabulary:  Wordly Wise 3000 book 7 Online: Lesson 4
Geography:  He is using the maps from The Story of the World.

Week 7

We enjoyed having the week off last week.  Our plans to go to Hilton Head had to be canceled, so we just stayed at home.  It was nice having the time off.

Last week was our 7th week of school.  On Monday, we had to go to Columbia for a doctor's appointment, so it was hard to get back on track. 

I am really proud of Justin and the progress he is making in math.  He has finally mastered adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions!!!  Now, he just needs to work on decimals and percents.  Math time is going much smoother this year. 

Justin entered his "duck" painting that he did last year into the Sumter County Fair Art Show.  He didn't win a ribbon this year, maybe next time.  Here are a few pictures I took at the fair. 

Week 6

We have survived our first six weeks of school!  Next week, we will take our first week off!!  The hard work has been worth it to have time off during the year. 

Today was our first "Skate Day" with our homeschool support group.  There were A LOT of kids and parents!  In two weeks, we will have our first "Bowling Day". 

Week 5

We completed week 5 today.  We only have one more week until we have our first week off.  =) We are going to spend a few days in Hilton Head with "Aunt Mary". 

Thursday was my first day working at MOPs.  Justin did a great job getting his work done.  The next time I have MOPs will be during our week off, so he won't have to worry about doing any school while I'm gone. 

We started writing this week.  We really like the curriculum.  Since this is a brand new curriculum, there are a few kinks to work out.  A few of the DVD discs are not working correctly, but I have been in contact with the company and they are working on the problem.  Justin does the bulk of the work on M-W.  He/we watch the video lesson, he completes the pages in the workbook, and then writes in the journal.  On Th and F, he only does the journal. 

Here Justin is working on his vocabulary assignment.  This year he is using the online version.  It is the same curriculum he has been using for years for vocabulary, but now they offer an online version.  It's so nice!  Now, I don't have to grade his work and he loves it because he doesn't have to write. 

Here Justin is writing in the journal that came with his writing curriculum.  He is to write in it five days a week.  So far, so good!!

Week 4

We have officially completed 19 days of school.  It is already going by so fast.  The writing curriculum finally arrived this week, so we'll begin that on Monday.  It's going to be a lot of work, but it looks like a great curriculum.  I gave up on the geography curriculum, so we are going back to what we did last year.  I also changed what we were doing for grammar and those books arrived today, so we can start that next week also. 

Justin is doing better with math.  Yay!!! 

Next week will be the first MOPs meeting, so Justin will be staying at home while I attend the meeting.  I am helping with childcare.  The meetings are twice a month at our church.  Justin will have his list of things to do while I'm gone.  IF he proves to me that he can't be trusted to stay at home and get something done, he will have to go with me.  He doesn't want to do that, so I'm hoping he can prove himself worthy of staying at home alone. 

I keep forgetting to take a few pictures during the day.  I'll try to do better next week. 

Week 3

Justin and I enjoyed our first "hooky" day this past Monday.  We went to Columbia to do a little shopping.  We've already made plans for our first week off.  We're going to Hilton Head Island for a few days with Aunt Mary.  A few of the perks of homeschooling!! 

Academics are moving along.  Justin has already completed 13 math lessons and read 8 chapters in his history book.  This week we added in grammar.  In the near future, we'll add writing and vocabulary.

For P.E., Justin is either walking on the treadmill, using the Wii Fit or using an exercise DVD.  On Friday, we tried the DVD.  We worked on our abs.  We are both sore today.  HaHa!  Guess it worked! 

Week 2

We have managed to complete 2 weeks of our first 6 weeks.  Only four more to go until we get a break!  Justin has been doing well.  We are finding some things are a little more challenging than we expected.  Take Bible for instance.  Have you actually seen a print copy of Nave's Topical Bible or Strong's Concordance?  They make the Bible look like a beginner's chapter book.  These books are HUGE!!!  Computer programming is another subject that is a little more than we expected.  The first lesson was a flop and I ended up having to contact customer support to figure out what went wrong.  This, of course, convinced Justin that he is not capable of doing this subject, which is not true!  It's a good lesson in patience for him.  He would do just fine if he would read the directions more carefully and not be so quick to "click" on things.  He has been doing well with math, so far.  Right now, he is mostly doing review, so that is helping to boost his confidence. 

Other than academics, we are also working on life skills. ( Mainly, housekeeping skills.)  Some of his duties include, making his bed, cleaning his room and the living room, putting his dishes in the dish washer, emptying trash cans and taking the trash to the street on Wednesday nights and cleaning his bathroom.  Some things we're working on: laundry, vacuuming, dusting, and simple cooking.   

Week 1 = DONE!

Wow, this week went by fast!  We managed to complete everything I had scheduled.  After trying the schedule for a week, I can see areas that need tweaking.  Rather than doing science M/W/F, with a lab on Friday, we'll try doing it M/T/W instead.  I think we will only do geography two days a week, T/Th.  I'm still not real thrilled with this program.  I'm going to give it another try and if I still don't like it; I'll go back to including geography with history.  When we start writing, I think we will try to do it on T/W/Th.  I would like to have a more heavy workload at the beginning of the week. 

Justin completed the first art lesson Friday.  He learned about lines this week.  He watched an instructor on a DVD and then completed the assignment.  He also completed his first science lab this week.  I think he's going to like this curriculum.  It is open and go.  Everything is provided.  The textbook and lab book are written to the student, so it requires minimal help from me.  Justin managed to walk 1 mile on the treadmill everyday.  Not too bad for a couch potato! 

First day of 7th grade...DONE!

Here is a picture of my 7th grader.

 

Justin woke up on his own this morning, which is great, except that it was 4:30am!!  Trust me, it was not from excitement.  By 8:00am, he had already completed his morning chores and had walked one mile on the treadmill.  Today, Justin completed assignments in Bible, math, history, science, reading, computer, geography, and p.e.  As the weeks go on, I will add in some more subjects.  He will not do all subjects everyday. 

Below is a brief list of what he will be doing this year:


Bible:  Because You are Strong (This is a Bible study for "young men" that is published by Doorposts.  It will take about half the year to complete.)
Math:  Teaching Textbooks Pre-Algebra ('nuf said)
History:  The Story of the World Vol. 3 & 4, Early Modern Times and The Modern Age (This is a continuation from last year.)
Science: The Rainbow  Year 1(This is a two year program.  This year will concentrate on physics and chemistry.)
Reading:  He is starting the year with a study guide for Redwall. 
Computer:  Windows programming. (This should take the first semester.  Game programming is for the second semester.)
Geography: Mapping the World by Heart (Hmmm...I'm not real sure about this program.  It's not real easy to follow.  We'll see how it goes.)
P.E.: Today he walked on the treadmill.  Activities will vary.
Grammar:  I have two programs on the shelf, but I haven't decided which one if any I'm going to use this year. 
Writing:  Cover Story (This is the only curriculum I don't have yet.  It has been pre-ordered, but it's not ready yet.  I don't expect it to be ready until September. )
Logic:  The Fallacy Detective and The Thinking Toolbox (He hasn't started these yet.)
Latin:  Latina Christiana I (I have this on the shelf, but haven't decided when or if I want to use it.)
Art: Atelier Art (He will do this on Fridays.)
Music: Piano Wizard
Spanish: Rosetta Stone (I've had this for years.  Still not sure I'm going to use it this year. Might wait for high school.)

                  Our favorite new school supply is a self-inking date stamp!!!  Good times!!!

 

It's almost THAT time again!

The plan is to start school Monday, August 5.  I would like to try a six weeks on one week off schedule this school year.  This would put our first week off September 16-20.  We would still take days off at Thanksgiving and Christmas and should still be finished by the end of May.  All of Justin's curriculum has arrived except for writing.  We will just have to start that curriculum late since it is not due to come in until the end of August.  I have been busy organizing the school room and all of our books.  I have been cataloging our books on www.librarything.com and have cataloged over 500 books.  I will probably hit 600 before I am finished.  =)  I still need to write out lesson plans for, at least, the first week of school.  Only 2 more weeks of freedom!!!

Looking forward...

Well, the 2012-2013 school year is over.  It's hard to believe Justin will be a 7th grader next year.  High school will be here before you know it!  Much to Justin's dismay, he is continuing with his math studies during the summer.  I have been researching and buying curriculum for next year.  I haven't decided when we will start yet, but it could be as soon as the end of July or the first of August.  I'm looking forward to having a more flexible schedule this school year. 

Friday, May 24. 2013

Today was a beautiful day!  We went to Swan Lake to experience the Iris Festival.  We went on a pontoon ride sponsored by the fire department and saw the traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall.  WOW  is all I can say!

Week 36,37,38

We are really winding down now.  Only about 7 more days.  We finished our little unit study of Greek and Roman myths.  Megan will finish her reading book this week.  Both kids have finished their math book and are now doing review until the end of the year.  We are enjoying our read aloud The Shakespeare Stealer.  Looking forward to May 31!!

Week 33,34, & 35

We finished Stanford testing a few weeks ago.  Glad that is out of the way until next year.  We finished The Story of the World Volume 2 and have been working on a unit study about the Greek and Roman Myths.  Justin finished his math book and Megan will finish this week.  It's on to Pre-Algebra for next year.  Yikes!!! We only have about 20 more days until we finish our required 180 days for the year.  Our days are getting shorter as we finish some of our subjects.  The end is in sight!!!

Week 32

It wasn't too hard to get back into the swing of things this week.  We picked up where we left off before Spring Break.  On Thursday, we took a tour of Swan Lake with the homeschool group.  Mr. Sammy Way, a local historian, directed the tour.  He told us about the history of Swan Lake and helped us to identify the different swans. 

Week 29, 30 & 31

We finished our Bible curriculum last week and used the time this week to read from the Bible telling us why we celebrate Easter.  We only have 7 more history lessons and we're near the end in the math book also.  The rest of the year we will review and maybe get to do some hands on projects that we haven't had time to do earlier in the year.  The kids will take the Stanford test in a few weeks, but they don't know it yet.  =)  We are on Spring Break this week.  Yay!  It's a much needed break for all of us.  I plan to spend some time mapping out the remaining weeks of school.  It's hard to believe this year is almost over. 

Week 27 & 28

We only have about 47 more days to complete our 180 days required for the year.  It's this time of the year that I start to plan for next year.  I'm looking forward to the homeschool convention in May to help finalize my decisions.  With Justin being in 6th grade this year, I am feeling pressure to plan out his high school career.  I have two years to whip him into shape so to speak.  =)  Until then, we'll continue on our path.  We are coming close to the end of many of our books.  It's a great sense of accomplishment to reach that last lesson! 

Week 26

This week went by rather quickly.  The kids have started with some geometry in math.  I think they enjoy the break from decimals and percents.  On Friday, we did a little experiment with eggs, vinegar, and toothpaste.  We were trying to demonstrate how toothpaste protects your teeth from the acids in food. 

One egg was covered in toothpaste the night before and allowed to dry.  The next day, we wash off the toothpaste and put both eggs in vinegar.  We observed the eggs throughout the day.  The one with the "x" had no toothpaste and the shell deteriorated quickly.

Week 25

We ended this week by spending Friday at the farm.  It's hard to believe that just yesterday it was sunny and warm and today we had snow flurries!  We had a blast at the farm.  Dad borrowed a metal detector and we gave that a try.  We didn't find anything exciting.  Next, dad and the kids went for a little hike and I drove the car and our picnic lunch to the pond.  After lunch, we shot the bow, the BB gun, the sling shot, and I got to practice with my gun also.  I packed up all the stuff and drove the car back to the shed while Dad and the kids went on another hike.  Megan and I had fun on the 4 wheeler.  Finally, we helped Dad plant some trees and then we headed home. 

Week 24

Megan celebrated her 12th birthday this week.  Actually, her birthday was Saturday, but we celebrated on Friday.  She received a few goodies from us and lunch from McDonald's.  Nothing really exciting to report this week.  It's time to start thinking about testing.  I'm sure I'll be putting in my order in the next week or so.  I know the kids wish I would forget about it, but I think it's good practice. 

Week 22 & 23

Well, I am so glad that the picture function seems to be working again.  Not sure how I got behind, but not much to write about anyway.  We're about halfway through and plugging along.  We have been through fractions, decimals and have started percents in math.  In history, we're still in the middle ages.  For science, we are bogged down with chemistry.  Not exactly our favorite, but we're getting it done.  No more breaks scheduled until Spring Break.  =( 

Week 21

Well... remember last week when I said our new schedule was working well. I guess I spoke too soon. We are back to our old schedule now. It's hard to believe that the school year is half way done. On Friday, we tried a science experiment to make ice cream in ziploc bags with ice and salt. It did work, but we had a bag malfunction. Ice and salt went flying all over my kitchen. I have scrubbed and scrubbed, but I can still feel the salt on the floor! LOL Yeah!!! The picture thing is working again!

Week 20

Our new schedule is working well.  Megan and Justin are learning that if they get their work done first, they will get free time.  We are working our way through The Story of the World Volume 2:  Middles Ages.   In science, we are reading Fizz, Bubble, Flash!.  Both kids are working on decimals in math.  On Friday, we took a little break and headed to Swan Lake after lunch.  Yeah!  Picture thing is working now!



Week 19

Wow!  I think this was the longest, short week EVER!  It was really hard to get back into the swing of things.  Since it's a new year, I decided to make a few changes to our day.  After our Bible time, the kids have a list of things that need to be done before lunch.  If they finish in a timely manner, they end up with free time.  I want them to learn to manage their own time rather than me telling them when it's time to do something.  We'll see how it goes.