Our Homeschool : 1st Grade : 2012/2013

Oops! I never posted what Peter has been busy doing around here. Here it is.

This is my third time teaching first grade. So at the beginning of the year, I sat down do get started with Peter on what first grade looks like around here. After a few weeks, I decided to make some changes. Each change proved to be a perfect fit for Peter. Just one of the million things I love about homeschooling: a custom-fit education.

Peter : 1st Grade

Math

• Math-U-See, Alpha. We started the year using Saxon 2, but switched to Math-U-See and the change has been a perfect fit. He loves it!
• I still do a Saxon-like "Math Meeting" with him everyday - working with weather graphs, the calendar, skip counting, money, telling time, math facts, patterns, etc.

Phonics/Grammar/Writing

• All About Reading, Levels 1 and 2. This program is brilliant and so easy to use. We have both enjoyed the readers more than any others I have found - beautifully illustrated, sweet stories.
• Expode the Code workbooks. This is one thing that all my kids have enjoyed. Solid phonics reinforcement. I just subscribed to Explode the Code Online for some extra "fun" practice. Peter is loving his new computer time. 
• First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind: Level 1. I have used this for all 3 - love it. 
• A Reason for Handwriting: Level A
• Poetry Memorization
• Lots of reading aloud to me (or Hannah or Will). 

And we all do Bible, Memory Work, History, Geography, Science, Art, Music, and PE together. Those subjects can be found here: Our Homeschool : 5th Grade : 2012/2013

Edible Egg Tempera Art

The Story of the World Activity Book had a great idea to teach about Byzantine art and egg tempera by  making Byzantine cross cookies painted with an egg tempera of sorts (egg yolk & food coloring paste). We took it further and painted some Easter eggs, too.

And then I forgot to set the timer and burned most of their masterpieces. 

It's the process, not the product... right?

 

Turkey Art

First, I printed the simple turkey line drawing and the kids outlined it with a Sharpie. 

Then they colored them beautifully with oil pastels. Don't forget the horizon line.

 

Fully colored. Lovely.

Now take a black oil pastel and cover the whole thing with black. 

Really, Mom, are you sure? Yep.

Now you can scratch away using a toothpick, skewer, or popsicle stick. 

Try to follow the direction of the grass and the sky/wind and the feathers.

They loved the final product.

I did not love the little balls of black oil pastel all over the wood floors. 

My advice: take it outside to brush off all the scraped bits of black.

 

Peter wanted to do something a little different. I love this project. There are step-by-step instructions as to how to draw a turkey. 
I did it with Hannah and Will three years ago.

The Last Day

Moments after finishing their last math lesson today...

Oh yeah!

I'm so proud of them!

The Bard's Birthday

We are preparing to celebrate Shakespeare's birthday at the Folger Shakespeare Library later this month. If you are local, head over to Capitol Hill on Sunday, April 17 for an afternoon of good Elizabethan fun.

In preparation, a few books to enjoy...

I love Diane Stanley biographies! This is a beauty.


We are reading another Diane Stanley gem this week - Good Queen Bess.


I haven't read this personally, bu Hannah really enjoyed it...


And all of us love this fun series by Lois Burdett.

Bookshelf

A sampling of books we are currently enjoying...


Hannah has recently discovered Enid Blyton and devoured the first book off top of a pile given to us by a friend. I had never heard of her, but from what I have learned she is a sort of English Beverly Cleary.

Hannah just finished Anne of Green Gables and has declared it in her top five. Caddie Woodlawn has been on the top of that list for the past year. Now she is on to Five Children and It.


Will is growing in fluency and beginning to become a more independent reader. The Magic Tree House series books are his books of choice these days. I have recently enjoyed having him read the Billy and Blaze series aloud to me (and Peter).

Hannah, Will and I have been beginning our homeschool mornings in the Proverbs accompanied with Wise Words: Family Stories That Bring the Proverbs to Life by Peter Leithart. Hannah and Will give it rave reviews! Here is the publisher's description:

Following the tradition of Grimm’s fairy tales, these bedtime stories wander down stardusted paths, gallop to mountaintop castles, and tread through dragons’ lairs. At the same time, these eighteen adventures echo and illustrate the lessons of Proverbs in a manner sure to delight readers of all ages, especially those in their jammies.

I am almost finished with Ann's book One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are. Doesn't it seem most everyone is currently reading Ann's book? Also, I am enjoying Debra Bell's Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling. After hearing Debra Bell speak a few Saturdays ago (she was fantastic!), I decided to read her book which has been highly recommended to me by many. There was just always something about the title "Ultimate Guide" that turned me off... anyway, it is a pleasurable and inspiring read with chapters of practical advice. Now I highly recommend it!


Next on my list...


The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity
This has been on my list for a long time, I finally bought a copy. Even the cover blesses me.

and then...
Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other
This Wall Street Journal book review pricked my interest.

Then I should make some time for a little Spring Break fiction. My Hannah pointed out to me recently that it's been awhile since I have read fiction. I'm afraid she's right.

Complementary Hearts

For a valentine-themed art lesson on complementary colors, we picked up some 11"x 14" canvases (on sale at Michael's) and used inexpensive, acrylic paints in the six colors of the color wheel.

Art Projects for Kids has a free color wheel download HERE.


I drew the grid (extending the lines over the edges) and the hearts lightly with pencil. Then I asked them to paint the background colors first - 2 squares for each color, careful to make sure that colors are evenly distributed over the canvas. They finished with the hearts in the complementary color.


Hannah and Will are so happy with these bright and beautiful paintings...
now to find a place to hang them.



Peter did his own thing - which turned out very well. So cute.

Kandinsky's Circles

January needed a little color.

Our inspiration: Wassily Kandinsky's color study, Squares with Concentric Circles.

The idea for oil pastel circles and watercolor squares is from Usborne's Art Treasury. This was a easy and fun project for a snowy January afternoon. Art Projects for Kids has another take on it (that I love) using only oil pastels... maybe next time.

11 : 25 {seven}

Happy Birthday to my ever-joyful, easygoing, sport-loving,
always-encouraging, SEVEN year-old boy!


Football at the park with friends,...


then home for pizza and cake.

9 : 25 {adorable}

Will spent yesterday's art afternoon working on this cuteness.
This morning, he decided to add some snow falling.


How happy this little snowman is in my kitchen.


inspiration from Deep Space Sparkle (a new art find for me... LOVE it!)

Cityscapes

For an artful afternoon this week, Hannah and Will both really enjoyed this art project (Art Projects for Kids). Painting the rectangles first and then adding the details lent to a less exact/more free result.

Poetry

Just this morning as Hannah and I worked on her daily language lesson, she asked, "We will begin to memorize a new poem soon, right? You didn't forget about memorization?"

I hadn't forgotten, but we are still easing into our school routines. I mean it is only Day 6. But my young word-lover won't have this waiting. She loves to memorize scripture, poetry, quotes, lists of presidents, historical documents... it boggles my mind how easily it comes to her. I am quite jealous.

Then today, I see Simple Home School's most recent post: The Case for Memorization. Stefani said it all so well. Love it. A must read!

I was sure to grab The Harp and Laurel Wreath and my old copy of A Child's Garden of Verses before we headed out to Will's soccer practice late this afternoon. It's decided that tomorrow we will start memorizing My Shadow.

And as a strong and steady wind blew across the soccer field, words tucked away come back ...

And all around I heard you pass,
Like ladies' skirts across the grass -
O wind, a-blowing all day long,
O wind, that sings so loud a song!

A New Year

This week has been all about new books, new schedules, and getting back in the groove of school. Hannah and Will have been waking up early and diving in to their lessons before I am even back from my morning run. I know this won't last, but for now it sure is nice. I wish I could bottle up that energy and bring it out in February.

my first grader

and my third grader

Getting Peter to and from preschool has added an interesting twist to our days, but with a great carpool starting up next week, I will thankfully only be driving a few times each week. Peter is out the door by 8:00 everyday and that is our hopeful start time at home. It's quiet not having him around, but good. He is loving all the time he gets to play with little friends at school. And I love that he is creating and playing and having books read to him... something I was finding less and less time for here.

Hannah and Will's school days are very morning heavy, which gives us more time for afternoon activities with Peter. In attempt to have a regular rhythm to our weeks and to guard time for the things we love to do, I have created sort of themes for our free afternoons.

Tuesday afternoons are outdoor afternoons - a day where we can leave our city-crammed neighborhood and explore, hike, visit a farm, sketch in our nature journals, enjoy creation and some big open space. The kids were thrilled to hear about this plan, and now have a big incentive to be extra diligent on Tuesday mornings.

This past Tuesday afternoon was super hot and there was a "Code Red Air Quality Alert," so we stayed close to home and only spent about and hour hiking. We all gathered around an marveled at a huge patch of Jewelweed... so very appropriately named.

(I'm loving this new site I just discovered...
The Natural Capital: Getting outside, inside the beltway.)

Wednesday afternoons are art afternoons. When we close our books for the day, we will pull out paper, paints, and pencils. I hope Hannah and I can spend some of those afternoons working on our scrapbooks (you know, the ones I was going to get so caught up on this summer). On those days I pray will be ok with the mess, ok with unfolded laundry, and sit down to create alongside them. I so miss having the time to do that.


Monday, Thursday, and Friday afternoons will be full of Latin classes, soccer practices, piano lessons, and year-round swimming.

So, off we go into another year of school...
clinging to God every. single. day.