This week has been pretty relaxed as far as school goes. We have certainly earned a break from formal studies. The oldest twin did do some work related to the metric system, a concept that MUS did not touch upon. We did a few math worksheets, honing math addition facts for Little Bear and multiplication for the twins and the Bear. I print out a blank multiplication table and they fill it in, sometimes racing the clock, sometimes each other. If I do not give a time limit, the younger twin will, literally, take all day. He is so unmotivated, it is sad!
We did spend some time today reviewing the Famous Men of Greece we have studied thus far - listening to them on Librivox. As far as narrators go, "Ed" is sort of dull, "Leon" is too nasal, and "Norman", by far, is our favorite. He has a very nice voice, and does a good job of bringing some animation, some life, to the story. (I am grateful to all the volunteers who have made these recordings possible.)
Draw Squad continues to remain a favorite here. I am so impressed by the kids drawings. I am pleased by how independent this program is, its ease of use, and how the kids always take it to the next level - meaning they use what they learn and make it more elaborate, more in depth ... just more. Drawing with Children failed us when it came to the kids owning their art work - it required so much of me instructing them, and it never went beyond that. I did love what we learned, but I always wanted more from it.
The twins are finishing reading Abraham Lincoln's World. Even though we finished that time period many weeks ago, I was having them read this particular book very sloooooowly - one entry per day. It has solidified a great deal of what they touched upon in our more formal studies. I now see the benefit of the slow digesting of some reading materials. I was never taught to read like that - it was more a race to see how many books one could read in a certain period of time, never taking time to savor the subject matter, or visit with the characters, immerse oneself in the time period. What a shame that my childhood was not shared with the likes of Johnny Tremain, and that I never got to spend A Year Down Yonder with Mary Alice and her Grandma Dowdel.
Easing up on academics has allowed me more time to concentrate on healthy eating. I did a great deal of baking this week - brownies and homemade pizza were the biggest hits. Some weeks, good food takes a back-seat to good studying, basically due to time constraints. I believe I spent the entire day in or near the kitchen yesterday. But the kids pulled out a science kit and spend the time doing experiments on their own, right on the dining room table. Everyone won - they had fun, learned a bit, and had a good, healthy meal.
No comments:
Post a Comment