Term #2 - completed!

Today marked the end of our second term of school - Week #24, Day 120. We could take a break until the New Year, but we won't. It would not be good for any of us - we need the structure our school days provide. But we are going to switch our focus from History to Science. We tend to neglect science, relegating it to the time left over from our other academic priorities - namely, Latin, History, Math, and Language Arts. For the next few weeks, those expensive science kits will finally get some use.



The oldest twin took her second test in Rod & Staff 7 Mathematics. She had only two minor errors, and scored 96%. I am very proud of her, and will use this as proof that I should just continue through the text, allowing her to work at her own pace. She is doing so well -scored a perfect 100% on her English test, and completed all her readings for the week. She also completed her Presidential Lapbook through Roosevelt (as scheduled), and is doing Latin independently.



The younger twin loves reading, and hates writing - anything. He does, however, love to draw. Draw Squad has been a big hit, here. We started the year with Drawing with Children, and, while the children learned a great deal, I found it to be limited. Draw Squad has encouraged the kids to use their imaginations. I find them using the book in their free time, and they really come up with some amazing creations. The younger twin, in particular, loves to draw cartoonish characters and scenes, so this has really been appealing to him. I have tried to capitalize on his desire to draw in his other subjects. We narrate and illustrate our history and science studies almost every day. I currently have him reading Pagoo, by Holling C. Holling. He is drawing the hermit crab during each phase of its life, as well as the tide pool, and the other creatures that share its habitat. In math, he is doing very well with Saxon 65. He struggles with the lack of a workbook. I have switched him from a plain sheet of notebook paper to the grids of graph paper, and I hope this will make him a bit neater. Time will tell - he just needs to mature a bit.



My Little Bear is almost finished with Explode the Code 3, Copybook 3 by Memoria Press, Rod & Staff 1 Math, & Singapore 1B. I believe I will officially declare her a 2nd grader when we begin in January. She is very diligent - the designation will mean more to her than to me.