A Wild Day

We set out early this morning for the kids first Animal Academy class. They will be going once a month all year to learn about and work with animals of all kinds, pets, farm, wild, exotic, wild and crazy, just all sorts of animals. Today was a tour of the facility and a chance to meet many of the animals. The kids also learned some animal classification. Each month hereafter they will work with a specific animal group. Next month I think is snakes. This is an awesome class, the only catch is that it's 2 hours away!

Up early and on the road by 7:45. It was cold, 36 degrees, hence the jackets.




Tristan tries out Math Blaster for the DS, he said this is better than I thought it would be. Looks like he's thinking hard here!


When we arrived it was hard to know what to look at first and I know we didn't see all the animals. It was great fun!

after 2 plus hours o just plain FUN it was time to head home...and lunchtime too. Chip and dip in the backseat and goodies in the front to pass around. A car picnic.

The children can't wait until next month to go see all their new animal friends again. When asked favorites Hayley said pigs and tarantulas. Tristan liked the monkeys, sugar glider and lemur best, Colin chose the lizards and crocodiles!

Creativity is...

Today was creative too, so if my house is messy now you know why...all together: "Creativity is Messy"!
Hayley made hats and shirts for several of her and Tristan's Webkinz with her knifty knitter (that knifty knitter stuff gets lots of use good buy for anyone thinking of getting a set!).

We watched the first lesson in Thomas Kincade's Drawing basics. I didn't get pictures of every one's. Tristan's is the most dramatic though as he said I can't draw ANY thing. Before the video lesson. Well he learned that you can draw EVERY thing with just straight lines and curved lines.

First picture boat from lesson

Next picture the scene Tristan decided to do after the lesson using strategies he learned.

Not bad at all for someone who said they can't draw anything, I think this is quite something indeed and it will be going on the wall!

Don't Mind the Mess & a game of I-Spy

Don't mind the mess, one of my favorite sayings is "creativity is messy". Thus, so far this week we must be very creative! In our Spanish lessons we had crafts to make and in our science we made molecules with candy. The four kids each have some books of their own going too so the living room and beyond has been downright messy so far this week. All in good fun and learning though!

aren't we nice to share our science with the dogs.

I-Spy

Candies and toothpicks for science experimentation. A candy ethane molecule. Color wheels, paper and markers for Spanish. Workbooks for 3r's. Pencils that haven't gotten lost yet. Stuffed animals to help do the work. Shoebox "car" for stuffed animals. Math manipulatives in a green bowl. Trail mix in a green bowl. Hope nobody grabbed a snack from the wrong green bowl. File folders and pencil boxes. Teachers manuals to help me stay focused. Lastly a medicine cup because Colin has a cold.

We also watched a video about mass and matter, various kids did assorted computer or video lessons and we were all done by noontime both Monday and Tuesday. A good week so far.

a full week

Back to home education this week after a very nice summer indeed. We enjoyed the hot summer, well the second half was hot, first half was rain, an opportunity to take several day trips to zoo's beaches and historical places and just relaxing. It was time to get back to the books and computers and DVD's even video games . This week we started La Clase Divertida Spanish, Real Science 4 Kids Chemistry and Switched on Schoolhouse. All those were new to us. The Spanish was a hit, the science was mixed, the science experiment was just looking up ingredients on foods and products and then finding them on the periodic table. The Switched on Schoolhouse gave us computer troubles and impatience troubles. We also did some mapping and geography which gave us an opportunity to reminisce about trips taken this summer. Mapping was the summer part of our geography curriculum. Played a geography center game (Evan -Moor Geography centers 4th-6th), Started adding US States to a map. Some Nintendo ds games came in the mail My French Coach and Math Blaster, Not sure if the kids have tried them yet as they are mainly for car trips. Tristan got on the computer each day this week to use Explode the code online and Clicknread. Both of these are subscriptions which I find very helpful for kids learning to read and spell. Another new to us curriculum is A Reason for Handwriting. Just the right fit, short, simple to use, effective. I think this will be a good addition to our days or the younger three. Things we did not get started were Trevor's teaching company subjects. Still undecided is math, this is something Colin and Hayley (and maybe Tristan) were going to use Switched on Schoolhouse for. We had so many problems that the kids used leftover CLE books from last year on Thursday and Friday. I like the CLE but the kids sometimes think the lessons are long. I am thinking seriously of making a clean break and using all Math U See for the children's math and not switching any more. I need to simplify that subject and I have even had some levels given to me and some loaned. Things we planned but did not start this week are Latin, just didn't fit it in but ready to next week and Drawing Basics by Thomas Kincade, waiting on additional student books for that.

On the outside activities front. We started back to Park days with one homeschool group and met some new homeschoolers through a magic class sponsered by another homeschool group. Next week we head to Massachusetts for Animal Academy where the kids will learn how to care for, raise and rescue a variety of animals and then decide whether we can add another commitment, a homeschool 4H group starts up on Friday. The following week we start monthly mixed class days with a homeschool group. The classes my kids have chosen has changed and they wont have art now but will have Mad Science and a hands on wild animals and geography class.

In addition to all this we had all the usual animal care, the baby fish are doing well. We had drop in company and a little time in the pool, not much though, it's getting colder.

The week in pictures

Concentrating-Tristan's fine motor skills have improved greatly over the summer.

That littlest Pet Shop ad in there was given to me by Hayley as a hint for Christimas-with nearly every little pet on it circled as a wish list item! How many little pets does one need?!

What is really in these foods and cleaners and pool chemicals? Junk foods held the best possibilities for multiple hits on the periodic table!

Park Day

One, two, three, four (?) down the slide and then we go around again.

Magic

Tristan got to be a magicians helper, all my pictures came out so dark though!

A busy, yet not overwhelming week. I am so glad that we didn't sign up for anything that meets weekly or gives homework this year. Monthly or bi-monthly activities and being able to keep to our own curriculum choices and schedules work best for our family.

Summer to fall

I hate to say it but it seems as though summer is ending in NH. It's been so cold for the last 3 or 4 mornings. Today felt cold until after noon time. There's a frost warning just (like a very few miles, basically the next county north) north of here and above for tonight. Summer seemed to pass so fast.

We have stayed busy since the boys got home from camp. Lizards and salamanders have been caught and released. This big one below was so cute!








The boys have been making bows and arrows.

Colin shot an arrow through a window and it broke, sigh!

Colin and Tristan decided to start a fish tank together. The very day they bought their fish, just two fish and a catfish, the two fish had babies! So the kids had to spend that evening fishing baby fish out of the tank so the parents wouldn't eat them!


baby fish!


Then suddenly it is time to start a new year of homeschooling.





These Mini Offices seem like a great idea. They have various helpful things in them such as maps, abbreviations, math charts, writing charts...depending on the age of the child.

In the afternoon we tried to install the Switched On Schoolhouse discs and had some trouble with 2 of the three computers. It was frustrating.We also did some yard work and then the kids played for the remainder of the afternoon.

Planning for non planners or Wild Homeschool 2009-2010

I don't usually plan to this extent but this year I need to be organised! The kids are older and doing more. I'm planning to work this winter. Animals will feature in the extra activities this year, we just can't help that.

Trevor
Math U See Algebra & Teaching Company Algebra
Teaching Company Chemistry (with our own labs and extras)& Chemistry 101 DVD's(would love to buy, is it out yet? need to check)
Teaching Company American History (plus topical history movies and documentaries from netflix as desired)
Teaching Company-London a Short History(also add netflix documentaries and movies about Great Britain)
British Literature and Shakespeare (Fall/Spring one each)
Together Time- Geography only, just the short family meeting time the other days of the week.

Hayley
SOS 7th grade- math and LA each day other subjects 2-3 days wk alternating.
SOS Earth Science elective- daily
Together Time- Spanish, Drawing basics, Geography (science and latin if desired)

Colin
Together Time- Geography, Spanish, Drawing Basics, Science, Latin
CLe Math (might switch to SOS math winter time when I work)
LA- clicknspell, Galore Park, something for handwriting (SOS LA- start in winter)

Tristan
Together Time- all Geography, Spanish, Science, Drawing, Latin
Phonics- Explode the Code online and clicknread
LA- something for handwriting & might try 3rd grade SOS LA in winter
Math CLE and fun computer math games

Together Time
Together Time is a block of time each day to have a short family chat about the day/week and any issues or news, maybe have a bible verse or story then work together on one subject...together! Tristan and Colin will participate each day, Hayley most, Trevor one subject only. As most of our activities fall on Wednesday and Thursday this year I put the lightest/shortest number of lessons two subjects on those days. Monday is geography (country a week, my own plan), Tuesday science RS4K, Wednesday-Drawing Basics, Thursday-Latin, Friday-Spanish. This will be done fall and spring but not in winter if I'm working then. I do not mind if the curriculum I've gotten for these subjects takes 1.5-2 years to work through. I think this will help us transition from doing most homeschooling together to doing some on their own independantly. We have Together Time first in the morning then kids work seperately on their own levels afterwards.

Outside Activities
Animal Academy-
Monthly on Thursday.
Through Family Resource Center. Hayley, Colin, Tristan, out of State no other work will be expected to be done this day once per month.

Mixed Class day-
Monthly on Wednesday afternoons.
With Homeschool group two towns away. Art (geography based art activities) each month- Hayley and Tristan, Michelle's menagerie-a geography and animals hands on course for kids. Hayley, Colin, Tristan (most months) Other science-Hayley, Colin, Tristan, the months the menagerie doesn't hold a class. Trevor is over the age limit for these classes and will have free time with a friend these afternoons.

Cub Scouts-
Monthly den meeting directly after Mixed Class Day. Monthly pack meeting 3rd Sundays.

Girl Scouts-
bi-monthly but varies
Hayley only, they haven't gotten their schedule up yet. Will be some 1st and 3rd Thurdays but some meetings will be held on weekends instead. We will get to what we can there will occasionally be a conflict here.

Third Thursdays possible 4H for all
monthly
directly after girl scouts, still up in the air about this one.

Occasional activities through the mixed classes HS group and the Third Thursday group. These would almost always be on Wed. or Thurs.

Living History-Trying to visit many historical places this year as the younger boys are a good age for it. We did the same with Trevor and Hayley when they were around the same age. These are as a family when convenient or when special events occur, have a couple on the calendar now.


Audubon- checking their site now and then for occasional family days or homeschool days. So far planning to attend a couple activities through them.

Also for our geography theme, family movies will often be related to whichever country or continent we are learning about that week and recipes from those countries will be made some weekends.

So that is fall mainly. Winter the kids will work more independantly and focus on basics, their monthly activities will continue. In spring a lot will look like fall music or maybe just guitar will replace Drawing basics if drawing has been completed.