What We've Learned - August, 7, 2012

A peek into our learning week...

Michelle, Age 6-1/2
1. I'm learning to write (copy) a letter in cursive. 
2. I am learning to spell words and write a whole sentence from dictation.
3. We read Aesop about the "Farmer and His Sons" - and mama wrote down what I said about it.*
4. We talked about shadows and stuff for Nature Study.

James, Age 4
1. We learned the sounds of i and j.
2. We did some math - I followed mommy's directions.  I wrote a purple square and two green triangles, and 3 orange circles.
3. I learned how to write letters - Jj and Ee and Ii.

*Bonus: Aesop Narration
Michelle wanted me to share her narration of "The Farmer and His Sons" with you all.  We've been using Aesop's Fables for narration since November and when we started I was lucky to get more than a sentence or 2 out of her.  She's come a long way!

"One day, a farmer who would not live very long called his sons to his bedside.  He said: "You must dig in the field.  There is a treasure in there."  So, no sooner had the farmer died and he was in his grave, they set to work.  They dug three or four times in field, but they didn't find any gold.  They thought it was a treasure of gold.  But they were wrong.  It was beautiful corn and they managed to find it by working in the field.  So they did find it, really they did!  The treasure of the beautiful corn."

Hope you're having a good learning week in your home!

What We've Learned - 27 July 2012

A few highlights from our past week (or so) of school:

Michelle, Age 6-1/2
1. We did the flashcard game* for +9 and +8 in math.
2. We are writing letters that end with a grin, a smile, and a jump (in cursive).
3. We read about Greece and Troy in history.  We are waiting to find out what the big horse was left there for. (Stay tuned for the end of the story next week!)
4. We went for a summer nature walk.

This is the page from her cursive book that Michelle wanted to show you this week.

James, Age 4
James was unavailable for comment this week. =)  He has, however, enjoyed marking off flags we see on the Olympics on our "Les Drapeaux Du Monde" chart and always loves playing with the Math U See blocks.  He's asked several times lately "when can I have a big Bible like Michelle's" and seems very interested in the idea of learning how to read when I tell him we'll get him a big Bible when I know he knows how to read it.

Ordering and Matching number cards with their corresponding Math U See Blocks

*Bonus: The Flashcard Game
This isn't very original, but I thought I'd share it anyway because this is a very simple way to spice up what would otherwise be monotonous flashcard drills.  This is my variation on an idea I first read about it in Karen Andreola's A Charlotte Mason Companion,  in the chapter when she discusses how she taught her daughters to read. We've used this same method with alphabet letters/sounds, beginning reading (when we were still in the 'sounding out words but still too overwhelmed by whole sentences' phase), and now for math facts.  Basically take the pile of flashcards you want to review, and lay them out on the table to make a path.  Find a die or 2 and a couple of old game pieces and play as a simple board game.   Michelle and I like to start on opposite sides and see who makes it to the other end first. =)  Whatever square you land on, you have to answer (tell the sound, read the word, tell the solution to the math fact, etc.).  Simple!  It's quick (our games usually don't last more than 5 minutes), takes the pressure off (since mom also has to answer to when it's her turn) and fun - at least, my kids haven't gotten tired of it yet. =)  But then again, my kids are really easily amused....

Family Reading #3

A few of the reads we have been enjoying in our household lately...

Picture Book Highlights
Lately, I have been fielding multiple requests for Richard Scarry's Best Story Book Ever and Eloise Wilkin Stories (affectionately known as "Babies" around here).  These were some of my favorites in early childhood too, so I love seeing my little ones enjoy them as well.   French storybooks from the library continue to be favorites too, particularly one about the pompiers (firemen)!

Michelle's Reading (Age 6-1/2)
When asked just now "what is the best book you've read for yourself in the last couple of weeks", she replied "The Bible".  Yes, really.   We got her the ESV Seek and Find Bible for her birthday last year when she turned 6..  It's the full text of the ESV Bible with nicely illustrated easy-reader-level retellings of the major stories sprinkled throughout.  She is allowed to keep her light on for awhile and read after we put her to bed at night, and recently decided (on her own) that she should read a Bible story before she reads anything else at bedtime!  Makes this mama's heart happy...

Featured School Book
Michelle's pick of the week: Aesop's Fables.  We've been reading these daily to gain practice in the art of narration, one of the keystones in a Charlotte Mason education.  She has gotten to be really good at retelling these back to me.  (She also likes that I write down what she says...)

Bedtime Read Aloud
We just finished, and enjoyed, The Adventures of Paddy the Beaver by Thornton Burgess and have now started The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.  (I do have to admit, however, that I keep having urges to burst out into song as I read this one.  My kids have not seen the movie yet, however, so they think I'm nuts....)

On Mama's Nightstand
Well it depends on if my brain is up for a challenge, or if it isn't. =)  When it is, I have been tackling the French novel Le Chȃteau de Ma Mère by Marcel Pagnol. I am actually really enjoying it, and while it is challenging I am finding that I can figure out many unknown words from the context.  I am also finding that by reading I am internalizing good French sentence structure and therefore am more likely to put the words in the correct order when I speak. =) Actually being able to read and enjoy a French novel is a huge boost of language-learning confidence for me!   When my brain is tired, then I pick up Village School by Miss Read - about a teacher in a small school in rural England.  The teacher in me always enjoys 'school' stories like these.

So there you go!  Have you read anything interesting lately?

Daybook: The "I've gotta do something to redeem the time while spending hours watching the Olympics" Edition

Outside my window:: Sunny and 79.  Welcome relief after a couple of days of 90+ weather this past week.  Thankfully, the super-hot streaks only seems to last for a couple days at time before we get a bit of a reprieve.

Listening to:: French commentary on the Olympic women's judo competition.  I do kind of like the fact that I can justify TV watching by the fact that it is all in French, and therefore "homework". =)

Giving Thanks:: For improved communication in our family ever since Dan and I decided we needed to do whatever it took to ensure we got a weekly 'date night' (generally a date night at home for us, but whatever works!)  ~  For encouraging signs of progress in the French language - most recently a French lady at church telling me that I spoke really well and didn't make very many errors, after a conversation lasting around 15 minutes. ~  Sparks of spiritual interest in the kids.

Pondering:: We said goodbye to some friends around 2 weeks ago as they left France for their assignment in Africa.  And in about a month we'll say goodbye to another missionary family that we've gotten to know really well.  Neither of these families will be serving in the same part of Africa as we are, so it's not terribly likely we'll cross paths with them again soon.  One of the really hard parts of missionary life for me is the constant goodbyes.  Sometimes it makes it really hard for me to want to invest in relationships at all...especially right now since we are in a sort of temporary/transitional place this year.   I asked a friend from the missions committee of one of our supporting churches back in the States to pray for me about this, and she shared some really helpful and encouraging thoughts with me:

"I learned something from one of the leaders at a youth retreat years ago.  He reminded me to enjoy the moments I’m with people because sometimes our paths cross ever so briefly.  I’m reminded of that by your email and by our recent trip to Michigan.  We met many friends of our “adopted” daughter and her husband.  We were blessed by the time we spent with them.  We will probably never see them again, yet our lives are richer for the brief time we spent together."

 Yes, my life is richer for the time we've spent here, for the relationships - however 'short-term' - we've been able to form.  I am also reminded of the necessity of "staying in today" and making the most of the opportunities the Lord brings across my path each day.  And perhaps most importantly that I serve a God who promises to go with me wherever I go (Joshua 1:9, Psalm 139) - something I can always count on no matter what else happens.

Living the Educational Life:: You can check out what the kids have been up to here in the new "What We've Learned" category.  Finally, I think I've found a method of school record-keeping I can keep up with! =)   My French studies are plugging along as well, although with the summer 'vacances', most of my outside-of-school speaking/practice opportunties have dried up for the moment.  Hoping in the fall these will pick up again, and in the meantime I'm trying to make time to read French books, watch French TV, and occasionally study up on French grammar.  Slowly, it's getting easier.

Preparing in the Kitchen:: Not much.  Even our friend Mr Sourdough is laying dormant in the back of the fridge right now.  Needed to scale back to the very basics for awhile.  That all said, however, I am considering a grain-free experiment in the near future.  On verra.  (French for "we will see!")

Following These Links::  I finally broke down and got a Pinterest account.  I avoided this for a long time because I felt like I didn't need anymore online distractions.  However, all my bookmarked articles were getting out of control, so I got on Pinterest as means of keeping them organized.  And it's working.  And it really hasn't been a distraction.  So, win-win.  All that to say that I think I will retire this category and encourage you to follow me over there if you are interested in the following my links. =)

Finding Rhythm:: Making the point to have a weekly date night is helping a lot, if for no other reason that we have now a specific point every week to ensure that communication is happening.  Otherwise, last month was struggle.  Here's hoping our new schedule for August better facilitates rhythm!!

Kiddos this Week:: Michelle wrote her own story in the style of Aesop's Fables this afternoon, which she wanted me to narrate to her.  Unfortunately she erased it before I had a chance to read it, which therefore made it difficult to tell her about it....   James asked me this week when he "could have a big Bible like Michelle's".  The motivation to read is mounting...   Elizabeth?  Oh my, where to begin with her.   Let's just say she keeps us on our toes. =)

Praying:: For daily strength to stay motivated in this task of language learning.  For wisdom to respond to the needs of my family, and to know how to encourage my husband, for whom French study is proving much more challenging than it has been for me.  That I would know my Savior more intimately every day.

Planning the Week Ahead:: Ask me again in 24 hours.  We'll have our new schedule then, so then I might be able to figure out just what the plan for the week might be!!

Capturing a Moment:: The kids and I actually managed to pull off taking Dan's birthday cake to school as a surprise!  He really had no idea we were coming until we showed up. =)

Summer Tree Study

While we've been keeping an eye on it regularly since January, we finally took some time on our last 'project day' to update our nature journals with our summer tree observations.  (You can see our winter/spring observations here.)  Back in April, Michelle predicted that "our tree would still get more leaves."  She was right!

Here it is in its summer glory:

A few of her other observations: The leaves were bigger...very big! (Not quite 6 inches.)  They were light green before, but now they are dark green.  I was right that the tree would get more leaves.  The summer leaf is not fuzzy, it is smooth.

Back in the spring, we had hypothesized that our tree was a sycamore maple.  But after carefully observing the shape of the mature leaf, we decided that it is more likely a silver maple.  You can check out some pictures of sycamore maples here and silver maples here if you want to check it out and see what you think for yourself. =)

Busily making journal entries

Michelle also wrote another stanza for her poem, "My Tree in All the Seasons" to describe her summer tree:

Darker, Darker, Bigger Leaves

Lots more of them, too

Hot sun keeps the tree warm and nice.

Donc, voila!  We'll check back in with our tree in the fall.  In the meantime, we've been working through Barb's summer photo challenge and growing sunflowers in pots on our [extremely narrow] balcony, and hope to be able to share those with you soon!

What We've Learned 16 July 2012

A few highlights of the past learning week in our home...

Michelle, Age 6-1/2:
1. We did cursive Z.
2. We started All About Spelling Level 2.
3. I read to Mom from More Busy Times
4. We made Very Cherry Cornbread, from my Clubhouse Jr. Magazine

Reading from More Busy Times.  Michelle has really taken off in her reading and I can hardly keep her in books!

James, Age 4:
1. We did sticks - we made a table, a chair, a tree, house, a broom, and a little design.
2. We did coloring and counting in my math book (MEP Reception Level - the activity with sticks above came from this book also. This is a great intro to math for 4-5 year olds who aren't ready for a workbook-based curriculum yet!)
3. We read Petit Ours Brun Joue Dans La Sable.  (Little Brown Bear Plays in the Sand)

Copying patterns and colors with sticks - a favorite school activity last week.

 Hope you've had a good learning week as well!

What We've Learned 5 July 2012

A few things we've learned in the past week:

Michelle, age 6-1/2
1. We learned about Debussy.  He makes music like Monet's paintings.
2. We read the middle part of "Les Trois Petits Cochons".
3. We read the legend about Frederick Barbarossa going to sleep in a mountain in Germany after he died, and later a shepherd found him, but it was probably just a dream.  (from 30 More Famous Stories)
4. We are learning how to do word problems in Math.

Michelle wanted to show you her cursive book.  We are starting to write real words!

James, age 4
I did some work with mom. 
1. We did letters E and R.  
2, We used sticks for counting.  
3. We read Jack and Jill together.

James showing off his sandpaper e and r

Hope you've had a lovely learning week in your home too!