Homeschool Highlights - Weeks of June 26 and July 3, 2011

Sunday: 

Worship services.  Badge of Honor. 

Science:  While at church services, our painted lady butterflies hatched out of their cocoons.  We read the directions and prepared orange slices and dipped the flower in sugar water for them to eat from.

Phys Ed:  OT exercises, trampoline

Learning Games:  Dora Memory matching.

Fishing and fellowship with our church family. 

Followed by a paddle boat ride around the pond.

Monday: 

Phys Ed:  We are starting every day again using some occupational therapy techniques to improve Shayla's visual processing disorder.  It also seems to help her relax and focus. 

In addition to the exercises from Brain Gym, we are also incorporating more time into our school day to jump on the trampoline, push-ups and sit-ups. 

Don't worry, she LOVES all the movement!  It's good for mom, too.  We had cut back on physical education and mom was putting on the pounds.  :)

Multiple subjects:  Travel Club at the library.  We went to 10 different stations earning stickers in a passport for each activity we completed.  The activities were all based on the dewey decimal system. 

Playing board games with family.  Let's see, what subject would that be under?  Character - learning to take turns, be a good sport, math - counting spaces. 

Drugstore coupon shopping.  (reading - finding the right product, math, socialization) I am trying to get the girls to take over this, or at least help out more.  I am treating it like a treasure hunt.  Shayla is more likely to help find the items if she can cross them off the list.

Wednesday: 

Passport to Fishing program at the State Park.  Kids learn about different types of fish and good fishing techniques, then they are each given their own pole, bait, and an official fishing license.  (science)

She was only one of two people who caught a fish this morning.

Love this picture of a dragonfly.  Photo credits, hubby.  ;)

Clogging and ballet lessons (phys ed)

Summer Reading program.  Mike Hemmelgarn, Ventriloquist.  We were amused by his entire show, especially the part where he picked Morgan out of the audience to be his puppet.  LOL! Let's just say, she was not that thrilled. 

Thursday:  4H meeting

Worked on 4H project:  I Spy in the Kitchen.  Shayla and Morgan made snickerdoodle cookies for the Cookie Caper project.  It was not hard to get Morgan to help out this time :)  Shayla also finished up the manners section by watching a video on manners and learning how to set a proper place setting.

Went to see Cars 2 at the drive-in movie theater.  Although, Shayla fell asleep before it was over, we had a great time!

Friday:

Shayla attended a fairy birthday party at her friend, Maggie's house.

Saturday:

Nature Detectives program.  Theme:  Animal Senses.

The kids are attentive as the teacher feeds the toad the mealworms.

We made a last minute decision to go to a nearby community for the hot air balloon fest.  However, after driving all that way, and walking 8 blocks to the field, we were disappointed to find out that the balloon glow was not going to happen because of a slight breeze and chance of rain.  But, we were fortunate to watch a fireworks display on the way home.

Sunday:  Fireworks in another neighboring community.

Monday:  Swimming, another fireworks display and attended two 4th parties.

Tuesday:  Trip to Whole Foods.

Wednesday:  Summer reading entertainment:  Cowboy Magic.  A mix of magician, comedian, and more.

Thursday: 

Bible:  Theme:  God Made the Fish. 

We started this fish paper craft, but it proved to be too difficult for Shayla, but not for mom, so I finished it. (art)

Read several Bible stories about fish. 

Sang Gonna Go Fishing by Mary Rice Hopkins (music)

Played ABSeas game.

We played a fishing game.

Made an I spy bag with the plastic fish and shaving cream, but she just couldn't take the temptation of seeing that cool, foamy, creamy, cream....You guessed it, she had to have her hands in it!

Friday:  Trip to Developmental Optometrist for vision therapy.  She gave us many new exercises to try. 

Saturday:  Nature Detectives.  Theme:  Old Time Country Ways.

This was the 15th visit to the state park, so Shayla earned her Jr. Naturalist Award for this summer.  She picked out a park blanket as a prize!

Homeschool Highlights - Week of May 29, 2011

Sunday:  Worship services.  On the way to church, Dad spotted this turtle walking on the road.  He picked him up so he didn't get squished on the road and brought him home to our little water pond.  Shayla has named him "Turquoise" after the turtle on Blue's Clues.  So far we are all having a great time finding worms for the turtle to eat.  I don't know how long that will last!

Then we went to the local cemetary where Morgan and her high school band put on the annual Memorial Day program to honor veterans. 

Tuesday:

Bible:  Matthew 22:36-39

Devotions:  Perfect?  2 Samuel 22:31-33

Reading:  Read A House is a House for Me.  We discussed the main idea and pointed out the compound words.  Completed pg 273 Two Words in One Compound Word and verbally classified homes/animal habitats.

Language/phonics:  Lessons 155-158

Wednesday:

GCS picnic at the state park.  We had a wonderful time with some of our homeschooling friends

Phys Ed:  We came home and went swimming.  We noticed Shayla's arms were covered in dime sized welts and thought she was having a severe reaction to poison ivy from the park.  Thankfully, it turned out to not be poison, but was a reaction to a new vinyl pool raft.

Thursday:

Bible:  Genesis 1:1-5

Devotions:  A Gift to Read.  Psalm 67

Some time ago, we mailed off the required Bible verses to earn Badge 9 prize pack and here are the awards she received.

Language/phonics:  Lessons 159-164

Math: 

• Place values.  Used popsicle sticks to make numbers (ones & tens) 
• Reviewed addition/subtraction flashcards
• Played Boggle jr. Picture Addition

Phys Ed:  Lawn darts

Reading:  Read 10 books aloud to earn HE Buddy t-shirt and prize pack.  (Since I'm behind in posting, we did mail it in and received this awesome prize pack about 2 weeks later!) 

Friday:

Reading:  Completed reading 8 books aloud for the Barnes and Noble summer reading program.  We went to the store and for her free book prize she picked out Flat Stanley, Flat Again by Jeff Brown.

Multiple subjects:  Attended a homeschool carnival put on by friends in a neighboring community.  We had a great time talking with old friends, meeting new friends, (well, mom and Morgan did ;) playing games, etc.

Saturday: 

Geography/Social studies/computer skills/writing/language/foreign language:  Completed her first Little Passports kit.

Science/art/multiple subjects:  Nature Detectives program at state park.  Theme:  Insects:  What's Bugging You?

Homeschool Highlights - Week of June 6, 2011

Sunday

• Attended worship services.
• Read sunflower themed books
• Rode bike (phys ed)
• Wrote a letter and addressed an envelope to a friend (handwriting)
• Played yard darts (phys ed)

• Completed Secrets of Measuring for 4-H, part of her I Spy in the Kitchen project.  (home ec, math - more/less, measurements, fractions, following directions.  Since we were measuring anyhow, we made the rest of the family some delicious, chocolate no-bake cookies. 

 

Monday:

Language/phonics:  Lessons 165 - 170.  Finshed Abeka 1 language/phonics.  Woo-hoo!

Field trip:   to our public library to pick out books for summer reading

Reading:  Read books for summer reading

Character lessons:  Watched a Berenstain Bears DVD and discussed behaviors.

Phys Ed:  Swimming

Tuesday:

Earned Safety Brownie Try-it

Reading:  Summer reading books

Phys Ed:  played t-ball, lawn darts, swimming, played cornhole, jumped on the trampoline, and rode bike

Wednesday: 

Completed Five Senses, a Brighter Vision Learning workbook.

Dance lessons

Thursday:

Completed Space and Planets, a Brighter Vision Learning workbook

Friday:

Completed Our Earth, a Brighter Vision Learning workbook

Phys Ed:  Played Wii

Music:  Played Rock Band and Guitar hero with family.

Saturday: 

Costume party at her friend, Emma's house.  This was a disasterous experience.  She did not want to play with the kids, but instead wanted to stay by me during the fun. 

Homeschool Highlights - Week of June 12, 2011

Sunday:

Worship services.

 Infield for an afternoon of playing on the playground, putt-putt golfing (well, in Shayla's case, it was more like coralling. :)  And riding in the go-karts.  Shayla was too short to drive the big cars, but she liked it so much she asked Dad if she could go by herself in the little cars.  Whoa!  Did someone take my child and replace her with a look-alike? 

We had a great time and also enjoyed socializing with some of our church family.  Well, at least, Mom and Dad did.  :)

Monday:

Art:  Made a bear foam craft kit.

Bible:  John 14:1-6

Devotions:  Old Yet New.  Lamentations 3:22-23

Reading:  Unit 1 of Helicopters and Gingerbread

Multiple Subjects (math, science, fine motor, language, reading, spelling):  Our Earth a Brighter Learning workbook

Read aloud:  Flat Stanley, Flat Again by Jeff Brown

Phys Ed:  Played Bocce ball

Science:  Observed our caterpillars and help set up the habitat to hatch out some painted lady butterflies. 

Travel Club at our local library (various subjects:  socialization, social studies, geography, art, music, phys ed)

The kids learned about several countries in a fun, hands-on way.  The kids were each given a passport and at each country, they received a sticker symbolizing the country.

• First we traveled to Japan and listened to a story.
• Next we traveled to Australia and learned to play a marble game.
• Then on to the Caribbean were we made a musical shaker with a water bottle and dried beans.  We also enjoyed a friendly game of limbo, complete with some Caribbean tunes.
• Lastly we traveled to Argentina for tea time. 

Tuesday:

Flag Day!  We discussed Old Glory and what flags in the past looked like (social studies)

Bible:  Matthew 5:13-16

Devotions:  Sticky Brains.  Psalm 119:97

Reading:  Helicopters and Gingerbread  Unit 2:  Here Come the Helicopters

Read Aloud:  Flat Stanley, Flat Again

Multiple Subjects:  My Busy Day.  A Brighter Vision Learning workbook

Math: 

• Place value with popsicle sticks - 10's and 1's
• Reviewed addition and subtraction flashcards

Phys Ed:  Bocce ball

Reading:  Read a pile of books for pleasure

Science:  Observed caterpillar habitat

Health:  We worked on I Spy in the Kitchen 4-H project - Digging for Veggie Snacks.  She is making snack for demonstration.  It is carrots and celery sticks.

 We discussed the importance of washing produce, even if it is organic and she helped wash it and put it into the tray.  She did not help cut the veggies because she's not demonstrating the ability to use a knife at this time.

Multiple subjects:  4-H meeting. 

This is the ceramic stone she sketched at the last meeting after it has been baked.  It will be in our group's fair booth with everyone else's.

We watched Daniel do a demonstration on getting a boiled egg into a bottle and out again (science) 

Shayla did her demonstration for snack.  No she did not give a speech, but I did assist her and she shook her head to yes/no questions.

Casey gave his demonstration on monarch butterfly habitats.

Wednesday:

Phys Ed:  Ballet and clogging lessons

Art:  Made another foam craft project.

 

Science/4-H:  Packed backpack and went out on first nature hike for 4-H project, Let's Explore the Outdoors. 

This is what was in her emergency kit.

Taking the whole gang on the hike!  Probably won't see much wildlife with the company she is keeping!

 Animal signs we found:  a bird feather, a snake hole, a deer track, and an hole in a tree for a bird.

Took an herbal field guide and identified native plants and discussed medicinal properties.

Top:  Blood root

Bottom:  may apple

Thursday: 

Bowling with the family!  (phys ed)  We signed up for two free games of bowling each day at http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/.  This was the first time Shayla had ever bowled and we all had a great time! 

The girls did have the extra bonus of bumper bowling. 

Not bad for first time bowlers!

Saturday:  Nature Detectives program at the state park.  This weeks' theme is:  Scat and Tracks/Animal Signs:  Who Was Here?

Kids and adults were grossed out by the rubber animal scat.  We formed our own scat out of tootsie rolls.  Unbelievably, the kids ate their scat.  Ewww! 

We looked at these plaster of paris models of animal footprints.Then we made tracks in sand.

In the evening we went back to The Infield to ride go-karts.  Shayla wanted to share the experience with Morgan and her boyfriend, Chris.  This time we bought wristbands for $15 each and rode for an hour.  Let's just say that an hour is more time than anyone needs to ride a go-kart!

 

Despite being dizzy, everyone having bruises and back pains and being covered in some black substance from the track, we had a great time! 

Then we went to the local playground for more fun, but no photos because my camera battery died.