Weekly Wrap up... Week 24

So last week I struggled.

I DIDNT wanna do it!

I hemmed and hawed and did the LEAST amount possible known to man!

So no pictures, because I didn't wanna do it, much less post on it!

Remember I wanted to CRAFT!!!!

So this week was better... but not in the usual way for me!  I mean A LOT of school work got done, just not with me!  I had independent schoolers this week!  I still did a lot, but not as much of the SIT DOWN IN FRONT OF MY STUDENTS AND TEACH kind!  This was new for the kids, I don't think they really knew what was going on... but since it not going to BE the new way, I didn't really explain it to them.

SO here is my WEEKLY WRAP up, after you read mine... be sure to go check out everyone else's on Weird, Unsocialized Home Schoolers.  Of course they posted on time and mine isn't going up until way late, but hey it's getting done!

I decided to get caught up in science... over the last semester we did our note booking very half heartily. This was not my original plan, it just sorta happened that way.  One reason is because there was so much reading and by the time we were done listening and explaining- the kids were over it.  We didn't get as much of the note booking done AT our science class because we spent time on other things like games, the experiments... etc.  I am good with that but I do want the note booking done.  So we are going to change up how we are doing science.

I am going to have Kate and Matt read the chapter on their own.  I am going to go over the HIGH points with Emily- it is TOO much information for her.  She is not getting much out of the reading with it being so much.  I am having trouble with her sitting STILL for 5 minutes, much less listening!  SO I will get books that go along with the subject for her to look through and some additional worksheets to learn the vocabulary and important parts of the lesson. 

On Monday after Kate and Matt read the lesson, they will all 3 do the crossword puzzle- EMILY LOVES THEM!  If it is a long lesson they will read over two days and work on the puzzle on the second day.

On Tuesday I will do the work with Emily (she will have been introduced with the crossword puzzle)

On Wednesday the kids will work on their questions in the notebook and I will go over the JEST of the book, explaining anything that needs explaining and doing the DO THIS, sections with them.

On Thursday the kids will all three do their note booking.  Any mini books, copy work, additional worksheets if any.  We will watch a video or do any additional reading on this day. 

Friday is the day we have science (every other week)  and I will have Kate and Matt re read the chapter again, the morning OF science.  Then at science we will do the experiments and other activities.

On the off week, we will have NO science to do and I will not feel guilty!

So this was the kids assignment board for all the work they needed to catch up on this week in their notebooks!  WHEW it was a lot, not all of that is science, just the left side of the board.  But I will tell you that they never batted an EYE.  They just cheerfully sat down and did their stuff.  They cut and glued and shared the book to look up answers to questions.   It just got done!


The kids all did math, Kate is on an easy lesson and breezed through.  Glad to be through the trapezoid lessons!  That took her a while!   Matt, he makes a few simple errors every lesson but has the concepts down so I am having him do A and B, if he has it, I move him to F, for a systematic review.  I feel like we are wasting tooo much time with him and he can press on.  SO that is the plan!  Emily is still having some trouble with the money concept.  For instance, at the store the other day she was purchasing something for 4.75 and she handed the cashier a 10, she said I didn't have four ones and seemed worried about it.  I reminded her that the cashier will give her change.  She just hasn't CAUGHT something so we are going to do more games!!!  I cant afford to shop more!  :)

I had Matt pick like 20 Lego pieces and build something- his choice.  Then I told him to write a story about it with 5-8 sentences.  He did so great.   Here is his build...

His story is on the other computer and I am too lazy to go get it.. so I will tell you the plot of the story.  This is  a rebel droid.  He has been in battle twice, he fought well and then he died.  He obviously wrote more but I don't remember all those Star War terms!

Okay, I know little boys and their handwriting is yuck... but this is his paper from the beginning of the year..

and this is his practice this week.. Do you think he is getting worse??

I told him his handwriting needed to be better for handwriting or I would assume he needed more practice!  I think he is just rushing through.  But I am seeing very little improvement!



Kate finished lesson three in EIW... yes we are going very slow, but I plan to work a little faster the rest of the school year on it!  This lesson was to make a key word outline.  She did this part pretty well, then she had to make a paragraph out of her key word outline.  WELL her paragraph was like twice as long as the original one.  I kind of freaked out... so I called my friend Tara- who has been through all the training for EIW and asked her what she thought.  We went over that she definitely had all the points down, she had re worded and written new sentences, while adding all her 'ly' words and being descriptive.  Tara said it was not the POINT to make it longer but that if that came easy and naturally to her then it is fine!  SO whewww.

I felt better after talking to her in general and will remember to call next time when I am worried about something!  I came back into the room after talking to Tara and told Kaitlin that I had called Mrs. Tara to ask about some things on her writing assignment and that Mrs. Tara said she did a great job!  She was very proud!  I didn't get a copy of the final draft and she has actually gone on to lesson 4~

We did spelling, this has been a nightmare with Emily the last two weeks. I am so frustrated and I know she is frustrated too.  But we will just keep plugging on.  Last week we had a really bad spelling lesson day and I just stopped mid lesson.  Later that day I had her sit down again and put shaving cream on the table for her to write her words in.. I thought OH what A GOOD MOM!  She put her finger in and did one word- not excitedly and looked up at me and said, can I just do this on paper.

AKKKKKKK...really!  So we cleaned it up and got out some paper.  oh well.

Last but not the least by any means.. we started the story of Ruth in Bible. 

And that.. plus church class, gymnastics, tap, chores, fun and history class.  No art this week- off for MLK day.  So I am getting back on track and will hopefully have a better mind set next week!  But Saturday and Sunday I am not going to think about it!   :0)   Have a nice weekend!