Here is the day in the life of our homeschool for April. We are wrapping up school, since we will be done with this year's requirements next week. For that reason our days look different than most of the year. We have finished most of our books and are either reviewing, finishing projects or not doing some subjects at all.
7:00 to 9:30 - All the kids got up at about the same time as me and got ready for the day. The kids watched Curious George on PBS and I did my morning chores. Then the kids did their morning chores plus helped me fold a mountain of laundry. Tom Sawyer had his computer time while the girls had reading lessons and games. We came back together for circle time and to start our group seat work.
9:30 to 11:00 - This was our seat work time. The kids and I went through a stack of library books (literature) that need to be returned, did two pages of Horizon math, and made candy necklaces.
(Art and Occupational Therapy)
11:00 to 11:30 - The kids watched a Magic School Bus video on Bats. (science)
11:30 to 12:00 - The kids played outside. The tree house was especially popular today.
12:00 to 12:30 - We had hot dogs, baked beans, rice and salad for lunch. We listened to Latin songs while we ate. (Latin)
12:30 to 1:30 - Tim and Tom Sawyer played and weed whacked in the back yard. The girls and I made cornbread stuffing and cranberry sauce for dinner. Everyone cleaned their own rooms. (life skills)
1:30 to 2:00 - We drove to Tomatis. We listened to Your Story Hour ~ The story of Joan of Arc" while we drove everywhere in the car today. (history)
2:00 to 4:00 - While Tom Sawyer and Tim were doing Tomatis (OT and Auditory Therapy), the girls and I made folder games in the waiting room. The waiting room is empty during shifts so we can really spread out with our projects.
This is a pressure swing that is supposed to calm them. He was being a real goof ball in it but did almost go to sleep a few minutes later.
In the waiting room.
4:30 to 6:00 - We arrived at ballet and fencing classes. Dh picked up Tom Sawyer and Goldilocks and took them home. I stayed at the classes with Timothy and Little Red Riding Hood. We are lucky to have the kids taking classes at the same dance studio at the same time!!!
Timothy is the one advancing in the center.
Little Red Riding Hood's ballet class is rehearsing for their part in Alice and Wonderland. They are kittens of the Cheshire cat.
Today, they got to rehearse on the stage they will perform on in a few weeks. They are all very cute.
6:00 to 7:30 - We went home and ate dinner. Dh had already fed the others and they were playing outside, so we joined them as soon as we were done eating. The kids then got ready for bed and were in bed by 8 pm.
That wraps up our day.
Blessings, Dawn
I saw this great idea at bbullard's site and wanted to try it with my kids. The idea is to ask the kids separately what they liked and disliked about their school year. They are free to say whatever they want with no judgments. Then their ideas will be taken into consideration for the next year (within reason, of course). Paraphrased from my notes:Goldilocks (9)What worked -- - I like Explode the Code.
- I like piano lessons with Mom.
- I like the Story of the World coloring pages.
- I like FIAR and the FIAR field trips.
- I "medium like" math but it is very hard.
- I want to continue all the field trips and (out of the home) classes (swimming, art, bowling).
- I like story time and library books.
What could change -- - I want more cooking time with Mommy.
- I wish all of school could be easier so my brain would not hurt.
- I want more worksheets and copy work.
- I want seat work to take most of school time because it is faster than projects.
Tom Sawyer (8 next week)What worked -- - I like nature studies and other hunts like the president hunt.
- I like our Latin program.
- I like piano lessons.
- I like picture books of history and biographies more than SOTW.
- I really like math games.
- I like hands-on projects.
- I like my schedule that tells me what is coming next.
- I like the museum art class and FIAR field trips.
- I like swimming.
- I like reading to myself (especially historical graphic novels such as Journey to the Center of the Earth).
What could change -- - I want more math games and math stories.
- I don't like read-aloud books because it is so hard to concentrate.
- I HATE narrating back.
- I do not like Explode the Code. It is boring and a waste of time.
- I do not like copy work for the same reasons as Explode the Code.
- Stop making us leave the home in the morning before we get our school done so it can be finished all at once.
- We need more science.
- We need more art lessons and less music lessons.
Little Red Riding Hhood (6)What worked -- - I like history celebration parties and dressing up like historical characters.
- I like nature walks and our nature journals.
- I like Explode the Code.
- I love FIAR books.
- I love field trips and playing with friends.
- I like SOTW coloring pages.
- I love P.E. classes (bowling, swimming and ballet). I wish we had them every day.
- I love tea time and snack time. I wish we had more snacks.
- I like math stories and flash cards.
- Horizon math is okay.
- I like circle time.
- Latin songs are so much fun.
What could change -- - I don't like reading lessons.
- I want you to teach more Spanish and start teaching me sign language.
- I don't like copy work.
- I want smaller math pages (fewer problems on the page).
- I wish we only did Bible time on the computer (children stories played on CD player on computer).
My Reflections -- - I think Tom Sawyer is ready to move on to real grammar and creative writing. Maybe that will reduce his stress around writing. I did not realize it was boring to him. I will look at our grammar programs and decide which one to move him into.
- Is Little Red Riding Hood planning on become an ambassador or working for the U.N. as a linguist?!? She really seems to like the languages. I would love to bring sign language into our home. It is the only language that comes naturally to me. I will look into how to add more Spanish and sign language into our days and keep up Latin.
- We will keep up the field trips, FIAR support group and some classes. The kids have done well in all of the classes we tried this year (regardless of special needs status), so I will be looking at cost and value more than special needs vs. normal kids next year.
- I suggested to the kids that we could listen to more books on tape in the car and have less of my reading aloud at home. I have noticed that they like to listen to Latin and poetry in the car. They loved the idea. Tom Sawyer said it was much easier to concentrate in the car. Look into books on tapes and make a list of what the library has.
- I will have to think about narration and read aloud books for Tom Sawyer. I think narration is a very valuable skill but one that really is causing Tom Sawyer problems. He does not seem to have any auditory learning bones in his body. Perhaps if he created his own picture from what I or a tape is reading and then narrated from his picture, it would help him. I wonder if he is too young to start learning note taking and then narrate from that. Think it through.
- I find it interesting that no one mentioned educational DVDs. I wonder if they see that as TV time because it counts against their media time. Keep some educational DVDs, because they are good for visual learning and to give me a little free time when I must do something else around the house.
- Hmmmm! Tom Sawyer's desire to stay home and finish school in one lump is difficult. That will take some thought. Think of options.
- Goldilocks wants school easier and more
busywork workbooks. She is my most learning-challenged child at the moment and has a low IQ to boot. She made some real progress this year on testing, however. She is a child who needs to be gently pushed but also needs to see her improvement regulary for her own confidence. Look at her suggested goals from our professional education tester and keep the learning bar high but within reach. - Keep what worked on the schedule!
Blessings, Dawn
From the HeartWell, we are 11 days into this very busy month and so far things are holding steady. Most of the time I am hanging onto joy and making the kids' world enjoyable as well. The next 2 weeks will be the most difficult of the month, so I am just praying and bracing for it. I might as well get used to a really crazy schedule every few months anyway. When my son went in for his occupational therapy evaluation at Tomatis this past week, the evaluator told me what I kind of suspected. Our experiment of doing Tomatis every 4 months instead of every 2 months had failed this past year. Since Tom Sawyer is really struggling with sensory issues and seems very autistic some days, we need to resume the 8 day loops every 2 months for the coming year. Hopefully, after the loop we are just beginning, which will actually last 10 days this one time, Elijah MIGHT be back to the great place he was in 10 months ago.On the HomefrontWhen the going gets tough, the tough get help! I brought back by popular demand the chore packs! The kids have morning chore packs and evening chore packs with an extra 15 minute "help mom time" in the middle of the day. The kids really prefer to have their chores in a little pack than to have to run back and forth and check the chart. Hey, as long as they do the chores with happy hearts, I don't care what system they use.
In the School RoomWe are winding down school now. The kids are done with language art books, science goals, art goals and music goals. Little Red Riding Hood is on lesson 80 of 100 Easy Lessons reading book. She might even get her reading party before school lets out. That is the goal anyway. The kids really enjoyed our travels on the silk road last week. 
Family TimeWe still managed to get some nice family time this week. We had a picnic this weekend and then walked on our city's urban trail. Here are some pictures from our walk.
Behind the children is our brand new city park with a splash zone that will open this summer. You know where I will be soon!
I love this picture of Little Red Riding Hood with a statue.
I love this sculpture of Thomas Wolfe...can you see Tom Sawyer?
They had fun standing in Thomas Wolfe's enormous shoes.
Blessings, Dawn
