Week 2 ~ Learning with the Who Was Series...

We had a great second week of school. We managed a full schedule of at-home classes and added two out of the home classes. The kids are taking classes at a local church that offers "homeschool tutorial" classes. We haven't taken classes with them in a few years and the program has grown a great deal. This year Anne is taking Sign Language II and Dean is taking Creative Art and Photography (the photography class doesn't start until September). They both loved their first class and liked being with so many homeschoolers in one place. There were lots of homeschooling teens which is sometimes hard to find in our area. This year alone, four of their homeschooling friends started public school for high school. I hope this will open up doors for a few new friendships.

This week we took several of Anne's dance friends back-to-school thrift store shopping. It was a lovely day and we all had so much fun. We will have to make this a seasonal event.

The 36 Challenge ~ One of the kids' goals this year is to write 36 papers using writing prompts. This does not include science, history or quarterly research papers. This goal is just strictly creative writing and expressing themselves. They will write a draft and a final each week. This week's writing prompt was If you could suddenly go on a road trip, where would you go? Include details and plans.  Both kids were enthusiastic about the prompt and wrote fun papers. Dean selected the beach and Anne planned a trip to Salem, Massachusetts that sounds like lots of spooky fun.

The second 36 Challenge is for Dean alone. I have challenged him to read a book from the Who Was Series and answer questions about each book each week. This means I am reading 36 books from the series, too. The series also includes books about Where Is? and What Is? I realize that these books are below high school reading level, but they are rich with information, and he can easily focus on them and gain lots of knowledge. He enjoys the books and talks about them afterward. I have even seen him delve deeper into the subject and do a bit of research on his own. I strongly feel that meeting each child where they are and helping them to learn on the platform that serves them best is one of the great blessings of homeschooling. This week he read Who Was Jacques Cousteau? I have been scouring our local used bookstores and have come up with a pretty good stack so far. 

In a matter of hours we will have grandparents arriving so I am off to try to cram in a day of schooling before they get here. Have a blessed weekend!

Blessings, Dawn