Learning Notes for the Week of Nov. 3-11

In case you haven't noticed, the weekly detailed school notes are taking a break because, as a ministry family, this is one of our busiest times of year and I don't need another thing on my to do list.

However, let's talk about stuff we're doing right now!

The 9yo is reading all the books, but right now is working through this one, with lots of commentary.

He really loves the Horrible Histories books these days.  He's also playing Prodigy Math and watching a lot of Youtube videos about puzzle boxes.  Have you seen these?  Here's a link to one.  The 9yo is really on a puzzle box kick, which is good because his last obsession was origami and I could not stealth throw away much more of that without a break.  He and I have been talking a lot about the planets and even stayed up late to take out the telescope on the porch and look at the moon and stars, then we pulled out a book on the constellations and realized the 'W' shape, which we knew had to be something, was Cassiopeia!  Yay!

The 7yo has been sewing and crafting up a storm, as usual, and also reading lots of comic books, playing chess with her brother and snakes and ladders with her sister, and Prodigy Math online.  She's been helping with our dog-sitting guest and has gotten a lot more comfortable with dogs as a result of this.  She's got a notebook and has been writing stories in it and asking me constantly how to spell new words.

The 5yo has also gotten very interested in the dog and how the dog behaves and how to care for it and so forth.  She's learning a lot about animal care.  Her other big interest these days is helping to cook in the kitchen, which, if you've been around here much you will know is not MY favourite stage, but we're managing.  She is constantly looking through books on her own, and retelling herself stories she knows or 'reading' to me.  She can't actually read, but she enjoys the pretending.  She likes to count things for me, and we've been pulling out the button jar to play with a lot.

Both of the older children are still taking piano lessons, and all three are still in swimming, with the 9yo starting to spend more and more time in the big pool doing laps.  I think the two oldest, at least, will be graduating to the next class in three weeks time when our lessons end for the winter break.  All three of the children have been using these 'paint by sticker' activity books, building early winter snowmen and snow forts outside, and the two oldest participated in laying wreaths for Remembrance Day at three cenotaph services.

We've been working through morning time with some success, adding more books to our Old Testament list, continuing to read through Matthew together and talk about what we read, continuing to read Story of the World Vol. 2, and our Christian biographies, and to work on memorizing various things like Psalm 23, The national anthem, and so forth.

We've done a science lesson, on the root systems of plants, and have read several books aloud.  The 9yo and I have started a new chapter book for bedtime reading.

Amazon

So far we've loved the books in this series, so this prequel is bound to be a success.

When I actually type it all out I can see they are doing quite a bit!