Homeschool Day 3/30

 2nd Grader

Math

• We played the card game Clumsy Thief
• Singapore Math

Reading/Language Arts

• Sonlight Reading/LA
• Copywork
• He read his reader
• Reading his dyslexia reader at night before bed

Science

• Apologia's Land Animals of the Sixth Day
• Our caterpillars from InsectLore's butterfly kit came in the mail today, so we set that up.  Waiting for the caterpillars to form chrysalises.

Sonlight B (history, literature and Bible)

• The Ology
• Kate and Mack
• A Child's History of the World
• Our poetry reader
• Babe, the Gallant Pig

Extras

• Ballet class (outsourced)

10th Grader

Math

• She did two lessons in Mathusee Geometry
• I worked a couple of the problems on the dry erase board

Writing & Grammar

• They Say, I Say writing course - she worked on the persuasive essay

Science

• Smithsonian's The Planets
• Wicked Plants: The Weed that Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities

Literature and History

• John Hersey's Hiroshima

Extras

• Ballet class (outsourced)
• She is choreographing a dance for the ballet recital

Homeschool Day 3/29

 2nd Grader

Math

• We played the game Sleeping Queens
• Singapore Math - he is doing really well with this program.  We are using the Mathusee blocks with it, though

Reading/Language Arts

• Sonlight Reading/LA
• He read his reader
• Phonics exercises
• He is reading his dyslexia reader at night

Science

• Apologia's Land Animals of the Sixth Day
• Our Songbirds
• We listened to bird calls from two birds
• He drew and colored the two birds
• Lapwing
• American Bittern

Sonlight B (history, Bible and literature)

• A Child's History of the World
• National Geographic poetry reader
• We worked on the Timeline book
• Babe, the Gallant Pig

Extras

• He worked on his dyslexia workbook
• Wednesday night church activities

10th Grader

Bible

• Reading through Psalms

Math

• Mathusee Geometry

Grammar & Writing

• Easy Grammar 10th Grade Ultimate workbook
• Typing practice

Science

• Smithsonian's The Planets
• Wicked Plants: The Weed that Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities

History & Literature

• The Days of Elijah

Extras

• DuoLingo Korean
• Wednesday night church activities
• Choreographing a dance for the ballet recital

Homeschool Day 3/28

 Well, we weren't the most productive today.  Today, we...

• Went to homeschool gymnastics and karate classes
• The 15 year-old had her collaborative guitar/ukulele class
• We walked around the neighborhood and collected flowers
• We set the flowers up in the flower press.  They need to sit for several days in the flower press.  I think we are going to try to make a display of them in a glass frame (we'll see how they turn out).
• The 8 year-old (he turned 8 over the weekend) is reading his dyslexia reader before bed

Homeschool Day 3/27

 2nd Grader

Math

• We started Singapore Math for the first time.  He did really well with it.

Reading/Language Arts

• Sonlight Reading/LA
• Sight word Bingo
• He wrote his spelling words on the Ipad whiteboard app
• He read his reader
• He's reading his dyslexia reader before bed

Sonlight B (history, Bible and literature)

• Usborne Book of World History
• There sure are a lot of pictures of half-naked people in this book!  It seems excessive for a kids book.
• Babe, the Gallant Pig

Science

• We started Apologia's Land Animals of the Sixth Day - and he loved it

10th Grader

• Had a very time-consuming doctor's appointment, so she only worked on school for a couple of hours
• They Say, I Say (essay-writing course she's doing with a friend)
• Working on writing a persuasive essay
• 30 Days Lost in Space
• STEM/coding and circuitry
• Ballet class (outsourced)

Dog on a Log Readers for Dyslexia - Part 2

 Here's a link to them: https://dogonalogbooks.com/  These are Orton Gillingham decodable readers with progressive phonics (like BOB books, but much more difficult).  

This is my second post about them.  We just started Book #4. They are expensive.  The pictures are ridiculous.  The stories are ridiculous.  But, these readers are the greatest thing I ever bought for my 7 year-old.  

He cried trying to read the All About Reading reader, which is one of the best reading programs out there for kids with dyslexia.  But the Dog on a Log readers?  For some reason, he is able to focus on the print better, he doesn't complain of headaches or stomachaches when he's reading them.  He is making so much progress since we started using them over the winter. 

These readers are a miracle in this house! 

The first book took him a month and a half to get through (that's how much he was struggling).  We were literally sounding out one page a day.  Now he's going through about a book a week (which is getting expensive).

The review page with sight words at the end of each story is really helpful.  He is actually recognizing these words without painfully sounding them out.

He finished Book #3 last week and he was so proud of himself that he was yelling and jumping around his room and hugging his stuffed animals.  It was the greatest moment! 

There are two versions of the books: the red books and the purple books. https://dogonalogbooks.com/picture-guide/  They have the same phonics progression, but the purple books have more white space and fewer words on each page.  We are currently using the purple books, but I think he could switch to the red series and be fine now.

Homeschool Day 3/23: Lots and lots of essay writing

 2nd Grader

• He didn't do schoolwork today.  He wanted to play with his little plastic horses.  
• Ballet class (outsourced)

10th Grader

Bible

• Reading through Psalms

Math

• Mathusee Geometry (she needed help working problems on the dry erase board)

Grammar & Writing

• Easy Grammar 10th Grade Ultimate workbook
• She had an essay due for an outsourced class she's taking and we worked on the essay for about 2 grueling hours.  We went over:
• Editing each sentence
• Adding content - it wasn't long enough
• Talked about plagiarism and rewording into your own words
• Citing sources

Science

• The Stars: The Definitive Visual Guide
• Wicked Plants: The Weed that Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities

Literature and History

• John Hersey's Hiroshima

Extras

• Ballet class (outsourced)

Homeschool Day 3/22

 2nd Grader

Math Update

• He was almost finished with Wild Math 2 and I decided to switch math programs.  I might regret it and switch him to Wild Math 3.  But he is showing a ton of potential in math and I switched him to something more challenging.  I ordered Singapore Math and I'm looking at Art of Problem Solving for later.  If he doesn't like Singapore, I will switch him back to Wild Math, but I'm going to bump him up to level 3.
• We played The Mathemagical Game

Science

• We read Underneath the Earth's Crust - this is the end of our earth science reading

Sonlight B (history, literature and Bible)

• The Ology
• Usborne Book of World History
• National Geographic poetry reader
• Babe, the Gallant Pig - read-aloud

Extras

• He rode his bike
• Wednesday night church activities

10th Grader

Bible

• Reading through Psalms

Math

• Mathusee Geometry

Grammar & Writing

• 10th Ultimate Grammar workbook (easy grammar)

Science

• The Stars: The Definitive Visual Guide
• Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities
• Following posts from UNT's Physics/Astronomy Department

History & Literature

• The Days of Elijah

Extras

• Choreographing a 1920's style dance for the ballet recital
• Practicing ukulele 
• Wednesday night church activities

Co-op/Enrichment Class Day: 3/21

 2nd Grader

• Sonlight Reading and Language Arts
• Wrote his spelling words
• He read his Sonlight reader
• Sonlight B (history, Bible and literature)
• Usborne Book of World History
• Babe, the Gallant Pig
• Karate class (outsourced)
• Reading his dyslexia reader at night

10th Grader

• She worked on her essay and typing it into MS Word
• Collaborative ukulele/guitar class (at enrichment center)
• Gymnastics (outsourced)

Homeschool Day: 3/20

 2nd Grader

Math

• We just played games with the math dice

Reading/Language Arts

• Reading Eggs
• He did several of the "driving tests" and a spelling test
• Reading his dyslexia reader at night (which is becoming a huge success)

Sonlight B (Bible, history and literature)

• The Ology
• Usborne Book of World History
• Kate and Mack
• National Geographic poetry reader
• Babe, The Gallant Pig

10th Grader

Technology/STEM

• 30 Days Lost in Space
• She worked on a gradient LED code 
• She spent a couple of hours on this

Writing & Grammar

• They Say, I Say (writing course with a friend)
• Essay editing
• She worked on writing another essay for ballet class

Extras

• Ballet class

Homeschool Day and More Ordering: 3/17

 2nd Grader

Wild Math 2

• We read Lemonade in Winter
• Counted coins again

Reading/Language Arts

• Handwriting without Tears
• He read his Dog on a Log reader (book 3)

Sonlight B (history, Bible and literature)

• Usborne Book of World History
• National Geographic poetry reader
• Babe, The Gallant Pig (read-aloud)

10th Grader

• She is seeing a professional ballet performance at Texas Ballet Theater
  

We also:

1. Signed up for summer basketball league
2. I made an order from Home Science Tools
1. Mammal organ dissection kit
2. DNA extraction kit
3. Bug magnifier
4. Pocket microscope
5. Butterfly kit (InsectLore)
6. Flower press
3. Made a trip to the library

Homeschool Day and Box Day: 3/16

 Today is Box Day!  We are expecting a huge box from Sonlight, including Sonlight C (world history 2), Algebra 2, the Hands-on History box that goes with HBL C. 

2nd Grader

Wild Math 2

• We read It's About Time (which was a bit too easy for him)
• We played Sleeping Queens (addition card game)
• We played Mexican Train Dominoes

Reading/Language Arts

• Sonlight Reading/LA
• We played Story Cubes
• He's reading his dyslexia reader at night before bed

Science

• Boy, Were We Wrong About the Weather
• Bird ID outside using the Merlin Bird ID app and the guidebook Birds of Texas (see below)

Sonlight B

• A Child's History of the World
• Babe

10th Grader

• Bird Photography - she used a DSLR camera to photograph birds and ID them
• Merlin Bird ID app (Cornell University).  We recorded bird calls and identified
• House Sparrow
• Eurasian-collared dove
• Northern mockingbird
• Great-tailed grackle
• American Robin
• Cliff Swallow
• House finch
• Great horned owl
• Cedar waxwing
• We used the book Birds of Texas to see pictures of each bird we ID'd

Schoolwork and Ordering What's Next: 3/13

 2nd Grader

Wild Math 2

• Worked on coins and telling time
• We read What's the Time, Mr. Wolf?
• Addition problems with carrying on dry erase board

Sonlight Reading/Language Arts

• Spelling words
• He read his reader
• Sight Word Bingo
• Narration

Sonlight B (history, literature and Bible)

• A Child's History of the World
• National Geographic poetry book
• Babe (new read-aloud)
• The Ology

Extras

• He played outside for hours

10th Grader

• Mathusee Geometry
• She went on a long hike along a lake (several miles)

*Ordering What's Next

• I placed my Sonlight order for HBL C (world history 2).  I also bought the Hands-on History kit that goes with C.
• I ordered the workbook for Mathusee Algebra 2 (since she is almost finished with geometry)
• I am making a giant Home Science Tools order
• Mammal organ dissection kit
• Brain
• Eye
• Heart
• Kidney (I think there's a kidney in the kit)
• DNA Extraction Kit
• Flower press
• Bug stuff for the 7 year-old
• Insect/butterfly net
• InsectLore butterfly/caterpillar kit
• Pocket Microscope (60X)
• Deluxe bug magnifier
• I think both kids are going to do about a stretch of Biology next
• We are finishing up everything in the next few weeks.  Finishing:
• Sonlight B
• Geometry
• Astronomy

Nature Walk, Amazing Bird IDs, Photography: 3/9

 The weather is too nice to do school inside.  

So we did:

• Nature walk
• We used the Merlin Bird ID app (from Cornell University) to identify birds on the walk.  We identified:
• Red-winged blackbird
• Northern Mockingbird
• Mourning Dove
• White-winged Dove
• Savannah Sparrow
• Great-Tailed Grackle
• American Robin
• Northern Cardinal
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Eastern Bluebird
• House Finch
• American Goldfinch
• It was an amazing assortment of birds we found today
• 10th grader brought her DSLR camera and did some photography
• 10th grader did Mathusee Geometry
• I finished the Sonlight read-aloud Word of Mouse with the 2nd grader
• Both kids have ballet classes today

Merlin Bird ID app

https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

This is just amazing.  It was put together by Cornell.  You press record and it listens for bird calls.  Within seconds, it tells you what species of bird is singing.

Homeschool Day 3/8

 2nd Grader

Wild Math 2

• We made clocks with sidewalk chalk
• Practiced telling time
• We played Math War (card game)

Reading/Language Arts

• Handwriting without Tears
• Sonlight Reading/LA
• Reading his dyslexia reader before bed

Sonlight B (history, Bible and literature)

• Usborne Book of World History 
• Word of Mouse

Extras

• Wednesday night church activities

10th Grader

Bible

• Reading through Psalms

Math

• Mathusee Geometry

Science

• Smithsonian's The Planets
• Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities

History & Literature

• Days of Elijah
• John Hersey's Hiroshima

Extras

• Practiced classical guitar
• Wednesday night church activities

Homeschool Day 3/7

 2nd Grader

Wild Math 2

• We played What Time is it, Mr. Fox and he just kept wanting to play that game FOREVER
• We did the activities on how to use a timer

Reading/Language Arts

• Reading Eggs
• He read his dyslexia reader

Science

• Tornadoes! by Gail Gibbons - this was a great book!

Sonlight B (history, Bible and literature)

• The Ology
• Kate and Mack
• A Child's History of the World
• Word of Mouse

10th Grader

Bible

• Reading through Psalms

Math

• Mathusee Geometry

Science

• Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities
• Smithsonian's The Planets

History & Literature

• The Days of Elijah

Extras

• Collaborative ukulele/guitar class (at enrichment center)

Homeschool Day 3/6

 2nd Grader

Wild Math 2

• Multi-digit addition practice on the dry erase board
• We read Snowflake Bentley
• We did some of the symmetry exercises

Reading/Language Arts

• Sonlight Reading/LA
• He's reading his dyslexia reader every night before bed

Science

• We read Dangerous Tornadoes (and literally saw one last Thursday)

Sonlight B (history, Bible and literature)

• Word of Mouse
• Usborne Book of World History
• National Geographic poetry reader

Extras

• He watched a live production of The Cat in the Hat at the college

10th Grader

• She worked on the writing course They Say, I Say with a friend
• 30 Days Lost in Space (circuitry and coding course from Inventr IO)
• Coding the light sensor and battery 
• This took a couple of hours, even though it doesn't look like a lot
• DuoLingo Korean
• Practiced Classical Guitar
• Typing practice
• Ballet class 
• Movie: Jesus Revolution (in theater)

Dog on a Log Decodable Books for Dyslexia

 Here's the link to their website: https://dogonalogbooks.com/picture-guide/

I can't say enough good things about these books.  My son is making so much reading progress lately and I really think it's because of these books.

The print is large and the pages are very minimalistic.  He doesn't get as distracted when he's reading these books and they are progressively decodable.  These books are wonderful.

Planning for 3rd and 11th, 2023-2024

 I'm starting to plan and purchase curriculum for the 2023-2024 school year.  Our theme this year is to cut down and keep it simple.  I would like to continue with lots of field trips, musical instruments, projects and try to get the 11th grader to do some volunteer work.  My plans are subject to change if necessary.

3rd Grader (age 8)

He will be a very young 3rd grader and we are struggling with probable dyslexia.

Math

• Wild Math 3

Reading/Language Arts

• Sonlight Reading/LA
• All About Spelling 
• Cursive - I might teach this without a curriculum

History, Bible and Literature

• Sonlight C World History 2
• Sonlight's Hands-on History Box

Science

• Apologia Zoology series
• Science box subscription: X-Workbox STEM 

Art

• Draw Write Now series

Outsourced Classes

• Piano 
• Intermediate Ballet I
• Karate
• Cub Scouts

11th Grader (age 15-16)

1. Mathusee Algebra 2
2. Unschooling everything else
3. Khan Academy SAT Prep (Jan 2024)
4. Driver's Ed (Aceable)

Outsourced Classes

• Teaching gymnastics
• Advanced ballet with Pointe & dance company
• Wednesday night church youth group

Homeschool Day 3/2

 2nd Grader

Wild Math 2

• We read the book Seeing Symmetry
• He did some multi-digit addition with carrying problems on the dry erase board

Sonlight Reading/Language Arts

• Plural
• Copywork
• He read his reader

Sonlight B (history, Bible and literature)

• A Child's History of the World
• Word of Mouse

Extras

• Ballet class
• He played outside for a couple of hours

10th Grader

Bible

• Reading through Psalms

Geometry

• She needed help with the algebra review section

Grammar & Writing

• Easy Grammar 10th Grade Ultimate series

Science

• Smithsonian's The Planets
• Wicked Plants: The Weed that Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities

History & Literature

• She read John Hersey's Hiroshima

Extras

• DuoLingo Korean
• Ballet class

We were finished with everything by 12:30 (yay!).

Homeschool Day 3/1: Oh, Happy Day (3rd scholarship letter came)

 2nd Grader

Wild Math 2

• Lines of Symmetry
• Drew shapes with sidewalk chalk and made lines of symmetry
• Multi-digit subtraction problems

Sonlight Reading/Language Arts

• Sight Word Bingo
• He read his reader

Sonlight B (history, literature and Bible)

• A Child's History of the World
• We added timeline figures
• The Ology
• National Geographic poetry book
• Word of Mouse

Extras

• He rode his bike outside for a couple of hours
• Wednesday night church activities

10th Grader

Bible

• Reading through Psalms

Geometry

• Mathusee Geometry

Science

• Smithsonian's The Planets
• Wicked Plants: The Weed that Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities

Literature & History

• The Days of Elijah

Extras

• She worked on a Korean book we got from the library
• She practiced classical guitar
• Wednesday night church activities

College Kids Update

• Oldest is transferring to a university and just received a third scholarship letter in the mail today.  It will basically be free to finish her Bachelor of Science