Thursday, January 27, 2011

Things have gone well this week! We are finally getting back to Reading/ Writing Workshop, and our work has been taking right at three hours each day (not including R/W Workshop).

Joel learned about the Erie Canal and Oregon Trail this week. I have really enjoyed doing additional research about these things online. There is a group in NY actively working to preserve what's left of the original Erie Canal. Entire parts of it have been lost, leaving these researchers to speculate about where the original canal went. Parts of the original tow path are now greenways, where residents exercise on actual paths used by the tow animals/ workers.







Homeschooling has spawned some new obsessions interests for me: dry erase makers and index cards.

 I write out the boys' assignments on index cards for each work box for the day. They check off their assignments and then I continue on the same card for the week. We also make flashcards for vocabulary and Bible concepts. Jason is using them to make cards for the West African countries he is studying. I have bought every kind there is (colored, lined, unlined, multi-colored lines, etc.) Joel uses dry erase markers for math and grammar each day because I save paper by putting a page protector over the original copy. He writes on the page protector saving me from making a copy and enabling me to keep the original pristine in hopes of reselling it later. A great thing that happened to me this week was getting my Bic teacher's kit in the mail:

Yes, I was very excited to get permanent markers, three diffent colors of writing pens, mechanical pencils, gel pens, and of course, dry erase markers (and a new eraser and cleaner!!). This kit is worth $60, but sold for $20 and I had a free $10 credit through  Groupon : ). Happiness= school supplies in the mail. I am easy to please. Sometimes.

Today we were reviewing our Bible stories and I had them write the answers to the review questions on mini chalkboards and hold them up. They did so much better this way and it went quickly. I felt like a teacher of a one-room schoolhouse (I am fascinated by them).  And the boards were only $1 at Dollar Tree!!

(Jason has to eventually turn everything into a joke......)

Finally, I am relieved to be able to say that Joel is still extremely excited about learning cursive. He is doing better than I ever expected. I can't believe I put this off and dreaded it so much!

Homeschooling is keeping me learning, and giving me new surprises each day.