Week in Review: February 25 - March 1

We had a routine week and things went smoothly. Nothing spectacular happened, but for me that makes a good week. I did finally get around to finishing up a few decorations and photographing our updated schoolroom!

I also had three different reviews from TOS Review Crew to post. We have had so much fun reviewing for the Crew! This week I posted reviews for Lone Star Learning's Greek and Latin roots cards, Abraham's Journey (an e-book from Inspiring the American Dream), and Going to College and Paying for it Online Video and Workbook from College Common Sense.

We also celebrated my birthday...sort of! I'm a Leap Year kid...yes really! So my sweet family spoiled me for a couple of days with a breakfast of donuts, a Starbucks chai tea latte, an ice cream cake from Marble Slab, lunch at Firehouse, a new patio set, and a pile of sweet homemade birthday cards (personally, my favorite part!).

Now on to our week filled with learning!

Little Hands to Heaven: Unit 14

We had so much fun with this unit! All of the girls got involved and really made Grace feel so special. They wholeheartedly participated in each of her drama and Bible activities which not only enhanced her learning, but also built their relationship. On one day Grace pretended to be the king and she told all of their friends (Clifford, Hello Kitty, Minnie Mouse, etc.) what to do...because kings can tell people what to do!

They also marched around following a pretend Ark of the Covenant singing praises to God just like King David did! We didn't delve into the fact that no one was supposed to actually touch it and so Grace carried it as they marched. 

As always Grace loved all of the book work she completed. It is getting harder and harder to keep her happy during lessons because she cries as soon as her work is completed! She has been talking about wanting to read recently so we may start formal reading lessons soon. Her sisters learned when they were three and a half or four years old so I'm confident she will do great if she's maintains interest. I'm just going to wait for now, but I'm ready whenever she is! 

Little Hearts for His Glory: Unit 20

Beth loves school. She excels in every area and I'm finding it hard to challenge her. She continues to do very well in spelling although she gets frustrated when her letters aren't exactly like she thinks they should be. Sometimes she likes to decorate her letters which takes a little too much time, but she does a beautiful job. 

She immensely enjoys the dramatic role play in Little Hearts for His Glory and really gets into the acting! One of her favorites this week was acting out the actions of a slave like Saint Patrick would have done in Ireland. I think she was carrying a bucket of water in this picture.

One of her new favorite activities is her weekly word ladders. I purchased this e-book for $1 from Scholastic and I print 1 page a week. She usually does this all at once and is building her critical thinking skills as well as reinforcing spelling. She gets so excited about these simple pages and I love to see her love learning so much. 

Bigger Hearts for His Glory: Unit 22

Rose loves participating with her sisters. At first I wasn't sure if it was best because I didn't want to take away from her younger sisters' learning experience, but she has learned to let them take the lead and be a bit more of a follower rather than always the leader which is also a good lesson. She does a great job reading so I had her read the Bible story again before we did any acting out to remind the girls what we were learning.

Bible memorization has never been difficult for Rose. She easily memorizes long passages and typically has her weekly verses memorized within 2 days. I really appreciate how the Heart of Dakota curriculum gently introduces Bible study to my young girls in a way which feels natural and not forced. Rose is beginning to understand more about the Scriptures she reads and also apply it to her life. She will often quote a verse memorized from her lesson or Awana with appropriate application.

Here is my studious girl taking a grammar test from Rod and Staff. I know testing is controversial in homeschooling circles, but assessment is crucial for my benefit of knowing if they understand the material. It is also good practice for Rose who tends to get nervous about tests. I have more opportunities to tell her I just want her to do her best, not be perfect.

Thanks for stopping in to see about our week! I hope yours went well too!