Peek at Our Week: February 6-10

After a couple of weird weeks of trying to get over a cold we were happy to be back to a normal schedule and on pace with our Heart of Dakota curriculum. So this week was as "normal" as our weeks get! We squish a full Heart of Dakota unit into 3 days. The girls work incredibly hard on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. On Wednesday they take a science class and still complete language arts and math. On Fridays we also complete language arts and math, but that is usually it. Starting this next week I'm hoping to incorporate some other more fun learning opportunities for them. We'll see how this goes!

Beth (4th grade): Creation to Christ Unit 3

Beth has settled in very quickly with the Creation to Christ guide. I'm not surprised as she has been with Heart of Dakota since preschool. Also watching her older sister work through the guides ahead of her gives her a nice idea of what to expect. For kids who are new to Heart of Dakota with this guide it will feel like a lot of work, but she is enjoying the challenges and mostly enjoying the independent nature. The one thing she said she misses is my reading history to her.  

(She collects Pandas! The 4 in the picture are just the tip of the iceberg!)

Beth is really enjoying the notebooking pages. They are so beautifully created! She is drawing a timeline entry here. We found for handwriting it is best to use Frixion Erasable pens on these pages. For drawing they sometimes use those or a pencil to begin and then use sharpies to fill in the color or outline. My girls have not had extensive art instruction, but Heart of Dakota encourages them early on to express themselves through art and all of them do a very nice job creating pictures. She did ask me to find a picture of a hand holding a heel for the timeline entry about Jacob and Esau. She couldn't quite figure out how to make that! 

Rose (6th grade): Resurrection to Reformation Unit 22

 

There is nothing quite as cozy as reading in Narnia! We redecorated the girls' room for Christmas last year as winter and spring Narnia. If you look closely at the stuffed animals on the bed you will see one that is a bit more alive than the others! One of the wonderful things about homeschooling is the freedom to study wherever is the most comfortable or least distracting. Rose and Beth like to study in their room and when the weather is nice outside because I'm still working so extensively with Grace. The quieter locations are preferred for them.

We are trying a different approach with math again. We aren't changing curriculum though as I'm very happy with both Master Book's Principals of Mathematics and Math Mammoth to supplement when needed. The trouble is mathematics is not my strongest subject. As we get to higher and higher levels I'm finding I struggle to remember all of the rules for various things so I am constantly looking things up to double check myself. My husband, on the other hand, absolutely loves math. He was planning to become a math teacher before he felt the call from God into ministry. So starting this week we are adjusting when Rose works on her math. She doesn't even touch it until the afternoon when he comes home from the office. So far this has been great for all concerned. I'm not worried about telling her something incorrect and it also saves us time during the day. Since Rose does not really look forward to math it is good for her to know she does not have to worry about it in the morning. 

 Grace (1st grade): Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory Unit 30

  When questioned about Grace's grade-level we always say, "1st grade," but in reality, a better answer would be, "Well, it's complicated." This is in reality true for all the girls because they are working at higher levels for the most part than grade-level expectations. It's the most true for Grace. She's working through 2 levels of 2nd grade math and is about half-way through with both. She's reading on a 5th grade level as well as beginning to write full stories, writes in cursive, and is learning formal grammar. All of these are typically not things children do until around 2nd grade. Such is the life of a homeschooler who is eager to learn. Still, she completes her work dressed as a princess and often has a stuffed animal on the desk or in her lap, because that is age-appropriate. What a beautiful thing to see her blossom academically, but remain the sweet young child she still is!

Sometimes she is no longer patient to wait on me to finish with one of her sisters before she begins reading her history. Since it is written at about a 3rd grade level this is no big deal for her until she comes upon a word of which she is unsure. When she was a little younger we used to call her our little dictionary because she would constantly ask what words meant that she did not know. Her vocabulary is quite varied and she still loves to learn new words. 

Math comes easily to Grace as well. We are completing two different curricula at her request: Math Lessons for a Living Education Level 2 and Math Mammoth 2nd grade. I cannot say no to this request and it doesn't take her too much extra time. She's typically finished with school 2 hours before her sisters anyway so having something a little extra to do is a great thing! 

How was your week? Leave a comment below and let me know!