your little world: part two

Kindergarden:

With 1/2 the school year behind us we have evaluated your progress and decided to step things up a little.
Rather than moving on to the first grade curriculum itself we have taken out some of the kindergarden redundancy and supplemented with materials that support the next level in each subject.

Science

While there isn't much of a science requirement at the kindergarden level we have added it to your schedule these past few weeks. We are currently learning about weather and weather related topics. You've been working with graphs and charts, both making and reading them. You have fallen in love with thermometers and want to take the temperature of everything and every space you can find. 

For the worksheet in the photo above your directions were to brainstorm eight things that are warm in temperature, and write a sentence using each word. I wrote your sentences down for you as you spoke them to me. It was the first time you have had to do that, and your sentences were a RIOT! I wrote the first (nice and innocent) sentence to give you an example. The following serious somewhat morbid sentences were all you! :) Too funny.


Reading and Writing


As for reading and writing, you are blowing us away! You have amazing comprehension.  
You have an incredible ability to retain information after only hearing it once (even when sometimes I'm completely sure you are not listening to me at all). That makes teaching you very easy for mama! 

A couple of new things we've added to your schedule are spelling and journal writing. 

You are so cute at spelling! I love hearing you say the word, spell it, then repeat the word. :)

I don't check or proof read your journal entries. That is for you to do how you'd like. But your Daddy and I do love to sneak a peek at it now and then to see what you've added. I never tell you what to write about. I only explained to you in the beginning that it is for you to look back on at who you were when you were five, and that you can write all about yourself. It is so sweet!

When I taught Jaymee how to read I never got to experience her growing past those beginning sound-it-out stages. Of course, she since has... I just don't get to see it like I do with you. 

You LOVE to read. Not so much as your cousin Nick, yet. But every night you lay in bed with BILLIONS of books at your side, reading and reading until you fall asleep with a book on your head. Just like I did when I was little. 

We've also made it a higher priority to learn the Spanish language, stepping away from your rosseta stone program and into reading, writing, and speaking it as part of your lessons everyday.

Math

Math is still your favorite easiest subject. You are in the third lesson of your second math-u-see book, Alpha. It is still a lot of review for you having just finished the Primer, but you enjoy it. I think the confidence boost of knowing the subjects as they come is good for you, too. 
You have mastered skip counting by 2s, 5s, 10s, and 100s, place values to the hundreds including reading numbers to 1,000, basic adding and subtracting, and telling time.


You have recently started to multiply on your own without ANY introduction or preparation for it. You will say things like, "what is three plus three plus three" and when I answer "nine" you will ask, so three three times is nine!


This is one of my favorite things about homeschooling. Being able to watch your learning appetite and feed you what you are ready for in your time.    

We recently looked into your random backwards writing (as seen at the bottom of the first page above with 12:30) to be sure it is still age appropriate and not signs of dyslexia. I knew that when four and five year olds write their numbers and letters backwards it is normal, but it's hard to believe that would be the case for you who has been writing for over two years now. Thankfully, it is about brain development and not where you are in your learning curve. 


Art

Your free art is wild and sweet and all you, but you haven't quite grasped and run with the program we are using (Monart) the way I expected. It is a little more structured and bossy than you like, but you pull it off. 
As always, it is like mommy therapy letting you have your very own creative little way in how you do things. :) I just have to walk away and let you be. I'm always amazed at the result. 

You have definitely taught me far more in art and creativity than I've taught you.

Jesus

Of course, we have "Bible study", devotions, prayer, worship, our gratitude journals, "walking with HIm"... but most impacting for all of us has been just living out our life in Christ together. Always talking to Him out loud, teaching about waiting on God's will, learning to listen to and obey Him, sharing our spiritual ups and downs, encouraging and helping each other to stay alert and aware of His constant presence and desire for us to love and serve Him with all we are. And when we mess it up, which we do all the time, you get to learn how gracious and forgiving our God is and always will be. 

We are proud of your schooling and the progress you've made. We love to page through your binders full of your work in each subject and see all that you've accomplished, and HOW YOU'VE GROWN! 

It's true that you are a smart guy, but it's your open and real approach to learning that makes it so much fun to work with you. I don't know if that's just an untainted age thing, a homeschooler thing, or your personality, but I love it! 

We are grateful everyday (even the tough ones) that we have this opportunity to be a homeschooling family. 

God is good! :)