Selecting Literature

So we go to the bookstore, and Almond asked if she could get a book... I say, "sure, but you know I need to approve...go and find a few and I'll help you choose." We own many classics in paperback, but she said she wanted to find a hard back so it would be her special collection. So, she comes back and I'm thinking to myself, "I hope she doesn't pick that fairy princess series all the girls at ballet are reading..." Her picks...Alice in Wonderland, The Secret Garden, Wind in the Willows, and A Little Princess! Need I say more? ;D

Free Audio Books

Somehow, I totally forgot about Librivox.org... Duh! Free mp3 files of our favorite books...they have most books that are in the public domain. I was surprised to find just about all of my read aloud titles there! Last night we finished the last few chapters of The Wizard of Oz and and started The Secret Garden. So easy!!!

Oink!

Yes, the H1N1, or "swine" flu hit our house! Kids have been sick at different intervals the last 2 weeks... Luckily, I didn't get it, and am hoping to stay healthy despite my lack of sleep! =) We're really feeling lazy, especially with holidays coming up...we normally start to slow down about now. Hopefully we'll be healthy again soon and get back on track!

Monthly Learning Report-October

Family Read Aloud


PISTACHIO
Language Arts

Literary Devices—flashback, characterization, setting, plot, prediction
Vocab from literature
Writing-persuasive essay
Grammar-helping verbs (parsing and diagramming)

Math
Teaching Textbooks Algebra 1, Lessons 23-36
Solving equations, undoing equations, undoing with division, more than 2 operations, solving with 2 unknowns, invisible coefficients

Science
What is Earth Science?
Scientific Process
Measurement and Laboratory Skills
Views of the Earth
Erosion
Erosion
Weathering
Human Impacts on Erosion
Water Erosion
Deposition
Coastal Erosion
Applying Knowledge: Real Life Examples
Ocean
Water Cycle
Reefs
Origin of the Oceans
Ocean Floor

History
War of Independence
Declaration of Independence

Physical Education
Pop Warner Football

Music
Electric Guitar, private lessons
Solo techniques, song-Canon Rock

ALMOND

Language Arts




Oral narration, written narration (4 sentences), dictation, vocabulary from literature
Grammar-object pronouns (me, you, him, her, it us, them), possessive pronouns (my, mine, your, yours, its, his, her, hers, our, ours, their, theirs), nouns—singular and plural; using “have” and “has”




Writing-friendly letter, persuasive letter, organizing thoughts and ideas

Handwriting-cursive letters (upper and lower case) G,H,I. Review of letters B, F

Spelling/Phonics-words ending in silent “e” such as cable, fable, gable, sable, stable, cradle, ladle, maple, staple, beetle, feeble

Math
Money—value of $10 bill, $5 bill, $1 bill, 50 cent piece, quarter, dime, nickel, penny; counting money; dollars and cents, adding/subtracting with word problems

Multiplication facts for 2, 5, 3

Telling Time—hour hand, minute hand, writing time, reading time, saying the time

Review of triple digit addition/subttaction with regrouping

Math Fun on Multiplication.com and Fun 4 the Brain

Science
Astronomy
The Sun
-center of the universe, millions of miles away, made of heat and gas
-why you shouldn't stare at the sun
-revolve and rotate, day and night
-solar flares and sun spots
-what color is the sun?
-Light waves, how we see color

Equine Science, level 1 (horseback riding)
saddling, mounting the horse, gate safety, riding techniques: walking, jogging, dismount, horse face markings, leg markings

Social Studies
The Pledge of Allegiance
King Alfred
The Vikings

Geography— location of continent Europe and countries of Spain, England, Germany, Italy, France, Denmark

PE/Fine Arts
Ballet, level 2
Rehearsal for upcoming Nutcracker production. Cast as a "party boy" and "school rat"

PEANUT

Reading lots of books!



Alphabet Books



Lapbooks for A, B, C

Counting Books

Games to learn/review numbers 1-10, Go Fish, matching, Sorry (using plain cards)
Starfall.com

Fine Arts
Ballet, pre-ballet 1
Rehearsal for Nutcracker, cast as a "Santa Helper"

ALMOND and PEANUT
Poetry

"A Thought"
"At the Sea-Side"
"The Swing"

"Autumn" by John Claire
"Harvest Sunset" by Carl Sandburg
"Trees" by Joyce Kilmer

Nature Study

We've spent at least a few hours each week just being outside. Our focus was on different trees, bark, leaves, shapes, colors, and seed pods (acorns, pine cones, etc...)
Nature Journal drawings

Books




Art
watercolors
Peanut's Picasso reproduction (this is me!) lol


Almond's flower