Learning Log #28 (Mar 19th - 23rd)

This week I thought I'd share what our morning schedule typically looks like.  I don't usually report on that, since it's not on our My Tech High list of things to do.  

Our goal, each morning, is to have everyone read from their scriptures before school starts.  The older kids either read or listen to a chapter, while the younger two watch scripture stories.  

Once school starts we start with a prayer and for our devotional we leave it open to share something we've learned from our personal scripture study that morning.  Anyone can share, or not share, as we feel inclined.  A day hasn't passed that someone hasn't shared something that has led to a discussion on it's own.  It's been a great way to do a devotional for us.  :)

Right after our devotional we work on memorizing a poem or a scripture.  This week the kids finished memorizing, and then passed off, The Swing, by Robert Louis Stevenson.  The kids earn money, depending on how perfectly they memorize.    

After working on our memorization, we learn and practice 5 more ASL signs.  The kids were pretty impressed with themselves this week when they realized that they knew enough words to sign along to many primary songs that they already knew.  They didn't realize how many words they have accrued.  Five words a day add up!That's our typical morning.  Not every morning goes well, but this is what we aim to do.
Onward!    

Math
KEIRA learned some more about factoring, and did story problems to practice.
GARRETT learned more about multiplication this week.  He did some story problems, and practiced some fact families.
LIBBY continued to practice multi-digit addition, and played around with some complex pattern making this week.
WILLIAM read a book about adding and subtracting 1s, and practiced doing that.


ELA (English Language Arts)
KEIRA finished reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory this week.  She noted that it was more similar to the newer version with Johnny Depp, than the older version, but the Oompa Loompas were different in the book from both movie versions.
GARRETT started reading Fantastic Mr Fox this week.  He found the short chapters encouraging, and enjoyed starting this book.
LIBBY enjoyed reading some beginning reader books about Harry Houdini and Betsy Ross this week.  She also decided to copy some of the memorizations she's done this year into her notebook.
WILLIAM continued reading from his Little Readers set this week.  He's got his eye on the prize (a LEGO set for finishing this large 70 book set!).  He chooses to read as many as he can each day, and he's making fabulous progress in his proficiency!

For Geography this week we learned our exact address in the universe, did an overview of Asia, and chose countries to study.  The kids chose different countries that they'd like to study, and then we went to the library and checked out books about them to reference from home for the next few weeks.  Keira will be learning more about China, Garrett chose to learn more about Japan (because of the Ninja connections), Libby chose to learn about India, and William wants to know more about the country his Dad lived in; South Korea.  After choosing their countries they traced maps and added them to their notebooks.  They're excited for each country they chose!  :)  It's helpful that Mom has been to India and China, and that Dad has been to South Korea.  Now we'll have to find someone who has been to Japan that can give some personal experience about that, for Garrett.  So fun!


Piano is going great still.  We no longer have funds for it, so we babysit at our house 4 times a week, and the kids use that money to pay for their lessons.  I make sure they do most of the work, while I supervise, and have them personally give physical money to their teacher.  I want them to really feel the consequence of working hard for their lessons, and feel that reward for being able to hand over hard-earned money to their teacher.  Hopefully this will give them both the benefit of music lessons, AND the invaluable lesson of hard work for something worth while.  They're enjoying the lessons with their teacher, and will have a concert soon to show off their skills.

At the end of the week, we enjoyed going to the Discover Gateway Museum for a field trip.  The kids liked playing with the helicopter/hospital set up the most.  I think the older kids are starting to out-grow museums like this, though.  :(  Sad day.