Ah, October in Indiana! Our Fall Schedule
Posted By Jacque on October 9, 2006
… leaves are changing, combines are pulling in the last crops of beans and corn, and we are into our 2nd month of homeschooling.
Our day starts off with breakfast and reading the Bible. We are currently on Genesis, Ch. 14. We are reading about Abram and Sarai. We just got to where Lot chooses what part of Canaan he wants and leaves. We are reading at least 3-4 chapters each morning.
The girls are responsible for copying work from some selections. I have read about the idea of dictation, and will be putting that into practice also. Copywork is not new to me, in the fact that Amanda did a lot of copywork from the board in 1st and 2nd grade, but I have just in the past couple of years found a new sense of appreciation for its value. I had not heard of dictation before, but love the idea of strengthening their listening ability, as well as their ability to focus on a subject. I always had a hard time with focusing in a class when I was in school.
Then we study The Mystery of History II. This volume is based on the time period from the Early Church to the Middle Ages. We are in Acts, reviewing Paul’s conversion. The chapters are short and include Bible verses. At first it seemed too basic for the older girls, but there have already been a few facts that we didn’t know! It is rather simple and basic in its instruction, but has plenty of good information, which is good when teaching 4-5 different ages! There are also projects and worksheets/quizzes/tests in the book.
We will be alternating the history time and the science time, with a 30m science reading.
We take a snack break around 10:30.
I work on Math with the oldest 4 while the youngest 3 color or otherwise are occupied. I am going to start 2 days of 30m. instruction for each ‘age’, and see how that works. I have not yet found a ’schedule’ that accomodates all of them, without it taking several hours for math – which is too taxing, even for me! I will work with whatever is needed, as I know there will be more instruction needed some days than others.
We are working Hebrew in. Yikes! I have found an online site that will teach the basics, and that seems like a good intro. We are learning the letters and their names first, as well as the vowel pointings, called the nikkudot. I worked on the intro and first lesson, explaining it to Rachel, and she was interested, and could follow what I was doing a bit. I did go to Microsoft and download the hebrew font, so it would be easier to make up worksheets and such. The only thing is that Hebrew is written and read in reverse of English, but typing it up on the keyboard types it forward, like English. At least I won’t have to draw them for now!
Jocelyn was happy to see you could download fonts from online. I have a feeling I will soon be seeing Tolkien’s “Runes” on my word processor!
Lunch is around noon, and the girls are working very well with the schedule I set up for them. I made teams of 3, and a team captain. We started it last week, and switched teams a bit this week. I had to leave a couple of children together, as they need to work on their love for one another! I told them they will be on the same team until that happens. I hope it won’t be too long! It really isn’t too much, they just really get onto each other a lot, and I know they don’t realize it sometimes.This works for now.
So, one team gets lunch prepared while the other team occupies the Littles outside – while the weather is still nice.
After lunch, we dive into Grammar. We are using Simply Grammar and Easy Grammar. They will be working on Grammar and Spelling./Vocab alternatively. The vocabulary for the girls is to write out and study 10 words each week from the book, The Words You Should Know, by David Olsen.
I have hoped to squeeze in a nap or 2 when Caleb is napping, but that hasn’t happened lately! I am keeping up on my vitamins and eating healthy, though! It sure does help, when you have so much to do!
The older girls each have a research assignment for this month, so they will have time in the afternoon to work on those.
Dinner is started, if needed, around 3:30, as well as team captains checking on rooms and chores. The Littles get to go outside again or color or be read to.
I need to select a book – I am sure I will have many requests – to read before or after dinner. Jocelyn has been reading her novel to me, and I am just flabbergasted.I cannot believe how she has come up with the storyline and the characters… it is truly humbling. She was reading a letter written in her book from one character to another, and as she read it, she started to tear up… she couldn’t believe it, but it was a heart-wrenching part, and it was so real. I have just fallen in love with these characters! so, that has been fun for her and for me!
Something we worked into homeschooling a couple of years ago, that I need to work in again is a day of scrapbooking. The girls have done so well on keeping their albums current; they were even helping me with the Littles’ albums. I have several rolls of film to develop, too!!
Another October occurrence in our family is Amanda’s birthday. Soon she will be 17! Where does the time go? It is amazing and sad at the same time! We are busy planning something special, and I hope she can make up her mind what she wants to do for her special day! She wants a horse, and we are planning to get one in the Spring, Lord willing!
I have a feeling that after the mild summer we have had, the winter will be hard! We will have 2 goats kidding in March, a new baby in March/April, and I thought it best to wait on that horse until Spring! We will see what the Lord has in store!
Well, there is a little catching up of our homeschool lives for now! I hope that you are blessed and at peace as you teach yours!
blessings,
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