January In ReviewIn order to bring the joy back into our homeschooling journey I have switched to a six weeks on and one week field trip schedule. This allows me to plan six weeks of work and a week to be off enjoying what it means to homeschool. Also it allows me to add or alter lessons based on the progress of the pervious six weeks.
So far is it working very well because I print the weeks schedule out in advance. He knows what we have to do and I leave enough time in the schedule to follow what I call “Popcorn Subjects”. Subjects that just POP into your schooling adventure that beg to be investigated.
Co-Op
Co-op is going well new year we will be looking for something in the area of two or three days a week.
Bible and Character Building
January we studied the concept of Self Control with Studio 252 as well has studying his T&T AWANA book. Our memory verse for the month was .
Our big self control challenge was building a tower out of our favorite candy (gum drops) without eating them. It was fun to work together and talk about what it means to have self control.
We also talked about how to bring self control into our daily lives through prayer and practice.
Science
We are wrapping up our study of the human body with the Digestive and Nerverous System with an introduction Genes.
Our primary resource is R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey Life program with additional information from Usborne Science Encyclopedia.
We used resources from Bill Nye as our video portion.
It was fun to discover just how long the digestive track is in the average human.
We had a lot of fun doing the bar chart of reaction time of catching a ruler.
Music
This month we studied Mozart. Again we used Classics for kids as our resource along with books from the library and Brain Pop.
Our local classical radio station celebrates Mozart's birthday all month long playing every piece of Mozart music available. It was great to see his eyes light up as we drove around town to our different errands as he recognized a music concept or just enjoyed the music.
Next months goal is to attend an actual concert and find a percussion class.
Art
Epic Fail on art this month. We were suppose to finish Leonardo Di vinic but art kept getting moved to the back burner. I need to find a more interactive outlet for art.
Math
We have finally breached the walls of double borrowing and multiplication. He loves it. We are using Mammoth Math and Teaching Textbooks 4. TT is only one day a week when we have a lot of outside activities. He see it as a reward.
Handwriting
I decided we need to review some basic concepts of HWOT but did not want to take him back to the “ baby” books in his words. We found a good bridge in the form of HWOT's Can-Do Print. It is recommended for 5 th graders but it fits our needs and he loves the Greek and Latin elements.
Product Description:
Can-Do Print is for fifth graders or older students who prefer print to cursive, but still need practice.
Students receive a quick, thorough review of printing.
Practice pages reinforce other language arts lessons (grammar, Greek/Latin roots).
Printing skills are used to write paragraphs, poetry, plays, autobiographies, and thank-you notes.
So once a week we do cursive and the other days we do CDP.
History
This month has been a study in Roman for SOTW. He finally got his question answered about the tow children on the front of the SOTW Volume 1 book. We will be focusing more on the time in in February.
I finally broke down and bought Sonlight LA for Grade 3. Simply because nothing else worked and we fast approaching boredom with LA. It has some good elements but it is still not as exciting or challenging as FIAR. The components are not holding his interest and the stories either bore him or depress him.
So I will be using it as a spine and incorporating BYFIAR into our six weeks schedule.
He still loves Worldly Wise 3 and at this rate might finish it by April which is when I will begin All About Spelling.
So we just got back from running errands, so it is Quiet Time in house. Ironhide has the option to color, read a book or create crafts. He decides to pull out his AWANA manual just to read. Then he gets his bible to look up scripture passages they are discussing in that section because he says he wants to understand lineage of Timothy in 2 Timonthy. THEN he pulls out a notebook and starts making notes about it "kinda like the Jesse tree mom." 
We awoke and had pancakes while discussing our day. The expectation was set with the following sign.
During the summer we started the day with breakfast while watching an hour of TV. That's right breakfast was over an hour long. An hour for breakfast is not a great way to start a homeschooling day.
Then we completed two chores and sat down at our new IKEA desk to begin our daily devotional. This desk is setup up stairs looking out a window so he has plenty of sun light and is not distracted by the kitchen, frig, TV or couches. The table is adjustable so he always has an age approiate writing surfaces. It even tilts so he have a drafting desk.
Week 1 Summary
Bible
We are disussing Luke and the story of Jesus this month.
Math
We are using Mammoth Math. During the summer we completed at least one page everyday of math. It is easier to start back when you have been practicing all summer. The first day Ironside completed three full pages without a single prompt and was signing while doing his work. GOAL!
Science
At his request we have been studying storms and natural disasters for the first week of science. This is because in the week before school we experienced an earthquake and the edges of Hurricane Irene. As an adult I was shaken so just imagine what a child feels with these events so close together. I used science to discuss his fears and give him pro-active plans for living through a diaster.
Our resources were:
Flash, Crash, Rumble and Roll (An old favorite.)
We also discussed how God has a plan, a big picture which we do not have access to but he promises it is all for our good.
History
Field trip to Newusem and MLK memorial.
Fine Motor
These activties were a lot of fun and a great way to get warmed up for handwriting.
Physical Education
Martial Arts
It was a good week but we did not see a lot of friends because they were either sick or still on vacation or started public school. Social time will pick up next week with the return of homeschool activties.
Blessings,
Georg Philipp Telemann
Back row (L-R): Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik. Front row (L-R): Michael J. Smith, Francis "Dick" Scobee, Ronald McNair.
We look forward someday to seeing Endeavour in CA when it is retired later this year. Discovery is bound for the Smithsonian and the National Air and Space Museum at the same time and we will be in the opening day crowds.
