Posted by: Dandy in Home School, family on
Apr 01, 2009
Ethany passed her level at swimming today!! She now moves into Marlin's which she is very excited about. It sees the end of pre-school swimming and she will now go with the 'big' school kids for swimming. Unfortunately for me that means another trip to the pool each week for after school or weekend swimming. At this stage I think we will go with a weekend class as our schedule during the week is full enough and really I want to be spending a little more time at home ramping up for when Ethany turns 5.
I'd like to get a little more writing out of her on a daily basis before things really step up for the 5yo year. Today I introduced a scrapbook which can be used as a journal. Draw a picture, write a sentence. Today she drew and rainbow, with sky, clouds, sun and kite. Her sentence read "this is a rainbow." She got the period at the end but not the capital at the start but for a first go I was very impressed. We did discuss the spelling of the words as she wrote them because she likes to get it right.
Math wise she amazed me today. She knows how to work out her math facts using manipulatives or fingers (prof B/RS kind of way) but she hasn't had them memorised. Well today she had quite a few of them down. She was having so much fun with them she had me quiz her while she was taking her bath. I think now that she is doing multi digit addition with regrouping she is seeing the need to get the other facts down. She is enjoying that challenge so rising to the occasion. I can't get over how well she visualises things.
Xavier had a good swim today. Even the Mum's and Dad's who sit on the side commented how well he did today which is great. The other little boy in his class is very encouraging which is soooo nice. Imogen had a blast also. She has worked out how to hold her breath without you having to blow on her face now and is really enjoying the free fall off the matt into the water.
The kids started listening to Roald Dahl's Matilda this afternoon and that had Ethany in stitches. It has been a while between trip to the library for more audio so they are enjoying this new one.
Posted by: Dandy in Home School, family on
Mar 31, 2009
Well today was a big day at our house. Xavier had his first official day of school, lol. He has been participating with Ethany's lessons since we started HSing but now he has things to do of his very own. He has his own school books, own tasks and his own special 1 on 1 time with Mum snuggling on the couch reading a book.
He did really well today. Not that much changed for him except I guess there was a little more structure for him whereas it has been a free-for-all for him up to this point. We touched on counting today and he has lacked 1 to 1 correspondence for quite some time and has only been rote counting but, today, he got it. Something has clicked with him. We counted people and when I said can you please give me 4 people he did just that. Counted out 4 people and handed them to me. We repeated with a few other numbers too. That is quite a milestone in math land.
A simple test for 1 to 1 correspondence is to count a group of items touching (naming) each one. Then ask the child to hand you a quantity, say 5. Did they hand you the item that you names 5? or did they hand you 5 items?
I have ordered the balance of his books so should have them in the next week or so. The only thing left to purchase are the wedgits and then his curriculum is all set for the rest of his 3yo year. I can't tell you how great that feels!
Posted by: Dandy in Home School, family on
Mar 27, 2009
Today we got a backyard, lol!
Seriously we have had a yard since moving into this house last August but we have had no fencing so whenever the kids want to go out we have to go with them. Today we got a side fence and wings at the side of the house so now we have a contained, child proof backyard. The kids can now go out whenever they like. So very exciting that they can have some freedom back. I can't believe we have about 600 square m of backyard, WOW!
On another note, doesn't time fly! I can't believe it has been over a week since I last blogged. Not a lot has happened on the school front, we have been really busy with plenty of outings and such. On the home front we have decided to put all the kids into one bedroom so we can use the other room as a school room come play room. Today we put together the bunk bed for Ethany and Xavier and we are hoping over the next month to move Imogen into a bed also. Xavier's old room will require some cleaning out as we still have boxes in there from the move but once that is done it will be a fab spot for school and play. Good things on the horizon!
Posted by: Dandy in Nature Study, Home School, family on
Mar 19, 2009
and the animals LOVE them!
These two bob tails followed Xavier and Imogen all around their enclosure trying to get through the glass to the kids.
We are really really enjoying A to Zoo run by Perth Zoo. This term we have been studying African Animals. Next term we will be studying Asian Animals. It is our highlight of the week!
Posted by: Dandy in Home School, family on
Mar 17, 2009
The minute the kids feet hit the floor this morning they were asking which task they could work on. Gosh, how things change in only a few days! I did make them wait until they had completed their morning routine before starting.
Ethany set to work on a 'teens' board. She had to put an x in the correct number of boxes to show numbers from 11 - 19. After that she worked on making numbers using dice, popsticks and a notebook. First she rolled the tens, showed that with bundled popsticks, then she rolled the ones and showed that with single popsticks then she wrote the number in the notebook and announced it. She enjoyed it very much!
Later in the day she worked on odd and even numbers using counters and also completed some Explode the Code.
Xavier worked on an odd one out puzzle which was quick and easy, he had no problem identifying all of the odd things and telling me why that was so. He worked on various things throughout the day, but nothing really grabbed him today. He started and stopped several tasks several times. He also worked on some Before the Code in the afternoon.
Imogen got the giggles, pulling faces, running around the table pulling stuff out of the draws in my desk which she has now discovered she can open.
We had a very successful day at swimming today. Xavier did require LOTS of encouragement but he swam well with his new goggles, thanks L family! He actually swam so well he was awarded his very first certificate for swimming unassisted with arm floats, yeah Xavier!! Ethany also came home with a certificate for completing a torpedo with kick board.
Oooh, we also scored some goodies in the Spotlight sale!
Posted by: Dandy in Home School, family on
Mar 15, 2009
Today was not a school day however, as we have been so busy this last week I decided to mix things up a little and worked out a few tasks for the kids to work on throughout the day. They were montessori inspired. The kids had a blast and were asking for more so tonight I will be looking for some new things to incorporate into school tomorrow.
One of Ethany's tasks was the dozen game pictured above. I gave her the bottom of an egg carton with 12 spots, enough dried kidney beans for the correct number per spot and 12 cards numbered 1 - 12. She worked on this task for quite some time.
Xavier worked on pouring twice during the day. He just loved it declaring at the end of the day this had been his favorite task. I provided him with a glass jug half filled with dried kidney beans and a tea cup. Ethany really struggled with this one and didn't enjoy it. I think she has trouble with depth perception.
We also worked with spindle cups. I had some styrofoam cups that I numbered then provided the appropriate number of popsticks for the cups. Xavier worked with 5 cups and Ethany with 10. Xavier said this was the hardest task for him. Whilst he can count he is lacking 1 to 1 correspondence so we are working on that.
Other activities included ordering straws and blocks smallest to tallest, playing with complements of 10 in a block puzzle, jigsaw puzzles and a patterning game. Over the course of the day the kids would have worked at these tasks solidly for 2.5 hours without one single complaint! It was a WOW day, a WOW moment! We will be incorporating more of these tasks into our day to day schooling from this moment on. Originally I had wanted to send the kids to Montessori school, I am not sure what made me look away from this concept, maybe I thought Monti was not achievable to the same extent at home. It certainly is, I think we have found our home.
Posted by: Dandy in Home School, family on
Mar 14, 2009
We all had a long day today. We visited our new eye Dr and she was lovely. The appointment took just over 2 hours and unfortunately for Ethany the patching will continue and probably be stepped up in 2 months time. The appointment was VERY thorough, more so than the other Dr we have been seeing.
This Dr has found that not only is she long sighted but she also has an astigmatism which will now be treated too. We are back to the optical dispenser tomorrow to have the lenses in all her glasses changed over. I wonder what difference she will notice?
Needless to say, no school work today. I'm not bothering with a weekly report this week. We have had so much going on that school has really been on the back burner.
Posted by: Dandy in family on
Mar 13, 2009
Tomorrow we visit a new ophthalmologist for Ethany. She would love to be told no more glasses ever, but we know that isn't a reality. I just hope we can get a better insight into her condition. She is hopeful that we will no longer have to patch everyday which she HATES!
I really have my fingers crossed that this Dr is a good communicator and is happy to answer all of my questions and gives answers that I can understand. It is sad to say that the last one was not good at communicating.
School wise we are having a light week. Today Ethany completed some Explode the Code, a few reading lessons (I think we are up to L95), we learnt a new song "Make Your Own Kind of Music" from Sing 2009 which the kids all loved. Imogen was dancing to the music, very cute!
Posted by: Dandy in family on
Mar 11, 2009
Today we laid to rest a very dear friend, a surrogate Grandfather if you like. I will share a funny story he shared with me when Ethany was just a baby.
"We only had 32 nappies for the twins so they had to be washed everyday. I decided one Saturday morning to help IB out and wash the nappies. She told me to add just a tiny bit of starch as that helps to fold them. I went and lit the copper, put in all the nappies, washed them well, put them through the wringer and hung them out to dry, it was a few hours work. Later in the day I noticed the nappies swinging on the line, not flapping in the breeze. They were as stiff as a board, too much starch. IB was furious, and I had to wash them all over again. So much for being helpful!"
CSB we never had the opportunity to properly thankyou for the guitar you brought Xavier for Christmas. If he ever makes the big time I know the first album will be dedicated to you. Thankyou!
Thankyou for the awesome holiday in Cairns some years ago, thankyou for allowing me to spread my wings when I housesat your place, thankyou for offering your support when the going got tough at the range, thankyou for being my Dad's best friend!
We will all miss you always!!
Posted by: Dandy in family on
Mar 11, 2009
Please excuse my lack of posting for the last two days. If the stars are not perfectly aligned we don't get any internet, grr. With no phone lines into our VERY old house we rely on wireless internet and being on the outer edge of 'the zone' makes for some unhappy moments at the computer!
And it seems like the venting wont end there this evening, please excuse my rambling.
To the swimming teacher - When you spend all week encouraging and geeing up your son to attend swimming lessons in a happy disposition don't shoot him down!
We have been working VERY hard at overcoming Xavier's fear of water. He has cried and screamed to get out many times since starting swimming at the beginning of the year. About 2 weeks ago Ethany was awarded a Merit Certificate for great effort at swimming. Xavier was in awe so we used this as a motivator for him. If you don't cry during your lesson and work really hard, maybe you too can earn a Merit. I mentioned that to his teacher last week. Today he worked really, really hard. He squashed that fear, never cried and participated quite well in the class. At the end after he got out he went to his teacher and asked "Did I earn a certificate today?" and she cut him down saying "No". She broke his little heart. He came to me crying his heart out. He worked so VERY hard to swim well for her and himself to earn a reward, a Merit. To make matters worse Imogen earned her very first certificate today. I know next week is going to be tough, sigh.
