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Archive : November 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
No more homeschool blog
I've decided to not blog homeschool stuff anymore. I'm really, really tired of it. I'm having monumental issues with homeschool at the moment as we are kind of suspended in a sort of twilight world between the National Curriculum and Waldorf (2 more contrasting styles of education you couldn't possibly meet!!) I'm going to introduce certain elements of Waldorf to bring more storytelling, gentleness and art into homeschooling (for example I'm making the gnomes so that April can use them when we're doing maths). On the whole though, I'm going to stick with what we were doing before. Been doing it too long to start making radical changes now and, to be honest, I'm too tired to.
The blog thing. Well, I've been blogging homeschooling for 5 years and I think it's just run it's natural course. Still going to write over on my day-to-day blog, just can't be bothered to document every bit of homeschool work we do any more.
Also, not going to be making any new materials (Montessori and general materials). I need to start organising my time better and I've realised that I spent an awful lot of time sitting in front of the computer making new things. I want to free up some time for better things (art, crafts, cooking, reading ....)
So, at least from here, this is the end. You can catch me over on the NOT homeschool blog if you want but it isn't always fluffy and cute like the homeschool blog, I don't write about homeschool, I do sometimes swear and get mega mad at things ...... if you're hyper sensitive and/or very religious you might want to not bother.
Be seeing ya.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Slowing down and taking a new direction
Really must get some nice wintery blog graphics for here I think :)
We've changed direction a fair bit with homeschool - we began to tire of all the workbooks and plastic manipulatives a lot and have moved into a more Waldorf approach. There are a few main reasons for this which I can't be bothered to write about (sorry, tired tonight!) but Rosie expressed an interest in doing more drawing/painting work and April was clearly bored of the workbooks.
Anyway, I'm still getting Rosie's work sorted ready to start but April did some letter work today with upper case "M". I have to say, we're not following Waldorf totally strictly and just having any rhyme or story that seems to fit - so today we acted out The Bear Went Over the Mountain (and got totally out of puff doing it!) Then we drew mountains (looking like capital M's) and wrote the letter M next to it.
Here's April working - love the bear marching up the mountain :)
We're going to bind all these letter pages together when she's finished to make a nice book
Also today she started making a theatre out of an old cardboard box. I cut it into shape for her and she got painting - will post the finished item tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Photos from today
I made the kids new science journals - nothing fancy, just plain paper, spiral bound with construction paper covers. For their first work in them, April is doing about the seasons and Rosie is studying cells and cell functions.
Here's April, doing a pasting activity (what activities would we do in different seasons):
Rosie made plant and animal cell models out of various craft bits and pieces - we didn't include ALL the cell parts, just the ones it says to cover in the Year 7 curriculum! Anyway, here she is working on her animal cell and then a picture of the finished models:
She also spent quite a long time viewing things under the microscope (we've got it out so we can prepare and view cheek and onion skin cells later on in the week). She found a nice sunny spot in front of the window and sprawled out there!
Oh, and April drew a rather cute alien :)
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Moveable Alphabet
As promised, here is the moveable alphabet (in the same Sassoon Primary font as the cards), to go with the set from yesterday :)
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Montessori style beginning reading set
Sharing some love today :) Here is a beginning reading set that I made for April to use which I thought might be of use to others. Although very Montessori in nature, it could easily be used by anyone to be honest. The font is Sassoon Primary and is a lovely, easy to read style and, in the early cards, the vowel sound is highlighted in pink. The set should be used in the order it is presented here so:
1) Pink "object" boxes - take one set at a time if your child is very new to reading, place a picture down and they can say the word and then try to form it with a moveable alphabet (will post the alphabet to go with this set tomorrow). Then find the matching word label and see if they were right.
2) When they've had some experience with the "object" boxes, they can then have a go at the 3 practice worksheets.
3) Pictures and labels come next - again, take one set at a time. These start off by using the words your child should already know and then, towards the end, introduces new words for them to sound out.
4) The next file is a set of simple sight words - you can teach these to your child on their own or at the same time as the phrase strips, as you go along.
5) Phrase strips - contain a pictures and a simple phrase using the words your child has already learned plus a few new ones (wet, bad etc).
6) The next file is exactly the same as the phrase strips but is in a light grey font and so is traceable for writing practice.
7) Finally, a little word book with a page each for a, e, i, o and u - just print, staple together and your child can practice writing words they know or add new ones as they come across them.
Here are the files:
Hope you have fun with these :)
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Still here!
Still here, still working, still homeschooling - just not much to blog about, education-wise really! Sorry!
See archive index for other posts