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Learning Notes Week of Nov 9

Learning Notes Week of Nov 9

Birch leaf and catkin, found on our neighborhood walk.
Birch leaf and catkin, found on our neighborhood walk.

Monday November 9

Sophie made up her own math problems, adding and multiplying hundreds and thousands. I’m happy with this because she’s really starting to grasp place value. She spent some time writing on the iPad, this little document she types in.

Bella did a page of math, working her way through multiplication problems. She’s reading a book about nuns who were in the Crimea with Florence Nightingale.

I did a brief math lesson with Ben and Anthony, adding and subtracting up to 3. Putting equations on a number line. Balancing a scale. Then we did a game with some letter flash cards: find me an object that begins with this letter. And made some letters out of clay.

Then I read them a couple of fairy tales out of the What Your Kindergartener Needs to Know: The Three Little Pigs and The Wolf and the Seven Kids. Sophie and Anthony narrated the Three Little Pigs to me and remarked on different versions of the story they’d heard before. And what the pigs should have done. Ben narrated part of the Wolf and the Seven Kids. And Sophie remarked how it was like Little Red Riding Hood and we also discussed how it is like Heckedy Peg.

Then we took a longish walk, crossing the main road, which we never do, so an exploration into new territory.

Home for lunch. After lunch the kids had turns on the iPads while I put Lucy down for her nap. Ben conscientiously worked on a phonics app for a bit. Sophie played Toca Town and Anthony played Cars.

Afternoon stories: Mystery of the Periodic Table (elements of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water), St Junipero Serra, Story Book of Science (about the ants), Fellowship of the Rings (Tom Bombadil’s house), Bible selections from the New Testament section of the Bible story book (healing of paralytic, calling of Levi, calling of the Twelve. The New Testament part of the book feels really disjointed and random and the selections in each chapter are much too long to read all at a sitting, but have no natural breaks. Blah.), Admiral Perry in the Land of the Shogun.

Bella sat down to read her Bible, inspired by the Bible story selection. Reading from The Acts of the Apostles. Then she decided to narrate to me the story of Peter released from prison by the angel. A very lively narration, definitely informed by her memory of Marigold Hunt’s Acts of the Apostles for Children which we read a couple of years ago. She remembered the story and the way it was made a bit humorous. She then switched to the Gospel of Matthew and seemed to be jumping about in it. She read me a couple of passage that spoke to her and we discussed them.

Then she and Sophie cut out pictures from the American Girl catalogue.

Bella is also reading a biography of Queen Victoria. And I saw her poking about in a Betsy Tacy book too.

For bedtime stories I read In Which Pooh Goes Visiting and Gets into a Tight Place.

Tuesday November 10

Sophie did a page of Saxon math with Dom’s help. She copied some lines in her Memoria Press book and did some cursive Xs.

Bella did a page of Miquon math, multiplication. In between reading parts of Swallowdale.

I did brief math lesson with the boys. Also read them Chicken Little and the Story of Jumping Mouse.

We went for a walk around the block. Identified spruce and birch trees, picked up spruce cones and birch catkins.

Afternoon stories: a chapter of Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun, a very short Bible story (parable of the sower), a short Junipero Serra chapter, The Three Trees, some Shel Silverstein poems, and the story of the ants and the plant lice from The Story Book of Science and then Lord of the Rings. Then when we’d just begun Lord of the Rings the neighbor girl knocked at the door to ask if they could play. I said they could when we were done with the chapter.

Bedtime story: Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Wednesday November 11

I said Morning Prayer with Anthony this morning. A sweet cuddle with a boy who likes to spend that time with me and say the antiphons and the Our Father. We read about St Martin because Anthony noticed his name. And then Anthony went and found the picture book of saint stories that had St Martin’s picture and story in it. 

Dom had the holiday off so we went to Ikea and bought the boys’ new bunkbed, which we’ve been wanting to do for weeks but had to wait because of various social commitments which have been keeping us busy at the weekends. Ikea was crazy busy, but we bought the bunkbeds. With more room in the boys’ room we were able to move the play kitchen out of the girls’ room and into the boys’. Then we got the toddler bed out of the shed and installed it in the girls’ room for Lucy. So all the children were thrilled. Both bedrooms looked new and exciting. Lucy especially was thrilled to be with her sisters. Ben and Anthony love their new beds.

Anyway, no school work. Bedtime stories were A Medieval Feast and The Dover Book of Knights.

Sophie the ninja and Ben tighten the screws on the new bunkbeds.
Sophie the ninja and Ben tighten the screws on the new bunkbeds.
Sophie the ninja and Ben tighten the screws on the new bunkbeds.
Sophie the ninja and Ben tighten the screws on the new bunkbeds.
Sophie the ninja and Ben tighten the screws on the new bunkbeds.
Sophie the ninja and Ben tighten the screws on the new bunkbeds.
New bunk beds!
New bunk beds!
New bunk beds, plus play kitchen is now moved into the boys' room.
New bunk beds, plus play kitchen is now moved into the boys’ room.
Lucy's now in the toddler bed in the girls's room.
Lucy’s now in the toddler bed in the girls’s room.

Thursday November 12

Eco-science club today. We got to a late start and barely made it out the door in time with jackets and boots and one bottle of water. No food.

We had a short lesson on erosion, looked at eroding river banks. Then went on a nice hike in the woods. Found some lichens and fungi, got muddy. A good time was had by all.

We listened to Prince Caspian in the car.

Afternoon stories: My Family and Other Animals. Treasure Island (It’s been months since we last read it, but we picked it back up just fine.) St Junipero Serra. Chapter on Noah in Faith and Life book. Lord of the Rings.

Bedtime story: Small Wonders, book about Jean Henri Fabre. Mother Goose for Lucy.

Eco-science club, erosion.
Eco-science club, erosion.
Eco-science club, erosion.
Eco-science club, erosion.
Eco-science club, erosion.
Eco-science club, erosion.
Gigantic mushroom. Chicken of the woods?
Gigantic mushroom. Chicken of the woods?
eco science club group photo
eco science club group photo
Kids exploring on the river bank.
Kids exploring on the river bank.
Large mullein plant growing on the side of the bridge like a big green flower.
Large mullein plant growing on the side of the bridge like a big green flower.
Kids on the river bank, Ben and Sophie (in the purple). I think that's the spot where Anthony fell in.
Kids on the river bank, Ben and Sophie (in the purple). I think that’s the spot where Anthony fell in.

Friday November 13

Grocery store day and off to a late start, no table work this morning. We listened to more Prince Caspian on the way there and back.

Afternoon stories: Treasure Island— what Jim heard in the apple barrel. St Junipero Serra. Story Book of Science. Faith and Life— end of story of Noah. Lord of the Rings— meeting with Strider.

Sophie wanted to play on the iPad and so did a page of math.

Bedtime story. Ben brought me Joan of Arc.

An excellent picture book.
An excellent picture book.
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