Observation and Discovery - Sketching Fruit in Our Main Lesson Books

Today we practiced our observation skills by examining fruit and then sketching it in our main lesson book. We passed around the banana, apple, peach, orange, pear, and kiwi. The children commented on the different ways to describe the fruit. Then we cut them in half and observed them from a different perspective. The children sketched the fruit from the side, the top, and then the middle.
We also took a nature walk and observed the land (contours, plant life, etc.).
We read the book, Seven Blind Mice. It seemed like a perfect fit for talking about observing things with our senses. They are also reading Stuart Little for the next three weeks.
We reviewed grammar terms, practiced for "Battle of the Books" this weekend at the library, did self-portraits in our journals, and had a pleasant first day of school. The children will continue doing activities from the syllabus this coming week at home. Next Friday we will do some more work on the topography project.

August Book List for Fourth Grade

Suggested Titles for the Topography Project:

Be Your Own Map Expert by Barbara Taylor

South Carolina: An Atlas by Kovacik, Charles F., Steinke, Theodore R., South Carolina Geographic Alliance, University of South Carolina. Department of Geography

Topographic Maps by Ian Mahaney

Mapping Your Way by Anna Deboo

How to Draw South Carolina Sights and Symbols by Fein

Literature Selection:

Stuart Little by E.B. White

Other Titles:

Seven Blind Mice by Young

First Week of Fourth Grade - Oak Meadow Style

As I was planning my lessons for fourth grade this year, I came across this in my Oak Meadow syllabus, "This curriculum is not intended to be a rigid set of guidelines. It is a tool to help you enter into the subject matter in a creative, experiential way. Use it accordingly, adding and subtracting as best suits your child's needs and interests." (Oak Meadow Fourth Grade Syllabus, Introduction)

I like to see this kind of creative license mentioned in a curriculum syllabus. I prefer hands-on, experiment based learning, and Oak Meadow offers a perfect blend for our family of prepared lessons and open-ended creativity. So, it is with great excitement that we begin the fourth grade program this week. My daughter will also be doing Oak Meadow, but she will be doing the high school curriculum. I plan to try and post about our progress in each.

I read ahead a few weeks in my syllabus to get an idea of how to plan the first weeks of school. This program uses the main lesson book, a blank book for capturing the written work of each student. We have used main lesson books for many years and I LOVE having a written record of the student's work in book form. It is a portfolio that builds itself. I ordered some of the main lesson books Oak Meadow sells for this purpose. I like the onion skin between the pages to keep the work safe from smears. I also like the size of the pages and the quality of the paper. The information in the syllabus about journaling is excellent. I plan to have journaling time daily that will go into one of these main lesson books.

The first big assignment is the topography project. This idea lends itself to studying maps, your local landscape, and a bit of local history. Because I work in the Children's Room at our local library, I can always find fantastic books to bring home on the topics we study. I will try to remember to post our book lists as we go along.

Friday is our first day of our Oak Meadow co-op. The 4th graders will be going on a nature hike of the property to observe the land. This is the beginning of their topography project research. We plan to examine some books about physical and topographical maps. We are going to look at a tray of items and then draw a "map" of the items on the tray. Hopefully this will help them think about how it might feel to "look down" on something and draw what you see. We have plans to look at google maps of the area to give us an idea of what an aerial view would look like.  There is much more going on this week, art, music, math, geometry with fruit, cursive practice, reading practice, etc., but this gives you a little peek into the fourth grade life. It looks like it will be a great year! Here is a sneak peak of the fourth grade co-op class for Friday:

Book to read aloud to the group for discussion: Seven Blind Mice by Young

Journal topic for Friday: perspective

Book to read at home and prepare a book report project (3 week project): Stuart Little by White

 

 

 

That Moment Before You Reach the Top of the Hill on a Roller Coaster...

I have always loved the "back-to-school" season. I love the school supplies. I love the end of summer when your thoughts begin to turn to picking apples and buying new pencils with fresh erasers. I usually feel energized and excited. So, it is with a sense of bewilderment that I write this entry. Our co-op starts back this Friday and the overwhelming feeling I have is that of being on a roller coaster that is about to crest the hill and begin the free fall. Is it really true that the older you get, the faster time flies? I am beginning to wonder. Can it really be August already?
I am not depressed that school is starting back, but I am not my usual excited self about it either. I am seeking some source of inspiration to help me get my mojo back.
Maybe the weather still feels too hot and muggy. Maybe I need some more down time. Maybe I just need to increase my coffee consumption.
Sometimes when I read blogs and facebook updates, everyone else's life sounds so lovely and uncomplicated. Glossy photos of special moments, well-written descriptions of crafts and special projects - I know that I also post these moments. Most of us do not post the pics of our family in disarray, the dirty dishes, the scattered unopened mail, the laundry pile up. I will admit that I like to stay positive online. Reading depressing commentary is not what I like to take in when I have free time to spend on the computer. However, maybe it is alright to mention that our lives aren't always an endless parade of Kodak moments and creativity. Sometimes we are tired. We are uninspired. We have too much to do and not enough time to do it. Sometimes life is like that. So, I am taking this opportunity to claim my feelings - to own up to feeling not quite ready for the coming school year. I wish I had a month to organize my home. I wish I had some vacation time to take off of work. I wish I had some more funds in the larder to create possibilities. I wish all of these things, but I know that, somehow, things will work out, even without wish fulfillment. Even in the writing of this, I feel better. Sometimes the fear you feel before the drop on the other side of the hill is worth the exhilaration of the free fall on the other side. So, here it is, August 5, 2013. Who knows what is to come this school year? Sometimes it is in the letting go of the ideal that we find out what we really need and what we can get by without, and this is not a bad thing. So, I wait for the free fall and hope for inspiration.

Homeschool Portfolios

 

It is time to get the portfolios cleaned out and ready for a new school year. Portfolios are our record keeping method of choice. Keeping samples of projects and papers is perfect for charting progress as well as providing well documented keepsakes. I suggest ordering address labels from a site like Shutterfly. I ordered those shown above when they were running a special and I got one sheet free. Simply choose a template, put in a photograph of your child, add your school name and the year and/or grade. This gives you a set of stickers to label items for your portfolio. If your child does a shoebox diorama, label it with your portfolio sticker. Not only will you have them labeled for display at homeschool fairs, library exhibits, or wherever your homeschool group showcases their work, you will also always have it labeled for your homeschool records. It is amazing how much children change in one school year. I enjoy having the photo on the sticker to go with the project. The children can also use their stickers to decorate notebooks or items they take to homeschool co-op. Of course, these stickers are great for children who attend traditional school as well. What better way to label their belongings and keep track of the artwork that comes home? You can always make these at home with your printer, but when they are on sale, Shutterfly is a good deal and I like the quality.

Enjoy! 

A Visit to Seven Acres Farm

Some dear friends of ours have a lovely fledgling farm in the mountains of North Carolina. It was Whit's birthday wish to go spend some time with them (and their animal friends). It was a quick trip over the weekend, but the children enjoyed making S'mores, camping out in the barn loft, sliding down the mountain in a muddy waterslide, running with the dogs and goats, and making friends with the chickens.
Even the big girls enjoyed playing in the mud! It was a great chance to let your hair down and get good and dirty.

 Getting clean was a lot of effort after sliding down the mudslide.

Here is Whit making friends with a chicken. Whit has wanted to own chickens for years, being able to play with them on the farm is the next best thing.

 

 

This was a perfect fit for a birthday weekend after reading Farmer Boy. Whit got to help with the chickens and goats and experience life in the country. Many thanks to our sweet mountain friends who made this weekend possible.

 

 

Parenting Books Part Two: The Young Child

The previous post contains my favorite parenting books to read when you have a baby or toddler. As your child grows and changes, here are a few more titles to consider.

Beyond the Rainbow Bridge: Nurturing Our Children from Birth to Seven by Patterson and Bradley


This book is a delight to read. It is full of ideas on how to provide your child with a wonder-filled, nurturing, early childhood experience.

Raising Your Spirited Child: A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, and Energetic by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka
This title was a life-saver when my daughter was two and three. She had intense mood swings and tantrums that seemed to come from nowhere. I felt powerless to help her with her "big feelings". I credit this book with teaching me some emotional coaching skills that have served me in every age and stage since. Mary Sheeda Kurcinka also has other titles to explore. If you are struggling with how to deal with your child's emotions or intensity, this may be just the thing.

I have linked the titles of these books to Amazon. I hope that helps you read more reviews or buy a copy for your personal library. Speaking of libraries, your local library may have these titles on tap, so check there first. I hope these titles inspire you towards gentle and conscious parenting. Enjoy the journey!