I guess I should write a post related to our homeschooling. Here goes...
We finished the Math Mammoth Addition & Subtraction 2A book and went back to Primary Math 3A on Friday. What a difference. Where Catherine had no idea where to go with it 6 weeks ago she now has no trouble. We'll stick with it for awile and see how she does.
Grammar is really where I thought she might have difficulties. Not at all. We're into review on prepositions in Easy Grammar 34 and it can't be over soon enough for her simply because she finds it too easy. When I stumbled over what to do in one question she stepped in, corrected me and went on to finish. Smart kid.
This was on Friday. I had some plans for biology saturday, exploring food chains and webs and relationships between organisms but it was too nice a day and I ended up pushing wheelbarrow loads of gravel down to the end of a driveway we share with a neighbour to fill in potholes. The kids helped cart down some garbage and much of the day was spent going in and out of the house. In the house I fixed internet problems. Outside I hung laundry.
Today we have to do the churchy stuff. I shouldn't have written 'have' actually. It doesn't feel like a 'have' kind of thing. I really am enjoying church. My childhood memories of stuffy services you couldn't wait to get out of haven't reflected what I'm experiencing now. My local church is an informal place where laughter while receiving communion is something people join in rather then frown on and sermons are interesting talks where real questions are asked and thought is demanded. The singing is great too. Catherine is still enjoying Sunday school as well, even if she's a little miffed that they don't acknowledge that the Greek Gods are real.
4 comments:
We had some good experiences at a small neighborhood church when Favorite Daughter was little. She made a few friends and enjoyed Sunday school, summer bible school, the alternative Halloween party, etc. Come to think of it, that's where she first started singing in a group.
Church is a great community social support and if it would just be that, like when I was little, we'd probably still enjoy it and support it in return. :)
When studying Grammar don't forget that foreign language is really the way to cement it all.
When we learn to speak in our mother tongue we don't know how to conjugate a verb. We just know what sounds right.
8 is a great time to introduce a foreign language (even Latin which won't often be used conversationally) because studying another will simply be a group of symbols that can bring about many different (and valuable) results:
1. The mastery of another language
2. A truer understanding of your own.
3. Scientific names will be a breeze!
4. One language leads to another, understanding Spanish leads to French in the most rudimentary way.
Volumes could be written on this... I'd just urge you to introduce another romance language now, if you haven't already.
Is formal study of a language what cemented that "royal we" construct? ;-)
Neither English grammar nor foreign language grammar need be formally studied, for a third-millennium American unschooler to achieve truly excellent English grammar and writing skills.
I wouldn't think to pronounce it as THE way to cement what WE learn, but I have one English-major honors student who learned with absolutely no conjugation or grammar study in any language. Here are others.
I'm actually going to be looking at some language courses. Catherine is interested in Spanish and French right now.
I'm sort of with JJ on grammar not needing to be studied fomally but it's something she doesn't mind and I really enjoy revisiting. The big plus for me is more the writing and reading practice she gets while doing her grammar.
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