Christmas Piano Recital

Clavier had his Christmas piano performance this weekend. He's worked hard on several pieces over the last few months. There is no doubt that he has been blessed with a love and a gift for music.

He played the offertory in church several months ago, and will also be playing Christmas Eve.

For his Christmas performance he chose to learn "Suzy Snowflake", "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", and the Hallelujah Chorus.

Overheard...

While listening to the song for this week's Latin memory work (What are Latin verb families called?):

"Mom isn't that what large groups of people are called? Like at church?"

"No, kiddo. That's congregations. This is conjugations."

Six Months!

History Plans, Term One

I'm designing my own history plans this year, pulling from several different resources.  I'm trying an experiment this year of reading through all of world history during the first half of the year.  We are using A Child's History of the World for our overview, and reading a few short chapters every day (we started this last week). While we are doing that, we will do a narrower study of two specific times/places. I asked Clavier to choose, and he picked Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece.


During the second half of the year we will read an overview of American History, and study Native Americans and New World Explorers.


I use OneNote to plan, and here is what we're doing the first term of the school year for Ancient Egypt. Many of the activities come from History Odyssey: Ancients and History Pockets: Ancient Civilizations. Some of the reading choices are from Classical House of Learning, Veritas Press, and our own shelves.


Read Aloud: History


• Child's History of the World- Start 08/05/13


Week 1: 9/3
• Time Traveler: Pharaohs and Pyramids
Week 2: 9/9
• Story of the World, Vol. 1 Chap. 2-3
• The 5,000-Year-Old Puzzle (library)
Week 3: 9/16
• Egyptian Cinderella
• The Temple Cat
• Seeker of Knowledge (library)
Week 4: 9/23
• Story of the World, Vol. 1 Chap. 4
• You Wouldn't Want to Be Tutankhamen
Week 5: 9/30
• Story of the World, Vol. 1 Chap. 12-13
• You Wouldn't Want to Be a Pyramid Builder
Week 6: 10/7
• Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt
• Science in Ancient Egypt (library)
Week 7: 10/14
• Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt
•  Ancient Science
• You Wouldn't Want to Be Cleopatra
Week 8: 10/21
• Ancient Science
• You Wouldn't Want to Be an Egyptian Mummy!
• If I Were a Kid in Ancient Egypt: Children of the Ancient World (library)
Week 9: 10/28
• Tut's Mummy Lost and Found
• Hieroglyphs

History: Assignments (I'm not sharing all the details, so as not to violate copyright.)

• Week 1
• Finish "What is History" Pocket (we started this at the end of last year)
• Copy work/dictionary: papyrus

• Week 2
• Mapping
• Start Pocket 3, “Ancient Egypt.” Complete the Pocket Label, Words to Know, and Student Booklet. 

• Week 3
• Copy work/dictionary "gods" and "pyramids."
•  Pocket 3, Life Along the Nile.
• Week 4
• Continue Pocket 3, Postcard from Ancient Egypt and The Great Pyramid.
• Week 5
• Copy work/dictionary "temple."
• Mapping
• Week 6
• Finish Pocket 3, if needed.
• Timeline 
• Week 7
• Ancient Science project
• Notebooking pages
• Week 8
• Ancient Science project
• Notebooking pages
• Week 9
• Hieroglyphic Note

Kindergarten 2013-2014

Here are most of Capricio's kindergarten plans for the year! I want to stress that K5 is completely optional in our house.  Capricio is chomping at the bit to improve his reading and work on writing, but he is free to come and go as he wishes.

Phonics/Reading

• Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading

We started this toward the end of last school year at his request, and he's doing very well.  Clavier used OPGTR very successfully, but I wasn't sure it would suit Capricio. Clavier started reading at five and a half and we didn't do lessons daily until he was six. In contrast Capricio just turned five a week ago!

I'm adding some Explode the Code here and there too as he enjoys workbooks (unlike Clavier at that age!).

Handwriting

• Handwriting Without Tears K & 1

Capricio is in the middle of the kindergarten book, and I expect him to move on to the next soon.  Once he does I'll add in some other copywork.

Math

• RightStart Math A

Math for Capricio has caused some debate.  I love RightStart Math, but Capricio has followed along with Clavier as he completed levels A & B. He is a very math inclined child, and is just about at the same level as his older brother.  We are going to buzz through RightStart anyway though, since he is so young.  If he balks, I'll bump him up as appropriate.

Geography

• Evan-Moor Beginning Geography

One of my favorite resources!

History and Science

• Following along with his brother in my history mash-up (details soon)
• Animal and Their Worlds with his brother

Literature

• Great books from our home collection and library. I'll share these as we go along!

Daily Learning Notebook

• Details coming! I'm still finalizing plans.

Second grade plans here. 

Clavier's Spring Piano Recital

Clavier had his first year of formal piano lessons during the last school year.  He worked very hard, and has quite a love of music!

Second Grade 2013-2014

I sent my Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP) off to the school district today! It isn't detailed, but provides a rough overview of the year to come. (Yes, all these subjects are required by the state.)

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Arithmetic

Cotter, Joan A. RightStart Mathematics Level C. Hazelton, ND:
     Activities for Learning, Inc., 2001. Print.
Singapore Math. Challenging Word Problems 1. Singapore:
     Marshall Cavendish Education, 2011. Print.

Reading
  
Holzmann, John & Sarita. Grade Three Readers Schedule and Study
     Guide. Littleton, CO: Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd., 2012. Print.
Norris, Jill. Read and Understand with Leveled Texts 2.
     Monterey, CA: Evan-Moor Educational Publishers, 2010. Print.

Spelling
  
Rippel, Marie. All About Spelling Level 2. Eagle River WI: All
     About Learning Press, 2012. Print.

Writing
  
Retzer, Carol Ann and Eva Hoshino. A Reason for Handwriting:
     Transition. Siloam Springs, AR: The Concerned Group, Inc.,
     2010. Print.
Verstegen, Lori. Bible Heroes: Writing Lessons in Structure and
     Style. Locust Grove, OK: Institute for Excellence in Writing,
     2013. Print.

English Language
  
Shurley, Brenda. Shurley English Level 1. Cabot AR: Shurley
     Instructional Materials, 2001. Print.

Geography
  
 Johnson, Sandi. Daily Geography Practice Grade 2. Monterey, CA:
     Evan-Moor Educational Publishers, 2013. Print.

United States History
  
Brooks, Kaeryn. The American Story 1. Grand Rapids, MI:
     WinterPromise Publishing, 2013. Print.
Hillyer, Virgil M. A Child’s First History of the World. Hunt Valley,
     MD: Calvert Educational Services, 1997. Print.
Miers, Earl Schenck. A Child’s First Book of American History. San
     Luis Obispo, CA: Beautiful Feet Books, 2013. Print.

Science
  
Brooks, Kaeryn. Animals and Their Worlds. Grand Rapids, MI:
     WinterPromise Publishing, 2012. Print.
Larson, Nancy. Science 1. Old Lyme, CT: Nancy Larson Publishers,
     Inc., 2007. Print.

Health Education
  
Bunting, Fleming, et al. Harcourt Health and Fitness 2. Orlando,
     FL: Harcourt School Publishers, 2007. Print.

Music
  
Clavier will participate in weekly piano lessons and regularly perform in concerts throughout the year.

Visual Arts
  
Clavier’s visual art instruction this year will come from projects related to topics studied in geography, history, and science. He will also participate in a twice monthly cooperative group for art instruction.

Physical Education
  
 Clavier will participate in weekly swim lessons, as well as other activities such as bike rides, hikes, sledding, and baseball with family and friends.
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I plan to share more details about how our day will break down soon. One important piece of our day that isn't listed here is our Daily Notebook.  Last year I created a daily calendar notebook, but this year I've expanded that for Clavier. Capricio has one as well.  Kindergarten plans here!