This Week in Learning: September 11th, 2015

As I reflect back on this term I’m extremely happy with the progress made; not only in academic skills but lessons learnt about consistently completing tasks.  It’s certainly been the best term we’ve experienced this year.

One week until the holidays, planning a little something different for the week, perhaps quizzes and competitions; a Spelling & Geography Bee, an essay competition etc. Confident the children will enjoy a fun, competitive approach.

Speech Therapy
Remember we were given three weeks of homework instead of weekly lessons, well we’re due to go back for a follow up lesson next week and we’ve done one practice session, yikes, not good.

Faith

• Jem made his First Holy Communion and Jack Jack his Confirmation!!!:):) Special day.
• Jem listened to short stories on St Tarcisus, Bl Imelda and Pius X. We role played and discussed how to receive Holy Communion.
• Jack Jack had settled on his Confirmation name to only change his mind days before. After listening along with Jem to the story of St Pius X he was deeply affected and finally was confident in his choice
• Since then I’ve been reading St Pius X: Farm Boy Who Became Pope to the younger boys and Jelly Bean.  This is my third time round reading this book to our children and like their older siblings they’re just falling in love with this incredible Saint.
• Jelly Bean read a chapters of Uncle Arthur’s Bedtime Stories.
• Princess read a chapter of Introduction to Catholicism, completed the answers and read a of chapter of Where is That in the Bible? – Patrick Madrid
• Michelangelo read several sections of Beginning Apologetics Set and referenced source material.

Maths

• Maths Online –  Michelangelo is making solid progress in his maths studies. Princess worked solidly the first week, not so much the second. Jelly Bean is still struggling to progress past her ‘stuck point,’ Jack Jack zooms effortlessly through his maths lessons and Jem is determined to gain Platinum level for each of his topic areas.

Science 

• Read Benny’s Animals and How He Put Them in Order – Millicent Selsam and A First Look At Bird Nests – Millicent Selsam and we chatted about what we learnt.
• Jelly Bean completed reading the second half of Beastly Tales – DK Reader and read Animal Hospital- DK Reader
• Princess watched videos on the Making of Animated Films.
• Michelangelo read three chapters of Science Matters and watched several documentaries on Engineering, his new interest area.

Geography

• Read to the younger boys The March of Time – Horniblow Bk 3, about William Wallace, Llewellyn of Wales, Robert the Bruce and the Black Prince.
• JB read four chapters of The Wright Brothers – Quentin Reynolds Princess read a little from Story of the World Vol 4 and read half of Calico Captive – Elizabeth George Speare
• Princess read and narrated half a chapter of Story of the World Vol 4.

Handwriting
Using passages from Peter Rabbit for copywork. Have returned to using Startwrite as I can quickly prepare passges and the children are finding it helpful to trace the dots and to have starting dots. For Jem in particular Startwrite has been a ‘game changer,’ he has gone from hating handwriting to enjoying it.

Dictation/Spelling

• JB and JJ recited poetry pieces from memory and ‘filled in’ missing emotive words.
• Have been working on Sentences with the M&Ms. Various types of sentences and how to strengthen our sentences. Working on changing ‘loose’ sentences to ‘periodic’ sentences, first having to determine the main idea in each sentence to then be able to change the phrases about. Very effective and our teens can see the difference it makes to change to a periodic sentence.

Composition/Creative Writing

• JB and JJ writing short essays weekly, not showing any enthusiasm yet;)
• Michelangelo and Princess’ Precis Writing exercises are tying in well with their grammar lessons on sentences. We’ve been focusing on the main sentence and the supporting sentences.
• Princess essay writing style is most engaging, she has talent.

Poetry

Reading

• Jack Jack became interested in Andy Griffiths’ 26 Story Treehouse, frankly the continuous stream of verbiage drove me insane, utter nonsense and painful to read. Thankfully the Dodsworth books arrived, (on Theresa’s recommendation) and he is enjoying Dodsworth in Paris. 
• Jem has completed revising all of the cards from AAR 1, and can now easily read 174 words! So very happy with All About Reading and I haven’t forgotten I’ve promised a review.

Family Read Alouds

John and Nanbaree – Doris Chadwick –  With JB and younger boys, all engrossed.
The Borrowed House – Hilda Van Stockum – Begun reading to our teens.Science Read Aloud
Under 11s
Benny’s Animals and How He Put Them in Order – Millicent Selsam
A First Look At Bird Nests – Millicent SelsamGeography Picture Books
Australia
Lightning Jack – Glenda Millard – Horse fantasy
Hello From Nowhere – Raewyn Caisley – Little girl living on the Nullarbor

Picture Books
Scarecrow’s Wedding – Julia Donaldson – Sweet story, true love and bravery
Stuck! – Charlotte Calder – Fun story
The Windy Farm – Doug MacLeod – Excellent story about wind farms!
The Bravest Knight – Mercer Mayer – Simple fun
Let’s Go Visiting – Sue Williams – Basic, repetitive story

Read Alones

Michelangelo Read:

The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
History
The Citadel of God
Science
Science Matters (a few chapters)
Geography
A Writer’s World: Travels 19-50-2000 by Jan Morris (a few chapters)
Faith
Beginning Apologetics Set (a few sections)Princess Read: 
Seven Little Australians – Ethel Turner
Crystal Snowstorm – Meriol Trevor
History
Calico Captive – Elizabeth George Speare (half)
Story of the World Vol 4  (a chapter)
Faith
Where is That in the Bible? – Patrick Madrid (a chapter)Jelly Bean Read:
Betsy Tacy (a few chapters)
Little Pete Stories
Faith
Uncle Arthur’s Bedtime Stories (couple of stories)
Science
Beastly Tales – DK Reader(half)
Animal Hospital- DK Reader
History
The Wright Brothers – Quentin Reynolds (several chapters)Jack Jack Read:
26 Storey Treehouse – Andy Griffiths (a few chapters)
Dodsworth in Paris (a few chapters)