Moving

It's been a while since I posted, huh? Well, I have good reason! Really! ;)

I've been waiting to make an announcement because anything can go wrong at any time, but now it seems like it's really gonna happen. We're moving! Yea! And we close on Monday! We're staying in the same town, just changing addresses. Here is a picture of our new abode.



It was built in 1912 and is definitely a fixer-upper. However, the previous owners have done a lot of work--the big "have-to" things that are really expensive--like plumbing, electric, roof, windows, sewer, etc....It sits on about an acre of land, and this is one of my favorite things about the house:



A nice view of a wheat field across the road. Although it is ironic, thought...living across from all that wheat and being gluten-intolerant. Wheat, wheat everywhere nor any drop to eat...lol!

We've been able to work in there a little this week stripping paint and repairing cracks in the plaster walls. I've got a lot of ideas, but we'll just do whatever work we have time and money for, and work on it slowly over the next few years.

Anyway, as you can imagine, we have been terribly busy. And we will continue to be so for a while, I imagine. I'll try to post some more pictures and I'm hoping to post updates of our DIY work!

All About Spelling

Today we started our first day of All About Spelling Level 1. I am really excited to have found this program. Since we started using Webster's Blue-Backed Speller, phonics has started to make sense to me! LOL! I hadn't planned on using a "spelling" curriculum this early but All About Spelling (AAS) won me over. It teaches phonograms and uses the Orton-Gillingham method of phonics, which all coordinates with Webster's beautifully! Webster's helps her decoding skills while AAS teaches her encoding skills.

All About Spelling uses a flashcard method to review sounds. Once sounds are mastered (in Step 1) you put the phonogram card behind the "Mastered" section. It is very user-friendly and I like that there are 24 clear steps. When one step is accomplished, you move on. AAS teaches all the sounds a phonogram makes up front, so when they learn the sound for the letter 'a' they are learning three sounds: short /a/, long /a/, and the sound a makes in the word water, /ah/. Most other phonics books teach maybe just the short vowel sound first, then later will add in the other sounds. I like getting it all done in the beginning. The other aspect I really like is all three styles of learning is included: kinesthetic, auditory, and visual. This is great for Elyse who really needs to hear and do to really get it into her mind.

We had a great first lesson: There were about six phonograms that I did not consider her to have "mastered" mainly because of the numerous sounds some of the vowels make. But we went on and started on step 2 and I could really see her figure out how to listen for the first and last sound of words, and to segment words with three sounds. I am hopeful that this program will really click with her.

2nd Grade Language Arts

I've been researching what I'd like to use with Elyse next year for second grade. Although I've been pleased with some aspects of our Language Arts curriculum, other parts have been only mediocre. But I think I've found solutions for the issues I was having.

For phonics, I will continue to use Webster's Blue-Backed Speller, which I printed off for free from Don Potter's website.

For spelling, I have found what I have wished for, but didn't think existed! All About Spelling teaches spelling with the same patterns as the syllabary. "Ba" is pronounced with a long a because it is an open syllable instead of with a short /a/ the way many phonics and beginning spelling manuals teach it. It also teaches rules of spelling in a very systematic way. It will supplement Webster's wonderfully!

I hadn't planned on using a separate writing curriculum, but when I discovered Writing Tales, I thought it would be perfect for Elyse. The first level of this book is for 3rd and 4th graders, but we will give it a go, since Elyse is advanced in her handwriting and reading comprehension. She is such a word girl--she loves making up stories and poems anyway, so I think this will be great to give her some guidance. I printed off the sample pages and I really love the format. It also includes the grammar in a very natural way (within the context of reading passages and writing), which for this young age, I think is more appropriate. Therefore, our grammar will be taken care of with Writing Tales and also will be continued in our Latin program, Latina Christiana.

We will continue our Italic handwriting and our poetry memorization on our own. Elyse has gotten "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening" down and we will start Psalm 23 tomorrow, as well as continuing to work on the Old Testament Books. I've decided to go ahead and stick with the Explode the Code series. Elyse is almost done with book 3. She loves working through these on her own, and although I don't know that it helps that much, it certainly can't hurt. Plus, I've also heard that Book 4 is where it starts getting a little 'meatier' anyway.

In a Groove

We've hit a really nice pace with our schooling for Elyse. We've simplified and have found (mostly) the right curriculum for where she's at right now. I'll discuss each of the curricula in order of my preference:

1. RightStart Math: I have been so pleased with the progress that Elyse is making. Her grasp of math is amazing, and I believe it has to do partly with the wonderful foundation that RightStart is laying. In the middle of the curriculum, I started to question whether it would be a good fit, for a couple of reasons. 1. Because the lessons are quite teacher-intensive, we were having some issues with our interaction during math time. She is more of a workbook girl, and I am prone to being impatient! ;) However, since Christmas break, things have much improved and we are enjoying the math time together now. 2. It has a different scope and sequence than other programs as it focuses quite intensely on addition to the neglect of subtraction in the beginning. But now in the latter part of the book, I can see the big picture of how all of that emphasis on addition is actually leading up to a seamless segue into subtraction and even multiplication.
It took me staying committed to seeing this program through and now I feel we're really reaping the benefits.

2. Prima Latina: Elyse is nearly doing this on her own, with my minimal direction. She listens to the CD every day--the lesson of the week, and the prayer that we're currently memorizing a few times. On Mondays, I will go over the lesson and the derivatives with her and then the questions and flashcards are spread over the week, with me only supervising and explaining any directions.

3. Webster's Syllabary: This is a new thing I've started since Christmas after learning about it on the Well-Trained Mind forums. See this post, especially. I've created my own method of how to use it (a post for another day, maybe) but wow, it makes so much more sense to me than any other program I've used. I'm not sure how I would use it to start with a beginning reader, but Elyse has really taken off using the concepts of syllables to decode. We also dropped Spelling Workout
once she finished the workbook she was on and I have integrated spelling into the phonics lessons, which is very effective.

4. Tapestry of Grace: I have finally made my peace with this wonderful program! It took me a good long semester to figure out how WE could best use it. I've simplified it, I don't sweat about it, and we just enjoy the readings and do whatever extras we feel like doing and have time for.

5. Explorer's Bible Study: Since Elyse's reading took off, this has been a joy for me to see her use independently. She enjoys reading the story to her siblings and has thrived on answering the questions all by herself. And as a bonus, it's closely mirroring what we are studying in history.

6. Italic Handwriting: I like the layout of the workbooks, but I need to be more diligent about insisting on her doing a neat job--otherwise she tends to rush it.

7. First Language Lessons: This is OK. I'm holding out for FLL3 which I've heard is better. Elyse doesn't seem to mind it, but it's quite tedious for me. We're on 2nd grade, but I still am skipping lessons and adding in more poetry memorization. Instead of "The Goops" which was used in FLL, we did "Bird Talk" out the Harp and Laurel Wreath. The next poem isn't assigned for a while, so we started working on "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," which Elyse has almost gotten down. I would love to find a resource in which I could teach grammar through poetry or other good literature (or Latin?) instead.

8. Explode the Code: Not quite sure how I feel about this. Honestly, I feel like it is twaddle, but I think the concept is needed. Anyone have any better suggestions to reinforce phonics?

9. Science: I'm not quite sure what to say. I'm not thrilled with what we do, but I haven't found any better solutions. We read a story from the Burgess Bird Book while Elyse colors a page of that bird in a color-by-number book from Rod and Staff. We also read living science books and check out books from the library. I hope to do more nature study as it warms up some, but I think I need something open and go. We're planning on using Evan-Moor's human body book as a resource to do our unit this spring. We'll see how it goes. {shrug}

Overall, I like where we are, I like where we're going, and I'm thrilled with how Elyse is doing.

52 books in 52 weeks

I found a new challenge. Over on my Well-Trained Minds message boards, a challenge has been issued: read one book every week this year. Now that's a challenge I could make an attempt at!

So for Week Number 1, I read Gene Logsdon's "The Contrary Farmer."



And for this week, Week Number 2, I've been reading "Mortgage Free! Radical Strategies for Home Ownership" by Rob Roy.



I should have it read tonight and I'll start on my next one by Friday! Who knows how long I'll keep it up, but it gives me some motivation anyway (like I really need motivation to read, but...) Maybe I'll pick out some classics to add to my list as well. Anyone want to join me? :)

A Diamond in the Rough

One of my all-time favorite you-tube videos (this guy can sing!):



Continuing the story, and more background:



The Final:



And the Conclusion:

Wordless Wednesday

Random Pics

Getting Aidan all dressed up



We rode around town on a trailer attached to a Gator...it was awesome!



The Cowardly Lion, Dorothy, and The Scarecrow










Ash's 2nd Birthday


This is the second day in a row that Papa put Ash to sleep


The result of Elyse's bike accident. Too torn up to stitch (she was thrilled!) so the doctor used glue instead

First Grade Schedule

Here is our first grade schedule:


Some things of note:
1. We've gone to a modified four-day schedule. This helps us to stay on task when trips to the doctor or other appointments come up during the week. We just make that day our "Friday." And as we do light schooling all through the summer, we have no problem meeting our 180 day requirement.

2. The first time block is Elyse's independent work. This is when I'm doing preschool with Aidan and Aislinn.

3. QT/Free is Quiet Time when Aislinn takes her nap and Elyse and Aidan are each in their own rooms resting or playing quietly. Elyse usually spends her time listening to audiobooks while cleaning, organizing or coloring (her three favorite things!). This is when I get time to do my planning and Latin study.

4. For piano, Elyse is using the SimplyMusic DVDs which we love. It allows her to watch the lesson on her own (about 5-10 minutes), and then dad or myself can help out and monitor her practice time (another 5-10 minutes).

5. Our favorite time of the day is our Tea Time. As soon as daddy gets home from work, we all gather around the dining table with our tea service and snacks and talk about our days and also listen to mom or dad read aloud.

George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.