Homeschool Weekly Spotlight: Wilhemina - Page 2

[napless]

:

[BoobyJuice]

Would you mind posting, or pming me with, a few of your weekly lesson plans? I'm intrigued by the loose organization. I tend to either completely overplan things or do nothing.

Thanks

[joyful]

Oh me too! I would love to know about your lesson plans. Your homeschooling style sounds a lot like mine (or how I would like mine to be), child led, spontaneous, and relaxed, but it sounds like you do a better job of it.

I have a question for you. How do you pick the books to read to your children? You said your children choose the books, but do they browse in the library until they see one they like, or do you find a theme or an interest of theirs and find some books that would work. When we go to the library, it is mainly just me walking around the children's section picking out a book that looks interesting and adding it to the stack. The kids seem primarily interested in playing games on the computer there than looking for books, so it is usually just me picking out books for them and them deciding when we get home which ones they would llike for me to read to them. Although they adore being read to (We are currently reading book 5 of the Narnia series and my 5 y.o. ds is enthralled with the whole series so far. BTW, Book 1 (the Magician's Nephew) is our favorite - a very cool read.

I love your art appreciation ideas! Do you study one particular artist for six weeks in a row, or a particular art style?

Also, when Ann plans out a weekly meal, do you go through a cookbook together to get meal ideas, or does she have sort of a children's cookbook that she uses? ( I think my 5yo would enjoy being more involved in meal planning)

I'm really enjoying reading your posts, thanks letting us take a peek into your homeschooling days!

[Wilhemina]

Originally Posted by BoobyJuice

Would you mind posting, or pming me with, a few of your weekly lesson plans? I'm intrigued by the loose organization. I tend to either completely overplan things or do nothing.

Thanks

I struggle with this too. I sometimes wonder if by planning/suggesting anything I am unwittingly sending the message that their *plans* are not enough. Sometimes I wonder whether if I'm going to plan anything what's the point in not planning a whole slate of *school at home* stuff. My most salient fear is that when one of the girls suggests something that sounds interesting that I do too much to enhance/expand/*support* that idea and in effect take it from her hands.

Ah, the doubts of mothering!!

Here are some random weeks from this *term.* I hope it is helpful, they seem so sketchy to me.
week of 8/29

• both - continue moon journal (girls drew the moon every night - theoretically - for several weeks to see the phases. I made Ann date her drawings.)
• both - make side walk chalk (kits they got for Xmas 2 years ago?!? and write letters/numbers/words...
• Both - Headsprout on computer
• both - map/graph children's room at church
• Ann - phonics workbook pages 6, 13&14
• both - fun with numbers pages 18-19. (I noted here that they did many more pages with the wikki stix as our manipulative)
• both - Brain Boosting Math Activities book page 37-38 (there is no specific date here. That probably means it never happenned.)
• both - watch Big Cats video from library

On the bottom of my lesson plan page I noted that we read Mrs. Piggle Wiggle.

week of 9/19

• both - decorate letter E
• both - continue moon journal
• both - new Degas painting
• Ann - flash card toy (addition)
• both - make triangle cats from Barron's Math Wizardry page 14-16
• both - plant little greenhouse amd discuss how to chart growth
• both - take pulse, Barron's Science Wizardry page 299 (I don't think we did this either.)
• both - letter recognition worksheets (I noted only Ann chose to do this.)
• Ann - "I'm All Ears" reading game
• Ann - math sticker book pages 8, 9 and 26 (I noted she also did pages 4 & 5 which weren't planned.)

other notes include that Ann read the book, Alaloud, the girls helped me plan my apple storytime presentation, and we played in a new "Awesome Activities" book.

week of 10/17

• both - picasso inspired paintings of each other
• both - subtraction lesson/discussion based on How Many Bluebirds
• observe greenhouse and discuss with Scott Foresman science text pages 146-, and Barron's page 236
• Ann - addition with numberline and grouping/number sentences, school zone math page 15
• Both - played apple game - math strategy/logic
• Catherine "more" "most" "less" and "least" worksheets
• Catherine - sequencing events worksheets
• Ann - intial sounds w/short vowel sounds worksheets
• both - intial sound bingo game (shoebox game on bookshelf) and other shoebox games

notes include: we went to the art musuem, played Study Dog on the computuer, finished reading Mr. Popper's Penguins, Ann read aloud Wheels!, and we read Paul Bunyan stories.

[Wilhemina]

Originally Posted by joyful

I have a question for you. How do you pick the books to read to your children? You said your children choose the books, but do they browse in the library until they see one they like, or do you find a theme or an interest of theirs and find some books that would work. When we go to the library, it is mainly just me walking around the children's section picking out a book that looks interesting and adding it to the stack. The kids seem primarily interested in playing games on the computer there than looking for books, so it is usually just me picking out books for them and them deciding when we get home which ones they would llike for me to read to them. Although they adore being read to (We are currently reading book 5 of the Narnia series and my 5 y.o. ds is enthralled with the whole series so far. BTW, Book 1 (the Magician's Nephew) is our favorite - a very cool read.

I love your art appreciation ideas! Do you study one particular artist for six weeks in a row, or a particular art style?

Also, when Ann plans out a weekly meal, do you go through a cookbook together to get meal ideas, or does she have sort of a children's cookbook that she uses? ( I think my 5yo would enjoy being more involved in meal planning)

I'm really enjoying reading your posts, thanks letting us take a peek into your homeschooling days!

I know what you mean about the library. We all three pick books to check out, sometimes they pick almost all of them, sometime I do - just depends on what they want to do while we are there. I usually have a book or two I want to look for, but 95% of our books are just selected by browsing (or recommendation from the librarian.)

So glad to know they like the whole Narnia series! I have been wondering whether to continue (in my ancient recollection - I read them in 1977? - it seems some of the books get *darker*).

Yes, we study 6 works by one artist - so about six weeks. There is no pattern to the artists we choose. We've recently studied Chagall, O'Keefe, Degas, and now Picasso. I am toying with the idea of exploring SOTW and trying to tie our art studies in. Might be too much structure for us, but on the other hand I know they would like all the read aloud, so it might work fine.

When she selects her recipe, Ann uses (primarily) her Honest Pretzels cookbook by Mollie Katzen and a folder of recipes I've clipped for the girls from Family Fun/Martha Stewart Kids/etc. Sometimes she *creates* her own recipes , like her recent "Ann's Mexican Ravioli-Lasagna with Spinach"

[Wilhemina]

Thanks for all the supportive comments!!!!

Thursday's blog:

Catherine got up first again, so we had a long read aloud session including Heddy's 100 Hats, which concludes with instructions for making a simple hat from folded newspaper. Of course we HAD to do that! By the time Ann was awake, Catherine wanted to 'puter, so she played Putt-Putt while Ann and I read a kids magazine and she worked the puzzles (maze, hidden picture, an ad-lib sort of thing...). We also read Heddy's 100 Hats, and SHE had to make a hat too, which attracted Catherine's attention. Then they decided to figure out how to make "wizard" hats from newspaper too. Lots of modeling in the bathroom mirror.

Storytime at the downtown library, selected more books and a couple of movies. Then lunch (Fuddrucker's) with our storytime friends after which all the kids (5 girls all Catherine's age, except Ann) played on the restaurant's outdoor play structure. That was especially great as most of the parks here are still littered with hurricane debris.

We brought Catherine's playdate friend home with us and as usual they played and played and played. Then her mother and sister (Ann's age) came to pick her up and they stayed and played for another 90 minutes.

I let the dinner plans go, left dh to figure out leftovers and went to my book club. I was home just in time for evening reading. Very easy day!

[BoobyJuice]

Thanks so much for posting these. I really appreciate it. We are total unschoolers right now. They are surrounded by games, puzzles, dress up clothes, etc and just do what they want all day. When they are out of ideas, they want to watch tv. I don't object - in priciple - since they do so muc play and are EXTREMELY active. It's honestly the only time they are even close to still (although frequently they watch while trying to perfect head- and handstands) Some days though it is a lot of tv. I would love to have activities planned to give them when they are out of ideas. I don't necessarily want stuff we have to do all day. None of us are used to that. But I like your real relaxed and yet stuff planned lesson plans. Since I never plan anything when they do want something to do I have to go digging. By the time I think, plan, prepare something, they are sitting on the couch with the tv on.

So again, thanks for the inspiration. I think I may start a planned, yet optional, list myself.

Originally Posted by Wilhemina

I struggle with this too. I sometimes wonder if by planning/suggesting anything I am unwittingly sending the message that their *plans* are not enough. Sometimes I wonder whether if I'm going to plan anything what's the point in not planning a whole slate of *school at home* stuff. My most salient fear is that when one of the girls suggests something that sounds interesting that I do too much to enhance/expand/*support* that idea and in effect take it from her hands.

[Wilhemina]

Friday's blog

I was still 'putering (MDC) when Catherine woke up, so I actually turned on Magic School Bus for her. Ann got up a minute or two later and they were so surprised to watch tv in the a.m. "Is daddy home?" (translation: Is it saturday?)

Managed to turn the tv off without complaint after MSB since the hot chocolate was ready. The girls picked some new library books to read. Then we played the buzy bee math game I had planned. The game was too basic for the girls, but still fun and they ended up exploring more in the book with the Wikki Stix.

After opening the new window on their advent calendar, the girls wanted to know just how close Christmas was, so Ann and I labeled the days on our December calendar, I did odds and she did evens. (We use a blank calendar from barebooks.com, so no numbers.) It was fun to discuss all our plans so we could decorate with stickers, etc.

During lunch we took another look at our Picasso and found it interesting that the faces in profile were created simply by drawing a single line with 5 bumps: chin, lip, lip, nose, forehead. We drew some ourselves and Ann found them very comical, so she added thought bubbles to each with funny phrases. Hopefully I'll get her to read them to dh.

Before going to her friends house for her playdate, Ann - with help from Catherine - made her button cupcakes to take. She actually read some of the instructions for herself!

While Ann was away Catherine and I played outside (scooter, climbing tree, sidewalk chalk, walking to the community mailbox...), then watched some t.v. When Ann got home, they watched some Christmas claymation special and we enjoyed a new Christmas book, Auntie Clause, before bedtime.

[Wilhemina]

plans for the weekend

Just to wrap up my week, thought I'd mention:

I know we didn't do everything I had on my "plan," frankly it would have been an unusual week if we had. Still, I don't focus on what didn't get done, but am pretty pleased with our week as I review the plan sheet. We may or may not "finish" over the weekend - it's all up to the girls.

Our community tree lighting ceremony is tonight - we might go. Tomorrow we had to Nana and Grandaddy's after church as I have a pre-natal appt. on Monday morning, that's always a treat for the girls!

Thank you all so much for all the wonderful support here. I really enjoyed my week in the spotlight!

[Hemiola]

I'm not homeschooling yet, but just wanted to let you know that your school rocks!

Laura

[RiverSky]

It's tons of fun to read about your days. Thank you for posting about them!
:

[Girl Named Sandoz]

Great thread, thanks!

Did I miss you saying how old your girls are?

[niblet]

Also loved your approach. A nice structure and flow to your days. You've given me some great ideas - love the letter idea.

How do you plan to integrate the new baby into the routine? How was it blending your girls' learning together? What would you do the same, and what would you do differently?

[Wilhemina]

Originally Posted by niblet

How do you plan to integrate the new baby into the routine? How was it blending your girls' learning together? What would you do the same, and what would you do differently?

New baby? I wish I knew. I'd like to keep things as close to the same as possible - we'll see.

Blending the girls' learning together? Much easier than last year when Ann (age 7) was in kindy and I just tried to keep Catherine (age 4) entertained. She WANTS to do what Ann is doing, so it just made sense to start including her in the plans. Bonus is, sometimes her interest in something sparks Ann's. They really support each other's learning.

Differently?
*I'd like to worry less about Ann's reading. It is a real struggle for me.
*When she was a kindergartner I tried to insist on a planned circle time. I wouldn't do that again.
*I'm trying to be better about showing TOO much enthusiasm for her ideas and projects. Sometimes I inadvertantly take over with MY ideas and she loses interest.

Same?
*I love how much of our lives and learning revolve around reading.
*I miss our weekly visits to the state park and look forward to it reopening (Hurricane Rita has it closed for @6 months - the park ranger called me at home to be sure I knew!!)

I'm sure there's more for both lists, but these are the things that leap to mind.