Sunday, August 23, 2015

Gainor Academy 2015-2016

Maybe I'm getting back to blogging!? Or maybe I'm just procrastinating...most likely its procrastinating.

Our school year started last Monday, August 17th. It is probably the latest ever "first day of school" for us, but we just could not swing earlier with the move in June. Fall soccer has started again for Will and he will do basketball in the winter. Next week we add Classical Conversations back into our weekly routine. After Labor Day comes the 5,487 dance classes each week as well. (Ok, only one for Anna and 4 for Adeline.) Will is also going to be taking drum lessons this year!

Here is what we are doing for their curriculum this year:

Will - 9 years old, 4th grade: 


Saxon 5/4 - using the DIVE cd's which are video lessons so Will can work independently 

CC Essentials - includes grammar plus writing with IEW - Institute for Excellence in Writing...this is a HUGE portion of his weekly work)

Literature - trying some literature units starting with Chronicles or Narnia

Spelling Power

Wordly Wise 4 - totally independent to practice vocab and reading comp

Handwriting Without Tears Cursive Success - also independent

Typing Web - independent and often used as a reward for less desirable subjects. 

Adeline - 7 years old, 2nd grade:  


Right Start Level C

First Language Lessons 2 - this is grammar with dictation and narration built in. 

Wordly Wise 2 - (no Writing with Ease or Pathway Readers this year)

Literature - (same units as Will...I think its Veritas Press?)

Spelling Power

Handwriting Without Tears Printing Power

Typing Web

Both together: 

Classical Conversations Foundations - Includes memory work in 7 subject areas plus Fine Arts and Science. Cycle 1 is mostly Ancient History.

Song School Latin - CC recommends Latin curriculum by 4th grade..this seems to be the most "gentle"

Story of the World - readings correlated to Cycle 1 History

Apologia Botany - finishing from last year and then starting Zoology Flying Creatures...maybe. 

Lyrical Life/Earth Science -trying this out - recommended by CC so I'm going to try to use it for all the Earth Science in Cycle 1

Anna - 4 years old, PreK: 


Handwriting without Tears PreK

Explode the Code Primers

Classical Conversations Foundations - She is so excited! And will be working on the same memory work, fine arts and science as the big kids! 

I *might* teach her to read after Christmas...she probably could now, but I need to get a grip on Essentials first!


So now that you've seen our curriculum for the year, you understand that I should probably get back to planning this week. :) 
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Tuesday, October 21, 2014

4th of July


We went to GSO to celebrate the 4th of July. I loved that Anna got to wear this dress that belonged to Sarala. It's so cute!






We had dinner with Uncle Jamie, his girlfriend Bonnie and her kiddos Hannah and Connor.


Love getting to see and hold creatures at Uncle Jamie's.



Mooching off any and everyone!




We headed towards downtown for fireworks.



Will ended up sick at Urgent Care before we could leave GSO. Thought it was the return of pneumonia (for which he'd just finished an antibiotic). Thankful it was just a virus with a high fever.
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Catching up - June 2014


I'm pulling an Aunt Lollie and catching up with one month at a time for now. A few weeks after returning from Disney, Anna came down dressed as a princess. I was confused at first when she said in the sweetest, most princess-y voice, "Do you want to meet me?" She hammed it up with a cheesey smile and sweet gestures and hugs. Totally wants to be a real life Disney Princess in the parks some day.


All of these animals (Penguin, Pearl and Chicky) came to meet Princess Anna this day.



Our last day of school was also in the beginning of June. (Bumped a little later by our Florida vacation!)


Sweet boy set up my coffee for me that morning. We promptly had a lesson on caffeine and how it affects the body.


After we finished our work for the day, we made an impromptu celebratory Sonic trip for happy hour. Then we visited my new favorite place, the Dollar Book Exchange. Fun last day!


For a while now, Adeline has been having weekly playdates with sweet friends from church. On this day, we hosted the playdate. We also had Abby visiting us that day too! Will was more outnumbered than usual.



Adeline returning from errands with Dad. She looked so grown up walking across the yard carrying her purse...I can't stand it.


She liked kale chips!




Playing in the rain is still one of my kids most favorite things. They ask EVERY time it rains.






Last are some SSA pics (aka VBS...and I have more, but can't find them!). Also, the post SSA couch veg that happened every afternoon.

Stay tuned for July-Oct, coming soon. :)
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Friday, September 26, 2014

Curriculum 2014-2015

I thought I had drafted this post once already...but I had not. Sooooo, here is our curriculum breakdown for this year. This is always helpful for me to look back on but also when others say, "What did you use when Will was in 1st grade?" I can send them straight to these posts... :)

Here it is...

Will, 8 years old, 3rd grade

-does mostly as independent work now! :) 
-has "tests" every 5ish lessons. he actually enjoys these. 
-we do math every day

-we do this about 3 days per week.
-takes about 5-10 minutes.

-3 days per week

-4 days per week. 
-includes dictation and copywork practice
-independent 
-might be dropping these
-do this 3-4 days per week

-independent, he has very good handwriting
-do this 3 days per week with Draw Write Now on the 4th day.

-independent work that he loves.


Adeline, 6 years old, 1st grade

-math needs to move faster for A
-wish we had started with B in K and not level A
-4 days per week
-this is a simple math workbook that she does independently 
-extra practice, esp. w/ money and time, something RS lacks
-3 days per week

-thought we would finish this over the summer, but we did not. 
-there are 220 lessons and she has flown through them. excellent reader!

Explode the Code (in Book 3 now)
-still love these to reinforce the phonics
-4 days per week

-grammar practice that is very gentle
-3 days per week 

-she says this is her favorite. she loves the reading selections!
-4 days per week.

-independent 
-like her brother, she loves it or I'd probably have dropped this by now.
-3-4 days per week

-independent work
-her handwriting is her biggest area of struggle, though I've seen much improvement lately!
-4 days per week and include Draw Write Now for the 5th day.


Will and Adeline Together!! 

-this includes weekly memory work in 7 subject areas 
-also includes weekly presentation they must prepare and practice at home
-they each have a folder of pages to copy their memory work in (this helps a LOT in memorizing)
-we also listen to the CD's a lot. this includes the 13 minute timeline song that even Anna loves!
-Also working on geography by drawing the US map. 
-5 days per week with this schedule...
Mon - community day
Tues - copywork 
Wed - copywork and choose presentation topic
Thurs - copywork and complete presentation form (to plan it out!) 
Fri - copywork, practice presentation and draw US map

Scripture Memory
-BLAST (at church!) 
-this provides our weekly scripture memory
-Will also has scripture memory for his bible lessons from New Life Camp
-for CC we will also be memorizing John 1:1-7 in english and latin
-daily!

History
-We use the history sentence from CC as the guide for history during the week. 
-We do the Story of the World chapter that corresponds to the week's topic. This includes reading, mapwork and sometimes an activity.

-This year will be entirely US history. We've already done Columbus, Pilgrims and Mayflower, Boston Tea Party, Declaration of Independence and George Washington.



-We check out lots of library books on the topic and watch corresponding Schoolhouse Rock, Drive Thru History, Libertys Kids and even American Girl movies!
-3 days per week

Science
-Apologia Botany including notebooks and experiments with every lesson.
-Not sure how realistic this is as we're only on Lesson 2 of 14. :) 
-But they are LOVING the plant and seed experiments, so I will continue. 
-3 days per week (alternating with history) 

Read Aloud
-we have already finished More Stories from Grandma's Attic and are working on Caddie Woodlawn right now. 

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Thursday, August 28, 2014

6 year old Adeline


This is obviously out of order, but I realized I did not blog about Adeline's birthday! Way back in March, Adeline turned 6! She requested a Lego Friends party. We decided to decorate cupcakes and make a necklace out of legos. It was a hit!


I got the lego candy at the mall candy store. It worked perfect for decorating the cupcakes!



Presents (plus an extra Barbie car).


Lego rice krispies!





As we were passing out cupcakes to decorate, little sister missed the memo. She could NOT wait to decorate. She just chowed down.



The girls even put on their own icing. Plus sprinkles and candies that I had out.




Eva is a sweet friend from church who also happens to be homeschooled.



Ruthie is a sweet from church (also homeschooled).


Isabelle is a friend from church.



Katie is also a church friend! I just realized that all of Adeline's party guests were church friends. :)



Sweet friends.


Adeline got her first American Girl doll. It is the doll of the year, Isabelle. Isabelle has blond hair and is a dancer. When Sherry asked if she could get an AG doll, I knew Adeline would love Isabelle.


Her gift from us was a new bike! She had outgrown her last! She has almost mastered riding with no training wheels.







Six candles barely fit on a cupcake!! Happy Birthday, sweet Adeline. We are so proud of you and how you are growing up. She says that she is "learning to love hard work" (her words!) and likes to do her chores. She still isn't very neat, but is getting more responsible. She is an excellent reader and is finishing chapter books now. She loves dance class and is adding jazz this year! She also LOVES babies.
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