School is cool!

I've been told that there haven't been enough pictures or schooling updates, so prepare yourselves for an overload of cuteness.

Homeschooling is still going strong here at our house - we're on week 8 of our 32 week plan for the year, and so far, things are going wonderfully. Sure, there are days when it's harder than others to get started, but we had those when going to a traditional school, too. Overall, we're still enjoying each other's company, and we're still learning a lot about the world around us......and each other.

Enjoy the picture post of our year so far!


Reading/Phonics: A friend told me about this great method for helping little ones learn to spell and read short words. Graham (age 5) is LOVING it! I present to you: sticky-note phonics

Science has also been a lot of hands-on fun. Joseph designed his own experiment using beans (which he then sprouted), and measuring how quickly the little plants grow. Here he is, building the experiment, after designing it on paper:

Art class has definitely been the most fun so far. We've been able to try out different mediums for creating masterpieces. One of the boys' favourite art projects was drawing with dry erase markers on our sliding glass door. We had a lot of fun with this double-sided activity!

Math: while this one doesn't usually lend itself to very exciting photos, but we've managed to fin a way to have some fun while working on math skills. Games, such as our "Jumping Numbers" game (I call out a math problem, and they have to jump to land on the card that has the right answer on it), and daily activities (such as baking: we worked on fractions while making the cupcakes below) have really helped to solidify math comprehension.

And then there are field trips. We've planned our week to do lessons for 4 and 1/2 days, leaving a half day to go and explore, or work on more intense art projects. We've managed to spend a lot of time seeking out local fun spots or nature reserves. There's so much to see here! Each boy has a field trip journal, and our goal is to have every paged filled by the end of the school year.

And the best part of homeschooling, so far? The relationships we've built as a family. The boys are best of friends now, and I love watching them grow up together. Homeschooling is proving to be the best for our family, on a daily basis.