Unschooling Summer Week #12
We had a pretty quiet around here. For once, we spent most of our week at home. We had some friends over, ran some errands, and tried to relax. Yet, somehow, we still managed to keep busy and learn a lot.
Art/Music-- The older two boys spent one morning making a birthday card for one of their grandmothers. They used markers, paper cutters, rubber stamps, stickers, a paper crimper and adhesive runners. Their cards came out beautifully and reflective of their own distinct personalities. They all colored in their coloring books several times again this week too. We spent several hours travelling in the car listening to various music from all of their MP3 players. We learned about African drumming at the zoo and were reminded of bass, rhythm, beat, and the importance of listening to one another.
Reading-- We have no book on CD this week while we wait for some requested ones to come in but we're enjoying reading the Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom when we get the chance. The boys have also been reading on their own. Ian read another few chapters in Mockingjay and Alec started reading Henry Higgins as well as continuing with Warriors and Tombquest. We checked out lots of books from the library on servals, meerkats and fennec foxes. Alec could not wait to dive into these books either! Evan and I read a few more books together this week. So far we've read Should I Share My Ice Cream? and Listen to My Trumpet.
Writing- - The boys spent an afternoon writing thank you letters to a family friend. We reviewed spelling, punctuation and proper formatting.
Math-- We worked on a few more review sheets this week and Evan has moved onto this 3's facts. The older boys now will sit and time themselves using my phone app and leave the work for me to correct with their times written across the top. I love that they're getting more and more independent with their schoolwork. Alec spent one morning working with our Qba maze set making a spiral marble maze. He had to rebuild and fix it a few times but he finally got it to work just the way he wanted it. I love when they combine play, problem solving, and creativity! Evan spent that same morning making various weapons out of our Qubits. He made a bow, a scythe, and a gun.
Geography/Sociology-- This week we got to learn all about African drumming and music. Alec and Ian got to participate in a drum circle at our local zoo when we visited over the weekend. We even got to learn some lyrics and African words too. We read the book Letters from Felix and listened to the bunny's travels around the world. Alec read all of Felix's letters and showed us his post cards while I read the story line. It was such a great book!
Science/Technology-- With another trip to the zoo this week we learned a lot about animals and food chains. Ian spent an afternoon playing with Ivory soap that he had watched "blow up" in the microwave. This is a favorite science experiment that the boys like to do over and over and over again. There's something about watching a simple bar of soap grow and grow that's just mesmerizing. The boys have spent lots of time playing video games again this week. Alec and Evan have been looking up tips and tricks for Terraria trying to learn all the ins and outs of the game while Ian has re-discovered Minecraft. He built a two- story library complete with a courtyard for reading in the middle and lots of books. The boys got me to play some Wii Sports Resort with them and they had fun beating the pants off me.
Socialization: We had some friends over to play in the lake with us this week. It's been a long time since we've seen them but Evan was begging me to invite them over and we were lucky enough that they were free. We had a wonderful time catching up with one another and promised not to wait another year before getting together.
Physical Education: The boys went tubing and swimming a lot this week. It's been so hot here this week and with their father back home they've been going tubing almost every night as well as climbing up and jumping off some of the bridges that span the lake.
Art/Music-- The older two boys spent one morning making a birthday card for one of their grandmothers. They used markers, paper cutters, rubber stamps, stickers, a paper crimper and adhesive runners. Their cards came out beautifully and reflective of their own distinct personalities. They all colored in their coloring books several times again this week too. We spent several hours travelling in the car listening to various music from all of their MP3 players. We learned about African drumming at the zoo and were reminded of bass, rhythm, beat, and the importance of listening to one another.
Reading-- We have no book on CD this week while we wait for some requested ones to come in but we're enjoying reading the Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom when we get the chance. The boys have also been reading on their own. Ian read another few chapters in Mockingjay and Alec started reading Henry Higgins as well as continuing with Warriors and Tombquest. We checked out lots of books from the library on servals, meerkats and fennec foxes. Alec could not wait to dive into these books either! Evan and I read a few more books together this week. So far we've read Should I Share My Ice Cream? and Listen to My Trumpet.
Writing- - The boys spent an afternoon writing thank you letters to a family friend. We reviewed spelling, punctuation and proper formatting.
Math-- We worked on a few more review sheets this week and Evan has moved onto this 3's facts. The older boys now will sit and time themselves using my phone app and leave the work for me to correct with their times written across the top. I love that they're getting more and more independent with their schoolwork. Alec spent one morning working with our Qba maze set making a spiral marble maze. He had to rebuild and fix it a few times but he finally got it to work just the way he wanted it. I love when they combine play, problem solving, and creativity! Evan spent that same morning making various weapons out of our Qubits. He made a bow, a scythe, and a gun.
Geography/Sociology-- This week we got to learn all about African drumming and music. Alec and Ian got to participate in a drum circle at our local zoo when we visited over the weekend. We even got to learn some lyrics and African words too. We read the book Letters from Felix and listened to the bunny's travels around the world. Alec read all of Felix's letters and showed us his post cards while I read the story line. It was such a great book!
Science/Technology-- With another trip to the zoo this week we learned a lot about animals and food chains. Ian spent an afternoon playing with Ivory soap that he had watched "blow up" in the microwave. This is a favorite science experiment that the boys like to do over and over and over again. There's something about watching a simple bar of soap grow and grow that's just mesmerizing. The boys have spent lots of time playing video games again this week. Alec and Evan have been looking up tips and tricks for Terraria trying to learn all the ins and outs of the game while Ian has re-discovered Minecraft. He built a two- story library complete with a courtyard for reading in the middle and lots of books. The boys got me to play some Wii Sports Resort with them and they had fun beating the pants off me.
Socialization: We had some friends over to play in the lake with us this week. It's been a long time since we've seen them but Evan was begging me to invite them over and we were lucky enough that they were free. We had a wonderful time catching up with one another and promised not to wait another year before getting together.
Physical Education: The boys went tubing and swimming a lot this week. It's been so hot here this week and with their father back home they've been going tubing almost every night as well as climbing up and jumping off some of the bridges that span the lake.
My daughter just loves the Warriors as well! I think she has read all that our library has on their shelves from that author. There is apparently a new series out but I can't remember what critter it is. The tubing sounds great to me!! I haven't played on a lake like that in years!!
ReplyDeleteI think Alec has read most of the Warriors books by now and he's starting on Seekers too. He loves so many series and I think they're all about animals.
DeleteSwimming is the best kind of P.E. We do swim team, but anytime in the water is fun!
ReplyDeleteI wish we had swim teams near us; my kids love swimming and I think they'd really get into it but for now we have plenty of fun in the lake. They even jump off the boat and swim home when we allow them to!
DeleteI love the way you translate your unschooling activities to subject learning. This was always a difficult thing for me to understand. Visiting from Weekly Wrap Up!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I struggle with it a bit since many things can cross a variety of different learning aspects but I do have a teaching background and that helps tremendously. Though I so sometimes wonder if I'm just rationalizing it to myself!
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