This week, we started back to school after a two-week holiday break and we had our first (and possibly only) snow fall of the winter. We also implemented our new schedule, which of course required some boundary-testing. You can imagine how unproductive this week turned out to be.
Math was exactly what I thought it would be, review by way of doing all the tries for the bridge to chapter 11 in Life of Fred: Decimals and Percents. Captain Science kept getting hung up on the problems requiring multiplying numbers with decimals. With each try, however, he was able to do the problem easily on a second attempt, so I think part of the issue was the dawdling and distractability. We went through it one more time, together, and I think it all snapped back into place, because his only mistakes thereafter were “couldn’t pay attention” errors in arithmetic.
History was…well, he enjoyed his chapters on Roman technology and social status, at least. His essay on Roman technology was good, and I enjoyed his conclusion that, “despite not having electricity, the Romans were in some ways more advanced than we are.” His essay on the importance of Roman social status turned out to just be a list of the different social statuses with a brief description, however.
Because we haven’t gotten our new MCT grammar curriculum yet, Captain Science worked on Editor in Chief A1 a lot this week, doing three lessons of it. He didn’t make any mistakes in the lessons, but it took him forever and ever to finish them. Vocabulary from Classical Roots went much more easily and quickly. He really enjoys vocabulary and the parts of speech. He isn’t very keen on rewriting paragraphs. Fair enough.
This week’s science unit apparently had something to do with boiling water while Captain Science and Eclectic Girl took turns staring at it and muttering excitedly. It also involved a dish of isopropyl (which my browser’s spell check keeps insisting is spelled incorrectly, even though it’s not) alcohol and sticking one’s hands into bowls of water of various temperatures. I guess that means they were learning about heat?
Officer Daddyman subscribed us to the Classics for Kids podcast on iTunes and he and the boys listened to one this morning while I slept in a bit with a bad headache. That was the sum total of our electives this week, I’m sorry to say. Next week will be better, surely.
On a positive note, Patchfire and I did decide on a good use of our newly-emptied Tuesdays. I’m using the mornings to do art and she’ll come over in the afternoons to teach a second science class (on the brain) and for me to teach creative writing. It’s a micro co-op!
I guess the first week back to school after the break could have been worse, but I feel like every single accomplishment was extracted with the relative ease of pulling teeth from a reluctant tiger.
LOL. Nothing like dental work on a reluctant tiger.
I’m frustrated with math in my house. My children hate it, do it as fast as they can, and then beg to do something else. Lydia is behind and needs to be doing more than one lesson per day of Singapore math. We used R&S Math for too long & had to do major back-up when we switched to SM. The stuff I assumed was going to be easy (review of elapsed time & division. GIVE ME A BREAK) sent her over the edge this week. So I’m ready to flunk my kids in math.
Captain Science’s essays sound interesting. Any mention of Roman toilets? Lydia finds Roman toilets really fascinating for some reason. LOL.
Yes! He wrote extensively about Roman toilets!
What are your thoughts of Life of Fred?
It sounds like you accomplished a lot for a first week back from your holiday. My dd loves the Romans but never did like the idea of public toilets – baths yes, but not the toilets.
I think next week will probably be my week to pull teeth since forced writing is back on the agenda after its three week break.
Wow- sounds like a very productive week!
The thought of public *anything remotely to do with bodily functions* makes me a little uneasy!
We will be pulling teeth soon- still on break, and *think* we will start back within the next 2 ( maybe 3) weeks.
I just stumbled on your blog yesterday! I was trying to find old blog posts on classical unschooling. Yep, I’m one of those half-assed classical unschoolers! Been half-assed for years and my children have all turned out badly! If only I’d read your blog sooner, I’d have seen the light. . .
Sorry, just yankin’ yer chain! Don’t take me seriously (well you probably don’t anyway). Sounds like you had a good week back. I do agree that getting back into the saddle after a long break is like pulling teeth from a reluctant tiger!