A Week of Homeschooling
As the kids get older, we’re slowly shifting our focus toward homeschooling activities. Last week was a good one for showing the types of things we do.
Monday, it looked like it was shaping up to be “Duck Week.” An egg hatched in our incubator overnight! It was at least a week early, so the first thing on the agenda involved ditching our original plans and driving into town for a heat lamp.
My older daughter (now dubbed “Nutmeg” for the blog) is thrilled with the duckling (who hasn’t been dubbed anything yet).
We’re reading fairy tales this month. We added The Ugly Duckling to this week’s plan. The kids got very quiet at the part where the harassed “duckling” sees his grown-up reflection in the water. I’d forgotten how moving that story can be.
Nutmeg figured out how to make ducklings with her pattern blocks.
Later in the week, in addition to the usual phonics and math, we worked in the garden. “Junior” planted watermelons in a newly-mounded watermelon hill.
I planted marigolds to keep bugs out of the garden.
Sunday had included a trip to Nana and Papa’s house. Papa did an amazing demonstration of magnets.
See the horseshoe shape of the iron filings on the piece of paper? That was just a start. By the time they were done, they had a huge nail with wires wrapped around it, attached to an even bigger battery. That was one impressive magnet.
Below, they’re working with the materials that came with our magnet kit. Papa thought he could do better (which he did, of course – the duct-tape-wrapped nail in the foreground is one of the sizes they used).
We also visited Grandma and Grandpa’s house. The kids explored their beautiful yard, which led to learning about maple (“helicopter”) seeds.
We are learning about habitats this month. The kids colored a savanna and stuck stickers on it. A couple animals from other habitats visited, too.
We had a good mix of following our interests and completing planned work.
Today is Monday again, and our plans have already been ditched. We had to run into town this morning for milk replacer for a newborn calf who isn’t nursing well. We hope he makes it. If he does, I may be posting a “Calf Week” overview!
Hi Debbie,
Joshua and I are reading this just after finishing our homeschooling for the day. I think Joshua is somewhat jealous…..he just asked me if we could “maybe get at least some chickens or something”. I informed him that next time to KS we will visit you. He also liked the bee posting! Interesting stuff, Debbie!! Keep posting….
Oh my! 🙂 Well, you all can come look at our ducks any time!
What a lovely balance of planned and unplanned activities–a beautiful life! This kind of learning goes deep, deep inside them. Honoring grandparents and receiving from their wisdom; lots of life, life, life, and then creating in response to the things they’re learning/experiencing.
Delightful, Debbie!
I love “Junior’s” typical tongue-on-the-mouth pose in the picture with Bob. :)))
I know, Krista! Someday he’ll have to outgrow that! 🙂
His great grandpa never did! Still a very clear memory is his polishing his shoe with his index finger in a rag, and as that finger went in fast little circles all over the shoe, his tongue stuck out of his mouth, matching each little circle!
Wow! Nana and Papa have an awesome stove!!! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, Kristen! My parents had that stove during my childhood, and they actually put wood in it and cooked on it sometimes. It brings up good memories!
I just wanted to say that I discovered your blog through the WTM Forum and I love it! I’m definitely adding a link to your blog on my blog’s page. You have a beautiful family and take beautiful pictures. My oldest daughter would move in with you next week! She wants to live in the country so badly. 🙂