January 2012

Here's what Andrew is up to as he enters the 2nd half of 1st grade:

Math~Still plugging away at Saxon and supplementing with SmartTutor.
Reading~Just started some books from Sonlight that a friend lent me that he is blazing through.
Phonics~Explode the Code 2 1/2, which he just started.  He pretty much does this independently.
Handwriting~I've been giving him a Bible verse to copy every day.  We were doing Handwriting Without Tears, but it's so boring!  I may go back to it eventually if he needs it, but right now I find more value in him writing out Bible verses or journal entries.
Spelling~Spelling Workout: Level A.  He seems to enjoy this.

 We took a practice test and he got them all right so we can skip the test tomorrow. 

I plan on starting the American Revolution this month and possibly a unit on the eye since Joel is getting glasses.  We also read scads of books each day, and more and more I catch Andrew reading to himself.  I think he would really like to go to school to play with his friends and cousins, not for any education.  We are trying to work on finding him friends he can play with.  He told me the other day that he should go to school because he wanted to learn about Vikings and I didn't know anything about them!  I guess we will have to remedy that.

A+ Spelling test!

Andrew is using Spelling Workout this year.  Each lesson is just a few short pages and we really don't spend a whole lot of time on it, but he's getting good writing, phonics and reading practice, plus we take a traditional spelling test at the end of the week.

memory

Is it will of  God that you should be saved?
Yes.

Why so?
Because God is love and will have all men to be saved.

How has God revealed his Lord to you?
By giving his only begotten son our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.            

Andrew's Math lesson

Straight from from Ray's Arithmetic. Note the plutification problems sprinkled in with the addition and subtraction.

my name is andrew.

Plutification

Today Andrew learned how to do plutification multiplication.  We used lego blocks.  The first number is the number of dots on the block; the second number is the number of blocks.  He picked it up really quick.  Good boy.

andrew catechism

What then should be your chief concern in this life?
To do the will of  God and to save my soul.