Progress on Counting

Robin is making good progress with counting.  Reciting numbers isn't automatic for him, but he's now able to count pretty solidly to 100 with minimal prompting.  He's also getting the hang of counting by 10s - we are using a number chart and cuisinaire rods, which seem to be working well for him.

Robin did some drawing.

Robin read to me and I read to him.  

We went to Oxon Hill Farm with our homeschooling group this week and took a tour with  one of the Rangers there.  It focused on the dynamics of slave-holders and slaves at the time the house there was built, and on the Underground Railroad as it passed by the house.  

Robin walked and biked this week.

Robin went camping last week and learned about camping safety including fire building and safe fire tending.  We also read a book about camping safety.

Reading Words

Opening presents Christmas morning!

I asked Robin to try reading some very simple words today, just to see what would happen.  I gave him "rat," "hat," and "bat."  We sounded them out together, since I know he is more confident about what sounds letters make than what their names are.  He felt successful!  And offered to do more right there and then, although because we had other things we needed to do, we didn't actually do more.  Next time!

Saxon Math K topics have included making charts (life-sized, on the floor), experimenting with geo-boards, and writing the numeral 3.

Robin made a pot out of clay.

We read a book about Nascar racing.  And one bilingual book.  Robin also practiced simple Spanish words and phrases with his newly adopted half-aunts (ages 11 and 13) from Bogota, Columbia.

We read a book about Samurai and one referencing Greek gods and heroes.

Robin tried a bean this week and although he did not like it, he did consume it.  His comment was that it tasted kind of like potatoes, which is an accurate description of the texture.

Robin enjoyed experimenting with making drums using a pick-up with his dad.

Robin is active nearly every day, either outside walking or biking, or indoors doing pull-ups, sit-ups, etc.

Robin is learning how to manage a wood-burning stove safely, including how to work the dampers, how to manipulate wood, and how to protect younger children from injury.  He especially likes splitting logs (small, pre-split logs that need further splitting into kindling.)

We read books on turtles and DNA.  One of our favorite Christmas presents (thank you Great-Grandpa & Great-Grandma) was a family membership to the Zoo, so Robin went to the Zoo and observed & photographed animals including apes, alligators, and goats.

Alphabet song

First, let me apologize for the lapse in blogging here.  It's been quite a month and a half.  Nothing drastic, really, just very, very busy for me at home and at work in so many ways.  We all had a virus for a couple of weeks, too.  We HAVE been learning, and even doing 'formal' learning activities.  I'm not really going to try to cover everything that happened in the last six weeks.  I'm just going to start from here.

Robin has been using Saxon Math K.  He is getting a lot more familiar with the days of the week and the months of the year.  Nothing we've done so far other than that has been at all challenging to him, really.

Robin is getting a lot clearer on his alphabet.  Some days we use the Kumon wipe-off cards I got for him to practice with.  Some days we sing the alphabet song.  And yesterday I started teaching him the Sign alphabet.  I figure a variety of learning modalities is always a good thing.  We attend Storytime at the library regularly, and read at home regularly, too.

We have read some books on geographic topics, including one about Japan recently.

There have been some interesting discussions of anatomy and physiology with the births of two cousins.

Robin continues to be very active!  We walk/bike/scooter regularly and Robin recently upgraded to a 16" wheel bike.  He is going ice-skating today!  We participated in an effort to get the most children doing jumping jacks for one minute at a time.

The library Storytime one week had a section that for some reason included a fire safety lesson on what to do if you are on fire - Stop, Drop, and Roll!

We had a magazine about fungi recently and Robin collected a variety of fungus from the woods around us and photographed them for posterity.  On the same day we baked fresh bread, and observed the action of the yeast (fungus!)

"I don't like peace!"

One of the books I read to Robin this week was Dear Ichiro by Jean Davies Okimoto, illustrated by Doug Keith.  It's a very skillfully done story about peace and what it means, at a concrete level which is perfect for early elementary age kids.  While I was reading it Robin said, "I don't like peace!" which was great, because then I could ask him what he thought peace was.  "Being quiet" he said.  And then I could explain that sometimes peace doesn't mean being quiet - instead it can mean being in good relationship with another person so you can do really fun, exciting things together.

Robin continued to work with Saxon Math K.

We went for several walks, bikes, or hikes.

And read books about the rain forest and the wind.

Robin was able to look at money from Great Britain when his godmother came over with cash still in her wallet from a recent trip overseas.

Robin had the opportunity to observe the extinguishing of a small kitchen fire after his brother accidentally lit a paper cup on fire.