Marble Run

This morning, after arriving at our house at 6:30 in the morning from our 2 week trip to Texas (we drove at night) Robin and his brother were inspired by an episode of Curious George to take our recycling and some tape and design a marble run.  I am especially impressed because they did it ALL by themselves, while I was unpacking and decompressing from the 36 hours in the car.  (Excuse the lousy photo - I forgot the camera was on manual!)  Robin did several puzzles, including one up to 550 pieces.

We spent the last two weeks on vacation, driving to Texas (through Virginia, Tennessee, & Arkansas) and visiting family in Austin and Roby.  Robin was quite interested in mapping our trip.

He learned about the history of Lady Bird Lake in Austin, TX.

Robin walked a lot, including in neighborhoods and along Lady Bird Lake.  He also did a lot of bouncing on giant trampolines (trust me, this is a major workout.)  He used his grandparent's apartment building's exercise room, too.

We visited the Texas Memorial Museum, a Natural Science museum including fossils and minerals from Texas (and dinosaur footprints!)  Robin also went to the Zilker Botanical Gardens in Austin.

Reading!

Robin read his first book this week!  He's been doing pretty well with short-vowel sound flashcards so I got several level 1 easy readers out and we started with this one.  He's very proud of himself.  I'm proud of him, too!  He needs a bit of help sounding things out, of course, but this is the first step (yes!)

I read to him, too.

The math lessons this week involved learning to play War, which I'm pretty sure he already knew.  And we worked on counting and I think he's ironed out his avoidance of 15 and his uncertainty about transitions from 20s to 30, 30s to 40 etc.  We read a book about shapes and opposites.

Robin drew a birthday card for his uncle.

We read a book in Spanish.

Robin did some exercising.  We read a book about running.

We read books about sharks, animals, pumpkins, and bugs.

Gym Fun!

We visited a homeschool play-group at a rec center gym in Philadelphia this week.  Robin loved it!  They had these scooter-like things with a flat plastic seat, three wheels, and a handle-bar in front of the seat.  You sit on the seat, put your feet on the handle-bar, and hold the ends.  When you wiggle the handle-bar side-to-side, you move forward.  If anybody knows what they are called, tell me!  We also visited a homeschool coop, which Robin was a lot less enthusiastic about.

We read a book about peace illustrated entirely with quilts which he found very interesting.

Robin's Saxon K math this week included making various different types of patterns and practicing with word problems.

I read to Robin.

Graphing

Robin took one of the 'assessments' in Saxon Math K today.  It was to sort and then graph pattern blocks.  I was quite impressed by the ease with which he did this.  He wouldn't have known how before, but he sure does now!

I read to Robin and he continued to work on learning short-vowel words.

We read a book about Buster (from the TV show Arthur) visiting Chicago.

A book about being sick and how to get better.

And books about the stone age and a woman pirate from the 17th century British Isles.  He also watched some of a documentary on WWII.

Robin did lots of walking, jogging, scootering, and strength training.

We read parts of a book about how things work.

Pattern blocks

One of Robin's Saxon Math K lessons this week involved replicating a pattern with pattern blocks, and then creating a different pattern within the same outline.  Robin loved this, and when he was done, he took the pattern blocks and created a design using every pattern block available.  He chose to do it symmetrically, although he knew he didn't have to.

I read to Robin and he practiced vowel-sound words.

We went to a buffet chinese restaurant for lunch with our homeschooling group in honor of Chinese New Year.  Robin also attended an RE class about this holiday.

Robin went swimming and roller-blading.

We read a book about bugs.

Skiing!

Robin has been asking for at least two years to go skiiing - and this week he got his wish!  We went to Whitetail Resort and Robin skiied for 4 hours without stopping.  He fell down a lot at first, but after trying a slightly more challenging hill he got more confident on the bunny slope.  He had a great time.

Recent Saxon Math K topics have included ordering numbers through 20 and replicating patterns.

We found a vowel-sounds app for the iPod which Robin has completed all the free levels of and he's trying to get me to buy the $2.99 version.  I read to Robin regularly.

We read books about Hanukkah, Passover, Easter, narrow gauge railroads in the Rockies, and a bilingual Spanish/English book.

We read a book about the supermarket.

We read books about a Cuban girl who immigrated to New York in the 1950s and one about the building of the Great Wall of China.

We read books about winter and cells.

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.