More Minecraft

Robin learned to do more things in Minecraft this week, including redstone wiring and multiplayer.  He also worked with Saxon Math 2.

I read to him, including the followings books: Sheep in a Shop by Nancy E. Shaw

A Child's Day: An Alphabet of Play by Ida Pearle

Daisy and the Beastie by Jane Simmons

Robin wrote in his journal and worked with Explode the Code.

He watched an episode of History Detectives with segments on early aviation (Charles Lindbergh) and letters from the Civil War.  We read article by Paul Salopek.

We went scootering.

Robin attended his RE class, which focused on butterflies and moths.

Minecraft

We've had Minecraft for a while but Robin and his brother hadn't figured out how to really enjoy it until this week.  Now we've figured out how to switch back and forth between Creative and Survival modes, meaning they can both relax and have fun, but also gather the resources they need to succeed pretty easily in the Survival mode, making it a lot more fun.

Robin explored weighing with non-standard units and several other topics in Saxon Math 2.

We continued working on the letter P.  I read to Robin. Including these books: Having a Friend by Betty Miles
 and
Ten Things I Love About You by Daniel Kirk

Robin practiced writing by choosing a word to write in his journal.  He also drew in his journal.

We read some posts by Paul Salopek.

Robin continues to be kind of obsessed with the skate park.  Besides visiting them multiple times this week, he is at this very moment scootering over a makeshift ~1 ft jump he rigged up in our living room, over and over again.  He also biked, and swam.

He attended his RE class, which focused on wood, and observed a skilled woodworker turn tops with a lathe.

Lesson 41

Robin tested out of the first 40 lessons (total) of Saxon Math 2.  Today we started working through the remainder of the book with Lesson 41, which focused on fractional parts of a circle.  He also did some building with Legos this week.

We continued to work on the letter P with Explode the Code.  He wrote and drew in his journal.  A highlight of the week was an opportunity to attend a production of The Tempest at Shakespeare in Clark Park!  We read to Robin.

Robin watched a documentary about samurai swords.  We read some posts from Paul Salopek.

Robin rode his bike, went to the skate park, and went swimming (and jumping) at the swimming hole in the woods.

Birthday in the Family

Robin celebrated his sister's 4th birthday today!  He was very excited about gift giving and cake.

Robin tested out of several lessons of Saxon Math 2.

We began using Explode the Code to work on Robin's phonics skills.  He tested out of the first book (A) but needs to work on the second book (B).  He's having trouble with sound/symbol correspondence - he clearly 'gets' isolating initial sounds of words, but he has a hard time taking an identified sound: '/f/' for example, and then naming and writing down the letter 'F'.  So we're going to do some work on that - he does thrive on repetition!

We read to him, including these books: The Demigod Diaries by Rick Riordan
 and
The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

He wrote in his journal.

And drew.

Robin swam, skateboarded, scootered, biked, and went to the skate parks several times.

He attended his Religious Education class, which focused on soil.  And went fishing.

Fishing

Robin went fishing in the Neshaminy Creek!  He caught and released several fish, including this one:

He watched documentaries about ancient Egyptian embalming practices and Viking sword making.

Robin attended his RE class, which focused on trees.

He tested out of the first 10 lessons of Saxon Math 2.  I particularly noticed the ease with which he identified and wrote down two-digit numbers, which he would not have been able to do at all at the beginning of last year.

Robin wrote and drew in his journal.  He also read a Bob Book.

We read The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Skatepark

Robin's most exciting activity (and he's VERY excited about it) has been going to the Franklin's Paine Skatepark near the Art Museum in Philly.  His father has been taking him in the very early morning, when it's not crowded and also not hot (since it's been VERY hot here.)

He's also been enjoying the pool, a swimming hole in the woods, and playing with a neighbor's hose.

We finished listening to:

The Search for WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi

And Robin played some games from:

More New Games by New Games Foundation

with his brother, sister, and father.

He attended his religious education classes, which focused on what is alive, was alive, and was never alive; and on weeds and wildflowers (he got to plant a flowering plant outdoors).

We saw the movie Akeelah and the Bee, which was showing for free outside our local library.

And enjoyed the fireworks on the 4th of July at Abington High School.

Things to learn . . .

Robin says he does want to learn to read this year.

He wants to learn to do a bunny hop on his bike.

And he wants to take Aikido classes again.