Weekly Wrap Up -- Week 1

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Woohoo, week #1 is done!  It's been an interesting week ...

The oldest:
Her Heart of Dakota curriculum is PERFECT for her.  I was worried that it was going to take her way too long to complete a day because there is a lot of reading and journaling.  It is actually just perfect!  She started off learning about the times right after Christ, and about some martyrs.  She's also reading Beautiful Girlhood and started a Shakespeare overview.  In science, she is starting with astronomy.

We decided to change from Bob Jones English to Easy Grammar.  We don't actually have the Easy Grammar curriculum in yet, but I am looking forward to it for several reasons.  One - DVD time is a hot commodity around here, and Easy Grammar doesn't require a DVD player.  Two - I think it will take considerably less time, even doing it for a whole year rather than a one semester course (which BJU is.)  Three - we're already using IEW for writing, and she already has an excellent grammar foundation (thank you BJU!) so some skill maintaining is really all that is required at this point.

Math is rocking along, as is Texas History.  (Oh yeah - we were going to hold that off until next semester, but while we were holding for English/grammar, decided there was no time like the present, and let's just go ahead and get Texas History done.)

Writing is rocking along as well.  We got a great start with this last year and then decided to just start over rather than picking up where we left off, so this is all review to her right now.

I think this is really going to be a great year for her! 

The Middle:
We discovered very quickly that we needed to revise the Heart of Dakota plans for the middle one.  (Remember that the girls both did Creation to Christ last year.  It was a struggle for the middle one, so we dropped her down a level for this year.)  We were originally planning to stretch Preparing Hearts for His Glory over two years.  I did not realize that there is quite a skill jump between the Preparing level and the Creation to Christ level.  She breezed through day 1 and I realized that we needed to not do it half speed, plus we needed to add the extension package.

(NOTE TO SELF.  When you plan lessons six weeks in advance, DO THEM IN PENCIL.)

I think she really is going to love this curriculum this year, and I am excited about it for her. I think once we have the kinks worked out with the schedule and figuring out exactly what she needs to do every day, she is going to love it.

She is doing well with her Bob Jones English and reading, and with her Teaching Textbooks math.

The little one:
Woohoo for no changes necessary!

His Heart of Dakota curriculum has been fun this week.  He's a squirmy little boy, so it's great that the readings are short.  We do school with him about 15 minutes at a time in several intervals throughout the day, and this week it has worked well.  He is very clearly still adjusting to school and figuring out what is expected from him.

His phonics/reading BJU class is going well.  Again, it's taking some adjustment to get him to focus well.  (Funny - he can sit and watch Phineas and Ferb and not move, but I put in the kindergarten dvd and he turns into a squirmy worm!)  He's figuring out how it all works though, and I'm proud of him.

We're still a bit at a loss for math.  I bought him a Singapore math book then realized that he was a little past where it started.  We're going to finish it up in the next couple of weeks and then go to ... something.  Maybe just the next Singapore book.  I really don't know yet.

All in all, it's been a very good first week.  Yay for getting back into a routine!  The kids have complained about getting up earlier, but in all honesty, I think everyone is happier when we have a schedule and normal daily plan.  (Or maybe it's just that *I* am happier when we have a routine ... and when mama is happy ... you know the rest.)

I will be linking up with Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers today.  :)  Hop on over and see how other first weeks went!