Nature Drawing Resources

Look what just arrived in the mail!

I am super excited.

Can't wait to start these with the children.

Cooking Bread Buns for Dinner

I let the girls help with making the dinner rolls.  Bread is an easy thing to prepare and make.  Anyone can do them.

We use a bread flour specially designed for bread making.

Then we add a little yeast and sugar.

We also add about 400 mls of water and start mixing.

Soon the girls had a ball.

We covered it with some cling wrap.

After a few hours of sitting, and the occasional visit to roll the air out, we do our last one and set them for their final rise in the trays.

Then we put them in the oven for about 35 mins.

They're actually quite big rolls in real life - enough for a full hamburger or what not.  We put ham and tomatoes on ours this night.

Charlotte and Noah

Some of the books we read this week:

I do a little walk through with the James Cook book here:

Noah did some Math:

And for differentiation....

Charlotte also used these Math resources this week as well:

And can you believe that she has finished 14 lessons in her new book already.  I told her that she'll be doing Saxon 5/4 soon.  She was so excited about that, but first she still has to get through this book.   

This page is using American money - which I don't mind because it is using dimes, nickels, and pennies - which will lend itself very nicely to counting by 10's, 5's in particular - perfect for her transition to multiplication.

A Day at the Zoo

We took the children to our local zoo.

It's a couple of hours drive away, but that's ok.

I'll try and find some more photos tomorrow.... so tired....

AO8 Week 1 Wrap Up

Yes, so how did our FIRST AO week go?

There were so many first chapters this week, but I feel that it went pretty good for the most part.  In many ways it reminded me fondly of RC, but with a little broader application.

A hymn for copywork:

Additionally, I'm still tweaking some of the book order.  I think that next week will be better as I've tried to separate the History reads from the Science reads on alternating days.

This is her notebook page for First Studies in Plant Life.

We started Churchill and Arnold-Forster.  Both of them seem excellent resources.  I read the first chapter of Churchill to Chloe as a read aloud.  Then she read Arnold-Forster to herself, and I also went and read it myself too.  I learnt some things right there in the very first chapter.  I also loved the illustrations and the fact that the chapter opened with a key events and people listing.

Chloe's Architecture introduction notebook page:

Overall I feel this is much better for her than some of the other resources that we've been using previously.  Notably absent are the vocabulary, random worksheets, and the Greek.  Yes, the Greek went as I suspected it would.  She decided to do the French since it has to be scheduled for a few days a week.

When you ask for a map of Australia and it comes back with main roads on it......  She free styled her map of Australia too.

On the left we have one of her essay narrations from this week and on the right hand side she was doing some poetry copywork, The Man from Snowy River'.  She'll work on that poem for a few weeks as we also want to use it for recitation.  Francis Bacon is under the scissors.

Another thing that I also liked about the week was how we organised it in the box.  A lot of our books are pdf print outs.  They fitted in super nice in the box, almost like a filing system.  So it was easy to look through and pull out the required texts for each day.

My next task is to acquire some more AO books - in particular I am about to start sourcing more of AO7 so that I can transition Phebe and Hannah over the next year at some point.  And of course, I will also need to start collecting books for AO9 for Chloe next year.  So many books.  A lot of work, but what is work when it is fun?

Thanks so much for visiting.

Art Monday 3D Paper Construction

This week we tried 3D Paper Construction.

Can I just tell you that this is MUCH harder than it looks.

Yes, it truly is.

But they had fun.

Charlotte Officially Starting Grade 3 Math

It's is now official....

Charlotte has started Grade 3 Math.  She's still 6 though.

Today she started her 5x and 10 x multiplication cards.

{ I got the skip counting number for free on TpT }

She is currently wearing these:

{ I got them on TpT }

And did you know that you can teach multiplication with Touch Math?

I'm off to raid the cupboards for other multiplication helps.

Collecting Books for AO 8

I believe that I might now have THE most serious mind that I have ever had concerning AO... { Ambleside Online }

I've visited their website for YEARS picking up booklists and perusing their schedules... but when it came to actually committing to doing the curriculum I would chicken out every single time.  When you schedule over 25 items/books to rotate through each week one becomes altogether overwhelmed and entirely intimidated by it all.  Then, you also need to be able to source all the resources and books, yes, so there's that.  My third objection had been that I was fully addicted to my little worksheets - I feel I can mostly dispense with those for high school though, I hope.  So, as it were, I have never actually put my hand to attempting the curriculum as laid out per se, until now......  ha ha, I'm always the Johnny Come Late.....  

I've visited a few AO blogs very regularly over those years as well, even though we didn't use it.  Books are a high attraction.  In fact, you will still find after all these years links to Oh Peaceful Day and Journey and Destination from my blog here to there.  So if AO interests you, they are my first two go to's; they are also Australian.  These two ladies in particular have been huge encouragements over the years.  I also sought out some of their recommended books to put on the shelves. Naturally, they were the first two blogs I turned to when I wanted to get serious about implementing AO these last couple of weeks.  And of course, the main website and forums too.

Now that we are putting our hands to high school.... I am finding current school texts altogether repulsive.  No real purpose except busy work and wasted time with a mediocre and general education at best.  I am innately abhorring them, well, except the Math surprisingly.  This might be the very year for that remedy.  Thus it brings me to face AO once again...  

{ To Churchill or Arnold-Forster }

Before I continue, I must tell you that we Robinson pretty regularly.  We also have some classical education background as well.  I am hoping that by having those types of things in the backpack that the transition will be easier than had we not had them.  So I don't think we'll drown.  We might splash and thrash a little, but we won't drown.

At any rate, I am sure that you are at least curious as to know how much of AO we'll have to start with, whether its full or lite, which books we will use, and what will it look like in practice? 

I am hoping to toggle between lite and full until we get our feet solid. 

{ Bible }

Let's move from a workbook to just reading the scriptures all by themselves.  Yep.  Pretty novel.  

OT: 1 Samuel

NT: Matthew
Psalms

I haven't added a devotional to begin - if all goes well I will slowly and incrementally add more books as we go along.  Also wondering if you want to know chapters etc... as well?

{ Math }

This will remain the same since it's working.  Chloe is currently working from Maths Quest 8, Maths Online, and we'll be adding in some Foldables because she's just started a unit on Geometry and I think having some interactive notebooking will be fun and useful for those formulas.

{ History }

Churchill

History of England

Makers of History: Elizabeth

Now, I don't know which history would be better for us, so I put both of them in and we'll try it out for a few weeks to see which one trumps.  Also, because we haven't done Churchill yet, at all, I am thinking perhaps we should just start at Volume One, instead of Two as per AO 8.  See, keeping it lite.....  :)

{ Literature }

Marshall's English Literature

Watership Down

Westward Ho!

Now, I do own a bound hard copy of Utopia, but I don't know.... I've read some of it but I'm not entirely sold on Chloe being ready for it just yet.  She could be, and I may add it in when I do the next portion of the schedule.  I'll think about it.

{ Geography }

I haven't been sold to AO long enough just yet, so she'll still be stuck with a textbook until I can settle on what we shall do.  I imagine it won't take long to remedy as I am going to pull down Lay of the Land today and check it out.  :)  Another thought I had was a country jump through - Using Geography of the World and doing a notebook page and drawing.

{ Science }

Great Astronomers

The Wonder Book of Chemistry

First Studies in Plant Life

We'll actually pick up the Wonder Book of Chemistry after I flesh out a couple of Science Foldables and what nots that I need to dispense with first.  And guess what?  I just found The Various Forces of Nature by Michael Faraday ON my shelves.  Wondering where he might fit in?  

{ Nature Studies }

Nature Studies in Australia

The Handbook of Nature Study

{ Citizenship }

Ourselves

Francis Bacon

Oh! What a happy find Ourselves is.  I've had Charlotte Mason for donkey yonks, but just having the books doesn't mean that you read everything in them.  ha ha, so yes, I envision that I will be reading right alongside of Chloe, especially for this one.  I have seen Francis Bacon before but now we shall be serious with him.

{ Hymn }

Yes, we'll be picking up a new little Hymn each week.  I sort of thought this would work super well as one of her copywork portions too.

{ Grammar }

There is a very good reason that I keep those CLE workbooks and the grammar is one of them.  So they will stay at present.  I suppose I could add Grammar Land for pure fun.  That is on the shelves.  :)

{ Poetry }

Classic Australian Verse

{ Art }

Drawing

Picture Study

Handcrafts

We shall just continue with our group Art as we do each Art Monday, but at some point we will also start including the picture study.

{ LOTE }

Elementary Greek 1

First French 1

They schedule these in for several days, if not all five days of the week.  Not sure how this one will go....  we might end up doing French as the predominant subject and she might even let me put Latin on the table in place of the Greek.  ha ha ha, this could get interesting.

{ Shakespeare }

While he's only a weekly, and we've actually visited with him in the past, I'm just going to put Lambs Shakespeare on the table as it will be an easy transition while we get the rest of the round robin going.

{ Plutarch }

Another weekly.  We've also visited with a couple of lives previously over the years, but I want to pretend we have a clean slate with him.  So I pulled down my Penguin Classic to use this time.  I can still go and use Anne's notes as well. 

{ Music }

Great Men of Music

I think we need to find the cord to the keyboard and get that back up and running as well.

* * * * *

Somewhere along the line we will also need to add things like:

Mapwork / drills

Book of Centuries

which shouldn't be too hard since the Arnold History book has dates and key events.

Some free reads too

* * * * *

If you are feeling a little faint, I want you to know that I am too, and possibly a little nauseated as well.

I am doing this against my naturally compliant personality towards governing bodies that want me to do things not really worthy of our time.  I don't like to step out of my comfort zone, but I feel lead to do so at present.  Good-bye secular public school, I am going to do my best to keep Chloe away from your clutches, for as long as I can.

Homeschool Update Phebe

Today we do a little talk about Phebe.  She's 11 now. 

{ Phebe } 

Bible:

Rod and Staff workbook 6.  At some point this year she'll make the jump over to book 7.  This curriculum is awesome because it's pretty much just a Bible survey about the main events.

{ English }

Currently using Christian Light Education { CLE } Grade 4.  When you are juggling several children it's essential to have as many open and go subjects that you can get.

{ Reading }
Mostly at her own leisure, but occasionally I'll put a book in her hands.

{ Maths }

This year Phebe continues to work on Saxon 6/5.  She's almost done.  In fact she's past the 100th lesson.  There are only 120 lessons in the book.  And then we'll pop her up to Saxon 7/6.

She also does maths online.  Awesome!

{ History }

This year Phebe has been using MOH II.  But, I think that I'm MOHed out, at least for the first two books.  So, during this little holiday break I'm going to find something else for us to use.

Synge is on my list as is Britain and Her Neighbours.


{ Science }

This year, like Chloe, we started something entirely new - and public school based. ie.  Australian.  It's Pearsons Science for her current grade level.  Read a chapter, look the experiments over, do a worksheet.  She wanted to do what Chloe was doing, so I obliged.

{ Geography }

I bought Daily Geography 6 for her to use.  It is American, but it was so easy to get, so that is why I choose that.  I may move to an Australian program at some point, but yes, that is what she is using at the moment.

{ Art }

We continue with randoms each and every Monday.  Everything from Australian birds, to flowers, to girl faces.  Next term I have some construction animals for them to assemble.

{ LOTE }

I want them to learn Greek.  We're still using Elementary Greek 1 and we keep the First Start French 1 in the drawer for rainy days.  No serious progress has been made in either book, but we do a little here and a little there.  Sadly, there is no Latin on the table.  It's not even on the horizon.  You may shed a tear for me if you are so inclined.

{ Australian History }

This year Phebe is working from a BLM from a RIC publication book.  She's pretty bored with it.  I have some gorgeous Australiana in books that I feel would prove to be a better resource though.  So, we'll see ---- I think there will be a change with it very soon.

{ Spelling }

After you've done a bunch of spelling books you tend to get a bit over them.  So this year I thought we'd just use Noah Websters Speller and dictate ten words to them each day.  Then they work on correcting mistakes.  Every so often there is a sentence dictation instead.   It's quick, easy, painless..... the way school should be.  :)

{ Randoms }

As you know I also throw in randoms.  This year they've done some stuff on spiders, horses, and salmon.  I just pick up pieces from the lapbooks for them.

{ Extra-curricular }

Phebe also does Pathfinders, which is the Seventh Day Adventist version of Scouts.  There is a TON of camping.  She loves it.  Best thing since sliced bread.

* * * * *

And that is pretty much it with Phebe.  I do try to keep the girls all running a very similar line, so I can keep it all going.

A Day at the Beach

One of the most awesome things about coming back to WA are the beaches.

On the weekend we travelled down south to spend a day at Margaret River where I also picked up a beautiful set of books.  I was thinking of cycling them through with Charlotte.  It'd be a bit of a journey, but yes, imagine the ground we would cover with every story in this set.

And after the bookshop and a walk down and up the main street we drove out to Gracetown so that we could spend some time at the beach on the way back home.

It's quite beautiful in places down there.

Loved the water, even though it was quite cold.

The children really enjoy their water time.

I love the crisp clearness of the water too.

And while the photos don't show it, { I was diligent to omit them } there were quite a few people down in this busy little alcove as well.

Yes, a beautiful day out.

Homeschool Update Chloe

It's been a seriously long while since I did a straight out comprehensive homeschool catch up.  Nobody knows what my children are using these days, unless of course we're facebook friends and you visit my wall regularly.

I haven't even got a current curriculum list on the blog anymore either.  The years come and go like a blur.  { The baby is 3 already and pretty much toilet trained. }  We swap in new materials, we swap out old materials.

So, Thank you for visiting today.  Let me share with you about what my 12 year old is doing { she's about to turn 13 - and I was blogging about her as a 4 year old - some of those posts may or may not be here on the blog  since I deleted the blog once upon a time ago..... but I digress }:

{ Chloe } 

Bible:

Rod and Staff workbook 7.  At some point this year she'll make the jump over to book 8.  She truly likes it - the series has been a good and solid keeper.

{ English }

Currently using Christian Light Education { CLE } Grade 5.  Don't let those grade numbers fool you - there is some serious grammar in there!  And you seriously can't go wrong if there are quizzes and tests included.  I love that it is entirely open and go.  No prep work needed.

{ Reading }
Mostly at her own leisure, but occasionally I'll put a book in her hands.  She still reads a fair amount, but yeah... 

{ Maths }

This year we made a purposeful choice to allow her to use Maths Quest 8.  It is entirely inline with her grade level should she had gone to any local public school.   Some days are good, some are tough.  She will not give in.  She will not return to a lower grade.

This month she'll be swamped out with Geometry.  We'll be toggling between her main text book, maths online, and a pack of foldables that explains all the formulas.  I highly recommend getting the mathsonline subscription - we are entering our 4th year.  It is brilliant, and worth every. single. penny. spent on it.

{ History }

This year Chloe is using History Alive.  This book also runs current to her grade level.  It's ok.  Not brilliant, but ok.  But at least it lends itself to basic note taking skills.   A couple of paragraphs and it's all done.  So it doesn't tie her up for half the day.


{ Science }

This year we picked up something entirely new - and public school based. ie.  Australian.  It's Pearsons Science for her current grade level.  Read a chapter, look the experiments over, do a worksheet.  

{ Geography }

Ummm, guess what?  Yep, another grade level school text.....

It's serving its purpose, so there's that.

{ Art }

We continue with randoms each and every Monday.  Everything from Australian birds, to flowers, to girl faces.  Next term I have some construction animals for them to assemble.

{ LOTE }

I want them to learn Greek.  She would prefer French.  So, we toggle and somewhere in all of it we also did some Japanese.   We're still using Elementary Greek 1 and First Start French 1.  No serious progress has been made in either book, but we do a little here and a little there.  Sadly, there is no Latin on the table.  It's not even on the horizon.  You may shed a tear for me if you are so inclined.

{ Australian History }

This year Chloe is working from the BLM from a RIC publication book.  I have some gorgeous Australiana in books that I feel would prove to be a better resource though.

{ Literature }

Currently in a BJU Literature book.  She really likes it.  I think it's mostly a good waste of her time though because she doesn't use it the way its intended, you know, with answering detailed questions.  She loves the reading, but the questions don't really do much for her.

{ Randoms }

As you know I also throw in randoms.  This year they've done some stuff on spiders, horses, and salmon.  I just pick up pieces from the lapbooks for them.

{ Extra-curricular }

Chloe does Pathfinders, which is the Seventh Day Adventist version of Scouts.  There is a TON of camping.  She loves it.  Best thing since sliced bread.

* * * * *

All this school text book stuff, I'm starting to feel entirely sorry for the child.  What are we doing?  Just ticking the boxes on the Australian Curriculum Frameworks booklet?

We're definitely moving from Christian American to Secular Public and when I write it all here I am seeing this tragedy unfold. 


* * * * *

And then I had a bit of an internal crash.  Yep, I cried.  I resorted to public school texts because I have a lot of children to juggle, and I am doing it entirely alone.  I don't have the confidence that I should have.  I also do not have the intelligence that I should have.  And of course the season of one's life either enables or destroys you.... right now I'm in a bit of a low.


* * * * *

Then I remembered AO

and I thought, it's not too late, you could do that - well, at least some of it.

So I started building the book list.

I felt overwhelmed.  I felt sick in my stomach.  True story.

I cried some more.

I'll let you know if I get it together - or if Chloe will remain doomed to the mediocre public school education at home.

Harvard Classics for April

No, I don't jest.  I'm not that kind of girl.

Just click on the page and go to where April is housed.

You're welcome.