Homeschooling update

I am sorry to have given up trying to recap every detail of what they're learning.  It seemed a bit impossible to keep up with that.
I continue to be impressed with the learning happening around here.

Violet is learning about the spread of the gospel, how Saul was converted, how the disciples were spread out because of persecution that started with Stephen, how the Romans were so cruel to the Jews, the Jews rebelling, and the city being destroyed because of that rebellion (predicted by Jesus), and learning about what a terrible emperor of Rome Nero was (not documented, but probably the one who had Peter and Paul executed), and the city of Pompeii in Italy being "buried alive" by a volcano and the discovery of that 2000 years later.  We read a book called Fountain of Life which took us through being a member of a Jewish family hearing about Jesus being alive and all the things he did, all the emotions felt as they heard about Jesus being tried before Pilate for claiming to be the Son of God, and learning He'd been killed, then rose from the dead....great story...good picture into Jewish life and them trying to follow the laws and realizing all the prophesies that had been coming true, and their ultimate realization that Jesus is the Messiah).
She does dictation 3 times a week, does a poetry writing activity once a week, writing a narration of the history lesson weekly, daily math (adding, subtracting factions, changing improper fractions to mixed numbers, doing things like 2/3 of 60), memorizes scripture in the Psalms (right now is Psalm 8 - how excellent is your name, God is worthy to be praised!), learning more about astronomy, planets, "our galaxy" in the Milky Way and how there are thousands of other galaxies out there, one is visible to the naked eye near the Andromeda constellation.  We love using the SkEye app or Google Sky map to identify stars, constellations, and planets in the sky at night!  Its SO freezing though!
Violet is also reading a mystery book called The Doll People for literature right now and I'm helping her go through a workbook that helps her think about the book in a creative way and integrates Biblical characteristics.

Calvin is learning about all the new groups of people entering the "new land" after the Pilgrims did.  We are moving on to the 1700s when the French came to explore the same land through the St. Lawrence River, discovering the great lakes, and having good relationships with the Indians, trading things like knives, blankets, and food for birch bark canoes.  We learned the whole process of making a birch bark canoe and how fascinating and creative the indians were to build such a useful boat and make it lightweight so it can be carried as well.  The French used the canoes to explore and went all down the Mississippi River.
The Spanish explorers landed in the land now known as Florida.
The number of people in the land was growing and colonies were forming.
Benjamin Franklin was born in 1706, and was an inventor, and had a cheerful spirit about him, and discovered that lightning rods put on top of houses prevented the lightning from hitting the house, so he helped people put lightning rods on their houses.  He was a helpful, kind person.  "Be a cheerful giver, 2 Cor 9:7)

Calvin copies his poem and extra given from me if it isn't long enough to practice handwriting.  He mastered a LOT of mental math (adding and subtracting numbers like 430+75 and 823-43...he worked on this for a couple weeks...first subtract the tens, then count back the ones).  He has moved onto multiplying numbers by 4.  He's got a good math brain.  His science is always worked into the history lesson somehow.  Clouds, lightning, grasshoppers, whatever....we learn and watch videos for things that I find.

He reads aloud to ME a book called the Christian Liberty Nature Reader.  We both learn loads of cool neat things about creation...spiders, wasps, gallflies, mosquitos, etc.

I read aloud to him a book about what it would have been like to live 100 years ago in NYC.  What people wore, what they ate, where they shopped, HOW they shopped, how they got around, what were there houses like, etc...he has lots of questions and enjoys this book.

The last read aloud book I read to him was Ginger Pye, a mystery book, which was a supplement book I chose to read during the 4 weeks we read another mystery book which we finished early.  Ginger Pye was a great read loud book but VERY long (306 pages) and I think I lost my voice reading it...but it was SO good, everyone listened intently to the story when I read it.

Calvin also learns a verse weekly that goes along with his story.  He does poetry work too.


Vanessa and I read a Bible story every day and if we have time for the activity, we'll do it, but most days we skip it.  She loves reading the Bible story and says she believes God and that Jesus died for her sins.  I think she has a real heart for God and I pray that desire grows every day.
She writes in a handwriting book daily, does a couple pages of her math book (doing subtraction right now, learning the concept of counting backwards a certain number to do things like 12-7), and we time her reading and the goal is 15 minutes a day.  I'm taking her through the book "The Reading Lesson" that has 20 lessons...and she completed the 9th one today.  She reads things like this:

"I can not find the farm.  Tom said, it is far, far.  You must walk a lot.  Then you will see the farm.  I said, that is far.  I will come back in the car."

and

"I saw a big black dog.  There is a big black dog, I said.  Mom said, Let me see it. We went back but the big black dog was gone."

and

"I am sick.  Mom must call the doctor.  Doctor, come, please.  Doctor is here.  If you eat this pill, doctor said, you will be better.  You will be fine."

I'm so proud of how she's reading!  She seems to enjoy it much more than the first few weeks, which were always tearful.  She seems happy she's learning to read, and notices things in other places and will say "hey, mom! I see the word "the" or the word "from"!"

Eli is independently writing his name!  I found him grabbing a paper and a marker at the super bowl party at church the other day and found a spot on the floor to write his name.  Couldn't resist saving that paper. :)  So cute and adorable.  He's got a pretty easy name but I'm happy for him.