What we are learning.

I planned this post weeks ago, and even took the pictures for it, but then the whole dead computer thing happened and well, you know.....

History:
Oregon History....we are reading lots of library books for this study.  I do have a text book, but I'm mostly using it as the framework and checking out books to read about the subjects.  So far we've read about the geological features of Oregon, early Native Americans, and are beginning explorers.

World History.....we are studying our way through history from the beginning using the same series as last year.  Right now we are reading about Ancient Israel and Greece.  The kids really like the Greek god stories.

Geography: 
We are doing a trip around the world with daily geography trails questions for the kids to look up in their atlas and weekly mapping activities.

Math: 
The three big kids are using Life of Fred....which is the funniest math series ever written.  It is about a 5 year old who teaches college math, and all the problems he encounters while being 5 in a grown up world.  Along the way the kids learn math concepts with real life examples.  Faith is also doing a geometry course in which she draws patterns with geometric formulas.  The boys are all working their way through the Primary Math series and all the kids do IXL on the computer for math review.

Science:
The boys are studying Botany...yesterday we dissected tulips.  Faith is doing general science.  She was a little bummed to outgrow our together science, but needed something that would stretch her thinking a little more.

English:
All of the kids have their own grammar workbook.  Alex and Noah are learning cursive and the four oldest are studying Greek and Latin root words.  Roots is probably their favorite subject.  We only work on it a few minutes, three times a week, and they always want more.  The boys all have spelling as well, but it seems like either you are born able to spell or not.  I have two that can and three that can't....they can pass the spelling tests, but it doesn't carry over to other writing.  Hopefully with repetition at least some spelling will stick.  If not there is always spell check for those of us born without the spelling gene!  Faith, Cody and Jared are also doing a writing program.  It is hard for them for different reasons: Faith because she tries to put too much description into each sentence and loses the reader.  Cody because he hates the physical act of writing, although it is getting slowly easier for him.  Jared because he wants to describe every thing with about ten adjectives (nice, good, really, fine.....) and I make him come up with more interesting ones.

Spanish:
They are all working their way through Rosetta Stone as I am definitely unable to teach this subject.

Literature:
They each have to read at least 15 minutes each day from a classic book.  Right now the list is: Faith-Little Women, Jared-The Black Stallion, Cody-Gone Away Lake, Alex-Greek Gods and Myths, and Noah-Five Children and It.  Noah is by far the most voracious reader.  I cannot keep up with him.  I have to order the books several at a time from the library to keep him supplied.  And, he remembers what he reads.  We were in a store and we saw a book that neither of us had heard of, and Noah says "I think I've read a book by that same author before."  And he had!

Typing:
The three big kids are doing a typing course on the computer.  Jared and Faith are getting quite good at it.

Music:
We try to sing either an old hymn or classic patriotic song each day, and three of the kids take band up at the school.  Faith plays the flute, and dabbles at the clarinet.  Jared plays the trombone and last night was elected as his boy scout troop's bugler, so wants to learn some bugle calls.  Cody plays the saxophone.  Jared and Cody started band last year under duress by parental proclamation, but by the end of the first week they loved it and wanted to continue this year.

Faith is also choosing a few activities from a unit study called "Far Above Rubies" based on Proverbs 31.  She is currently making a booklet about different gems.

Cody is studying the periodic table....for fun.....and is sharing all sorts of interesting facts about it with me.  He wanted to do that as our science for the year, but none of the others are interested, so he is doing it on his own. 

And of course they all are learning life skills.....cooking, cleaning, yard maintenance etc.....