MFW 1st: Week 16

It's a little bit harder for Boo to get back on track when we take breaks, which I'll admit scares me for summer! At the pace we're going we might end up having to school into the summer though. We're only on week 16, so we have quite a ways to go. After a lot of reviewing we were able to pick back up with our phonics and reading lessons. This week Boo read the stories of Noah's ark and the Tower of Babel. It was a challenge for her. The words are getting bigger and the pages longer. She was able to sound out all of the words eventually though with a little help. Even when the reading is difficult, it is boosting her confidence though. She was so proud after reading her Noah story that she couldn't wait for Dad to come home to tell him she read three whole pages! She said "I really read the whole story!"

 We also practiced reading color words and learned the /ew/ as in new.

Here are her notebook pages for the two stories...

Boo's memory verse this week was Proverbs 30:5... Every Word of the Lord is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. We talked about how God was like a shield for Noah and his family because they took refuge in God by trusting him.



One of the activities she did was build a tower. She used Lego Duplos.

For now we are still doing workbook pages to practice addition facts. We did a color by number and several others this week. She's still using Lego bricks to figure out the answers to a lot of the problems. A few of the easier ones she is able to figure out in her head now though, so she's showing improvement and I'm happy with it. My goal with her right now is not to master addition or memorize all of the facts, I let go of those high expectations and math has been so much more enjoyable for her. If she understands what addition means and can figure out how to add two numbers together (by whatever means she chooses) then for now I'm satisfied. Maybe next year when she's matured a little we will give MathUsee another try and work on memorizing facts.

Finally I also got Boo's new curriculum last week! I have decided after much consideration to go against My Father's World's suggestions and do Adventures In US History with Boo next year. MFW suggests both girls do Creation to Greeks together in the "family cycle." I really had planned on going that route by the time Boo reached 2nd grade. It sounds so much easier to do school all together as a family, so I might try to go back to the family cycle the following year. However, right now I feel like Boo is not ready to join Sis even if it's only for history, Bible, geography and science. I feel like she would get left behind and still needs her own separate curriculum for 2nd grade. I am excited that I found a science program for all elementary age levels so we will all be doing science as a family next year! Sis did Adventures back in 2nd grade, so I'm familiar with it and already own most of the materials. It will be a lot of work on my part teaching totally separate things for 2nd and 5th, but I think I can make it work.