Resources and plans for Term 2 2013

We cover Maths and English in a more formal, scheduled way, and then cover the other subject areas in a more spontaneous, casual way.  Here is an overview of some of what we are doing and resources we're enjoying this term:

English
Amy (Kindergarten/Year 1) is continuing to learn with Learning Language Arts Through Literature (LLATL) Blue level.  I really like the co-ordinated early readers that this program uses as they set her up for reading success very quickly.  LLATL Blue is based around great quality children's books like these:

We add other readers from the library, as well as plenty of picture books. 

Lili (Year 2) is working through LLATL Red, and is charging ahead with her literacy.  Lili LOVES reading, telling stories, writing, spelling.  She devours books from the library, with her current favourite being the Horrible Henry readers.  LLATL Red also uses some great childrens books.  Here is a tiny selection of the many books Lili has been reading in the last week or so:

Both girls enjoy using Reading Eggs.

Nathan (Year 6) is also an avid reader.  He has been charging through all kinds of novels including The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck  both by Brian Selznick; the entire series of The Spiderwick Chronicles  by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black; The Search for WondLa  and A Hero for WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi and many more.  Nathan was doing LLATL Purple level but we both felt it was getting very bogged down in grammar rules and rather boring.  This term Nathan's English is based around Finish This Book by Keri Smith, which he is really enjoying.  We add some spelling to this- after trying online spelling, workbooks etc we have circled back to an old-fashioned plain notebook and doing a weekly spelling list as both Nathan and I find this the easiest way to build spelling skills.

 

"Doing English" in disguise...

I came across Rip the Page! Adventures in Creative Writing by Karen Benke, which Nathan and Lili may use later this term. I really like the creative style of this book as it looks like a really engaging way to encourage and develop creative writing.  I will post a review once we've tried it out.

Of course, all three kids have plenty of unscheduled, spontaneous, life-based learning opportunities that develop their language skills! We aim to do about three or four sessions a week in a more formal way using the resources above.

Maths
We are still very happy with Math-U-See for our maths.  The kids like it and I find it very easy to use with zero preparation time :)
Amy is working on addition and subtraction in Alpha level.  Lili is doing more complicated addition and subtraction with regrouping in Beta level.  Nathan is over halfway through Epsilon which covers fractions.  The girls usually do one unit per week which can be done in a few sessions of math or may take several if it is a newer concept.  Nathan is working faster and covering around two units per week.  

History, Geography, Science, Nature Study
There are many and varied learning opportunities happening that roughly fall into these subject areas.  

Nathan has been reading some historically based novels on Australian history, such as The Horse Who Bit a Bushranger by Jackie French and The Convicts by Iain Lawrence. I grabbed a pile of books on British Colonisation, Convicts and the Goldrush from the library- ones that focused on factual stories of real characters rather than text-book style facts- and placed these in the basket of books. Inevitably, Nathan ran out of things to read and so read them too and found that he enjoyed them :) Unfortunately I forgot to record all of the titles.

Nathan chose, read, and loved, The Donkey who carried the wounded by Jackie French, and was inspired to create an art work about the battle of Lone Pine.

We went to Tocal Field Days, and the influx of animals around here has the kids learning lots about what animals need to survive.  They bought a chick each at Tocal, and have been learning to care for them.

Our new sheep are pregnant and our plan is to use their lambs for meat.  Of course there has been lots of debate with the whole family about the idea of raising our own meat, and the confronting realities that will involve.  Nathan and Lili have both discussed the idea at length and it has been a good opportunity to learn about where our food comes from, how animals for meat are treated and possible food choices including vegetarianism.

The kids went hunting for fungi, and took photos of their finds...

 Amy and Lili are enjoying attending Girl Guides and are working towards their first badges.  Amy is gaining her Animal Tracks Badge, and searched for tracks to photograph.  She found horse, rabbit, bird, chicken, sheep and dog prints.  Lili is recording how she is looking after some of the animals to gain her Pets Badge.

 
Creative Art
All the children have been attending weekly art classes at the local art gallery.  Nathan has been dabbling in oil painting at home which is a new medium for him and one that he is surprised to be really enjoying.  Amy and Lili create all kinds of drawings, sculptures and collages every day- we go through so much glue, paper and sticky tape!

Lili and Amy are enjoying sewing and have bought and set up their own sewing kits.  

We are using ideas from this book:

 and the girls are keen to get started on this project:

Sport
Nathan is doing archery weekly with a homeschool group.  This is also a great place for all the kids to catch up with their friends and we usually follow up archery with lunch and a play in the park with friends.
Lili and Amy have been having weekly riding lessons here at home on their rather naughty pony, Spud.
Nathan rides his motorbike and there is always plenty of running, trampolining and exploring happening.

Fur, feathers and wool.

Often when starting something new it can all seem like such a big deal. Difficult and risky and maybe scary.  Somewhere along the way an invisible line is crossed and new and different becomes everyday.  Easy.  No problem.  Whatever.

Some sixteen years ago, when we were impoverished uni students, we got our very first pet.  The decision to get a pet was greatly debated.  It is a big responsibility afterall.  Eventually we agreed on something suitable and home they came.  Goldfish.  They were great.  And then they were boring.  And then they died.

Lets get a rabbit, I said.  It will be no trouble, I said.  His first mistake was letting me go alone to pick the rabbit up.  How is it? He said.  They are cute, I said.  It was going to be lonely on its own.  Of course, they both turned out to be boys and fought like crazy and sprayed each other and us with warm, stinky urine.  We paid for them to be desexed. They still sprayed wee.  They escaped from their cage and burrowed under fences.  We built them new enclosures, they escaped again.

Let's get a dog, I said.  It will be easier than a rabbit, I said.  There was some debate, and home came Hank, our first golden retriever.  Everyone loved Hank, even when he ate some fresh horse poo and later vomited it up on the carpet under my parent's dining room table.  During dinner.  Sadly, Hank died and we were without pets for a while.

Let's get another dog, I said.  Barely a murmur from my husband this time.  Along came Cooper, our second golden retriever.  He is lovely, and happily still very much with us.

It would be great to have fresh eggs, I said.  The kids don't use their cubby, it would be a great chicken coop.  We just need to build a fence to make a yard for them.  Maybe, he said.  And so six hens joined us.

Guinea pigs would be great for the kids, I said.  I guess so, he said.  We bought a small cage and Cocoa and Patch joined us.  

We got a male guinea pig today, I said when he got home. By the way, the guinea pigs will need a bigger cage to fit in all the babies.  

I really like those guinea pigs, he said.
 
I'd like a puppy for my birthday, I said.  Have you already picked one out? He answered.  Umm, yep.  Home came Saffy, a golden bundle of mischief.  She jumped fences.  We built new ones.  She jumped them. We built higher ones.  No problem, she can jump them too.  

How bout a pony for Christmas? I said.  No worries, he said.  So Fabros the paint quarterhorse joined us.

And then we moved to a whole lot more land.  Here's a great pony for the girls, I said.  Looks good, he replied.  

The chooks aren't laying, let's get some more, I said.  Good idea, he answered.  So just last week Milky and Silky joined our family.

Look at all that grass- we should get something to eat that, we said.   

Not yet though, we said. So much to do with the renovations and all.  And that fence for Saffy.  And getting rid of the barbed wire so it's safer for the horses.  And building a new dome for the chickens. 

Then a few weeks ago we went to Tocal Field Days.  We should buy those sheep we said.  The fence isn't sheep proof and what'll we bring 'em home in?  Pfft! Mere details, we declared.  What can't be achieved with a few zip ties, some wire and a bit of old reo?

So we drove along with a crazy gleam in our eyes and our makeshift cage rattling on the trailer.  We collected Mary and Molly, two Wiltipoll ewes who are most likely pregnant, and they have joined our menagerie.

Can we get some chicks, the kids asked, while we were at Tocal.  Why not! we cried.  Clucka, Sweetie, Ginger and Shadow now also call this home.

BTW, I think we need to move to somewhere with more land. And, no kids, Mummy will not ever buy an elephant. Promise. Probably.

Growing

There has been so much happening here the last few weeks! New arrivals, renovations, gardening, homeschool...

Here's a little of what's been growing and developing in the vege patch... 

After being neglected during very hot, dry summer weather (before we moved in) and then receiving lots of rain, many of the plants set fruit very late in the season. The passionfruit vine is absolutely covered in big passionfruit, but alas I think it is getting too cold for them to ripen now.

 The chooks have been in the dome getting our new vege beds ready...

 

 We used old bricks we found here as edging.

 I ended up digging up the whole berry patch in order to remove all the grass and weeds. I replanted the cane berries and strawberry plants. Here is is before and after weeding.

 One of the many barrow loads of weeds I pulled out. Better than a gym membership!

 I've planted garlic for the first time ever: three varieties- Glen Large, Red Rocambole and Italian White.  A few weeks ago only the Italian White had sprouted.

Now all three varieties are up and growing nicely. The red rocambole was the slowest to get going by far.

 We built a compost bay and filled it with horse manure, straw and lawn clippings.  It has composted down already to half the size it was.  We've never really had much success with composting so hopefully we are set for better compost now.

 

 We have the best soil here- far better than anything I've attempted to grow in before so it's quite exciting to see the veges thriving.

 I built a potting bench from timber we had around the place. I'm very proud to say that I did 90% of the sawing and construction myself! Some of the timber is now serving it's third purpose having already been turned from old shipping containers into shelving and now a potting bench.

 I attended a seed raising workshop at Purple Pear Organics last year, so, following their directions (or at least as much as I remember them!) I've been sowing seed and planting out tiny seedlings, and making newspaper pots.  I haven't ever tried raising seeds on this scale before and so mistakes are inevitable- namely a gazzilion pakchoy seedlings and about fifty wong bok cabbages. Hmmm...sow less next time!

 Pak Choy anyone?

 

 Newspaper pots...

 

 Brilliant helper...

 

It has been so much work, but the garden is flourishing and it's so worth the effort.  I just need more vege garden beds now...

 

Amy's recycled creations

 Amy loves to raid the recycling pile and create animals and creatures.  This one is Ellie the Elephant.

 From a soft drink bottle she created Lucy the kangaroo.

I love her creativity :)

New toy = much fun

 
Much fun has been had with this new toy this past week! Nathan is loving his new motorbike and having six acres to ride it around.  It didn't stay this clean for long - mud and the shallow parts of our creek are his favourite spots to ride through :)

Did you spot the photo-bombing golden retriever in the first two pics?