School Review: Week 2

Week two of school was another good one.  We have a wonderful little routine going, and school is getting done fairly easily and quickly all around.  We start our day between 8 and 8:30.  Basia is done between 11:00 and noon, depending on how many breaks she needs.  Brishen is done not too long after that, but adds another hour in the afternoon for reading. 

Basia is doing really well with her dyslexic reading program.  She has no real problems other than attention span issues.  The spelling is not going as well, but I don't think we should hold back the reading to wait for the spelling.  We are going to have to loop around and bring in spelling in other ways over the years.

Basia is doing as well as Brishen in her memorization.  She is having no problem memorizing the major Egyptian pharaohs, her first new poem, plus remembering all her work from last year.  She is also able to narrate all she has learned in history and science, history by answering questions and giving a summary and science by drawing what she has learned.  Her handwriting is OK, but delays in that area are to be expected.

Math.  Oh, math.  That is the area where I am constantly scrambling to figure out how to best teach her.  I have a great hands-on program, but I don't think it is teaching her in a way that sticks.  She has no problem doing the worksheets after she learns a concept, but then she is on to the next concept without remembering what she learned before.  I have lots of different resources, so I am really trying to adjust and tailor the program to what she needs.  I really, really want her to have a firm grasp of arithmetic in all ways.  I just have to figure out how to get her there.  Luckily, she finds it fun and not frustrating at this point.  I want to keep it that way!

Brishen is doing fine, as usual.  He is still plugging away at geometry.  He loves the book.  I am not 100 percent sure that we will stick with it, but I'll let him continue unless he starts to get lost or frustrated.  His school days are about to get a little longer.  He is thinking about competing in the Geography Bee, so we are going to add in some serious geography to his daily schedule.  I also really want to have him do some current events reading from newspapers and magazines.  I took today's paper and highlighted various articles that I want him to read.  He is always free to choose other articles to read, too, but I'm trying to pick articles with interesting science information or interesting global events.