{RECAP} December 2019 Schoolhouse

I am not really sure what happened after Thanksgiving but I was suffering from some big-time burnout. I was just tired. I was staying up super late every night trying to get some Christmas gifts done and I was definitely lacking energy and motivation during the day.

So I decided to simplify.

Best. decision. ever.

Okay, maybe not ever, but it was a really good decision and one I have no regrets about. We took December easy in a lot of ways and it was truly wonderful. We put our focus on the things that filled us up and I just tried to let go of the other parts.

We begin with…Jacob!

Language Arts

Jacob finished another sight word list and continued to work on his phonics cards, spelling, and poetry memorization.

We also did a grammer review and learned about the subject of a sentence, Europe geography, and began reading My Daddy Longlegs.

Jacob also finished his project on the United States and he was so proud of himself {and I was pretty proud too!}. He worked really hard and learned a lot. One aspect we tried hard to work on was presentation.

After Benjamin’s birthday party we took advantage of having some extended family over and had Jacob present his project.

Handwriting

Check – Check! Going well!

Read Aloud

We finished up Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll which is silly and a classic.

We also read The Light at Tern Rock by Julia L. Sauer. Jacob and I had actually read this book before but we decided to read it again. It’s such a sweet, quick read. We finished it in two days and it is a great book to read at Christmas time.

We are now reading Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John and I am really enjoying it. I have never read this one before but we are really enjoying it. It also begins at Christmastime and so was a good book to read in December.

Math

Jacob finished his third unit in math – which was all about MEASUREMENT! He did really well and he is ready to move on to his final math unit!

This month we learned how to make ten and then add more, how to make eleven and twelve, the pyramid and rectangular prism, and how to measure in feet and inches.

His final unit in Math 1 is about numbers to 100. We talked about numbers to 100, building numbers and Chinese tangrams.

History

We wrapped up our study of the Vikings {but we are still reading our book and loving it!}.

We are now moving more into our study of exploration. We have learned about Marco Polo, the motivations for exploration and have now begun learning about Christopher Columbus.

Science

We are continuing our study of maturation and sexual reproduction. I am so impressed by this unit and cannot wait to share all of my thoughts about it!

This month we covered sexual intercourse and living virtuously, the gestation and birth of a child, and the dangers and destruction of pornography.

Typing

Typing continues to go well! Definitely impresses with this method!

Music

We paused our study of the Baroque Era and learned about some Christmas carols – Carol of the Bells and Away in a Manger. You can read all about our experience here.

We did do a little Christmas recital for Jacob at my family’s Christmas party. He performed Jingle Bells and Away in a Manger. Sometimes it is a little harder to give your kids experiences to present and perform but it is POSSIBLE!

Civics

Jacob continues to learn about Colonial America. And we learned about why they used oiled-paper windows!

Nature

To kick off our winter study, we learned about Christmas plants. We read about the legend of the poinsettia as well as other winter plants. And Jacob made a new ornament for our Christmas tree!

Now onto Sarah!

Christmas Guide

This month we paused Sarah’s normal preschool material and worked on The Peaceful Press Christmas Guide. I wrote all about our experience with it here.

Handwriting

We changed up Sarah’s handwriting this last month.

The Good and the Beautiful recently released a new handwriting level called Doodles and Pre-Writing for Littles. I was really excited for this and bought it immediately.

Sarah has actually been doing okay with her handwriting but I thought this might give her some extra practice to make her even more successful. So we put her Level K on hold and she started this instead.

I am really enjoying it and think it is perfect for preschool age.

Come, Follow Me

This month was extra special as we finished our study of the New Testament. We have had countless uplifting, spiritual experiences this year and I am thrilled to share all about it.

Stay tuned for lots of details about what we did this last year and what we are going to be doing for this upcoming year. Can’t wait!

This month we studied John 1-3, Jude, and Revelation. We focused our study on how loving others shows God that we love Him, how only Jesus Christ could be the Savior, and the War in Heaven.

And, of course, we studied the Christmas story.

Wrap Up

I can’t believe December has come and gone. 2019 is one giant blur in many ways. But as I reflect on this last year, I feel so much gratitude.

I am grateful that we were led to begin this homeschool journey and the lifestyle it provides us. I love that I get to learn alongside my children every day and that we get to grow together. I can’t wait to see what 2020 will bring for our family.