I have truly NO IDEA where October went! I feel like it flew by in a blink but it has been rewarding looking over all that we have learned this last month. We have been busy!
Something that was a TOTAL game changer for us this month was our schedule. About a week into the month I was getting frustrated with how long our school day was feeling and that even with it being so LONG we still weren’t getting everything done I wanted to every day.
So I changed up the order of when we do things and let me just tell you, a miracle happened! I honestly don’t know how but we are not only getting everything done that I have planned almost every day BUT we are also getting done earlier in the day.
Miracles, guys.
Honestly, I don’t know why it is happening now and not before but I am just going with it and am SO HAPPY. I actually have a couple hours during the day to get stuff done around the house and it is just what I needed.
But, now…onto what we learned this month!
First up – JACOB!
Language Arts
Jacob is officially a fourth of the way done with his course book which I think is pretty darn amazing! He has been working hard and is learning so much. Have I mentioned how much I love this curriculum? It’s pure gold.
This month Jacob cruised through and mastered three more sight word lists, completed another spelling chart, and finished reviewing all of the phonics cards from his kindergarten year!
He also memorized his first poem of the year and it was just darling – Velvet Field Mouse by Nona Keen Duffy. He loves looking at his “Poetry Anthology” that he has been adding to since his kindergarten year.
In his coursebook, we covered: verbs, PH, GH, IGH, EY, ANK, IND, ILD, INK words, wrote some acrostic poems, open syllables, spelling rule #1, adjectives, reviewed WH, WR, EA, OA, EW, OW, OU words, read several short stories {The Good Rain by Alice E. Goudey, The Miller, and The Chipmunk That Went to Church}, and learned about physical and political maps.
Handwriting
Jacob continues to plug away with handwriting. It’s going well – that’s about all we can say about it!
Read Aloud
We finished Baby Island by Carol Ryrie Brink. This book was adorable, funny and sweet and I would definitely recommend it!
Next we read Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher. This book was also filled with so much goodness. Jacob really enjoyed it and it definitely made me think as a parent as well, so it was a winner all around.
We are now reading, Henry’s Red Sea by Barbara Smucker and we are really enjoying it. It is about a refugee family after World War II from Russia. I love historical fiction and it’s already brought up some great discussions.
Math
Jacob is over half way through with his math program and he was so excited to move onto his second book this month!
This month Jacob finished his addition and subtraction unit and he covered: doubles plus one, number 7 fact families, and the equal sign. We also introduced the rhombus and reviewed parallel lines and subtraction. He NAILED this unit!
He is now on his third unit for math which is all about measurement! We have studied how to make eight and count by fives. He’s also reviewed graphing and did some more subtraction practice and discussed his weekly schedule in his planner.
History
History this month went so well! We wrapped up our study of Ancient Greece with studying Alexander the Great.
We then moved on to Ancient China and that has been so much fun! We’ve studied several different dynasties, the Chinese calendar {and learned what year we were born in!}, art, daily life, religion, and Genghis and Kublai Khan. It’s been fascinating and so interesting.
Science
Our Kingdoms and Classification unit is wrapping up {we only have ONE lesson left!} and it has been FILLED with information. It is safe to say we have all learned a lot!
This month we have dived into each of the different kingdoms of classification. We have studied Archaebacteria and Eubacteria Kingdoms, Protista Kingdom, the Fungi Kingdom (discussing mushrooms, mold, and yeast), and the Plantae Kingdom.
The vocabulary we have learned this month is heterotroph, autotroph, photosynthesis, and plant cell.
We have done SO many activities! We have looked at yogurt under the microscope, swabbed four different surfaces in the home and studied them under the microscope, studied the mushroom life cycle and the different types of mushrooms, done yeast experiments, looked at onion under the microscope, and discussed the differences between vascular and nonvascular plants.
Typing
Typing continues to be a favorite with Jacob and he is doing so well with it. He is starting to branch off of the “home row” and is really having fun with it.
Music
With our changed schedule this month, music is getting done almost daily. It has been so fun and we are finally getting into a groove with it.
We are studying the Baroque Era. We finished our study of Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel.
Next up, was Chaconne for Organ in g minor by Louis Couperin. We learned more about Louis Couperin and what a “chaconne” is!
Now we are studying The Prince of Denmark’s March by Jeremiah Clarke and have learned more about who Jeremiah Clarke was.
Piano is also going really well. We started practicing some Christmas music this month and Jacob is THRILLED. Check out this post for how we teach piano at home.
Civics
Jacob LOVES civics and I am not really sure why! It is probably my least favorite of all of the things we do but he loves it – so that’s good!
This month we focused on the Separatists and Pilgrims.
Nature
Nature was our ONE subject we are still figuring out. I think we are getting there but just need to fine tune it a little.
This month we studied PUMPKINS! We read some really awesome books about pumpkins, went to a pumpkin patch, and watercolored our pumpkins {I had some other activities planned but our pumpkins froze and basically turned them to mush!}.
Arts & Crafts
This month Jacob did a craft he has been SO excited for! He made a pumpkin treat bag and he was pretty much giddy about it. My kids could do arts and crafts all day every day.
Now, onto SARAH!
Peaceful Preschool – Letters C, D, and E
Oh my little Sarah. She loves school so much and has such an amazing attitude about learning. She is truly a joy to teach.
She finished up her Letter C unit. She made a palm tree and we added the letter of the alphabet to it {Chicka Chicka Boom Boom-style}. We read Corduroy by Don Freeman. She ended the unit by gluing plastic pennies onto her letter C for her alphabet book AND making her own whipping cream!
For her Letter D unit we read If You Give a Dog a Donut by Laura Numeroff and Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey.
Sarah made a Glitter Glue D, had some donuts and juice, made a kite, wrote a card to her Great Grandpa, glued alphabet noodles onto her Letter D, and made a simple strata.
For her Letter E unit we read Rechenka’s Eggs by Patricia Polacco, An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Hutts Aston, and the poem “Nest Eggs” by Robert Louis Stevenson.
She made a glitter glue e, dyed hard boiled eggs using food coloring and vinegar, watercolored a bird and nest, glued bird seed onto her Letter E, practiced writing her name, and did a wet on wet watercolor of colors!
TGTB Language Arts Pre-K
Sarah is doing so well with her letters and sounds. She worked on letters C, D, and E this month and it is clicking so well! These two curriculums paired together are GOLD for preschool!
Handwriting
Sarah loves to practice her handwriting. The trickiest part is helping her to write the letters correctly. She is really getting into coloring and writing {taking after big brother} and it’s so fun to watch her grow.
Come, Follow Me
For our study of the New Testament this month, we studied Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon.
We focused on the Armor of God, the Great Apostasy, how Heavenly Father gave us the scriptures, and this scripture:
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”
Philippians 4:8-9
Wrap Up
This month was really wonderful {in so many ways} – including school. We have learned a lot and had some really positive experiences together. It was definitely a month filled with a lot of rewarding moments and I am very grateful for each one of them.
What a busy month. You make learning come alive. We are so proud of you and your amazing students
Thank you, I am pretty proud of my “students” too 😉
Wow!!! 95% of the material that Jacob has learned I have never heard of. If i lived closer, I would be another student. You are amazing!! Your children are blessed to have you as their teacher. I am so proud of you and you can see on their faces how they feel about it. Loved seeing Lydia Rose, she is growing and so cute!
It is so much fun. I definitely learn a lot with them. But that’s one of the things that I hope to teach them too – that learning should be a lifelong thing, not just something you do at “school”. It’s an amazing journey for all of us! And we would love to have you learn with us anytime 😉