School Holidays: Week One ~ Tweaking Routines

School holidays are upon us and we are happy for the break from written work and the chance to focus on other activities for awhile. I recently decided that trying to clean areas of the house during the school week wasn't really working for us anymore. Now that Monster spends more hours per day on written work, it was getting stressful trying to pack a cleaning chore into our day as well. So I decided to move all the cleaning chores to Saturday morning and attach it to their ability to have their screen time. As in, there IS no screen time UNTIL the house is clean!!

I had WAY too much fun creating and putting together this nifty little chart (though it needs some adjusting) so that everyone can see clearly what is expected of them each week. My chores are the yellow boxes at the bottom. They never change. But the boys' chores are colour coded and they rotate each week so that each boy gets a chance to learn how to clean different areas of the house. 

 Some photos of the boys working hard the first Saturday we put the new routine into practice. Not sure why I didn't manage to get a picture of Monster doing some of his chores.

There were BIG toy sales going on at Kmart and Big W so daddy surprised them after church and bought them each a new Lego set. So as soon as we got home, all three boys set themselves up in the lounge room for the mammoth build session. 

 We attended some special craft activities at the library to celebrate NAIDOC week. The boys enjoyed dot painting a boomerang and a paper plate snake.

The weather could NOT be better for the school holidays! After a couple weeks of wet and cold weather, we were more than ready for some sunshine. 

 Finally we spent several days enjoying our vast and ever growing collection of board games and card games!

Even though it is school holidays, we are still doing LOTS of reading. Monster and I finished off the Medieval Europe book before moving on to lighter reading for the holidays. 

Term Two Evaluation ~ Munchkin

ENGLISH:

Reading ~
* A book list of all books read to Munchkin and books he has read independently will be included in his portfolio for the year.

Munchkin enjoys his online Reading Eggs program as well as his online Teach Your Monster to Read program.  He spends some time each school day working through the lessons. Munchkin is now working through the Reading Eggspress levels.

Writing ~
Since Munchkin is not reading fluently I do not require him to do a structured writing curriculum at all. He participates in some copy work (writing thank you notes and birthday cards) and will frequently ask us to spell words for him to write down when he is drawing.

Spelling ~
I am hand creating spelling lists for Munchkin this year. I am using CVC words at the moment and will expand to CCVC words in Term 2.

Handwriting ~
Targeting Handwriting Yr 2 

Grammar ~
Junior Analytical Grammar requires too much writing/reading for Munchkin to participate yet so he will do this program in a few years time.



MATHS:

Munchkin is working through a  Maths Plus Year 3 textbook this year.

Topics we covered this term in the Yr 3 textbook included:
Connecting addition and subtraction, Comparing and ordering fractions, Angles, The metre, Counting by tens, Thirds, Patterns, Informal mass, Doubles and near doubles, Multiplication facts (10s), Symmetry, Chance experiment, Subtraction jump therapy, Fifths and tenths, Perpendicular lines, Litres, Bridging the decades, Dividing, Modelling objects/nets, Tables, Money, 4-digit numbers, Pentagons, Quarter to and quarter past, Addition patterns, Revising multiplication facts, Collecting Data, The kilogram, Empty Number Lines, Division and multiplication, Following directions, Measuring and recording perimetre, Trading in addition, Number patterns, Describing prisms, The square centrimetre
Diagnostic Review 2

Munchkin also enjoys the Mathseeds program online that is part of our Reading Eggs subscription. He works independently (unless he needs help with reading the instructions) and I am continually impressed at the level of difficulty he has mastered on his own.



SCIENCE:

Munchkin listened in on the read alouds with the older boys. The list of books is the same.



HISTORY/GEOGRAPHY:

The early years of history/geography in the national curriculum focus mainly on identifying change and continuity within the family unit. They also look at significant people, events, places and sites. Finally they look at changes in technology on people's lives over time. All of this can be more than adequately covered with quality books so we read a LOT of historical fiction and non-fiction books that are aimed directly at Munchkin's age.

As for geography, students are to focus on sequencing events in order using terms related to time. They also compare objects from the past and present. Again, simple terms that are more than sufficiently covered in the number of books we read and the range of topics.



PDHPE:

We did a very unit on the human body during term two.

"The Skin" by Lorna Hendry

"The Ears" by Lorna Hendry

"The Eyes" by Lorna Hendry

"The Nose" by Lorna Hendry

"The Big Body Book" by Simon Abbott

"The Human Body" by Essential Science

"Your Mind-Bending Brain and Nifty Nervous System" by Your Brilliant Body

"Your Brain Understand it With Numbers"

"The Human Body in 30 Seconds"

"100 Things to Know About the Human Body"

"Your Respiration and Circulation Understand it With Numbers"

"Your Thumping Heart and Battling Blood System" by Your Brilliant Body

"100 Trillion Good Bacteria in the Human Body" by The Big Countdown

.



CREATIVE ARTS:

SOCIAL:

Term Two Social Events:

Attended his cousin's birthday party

Attended various craft events at our local library

Attended a Virtual Reality Workshop at the library

Enjoyed a visit from his Grandmother from America

Celebrated his brother's 10th birthday

Term Two Evaluation ~ Monkey

ENGLISH:

Reading ~

* You can see from my weekly reviews that we read LOTS of books, aloud and independent.

* A book list is included in Monkey's portfolio with a list of all books read each term.

Writing ~

We still use, and LOVE, our Institute for Excellence in Writing Program

Teaching Writing: Structure and Style

In Term Two, Monkey wrote paragraphs on the following topics: Inside Your Body, Hearing, and a unit five paragraph using the technique of writing from pictures.

Spelling ~ 

We continue with Ozspeller lists that I source online.

Monkey is working through the Year 5 lists.

He has an oral quiz Monday through Thursday and a written test on Friday.

Handwriting ~

Foundation Handwriting Yr 4

Grammar ~

This year we are reviewing Junior Analytical Grammar
Term Two we worked through units one through four: subject & verb, and adverbs

MATHS:

Maths Plus Yr 5 Textbook

Term Two units covered the following topics:

4-digit Subtraction, Prime and Composite Numbers, Triangles, Square centimetres, 2-digit division, Revising two-place decimals, Probability, Using Scale, 5-digit addition with trading, Multiples, Line Graphs, Cubic Centimetres, Three digits multiplied by one digit, Constructing number sentences, Constructing Shapes, 24-hour Time, 5-digit subtraction, 2-digit division, Describing Objects, Perimeter, Multiplication, Fractions on a Number Line, Databases, Square Metres, 3-digit Division, Factors, Number Patterns and Rules, Rotational Symmetry, Order of Operations, Adding and Subtracting Fractions, Chance, Top, front and side views, 5-digit addition, Roman Numerals, Line graphs, and Cubic centimetres and millimetres

Diagnostic Review 2

SCIENCE:

Below is a list of the science related books we read:

"Through the Smoke" by Phil Cummings

"Adapt to Survive" by Australian Geographic Science

"Growth and Survival" by Australian Geographic Science

"Up Close Snakes" by Australian Geographic

"Electrical Energy" by Australian Geographic Science

"Extreme Weather" by Australian Geographic Science

"Exerting Forces" by Australian Geographic Science

"I Saw Nothing" by Gary Crew

"The Solar System" by Australian Geographic Science

"Solids, Liquids and Gases" by Australian Geographic Science

HISTORY:

Monkey began and in-depth and intense Australian history unit.

This should take us two years to complete.

We read the following books as part of the unit study:

"Poppy Comes Home" by Gabrielle Wang

"1854 Do You Dare: Eureka Boys" by Penny Matthews

"A Cat Called Trim" by Corrine Fenton

"Life in Colonial Australia" by Kerry Davies

"Meet Rose" by Sherryl Clark

"Rose on Wheels" by Sherryl Clark

"Rose's Challenge" by Sherryl Clark

"Rose in Bloom" by Sherryl Clark

"A Hunger for Land" by Adrian Osterley

"Meet Alice" by Davina Bell

Other History Books we read:

"The Happiness Box" by Mark Greenwood

"That House That Was Built in a Day - ANZAC Cottage" by Valerie Everett

"The Poppy" by Andrew Plant

"Meet Douglas Mawson" by Mike Dumbleton

GEOGRAPHY:

We read the following books as part of geography this term:

"Indigenous Cultures" by Australian Geographic Geography

"Custodians of the Land" by Australian Geographic Geography

"Human Influence" by Australian Geographic Geography

"The Importance of the Environment" by Australian Geographic Geography

"Floods and Bush Fires" by Australian Geographic Geography

"Places and Spaces" by Australian Geographic Geography

"Global Connections" by Australian Geographic Geography

CREATIVE ARTS:

Monkey spent LOTS of his free time during the term sketching and drawing.

PDHPE:

We did a very unit on the human body during term two.

"The Skin" by Lorna Hendry

"The Ears" by Lorna Hendry

"The Eyes" by Lorna Hendry

"The Nose" by Lorna Hendry

"The Big Body Book" by Simon Abbott

"The Human Body" by Essential Science

"Your Mind-Bending Brain and Nifty Nervous System" by Your Brilliant Body

"Your Brain Understand it With Numbers"

"The Human Body in 30 Seconds"

"100 Things to Know About the Human Body"

"Your Respiration and Circulation Understand it With Numbers"

"Your Thumping Heart and Battling Blood System" by Your Brilliant Body

"100 Trillion Good Bacteria in the Human Body" by The Big Countdown

SOCIAL:

Term Two Social Events:

Attended his cousin's birthday party

Attended several craft events at the library

Attended a Virtual Reality Workshop at the library

Attended a school holidays Lego Day which included Lego Robotics

Enjoyed an international visitor (Grandmother from America)

Term Two Evaluation ~ Monster

ENGLISH:

Reading ~
* You can see from my Weekly Review posts that we read (aloud and independently) a LOT.
* A book list is included in Monster's portfolio with all the books he reads each term.

Writing ~
We still use and LOVE the following curriculum
Institute for Excellence in Writing Program
Teaching Writing: Structure and Style

In Term Two Monster wrote paragraphs on the following topics: Krill, two unit 5 paragraphs based on writing from pictures, Medieval Towns and The Crusades. 

Grammar ~
This year we are using Analytical Grammar which is the next step up after Junior Analytical Grammar.  Term Two we worked through units six through eight: Pattern Sentences 1 - 5



MATHS:

We completed chapters seven through ten in our Year 9 Haese textbook covering the following topics:
Linear Equations, Radicals and Pythagoras, Length and Area, and Coordinate Geometry.




SCIENCE:

Below is a list of the science related books we read.
"Endangered Australian Animals" by Greg Reid
"Through the Smoke" by Phil Cummings
"The Skin" by Lorna Hendry
"The Ears" by Lorna Hendry
"The Eyes" by Lorna Hendry
"The Nose" by Lorna Hendry
"Adapt to Survive" by Australian Geographic
"The Big Body Book" by Simon Abbott
"Growth and Survival" by Australian Geographic
"Up Close Snakes" by Australian Geographic
"Electrical Energy" by Australian Geographic Science
"Surprising Facts About the Human Body"
"Extreme Weather" by Australian Geographic Science
"The Human Body" by Essential Science
"Exerting Forces" by Australian Geographic Science
"I Saw Nothing" by Gary Crew 
"The Solar System" by Australian Geographic Science
"Solids, Liquids and Gases" by Australian Geographic Science
"I Said Nothing" by Gary Crew
"Your Mind-Bending Brain and Nifty Nervous System" by Your Brilliant Body
"Your Brain Understand it With Numbers"
"The Human Body in 30 Seconds" by Anna Claybourne
"30-Second Anatomy" 
"100 Things to Know About the Human Body"
"Your Respiration and Circulation Understand it With Numbers"
"Your Thumping Heart and Battling Blood System" by Your Brilliant Body
"All About Ants" by Densey Clyne
"100 Trillion Good Bacteria Living in the Human Body" by The Big Countdown


HISTORY:

We read the following books as part of our Medieval Europe/Black Plague unit study:
"The Great Fire: A City in Flames" by Ann Turnbull
"Medieval Life" by DK Eyewitness
"The Gruesome Truth About the Middle Ages" by Jillian Powell
"Marco Polo's Travels on Asia's Silk Road"
"The Medieval Knights" by Louise Park
"Medieval Europe" by Time Travel Guide
"The First Crusade: The Capture of Jerusalem in 1099" by Susan B. Edgington
"Horrible Histories Nasty Knights" by Terry Deary


Other History Books:
"The House That Was Built in a Day - ANZAC Cottage" by Valerie Everett
"One Minute Silence" by David Metzenthen
"Poppy Comes Home" by Gabrielle Wang
"1854 Do You Dare: Eureka Boys" by Penny Matthews
"A Cat Called Trim" by Corrine Fenton
"Life in Colonial Australia" by Kerry Davies
"Fair Dinkum Histories Rockin', Rollin', Hair and Hippies" by Jackie French
"Meet Rose" by Sherryl Clark
"Rose on Wheels" by Sherryl Clark
"Rose's Challenge" by Sherryl Clark
"Rose in Bloom" by Sherryl Clark
"Dark Emu: Black Seeds" by Bruce Pascoe
"Black Snake: The Daring of Ned Kelly" by Carole Wilkinson
"Hatshetsup: The Lost Pharaoh of Egypt" by Carole Wikinson
"A Hunger for Land" by Adrian Osterley
"Alfred's War" by Rachel Bin Salleh
"Meet Alice" by Davina Bell





GEOGRAPHY:

Below is the list of books read aloud and/or independently through Term Two:
"Indigenous Cultures" by Australian Geographic Geography
"Custodians of the Land" by Australian Geographic Geography
"Human Influence" by Australian Geographic Geography
"The Importance of the Environment" by Australian Geographic Geography
"Places and Spaces" by Australian Geographic Geography
"Resources and Waste" by Australian Geographic Geography
"Global Connections" by Australian Geographic Geography




ELECTIVE #1 ~ LATIN:

Monster continued to work through Visual Latin 2.
He completed one per week most weeks of the term.




ELECTIVE #2 ~ MARINE AND AQUACULTURE TECHNOLOGY:

For Term Two we continued our focus on Ocean Study.
We also continued our studies about Antarctica
We read the following books throughout the term:
"Antarctica Exploration" by Greg Reid
"A Focus on Antarctic Tundra, Ice & Snow Habitats" by Jane Hinchey
"Antarctica Human Impacts" by Greg Reid
"Amazing Antarctica: The Last Frontier" by Australian Geographic Explorers

SOCIAL:

Term Two Social Events:

Attended his cousin's birthday party

Attended various craft events at our local library

Attended a Virtual Reality Workshop at the library

Enjoyed a visit from his Grandmother from America

Celebrated his brother's 10th birthday

Term Two: Week Ten ~ Play Dates, Rain, and Math Tests

Week Ten and our term is winding to a close. There is much excitement in the house as we prepare for a visit from my mum over school holidays, and also get ready to celebrate Monkey's 10th birthday at the end of the month as well. It doesn't seem possible that I will soon have TWO children in double digits, nor that I am considered a "seasoned" homeschool mum.

We started our week with a play date on Monday. It was fun to visit with relatively new friends of ours. We met at the end of last year, and already we are having to say good-bye, as they get ready to move to Singapore for a few years. In the above photograph the children enjoyed their morning tea/early lunch in the sunshine on the back verandah. 

 The highlight for Monkey was getting to meet the newest member of our friend's family. Though the baby is crying in these photos, it was only because he was ready for a feed and a sleep. Earlier he had been contentedly laying there cooing and staring at Monkey.

Our only written work left for week 10 (thankfully) was math tests. In this photo Monkey and Munchkin are working on their tests. 

Homeschool group met at a new park that we have yet to see. Despite this rain, a few families braved it, and apparently enjoyed themselves in between the rain. I had two children with colds, and I felt it was in our best interests to stay home where we would be warm and dry. 

Independent reading for Monkey... 

A new Wombat book from Jackie French is ALWAYS exciting!! 

 All three boys are working through the Mincraft Zombie series again...

We continue to work (slowly) through our information books about the human body. I read these aloud to all three boys. 

 Evening read aloud chapter books for Monkey (left) and Monster (right).

Munchkin is STILL reading (or should I say re-reading) the Dog Man books! 

Pamela Allen books are featuring heavily in the evening read aloud sessions for Munchkin... 

 With the occasional Splat book, or other random picture book thrown in for good measure, and surprise variety!

Monster's new obsession is ANTS... and surprisingly... they are actually quite interesting to learn about.