Writing With Ease

The kids and I are really, really enjoying this curriculum! Mr. Blue is in Book 2, Miss Pink is in Book 3, and I'll start Miss Green in Book 4 just as soon as its out. I may actually have her run through Book 3 first, since it will be released sooner. I can see a big difference in the two I have using it, even in their summarizing ability, something Miss Green really needs work in.

The best part though, is the interest its ignited in my kids to read the books corresponding to the passages in the workbook. For example, this week Miss Pink was writing from passages from Caddie Woodlawn. Will you look at that italicized book title. I learned THAT from First Language Lessons 4, thank you very much. Evidently I don't remember much from elementary English. But I digress, back to WWE. I got to the end of the passage, remember I'm reading to Miss Pink here, and Mr. Blue says, "Will you read more, please?"

So, off to the library we went and checked out the full book, well the full audiobook anyway. We have a long drive tomorrow. We also checked out the second Percy Jackson audiobook. I don't know if they'll be able to agree on which to listen to first.

Apologia Elementary Science Notebook contest!

I blogged a couple of months ago in my scheduling plans about the notebooks (samples here) that correspond to the Apologia Elementary Science series. I bought 2 of them to go along with the Astronomy book we're using right now. First off, I need to say though how much we enjoy this science series. The kids love listening, looking at the pictures, and when I do get around to the activities, they have a blast.

When Mr. Blue and Miss Green saw their new notebooks, they immediately grabbed them and ran off with them. They've been working on them independently without prompting from me to catch up to where we are in the book. They have (copied and pasted from Apologia here)

• A daily schedule for those who like to have a plan or would like their children to complete the book on their own
• Templates for written narrations, the notebooking activities and experiments
• Review Questions
• Scripture Copywork, with both print and cursive practice
• Reading lists and additional activities, projects, experiments for each lesson
• An appendix with beautiful, full-color, lapbook-style Miniature Books
• Field Trip Sheets to keep a record field trips
• A Final Review with fifty questions the students can answer either orally or in writing to show off all they remember and know at the end of the course.

I'm looking forward to getting the next notebooks in the series, especially Botany (samples here) which we're starting next. Now, for the fun stuff!

Jeannie is giving away four Astronomy Notebooking Journals and four Botany Notebooking Journals to bloggers who post about this on her site. Visit her blog to learn more about this contest: www.jeanniesjournal.com

Virginia!

This was a really fun, fast trip. We went over to Williamsburg for the Well-Trained Mind Anniversary Conference, which was wonderful. I feel recharged and rejuvenated. I had gone to the Midwest Homeschool Convention last month, and when the kids heard Jim Weiss had been there, they were terribly disappointed. When the opportunity arose to go to this conference, where Jim Weiss was as well, I jumped on it. My mom flew in on Wednesday night and Thursday morning we took off. My dad flew in on Saturday to tour Williamsburg with us and then on Sunday we toured Jamestown. We didn't have time to visit Yorktown, but I'd like to go back sometime when Raoul can go with us. We just finished studying Jamestown and we're headed into the Revolutionary War, so this was the perfect time to visit Virginia for us. Now its back to "real schoolwork" for us in the morning. I think I'm going to try to have the kids load their workboxes tomorrow and see what happens.