Elliot Turns 4!!

Alphabet Dinner

Doug is out of town for a couple days, and while he is gone the boys and I are living it up!!

Tonight we had a "P" Dinner:  Peas, Pears, Peanuts and Popcorn.  We also watched a movie about searching for a Prehistoric fish (the Coelacanth).

A Pleasant Picnic was enjoyed by all.

Homeschool Year in Review - Kindergarten and Preschool

We aren't quite done for the year, but we are getting close.  Some subjects, like math and reading will continue lightly over the summer.  Others will start back up toward the end of the summer or beginning of the fall.


Math:
For most of the year both the boys did Singapore Math.

Recently, however, I have switched Peter to Math Mammoth.  The colorful graphics in Singapore were too distracting and it was going to be too teacher intensive come next year.  So far I am pleased with Math Mammoth and I think Elliot will transition to it once he finished the Singapore K program in the fall.

Phonics:
Peter is almost done with The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading.  Elliot will be starting it soon.

Both boys also reinforce their phonics skills with Explode the Code workbooks.

Handwriting:
Peter is using The Joy of Handwriting and Elliot is working on pre-writing skills.

Memorization:
The boys are memorizing poetry using picture cards I make to help them visualize the lines of the poem.

Science:
The boys are notebooking their way through the Usborne First Encyclopedia of Science.  We read about a topic and then the boys each draw a picture in their notebooks of something interesting we read about.  They narrate (in complete sentences) what they drew and I help them write the caption.  Peter's notebook is shown...Elliot's is a bit scribblier and less on topic.  ;-)

History:
The process is identical to science.  We are studying prehistory this year.

Geography:

Art:

Music:

Spanish:

Peter's New Room

It is a brave new world.  Peter and Spencer are sharing a room.

A Truncated Glimpse of Easter

We did dye eggs - with dye, markers, rubber bands, candle wax and the whole nine yards.

We did hunt for eggs - with clever hiding spots, triumphs and tears.

But mostly I just got pictures of the boys eating candy and assembling legos.  Oh, well.

South Carolina Trip and Homeschool Convention

I am SO excited.  I had the opportunity to go to a homeschool convention in Greenville, SC while Doug and the boys hung out with Doug's parents at their South Carolina lake house.  The boys all had a good time in unseasonably warm weather and I got a few days and nights all to myself hearing some wonderful, inspirational speakers.

The dinosaur is from the exhibit hall at the homeschool convention.

The Boys All Gussied Up

Christmas 2014

Decorating Their Christmas Tree

How I Often Find Peter