We had a very busy school week, mostly because we hadn’t finished last week’s work. However, since we stayed home most of the week we had a lot of time to work. That was good and restful, especially since I was busy trying to understand the new HS Blogger system.
Miss 7 worked on this week’s daily work while catching up on last week’s, which spread the load out more evenly for her. Each day she just did a little bit extra, and on Friday she finished both weeks’ work at once.
Miss 9 was the only one who had no catching up to do. She convinced me that we did not need to start Apologia’s Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day this year. She wanted to do experiments instead using the kit she bought with her own Christmas money. So this week she and Miss 7 studied magnetism by playing with two magnets and a sealed plastic package of iron filings. This showed them the magnetic fields and helped them to understand attraction and repulsion of magnets. Our children already have a lot of hands-on experience playing with our super-powerful fridge magnets. In fact, occasionally I see a magnet scurrying about on our kitchen table on its own…. When I bend down I see a little girl underneath moving another magnet right under the table top! They don’t know it’s physics; they just know it’s fun and another one of the neat things God has built into the world.
The three older children were in charge of managing their own catch up work. And now, for the first time since her working trip in January, even Miss 17 will be completely caught up. To make it possible, and as a reward for her super-human exertions the past two weeks, I’ve decided to postpone her French. We’ll be working on that throughout the summer so she won’t forget much and will keep on learning. Then, when she heads off on her next working trip in the fall, she should be able to chat with her French-speaking co-workers in either language.
As for me, I’ve longed for the day when all five of the children would be caught up. What a burden off our shoulders! In the lower grades, I would have just adjusted my requirements if one of the children got so far behind, but by grade 11 there’s a certain amount of material to cover each year. What’s more, a teen needs to learn about commitment to deadlines and performing under pressure. But it’s painful for the student as well as for mom…and that pain is now over.
We are SO happy!
You can read more homeschool highlights, each containing some inspiration or helpful information, at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.
We have had to do lots of catch up the past two weeks. It is so hard in the upper grades! Especially in Math and French. We are now on track though and hope to be done on this friday! It was worth the push to get caught up.
Wow it sounds like all of your children work well independently. That’s really a blessing, you’re definitely doing something right!
Good morning, my dear, sweet, wise friend! I hope you have a wonderful week.
It has turned extremely hot and humid here, and we were just using the heater less than a week ago! I refuse to turn on the a/c yet, but if it stays like this, we may have to do it. That humidity makes it very hard to sleep at night.
Congratulations on being caught up!
I’m thankful that our children are still young so I don’t have to worry about “getting behind.” I’m on the one whose been dragging the last 6 weeks due to the pregnancy.
Sometimes I’m scared stiff about high school, but I know the Lord will show us how to do it and do it well.
Great week! Next year will be our first with a high schooler in our homeschool!
It’s so great when they learn something but don’t even realize it’s “learning” I love that lifestyle of learning. 🙂