What's up Part 1

Well, I suppose "shortly' is a relative term. HeHe. Now that its nearing May I thought I'd write.

First of all, life is very busy. Six kids, a sick sister, and lots of family drama take up a lot of time. School doesn't really exist anymore. We have 1 good school day every week and a half to two weeks now.

Yes, about 2-3 days a month.

This week, however, we've had 2 days of school and have broken our record. LOL

Really, I'm not happy about it. I see my girls struggling and stagnating. Their minds are not properly being nourished and I'm letting them down.

Ah Mommy guilt!

So, what has been going on?

Aidan

Mathematics

Aidan still seems to magically be gaining math skills. The random days she's done school... she's worked on logical math problems or the mixed math sheets and I haven't yet seen something be too hard for her. (In fact, I wish I had bought Mathematical Reasoning for 2nd graders. The 1st grade is too simplistic for her.) Unfortunately, because of our lack of schooling I cannot tell you precisely what she can do. I'm really not on top of everything. However, when her older cousin (who is in 2nd grade) brings home schoolwork, I have seen Aidan help her cousin and/or tell her the answers. So, obviously, she has moved into at least 2nd grade math. (I have a sneaking suspicion that if I sat her down and systematically showed and tested her with any Elementary math... she'd be able to do it all.) Let's see? Sometime in late February/ early March she took the workbook from her Singapore 1A and went through and did the whole thing just because she wanted to. I also discovered a fun computer game called Math Rider. Aidan and all 4 of the older cousins enjoy playing it. I highly recommend it for anyone wanting their kid to practice their math facts. At first is can be frustrating because they have to type the answers in fast. The first two times Aidan tried it she broke down in tears. But, then she tried it again and the 3rd time she used it, she did well. Now she really loves playing it.

The only other Math is that I bought Aidan a watch. She wears it and at random times I'll ask her what time it is. So, she's learning to tell time in a very old fashioned way.

Oh, and I still have a subscription to Dreambox but unfortunately, using the computer, is nigh impossible here so it is left unused. 

Geography

I have to laugh at myself again. I knew Aidan was interested in the states and that she wanted to learn the names. So I had the idea we'd go through and learn each one by one. Aidan and I picked out a blank sketch book and we've been planning to scrap all the states, territories, and major cities. Stuffed in a drawer next to my bed is scrapbooking supplies I've already started collecting. Well, Aidan knows all 50 states already. Again, I forgot that I just need to TELL her things for her to know them. Anyway, I found a blank map of the USA in a dollar store. Makensie, Aidan's cousin, told me that she wanted to learn the states because she would be learning them next year. So, I showed them both the blank map and started pointing to a few states at at time and repeating the name of the state. For example... I started with Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and both Carolinas. "Okay, show me Alabama Aidan," I'd say. So she'd show me the state. After running through the states that way I then played a game with them. They had to turn over a little card with a state written on it, read it correctly, and then show me where it was located. If they got it right... they kept it. If they didn't... then it was put back face down. Aidan won. She messed up only twice. Afterward, Cole told me about a website called Cool Math games.  (Seriously... if  you don't know it.... try it out. It's free and has A LOT of cool games.) One of their games is called State the State. It's a great way to review the states. All the kids in the house ended up in a mini-contest on who could get 50/50 first. *Brag Alert* Aidan led the pack with 48/50 from the start. The others all originally got about only 30/50. Because they were embarrassed a 4 year old beat them... they all (good naturally by the way) started studying them and practicing them. Kensie spent hours playing State the State over and over again until she finally reached the coveted score of 50/50 first. I was really proud of Kensie.. she really made a big effort. Sooo, long story short.... snicker.... we still will do the whole scrapbooking the states thing but I'm going to just collect the supplies and we'll just do it really slowly so that next year, Ainsley, at four, would be able to really help as well.


To Be Continued....