Today marks the start of a brand new six-week term for us, although I’m not certain it’ll be an auspicious start. The girls have been away with their church youth group for the past weekend. This mean multi late nights and exhaustion on arrival home. B2 has had Scarlett Fever and is on a particularly nasty Penicillin (note to self – NEVER mention again that our children rarely need antibiotics. It will inevitably lead to them needing a course!) which has knocked her side ways. T12 and I have had a couple of late nights, with me being introduced to Dr Who by T and T being introduced to James Bond by me.
Everyone is in high dudgeons. T is wondering why I didn’t just stop with him (he’s quite enjoyed having me all to himself each evening); the girls are wondering why he isn’t incredibly excited to see them again, having missed him terribly. Things might be looking up though. Right now they are all taking a coffee break from their chores and are deep in conversation swapping stories of their weekend, and thoroughly enjoying each other. Thank goodness for that!
So here are my plans for the following term:
Basic English and Maths
We’ll be using Galore Park. Using these for just half an hour each a day is a quick and easy way of ensuring my children are learning what they need to learn. They enjoy the curriculum, probably because it is still a novelty for them. It also gives them a much wider variety of reading materials, not just based on the time period we are studying. They’ll read the books in their spare time:
Extra maths for the girls will include lots of hands on fraction maths:
Literature Study
This term will be Chaucer all the way, for which I have many hands on and hopefully fun activities planned. I’ll be doing this study with the children:
Inventor Study: Gutenberg and his Printing Press
Again, this will be done together and ties in rather well with our literature studies, given that the Canterbury Tales was one of the first books printed on the printing press:
I’ve bought some supplies which will hopefully help the children to build their own:
And I bought them a kit which makes the Da Vinci designed printing press, linking in nicely with their Project Based learning this term:
Project Based Learning: Inventor Study & Artist Study: Leonardo Da Vinci
This is the work the children will do independently, although I may chime in with a few hands on activities to supplement – I mean how could I not? Da Vinci is far too interesting a person to study to allow the children to have all the fun!
I’ll be giving them a week to explore all the resources before getting them to choose a particular element to study in more depth.
Project Based Learning: Microbes
We will be continuing our exploration of microbes focusing on Viruses but also completing a few more experiments on fungi and bacterium.
There will be lots of other activities going on. We have, as a family, joined the local health centre and we have been enjoying the gym, badminton, tennis, swimming and the like. I am hoping to include some healthy eating and cooking ‘classes’ for my guys as well.
I’m with you on Da Vinci – too much fun not to join in.
It’s been fun listening to all their ideas for their project. I might just have to do my own project at the same time!
So much fun in store…for them and for us.
I hope so Phyllis!!
I’m really interested to read your posts on the Chaucer study. I remember reading some at school and being bored silly, school was probably the worst place to be studying that type of writing really!
I never did Chaucer at school. That was kept for 6th form English which I didn’t do. So I’m quite looking forward studying with my guys now.
I think it was Year 8. So we were around 12 when we studied it. My teacher was great but it is a struggle to be effective with over 30 children of very different abilities.
Sounds like another fun six weeks! Brianna frequently wonders why I didn’t just stop with her, if that makes you feel any better. I hope little B is feeling better soon. Poor kid.
I think B3 is more ill on the antibiotics than she was off them. It’s a shame because she had fought it off by herself and is only on antibiotics so she is not contagious to others. Scarlett fever remains contagious for a couple of weeks unless treated. What’s a parent to do??
Can’t wait to read all about how you will be studying Chaucer and DaVinci – sounds marvelous!
We started yesterday and the children are really excited, which is nice to see after the apathy last term.
That looks great!
Really interested in the Chaucer and the lino printing. Hoping to see more about those soon.
You will, I promise! Thanks for popping by!
I thought Galore Park is a workbook based curriculum. I didn’t know they have literature recommendations too. All your materials look so good that I would love to have learned like this too! The next 6 weeks promises to be very exciting and educational for you guys!
It is but they have some great book recommendations at the end of each chapter (which I order all from Amazon often for pennies). I’m really sold on the whole curriculum because it takes up practically no time each day they easily complete a chapter in a couple of weeks and I’m able to tick a box off in my head that they have at least been exposed to grammar and spelling lessons! Funnily enough it adds variety to our school and I NEVER have any complaints (so far) about doing it. Interestingly, T says he finds it the easiest writing he has ever done, and I have to say he has produced some of his best work. We’ll use it until it ceases to be fun anymore.
That sounds really good! I know Galore Park is one of the top choices for many home edders here because it’s used by many private schools. I wasn’t sure about the workbook based part of it but now it sounds like something worth looking into. 🙂 I’ll have to look into it now as another possible option.
Just coming back to say that I’ve had a quick look at the Galore Park English curriculum, and like you say, it looks really well put together and very comprehensive. Thanks for sharing your good finds, Claire. I wouldn’t have looked into it otherwise! 🙂
We’ll be in a similar boat next Monday after C gets back from scout camp (eek). Though without the scarlet fever I hope – poor little B – I hope she’s fully mended soon. Your half term looks wonderful – I can’t wait to hear all, especially about the inventor projects!
Is she at camp now? Is this her first time? I hope she has a wonderful time!
Poor little guy. Princess often wonders why we didn’t have more, because she quite wants a sister, and thinks it very unfair she doesn’t have one. Of course in her mind that means someone who does exactly what she wants when she wants.
I can’t wait to see what you do with Da Vinci, because I’ve always found him amusing.
He adores his sisters really and would be lost without them, but he particularly enjoyed getting to stay up late and watch Dr Who and James Bond!