We started off our science lesson today on the skeletal system by watching this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of3XS-gU8dc

It was a GENIUS way to start (if I do say so myself)!

At just under 7 minutes, it was the perfect length to keep the childrens' attention. Bones are naturally interesting and, with all of the illustrations and animations, they found it entertaining. Additionally, it contained the exact kind of information I was hoping for. I loved it so well that I think I'll start more units with similar videos!

School is in Session

We officially started school this week! I could hardly sleep the night before, I was so excited! Did the week turn out as great as I had hoped? Overall, I was quite pleased with how things went and was satisfied with the kids' excitement and participation level. Some things worked and some things didn't, but I have an optimistic feeling that it will only get better. The kids and I are looking forward to "round two" on Monday! Until then, here are a few things we did this week:

Each morning after flag, we put a new date on the Calendar and talked about what month, date, and day of the week it was.

 

The kids made their own flashcards for spelling words, vocab, and Spanish words. Jack had already arranged the tabs in his index card holder, so he took a minute to help Ally get hers all set up.

 

We did a little unit on teeth and dental health. This is an experiment we found online. You take two eggshells, then put one in water and one in vinegar. The vinegar represents the acid from food that gets left on the tooth if not brushed. After 24 hours, the kids found that the eggshell was completely soft and dissolving into little pieces.

 

Jack read Black Beauty.

 

On Friday, we had lunch under a tree and then changed into swimsuits to play at the splashpad.

I LOVE having my kids at home! I LOVE teaching them! It's only been one week so far, but we've already had some tender moments together . . . different than just 'being together' like we often are, as a family or one on one. We have been planning together, organizing together, working together, learning, and reading together. They've already been asking academic questions and offering ideas of what they want to study. My main goal this year is to provide structure for them and to introduce them to lots of ideas and topics. But, at the same time, I want to be flexible and follow their interests.

One thing I did NOT expect was the intense interest that my one-year-old would have in the things that we're doing. In my head, I had imagined that he'd play with his cars or big Legos, or walk around exploring, as he always does - while the rest of us do schoolwork. Nope. He wants to be a part of it all. Hence, we need to buy a pub height table and chairs for the older kids to work on, so little Nate doesn't color on their papers or steal their pencils. And I'm going to have to add him to my seating chart and attendance record! ;)