2014 Begins!

We started back to school this week after giving ourselves a nice long break after the holidays.  Co-op classes began on Tuesday the 14th, and I decided it would work out well to start our school at home at the same time.  The classes that the boys are taking this semester sound like they are going to be awesome!  Both are taking more than one type of science class.  So, I will probably spend less time with the science at home for now and use this time to focus on our geography, music, and art.

Hayden's classes at co-op this semester are:
1. Florida Aquifers, Our Precious Resource
2. Minecraft Club
3. Geology - Rocks & Fossils
4. Elementary Engineering
5. Chess Club

Sawyer's classes this semester are:
1. Elementary Human Anatomy
2. Fairy Tales
3. Story of the World - Ancient Civilizations
4. Elementary Engineering
5. Chess Club

At home, we jumped right back into reading, writing, math, and geography.  Both boys worked really hard this week!

Language Arts
This week, Hayden finished his easy reader from last semester and began his new reader for the week.  Sawyer finished up his ABC book that he's been working on all year, and worked on his fine motor skills by doing some fun activities.

Looking for sight words in the easy reader.

Creating words using letter dice.

Showing off his awesome coloring.

Handwriting without Tears workbook.  

Copywork:  Writing a list of house rules after reading The Tale of Peter Rabbit
and talking about following rules, what happens when you don't, etc.

Kumon paper folding (basic origami activities for developing fine motor skills.

Not a bad job for doing it all by himself!  

Story sequencing with pictures and sentence strips.

The finished product.

Math:

Hayden's math this week involved a recap of subtracting and learning how to make change.  Sawyer got in quite a bit of math this week as well, focusing on even and odd numbers, identifying numbers without having to count out, and the beginning of ten triangles.  Riley decided that he wanted to be a part of the school process this week as well.  So, he got his own manipulatives to work with when he could.

Using part-whole circle sets to write equations with missing addends.

Getting a little help with the abacus from Riley.

Matching color tiles to the even and odd numbers.

Putting the cards in order and identifying a pattern.

Riley getting cheesy with his own stash of tiles and dot cards.

Playing a game of Row and Column Bingo.

Practicing writing numbers.

Learning to see higher tens without having to count out each individual bead
(or stick).

Riley helps Hayden count out change for the "cash register".

Making shapes with equilateral triangles.

Making a ten triangle.

Making change.

MathSeeds on the computer.

Comparing dimes to quarters.

Social Studies:

Since the holidays got in the way of learning about the different countries, we picked it back up this week, going more in depth with France.  We read three books on France, watched a couple of youtube videos and Netflix cartoons, and we studied the art and food this week.  

Punching out all the teeny tiny holes of the Eiffel Tower to prep for assembly.

Part A complete!

Part B complete!

Having a little afternoon hot chocolate and croissant in our makeshift French cafe.

I think the croissants are a hit.

After watching the movie, Linnea in Monet's Garden (adapted from the picture book by Christina Bjork), the boys painted impressionist paintings of gardens using a piece of paper cut out in the shape of a bridge (or fence) creating a version of negative space in the pictures as well.

Hayden chose to use a bridge in his painting.

Sawyer wanted a fence for his.

Hayden's finished painting.

Sawyer's finished painting.

The books on France we read:
Rookie Read-About Geography, Europe by Allan Fowler
Find Out About France by Duncan Crosbie
Katie's Sunday Afternoon by James Mayhew

At the end of the week, we made a five-course meal for the boys' grandparents, and true to French culture, this meal lasted HOURS.  The boys were not thrilled with the length of time it took to get from start to finish, but they did a great job of helping to prepare it, and they were more or less good sports about the whole event.

Setting up one of the courses.  Painting egg wash onto puff pastry.

Cleaning mussels for the first course.

Show me your mussels!!

Getting all the goodness in the pot for the mussels.

First Course:  Moules Mariniere!

Drinking some sparkling cider from his wine glass.

Second Course:  "Saucisson en Croute! My favorite course!"

Third Course:  Salade de Crottin de Chauvignol!

Close up of that awesome salad.

Sawyer likes it!  (Not so much for Hayden on this one).

Fourth Course:  Steak au Poivre!

Caramelizing the sugar on our dessert.

Fifth Course: Creme Brûlée!!

And that was pretty much our week!  What a great way to start the new year!  And for just an added bonus, here are a couple of pictures of Hayden with one of his Christmas gifts: