Week in Review 9.5.15

Its been a while since I've done one of these.  I used to enjoy doing them.  Hopefully I'll have more time to do them now that my real estate stuff is settling down.  If you don't know I am a Realtor on the side which was suppose to be part time but has been pretty full time all summer.  You do just kind of have to take it when it comes though.

We are settling into our school routine nicely.  I've learned from a few years of experience to start three or more weeks early with easing into a routine and maybe one to two subjects  So doing that helped make this first full week go smoothly!  I actually did not get to science this week but that was the only thing we missed.  So we are starting that next week.  We are starting piano lessons too which we haven't done before.


Preschooler!  

This girl is just everywhere, doing everything and into everything!  So we aren't doing anything formal.  I'm just trying to keep up with her. 

 I have this set that I bought second hand from the Critical Thinking Co. and I'll do a little here and there when she's willing.  Otherwise she listens to us and plays.

 6 year old 

This kid is much more willing to do school so far this year than he was last year.  He even says he likes it (what?).  I mean its only the first week but here's hoping that it is a sign of good things to come.

We are giving All About Reading another try.  We did it for a while last year but he was NOT into it.  This year seems to be going much better although he doesn't really want to do the practice sheets.  He definitely enjoys the games though.

He wanted to do school in his army hat - silly kid.

 (Almost) 8 year old

We found out last spring that this girl is our second dyslexic in our house.  She is so smart yet so different from her brother who is also dyslexic.  She is very willing to learn and very willing to try.

Her favorite subject is math.  And I know why!  Because we use Right Start Math.  She has been to Montessori school and she loves to learn with her hands.  Right Start is the best at that if you don't do Montessori.  Here she is doing the Cotter Tens Fractal.  She was so proud of doing this.  She did it last year with her brother but this year it was all her.  This helps her understand the place value system.  I can't say enough good things about Right Start Math.

 We are using All About Spelling again this year.  I stopped last year because she could not get past th, sh, ch and that is when I had her screened for dyslexia.  I started her again and we started a few lessons back.  We worked on th, sh and ch for months so I think she can get through this level this time.

We do a great book called Toe By Toe (I do it with both my dyslexics).  It is simple and inexpensive but IT WORKS!  We are doing this until we can get her into Orton Gillingham tutor and will still do it on our non-tutoring days.

10 year old

This kid - it took me 20 times to get this picture. 

This year is so much better than any other.  His reading is SO MUCH better and he is able to do so many things more independently than he has done in the past.  But we have really been working on that.  He is just willing to get things done.   I know so many moms don't do any technology during school but we do.  If he gets a certain number of things done he can have a "techno break" as he calls it and I have no problem pulling him away because he knows certain things needs to be done.  He's just a pretty good kid.

I picked my curriculum so that they can do several things independently and I would only have to teach two subjects per kids since I'm teaching three at home now, two of which are dyslexic.  We also do Orton Gillingham tutoring twice a week at our local Scottish Rite Cathedral.  My daughter is on the waiting list but my son is on his second year of it.  We are so thankful for this because it is free!

We had a full week but it was a good week.  I managed to squeeze in a house closing.  We went to a housewarming party and a family reunion.  I was able to walk 4 miles with my friend almost everyday this week.  That is my exercise and my sanity!  Hopefully we will get that much done next week!

How was your week????

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