In the Course of a Week

During the course of one week, I have been amazed at how much the kids have initiated learning on their own concerning various interests. Below is a list of topics:

Music-Piano, guitar, and composition (mostly Micah, but Jacob too). (about 6 hours)

Electronics- Micah took apart several items, a radio, etc., to see how they work; he then read up on it thoroughly in science textbooks. He then excitedly showed Jacob and I what all the parts were, what they did, and how they worked. (2 hours)

Nathan and Hannah watched me strip and splice a wire that had broken in Nathan’s electronic train. We studied the inside workings thoroughly and discussed copper and conductivity, as well as circuitry (which I now understand thanks to Micah’s crash course). Nathan and Hannah both used screwdrivers to open and close the little toy train up. (30 min.)

History-Jacob and Micah both read a book on the French revolution (albeit it was a little geared to the gory side.) (15 min) They also watched part of an 8-hour video about Napoleon. (2 hours) Micah read about Stalin, Marx, communism, and researched Black Liberation Theology online. (2 hours)

Science- They all watched National Geographic videos on Wolves, Dolphins, and Forces of Nature. After that, they all watched Popular Mechanics videos covering topics such as rockets, submarines, sailboats, speedboats, lightning, volcanoes, and ice/water.

I read books to Hannah and Nathan about spiders, snakes, and bloodsuckers (fleas, leeches, mosquitoes, and bats). We studied, close up, spiders outside in their webs through binoculars, identifying different kinds. We also made spider habitats out of toilet paper in the living room and in the dining room.

Hannah, Nathan and I took a trek into the woods to see the fort that the boys made. We gathered 11 different species of mushrooms on the way and later researched online for about an hour trying to identify them. We never did positively identify identify any of the mushrooms we collected, but we did learn about many different and poisonous kinds. (No, we didn’t eat any! I regret that I didn’t take any pictures before throwing them away!)

Hannah wanted to know “Why does sugar make you hyper" after she was told that she couldn’t have any ice-cream right before bed. Whether she was really curious about the workings of sugar in our bodies or not, I took the opportunity to look it up on the computer for her since I only had a vague idea of why in my own mind. We learned all about simple and complex carbohydrates, sugars, the structures of them, and how the body responds to them and why. The trick was to explain it in terms she would understand and to not be too lengthy in the time it took to do so. She was satisfied and I was then armed with real scientific answers for further such questions about sweets before bed.

Micah and Jacob built several rockets and launched them in the course of their ”play”. (2 hours) Micah read a lot about rocket science and began designing his own aircraft on graph paper using newly learned geometry, physics and algebra concepts. (2 hours)

Language arts- We read aloud a Russian Missionary story over several days, locating on a map all the places referenced in the story. I always stop and ask the kids lots of questions as we read in order to test their listening and comprehension skills. The children stayed very excited about the book throughout the reading and, at each chapter's end, always begged for the next chapter.

I read to the younger ones many fictional and non-fictional stories from the library, including excerpts from Uncle Remus.

The boys are both avid readers and read any number of topics and stories from the library. One such topic and story being all about the history of poop, plumbing, sanitation, disease, and how waste was dealt with throughout time. It really was fascinating to hear them share all of the dirty details. (Boys will be boys!)
I don’t believe that any of them did much actual writing this week that I know of. I might suggest a journal log book to the older ones for recording their thoughts and ideas, and anything else.

Hannah is so hesitant to read, even though I believe she reads well for her age. She lacks confidence in the light of her brother’s abilities and, so far, has shown hostile aversion to all my reading-related suggestions. She tends to do that with anything she struggles with or believes to be too hard. After only about 2 seconds of trying, she’ll shut her mind off. Probably fear of failure and ridicule from brothers is the cause. I am not going to push her, but wait till her need and desires outweigh her fear, and then let her rediscover the joy of reading that she once had when she first started.

Nathan continues to enjoy sounding out and recognizing letters. We use all sorts of manipulatives such as tiles, puzzles, flashcards, gummy candies, pretzels, alphabet noodles, and worksheets and activities ranging from gluing cereal or noodles in the shape of letters, to scavenger hunts. We have crafts, stories, songs, and countries all starting with a particular letter. He still loves ”doing school,” but learns just as much doing everyday life things.

Micah has not felt motivated to finish his Stalin paper yet.

Math- This week, Micah was motivated to learn and do several lessons in his algebra and geometry books and was very excited about it. I get occasional questions, but mostly he learns well on his own and will bombard me very enthusiastically with everything he is learning.

Jacob and Hannah learned how to play Solitary and Dominoes, thus reinforcing their adding and sequencing skills. That was all the math they felt motivated to do this week.

Creative and Practical Arts (This category will include arts/crafts, music, foreign language, fine-motor skills, sewing, cooking, woodworking and other life skills.)

Hannah cut and sewed a felt, stuffed teddy bear that she got the idea for out of a craft book (without any help)! She also drew many pictures of horses and made umpteen amount of snowflakes. She also designed and made clothes for her Barbies out of wet wipes. She, Nathan, and Jacob made many wonderful confectionary delights with her new Ice Cream Shoppe Playdough set that she received for her birthday. She also designed a saddle, bridle, and reigns for her play horse out of play dough.

Nathan colors and cuts endlessly, especially since he got a large box of crayons and new coloring books for his birthday. He also handles a saw and hammer as skillfully as his big brothers. W found that out when we went to see their forest fort. I got great delight seeing Nathan pound and saw trees to his heart’s content and exercising his little muscles. I really regretted not having a camera with me. He helped me make omelets that day as well. He always asks to help me in the kitchen. He worked with screwdrivers that day, helping to repair his train as well. He also played computer craft games.

Micah and Jacob had their Forest Fort project that they worked on with their German friend who stayed with us for 3 days. The boys’ German language skills are getting better and better; often times, the boys talk only in German. Jacob also designed and sewed a Revolutionary Soldier (Redcoat) costume for his bear. He also draws all the time, mostly battle or aircraft scenes, or "War of the Worlds" type stuff.

Micah read several books about training dogs for the dog that he hopes to have some day. We have discussed ideas of a dog training business some day as well.

And of course, everyday the kids practice their skills in the art of washing dishes, sweeping, cooking, dusting, cleaning toilets, laundry and other general cleaning skills; keeping their rooms neat, organized, brushing their teeth and changing their underwear daily at a minimum.

Besides all this, we have daily devotional bible reading and prayer time, as well as general character training ALL DAY long it seems. They learn the Godly way to treat one another. They practice patience, forgiveness, honoring parents, sharing, perseverance, diligence and all that good stuff, which if truth be told, will probably be far more important to learn than anything academic.
Whew! It’s been quite a week!