2014 summer reading, narration, and copy-work

I have used year-round home-schooling for several years.  There are some awesome reasons for doing it-one of them being continuous learning.  Summer education can be light, but very useful.

This summer I am having the boys continue with math, but dropping all other formal curriculum.  They will still be doing language arts and learning an assortment of themes, but it will be accomplished differently.  

They have joined the summer reading program at our local public library, and are reading books from a reading list that I created.  I require them to read 45 minutes per day, and  I am also having each one of them complete a form I prepared, summarizing what they have read. 

Just a few goodies from the summer reading program.  There was also a beanbag ball; it's around here somewhere.  They love doing this.  It gives the boys and me a lot of opportunities for some free/cheap dates together.

Justin and Jonathan are reading the same books and completing the same forms.  

Justin's summary: 

Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand

Jonathan's summary: 

The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli

Ryan is completing a different book list and form.  He narrates what he has read to me, and then I create a cursive writing practice sheet using his narration. 

Ryan's narration below -handwriting part not completed yet- from Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John: 

 I  used this site to create the cursive writing practice sheet:

  http://www.worksheetworks.com/english/writing/handwriting/handwriting-cursive-copy-old.html )

Here are Justin and Jonathan's first batch of library books from my list.  I was so thankful that the library carried these titles:

Mad Libs for Language Arts summer 2014

 Mad Libs are also a great way to practice parts of speech. We do these every once in awhile to break up the mundane.

Summer update

We are in the middle of the "dog days" of summer.  It's very hot outside.  In fact, it is so hot that the Real-feel temperature is 122 degrees! 

During the summer, we have continued with education in a more non-demanding way.  In other words, if friends want to get together and do something in the middle of the day, we do not let our scheduled studies get in the way.  Life IS education, and part of educating our children is living life!

I attended a Christian home-school conference on our last trip to visit family in Alabama.  It was a last minute blessing in which I was very thankful!
I was able to spend the day with my  friend Lisa and a new friend named Shannon.  It was so nice to have a "girls' day out" listening to speakers,visiting vendor booths, and basically feeling refreshed.

One of the vendor booths we visited was for Rod & Staff Mennonite curriculum.  I was already seriously considering changing our Math curriculum from ABeka, and after seeing Rod and Staff's simplicity, I was hooked.   I purchased Justin and Jonathan's math books on the spot.  The story problems are very natural.  The pictures are simple and lovely (I absolutely love the way the people are dressed).   Biblical measures such as handbreath, fathom, & furlong are also taught.   I am very pleased with these books!

I was also able to purchase another book from the Mennonites about manners & good habits.  The boys have enjoyed going through this together.

For English we have been using a higher level complete English/Grammar book.  We have worked on it as a unit (whole family).   It teaches basic English in a fun, non-stressful way.  The boys have enjoyed this style.  I have been having them write paragraphs in their own notebook, learning how to create and revise.  It has been exciting to see their writing skills and creativity grow.

Other things we are doing this summer:

~Continuing to make the Bible our main source of education
~Creating a model of The O.T. Tabernacle out of Legos
~Reading The Peace Child by Don Richardson (with me heavily editing as I read).  This is a missionary book about cannibals in New Guinea. 
~Learning the Presidents in order

On Mondays:
~Window on the World - Reading about a nation, finding it on the map, and praying for the people
~Usborne Children's Encyclopedia - Science facts
~The Presidents: reading about each President
~Church history (Robert Morgan's book)


Random things we do occasionally as we have time:
~Character Sketches - Animal Character lessons
~Voice of the Martyrs magazine - praying for the persecuted church
~I also bought a kit from Voice of the Martyrs to make parachutes to send Bibles into Colombia.  We are still working on it.

Some of these things we have done, but need to make a point to do more often:
~Bless the widows and single moms in our church with a card, small gift, or occasionally visit
~Visit the nursing home