2010 Summer Curriculum

On-line Phonics – Explode the Code
Horizon’s Math
Baseball Unit Study (Geography and History)
Nature Study Handbook
Individual Reading
Reading by Mom
Music
Baseball (June and July)
Basketball (June)
Swimming (June and July)
Track - (Ryan - July)

Nature Study

I stumbled upon the blog: Handbook of Nature. Now, I am not that much of a nature person, but I really would like my boys, who love to be outside to just LOVE nature. What fun to tag along on the adventures with the Handbook of Nature group and instill the love of nature in all of us!

I chose to access the book online, one less thing laying around the house!

1. Read pages 1-8 of the Handbook of Nature Study. (online book)
2. So here is our challenge this week. Spend 10-15 minutes outdoors with my children. Go on a walk and discuss the things they see.
3. Make a big deal about whatever it is that they talk about.
4. After our nature study time with the kids, I need to pull out the Handbook of Nature Study and see if the item the children are interested in is listed in the index. If it is, I need to look up the information and then relate interesting facts to the boys sometime during the next week.

Bring on nature!

Math becomes an adventure with this addition and subtraction game that takes kids on a journey through Sum Swamp. They'll make their way over the crocodile shortcut and through the endless loop by adding and subtracting the numbers rolled. For a bonus you learn your even and odds. Now, Ryan already knew all of these things but it sure is a fun way to review without knowing you are reviewing!

Lego's and Learning

I found some fun printables for Lego’s at Lego’s Family Time fun website! Each month they release 3 new building instructions. The thing I like is that they are step-by-step printable instructions! Perfect for workboxes!

We downloaded the donkey from December, it was a great project with easy step-by-step instructions that he did very well following!

"Much like one can listen to and appreciate music, dabble with making sounds on an instrument, play music from the score or indeed improvise or ‘jam’ with others in a band – the LEGO System works in a similar way. We can play from the ‘score’ (building instructions), or we can compose our own music or jam with others (free building alone or together)." Taken from the Lego site.

Games are for learning....

We played the Scrambled States of America today. I love this game for many reasons. The first one is obvious - learning the states and capitals. Second is the location of the states. Third, forth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth is measuring, counting, directions, syllables, letters, colors and vowels. That sure is a lot of stuff out of such a small box! The best part is both of my kids love to play it. I really should take it out more - I even learn from it :-)

Mom, I LOVE this book!

What great words to hear! I hope to hear them more often in the years to come. Ryan was excited - he read the book, "I'll Teach My Dog 100 Words" this afternoon. For him, this was a novel. It is the longest book he has ever read and he did not complain once - Yahoo! He also did not have trouble reading most of the words which was another great accomplishment! This young man has come a long way this school year and I am so proud of him.

School Dad's Way

There are some things I just don't think to 'teach' the kids. Dad does fun school. The practical school. The cool school. The I did not know I was in school - school. What does Dad 'teach'? He teaches the boys how to cast a fishing line, hook a worm, paint a wall, carve with a knife, change a bike tire and the list goes on and on. Some things Dad's just 'teach' way better than Moms! Go Dad!