D and E Weeks

After finishing up the last two weeks, I've decided to spend one more week with D and E. Not because we're struggling with them, but because I want to dive a little bit more into a couple subjects. So this next week we'll be learning a fun summer song, a nursery rhyme, and fairy tale story in circle time. We'll also review our D and E signs, and probably learn a few more.

Homeschooling gives me the flexibility to linger, and I think we'd be better served by diving in a little more and then getting to F is for Fireworks the week of July 4th. So this upcoming week we'll learn more about ducks and eggs and do a couple electricity experiments and drawing lessons. We're also going to set up a number line on the wall. Should be fun!


D Week: *video of signs coming soon*

We learned a lot about dirt this week. We read a book about dirt. Got a cup of dirt and "dissected" it to see what was in the soil in our back yard. (A lot of pieces of wood and clay). We also did this experiment where we let our soil separate in water to see the different layers. We learned our soil is mostly sand, with a tiny layer of silt, and a good portion of flecks of clay, and quite a bit of humus. We talked a lot about decomposition to make dirt. That weekend we went on a five mile hike and pointed out all the examples of decomposition we could find.

We planted Daisies.
And beans.
We talked about weeds and what they are, where they come from, and went into the garden to pull some.
We read a bit about ducks, but not as much as I'd like, thus our upcoming extra week.
We studies Degas' "Ballet Rehearsal On Stage" and painted our own pictures inspired by his work.
Handwriting practice.
Letter D quilt square using a basic runner stitch.
4 pages of math in our workbook.
Lots of picture books (on log)
Wet on wet watercolor painting mixing blue and yellow.


E Week  *video of signs coming soon*

E is for Egypt. We read the third Magic Tree House. Mummies in the Morning. Then we watched a couple short vidos on how mummies were made, who was mummified, and where they were buried. After that we got to become mummies by getting wrapped in toilet paper. Jane thought it was interesting that the way mummies were wrapped, they wouldn't actually be able to walk around. They'd have to hop. I think she found it comforting in a way.

Planted echinacea.
Located Egypt on a map. (We now know Egypt,

California, Russia, China, Iceland, and Spain)
Learned about the equator as well as the direction "East." Lots of map time this week.
8 pages in our math workbook.
Learned the chain stitch and used it for E quilt square.
Picture books on log.
Handwriting practice.
Studied Brian Connelly's "Brown and White Eggs." Will do artwork based on it this upcoming week.
Wet on wet watercolor painting mixing red and yellow.
Practiced telling "O'clock" times.
Learned how to make deviled eggs. Will add it to Jane's cookbook this week.


That's all I can remember at the moment. Our days feel very rich, and yet unrushed. We are learning so, so much. Jane is sounding out words and writing her own birthday cards. Right now she's writing a book for Max ("With seven pages!" she'll say.) She sounds out and writes as much as she can until she gets tired and then I do the rest. We're still working on getting all her letters facing the right way. It'll come.

She is always creating something, growing something, singing something. It's wonderful. We also started taking them to do some swimming lessons 3-4 times per week. Jane can now doggie paddle enough to get to the side of the pool which is such a relief for me.

My goal of 2 hours outside playtime has been reached every single day the past two weeks, especially with the pool time. It's effect on Max's behavior is amazing.