The week is wrapping up. Despite a rough start, we actually had a pretty good week.
The boys were predictably unenthusiastic about starting back to school after Christmas vacation. Monday was our "getting back to the routine" day. Matthew had to get back into the habit of entertaining himself for a while and the older three had to work off their all-day video game habit. We managed to make it through Monday unscathed.. but barely.
Tuesday was the first day back to co-op after Christmas vacation. This was something they were looking forward to.. and I was too. It was great to get out of the house and see some friends. The boys liked their classes and a grand time was had by all.
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday went smoothly. There were a couple outside activities I thought about doing. But, in the end, it was just easier to stay home and get the book work finished. By Friday, they were self starting and back to the routine. Evan finished every subject by 10:30am, with minimal help from Mommy!
Evan has been very slow in answering math combinations. It's really starting to slow him down as he moves into double and triple digit addition and subtraction. I pulled out the faithful old flash cards. After a couple days of flash card games, he's picked up his pace considerably. No more counting on fingers. I may have to pull out some multiplication and division flash cards for the older boys. They could use the practice.
It's been either raining or snowing here all week. When it's not raining or snowing, it's either freezing cold or a muddy mess so the boys have been stuck inside. I'm going to a scrap-a-thon at church tonight and tomorrow. I may take the boys with me tonight so they can run off some energy in the gym.
And that's it... nothing too exciting. But routine is good. It gets things done. We may even finish school early this year, at least in a few subjects.
For more Weekly Wrap-Up, visit Kris at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.
9 comments:
"...their all day video habit." LOL I can so relate. I also chuckled at your comment earlier in the week about how the day started out like any other, except you couldn't sit down at the computer or the TV after the laundry and dishes. Yeah. Me, too.
4 boys are the best of course aren't they.
OK, I checked out the flashcard games and couldnt find even one worth doing. THey all spent way too much time on the reward for answering flashcards correctly and not enough time on actually answering flashcards. One of them even wanted me to run inside and outside between each card. Of courfse you're dealing with 1 student at a time and I have 12, but still 1 second on answering the question and 1 minute on the reward seems to me like a waste of a lot of class time. Here are some of my fave games, with flash cards or state capitals or history questions, or whatever:
1. Any of your games except they have to answer 3 out of 5 or 4 out of 6 correctly. We do this by rows too, each kid in a row gets a ques. if they get 2 out of 3 correct, their team get points.
2. Around the world, duh!
3. How many ques can you answer in a set time period, usually 1 minute. set the timer.
4. My current fave, set up like a game show! 1 kid answers ques, as many as they can until they miss one. They get 3 helps: ask a classmate, ask me for the 1st letter, or look it up in the book. They can drop out after any question and keep their accumulated points, but if the miss a ques, theyre out and lose all their points. I give ind rewards so theyre competing only against themselves. 2 was a sticker, 4 was a pretzel (they love those!) 6 was a wristband, 8 was a candy. some actually traded their candy for 2 pret. anyway after 8 you have to stop and let someone else go.
5, Tic tac toe. they get to put on their x or o after correct answer. I just go on to the next ques and if they dont get it on there before he answers he can take their spot. Keeps it moving so we get more ques in. OR with teams I ahve a TTT board taped on the floor and the kids go stand on it. We usually play boys against girls or stripes against solids, or some way they can remember whos on their team.
6. One on one with the teacher. If they get it right, point for them; wrong, point for me. Just put the cards in 2 sep piles.
7. Zoinks. put point values on cards, but 2 or 3 say zoinks. After answering ques correctly, 3 out 5 etc. they can pull from the pot (an old tissue box, it already has a hole in the top and a fun print on the outside). whatever they pick is their points, they can keep drawing hoping for a larger score, points do not add, just whatever your last draw is, but if get the zoinks, you lose your points for that round and youre done.
8. We do thsi with colors too, but the points do add. blue is 10 points, yellow you have to stop but you keep your points, red you stop and lose your points.
9. Also with colors, kids are in teams of 2. after answering correctly, they choose a color from 4. I just cut cconstruction paper into squares. They dont know what each color is worth until the end of the game. I usually go 0, 5, 10, 20. Also if theyre not paying attention ot are talking on not their turn, I take a color back. If I think theyre not, I ask them to repeat the last question.
10. Id like to have 10, but I have to quit now. will you email this back to me, Id like a copy. Thanx!
I thought of number 10, its so simple but so great. I cant believe i forgot it.
10. Capture the card. Split class into 2 teams, uh, adam vs ryan. Teams line up. I show card to 1st two in line, whoever gets it first "captures the card," takes it and goes to the back of the line. The misser stays up for another question. He either gets it or misses again, after 2 misses, he goes on back. Fatal flaw, most people in line are not payimg attention to other's cards and answers, but it moves so fast, that get enough ques of their own.
11. I know, but its a good one too. A bee! but not nec spelling, in fact I dont even teach spelling. In my version, they can ask the person beside them for help. I wont repeat the ques. but they can. Double elimination.
If you dont like the elim part, they have to earn their way back in. When doing with spelling, make them write the miss 3 times correctly and theyre back in until you finish the list. Or with hist or whatever, they have to find the answer in their book, then theyre back in.
SG thought of another one that we play and 12 is nice even number.
12. Baseball. Set up the diamond on the floor, I use stick-em notes. 2 teams. 1st player up to bat answers ques, if correct he moves to first, if not, its an out. Team keeps answering ques. when player 2 moves to 1st, player 1 moves to 2nd, etc. they score runs as each player get to homebase. After 3 outs (misses) the other team is up. IF waiting team is talking or NPA, batting team gets a hit (moves up a base). Hmmm, I just thought of something. IF batting team misses, the fielding team tries to catch the pop fly. If they get it right, he's out. Otherwise its a foul, he gets another question or goes to back of line but does not get an out. Havent act field (no pun intended) tested this variation.
SG says if the fielding team doesnt get it, its a strike, 3X and its an out.
If you refuse to repeat ques, the fielding team may pay better attention.
Routine is awesome. I'm glad you had a good week. :)
Yes, routine is a good thing. We had a horrible start to the week but as we went on things got better.
The flashcards made me think of my dd. She sometimes struggles with the workbooks but can recall quickly with the flashcards.
ahhh... this is what I have to look forward to on Monday...
should be interesting.
Thanks for the ideas though
I found you through another mom of 4 boys blog. Mine are 2, 6, 10 and 14. Your house is as busy as ours!
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