I'm saying goodbye.

I'm sure you've wondered where I've been. So, here's my explanation. As much as I hate to and as embarrassed as I am to say this...I'm leaving MFW.

God has called me to The SOW Curriculum.

As is my custom, I've created a blog to keep in touch.

I've met some very nice people along the way using MFW and plan to continue directing others there as well. It's just not where God wants us. If you've read my blog before, I've always spoke highly of SOW, but wasn't convinced that's where I needed to be. I am now. God kept calling me and I needed to obey.

God bless!
~Mercy

Boy...am I lagging here. :-)

So, we're on week 12. We just started our state study. I ordered Pickles her own state sheets with the stickers, because she's really gotten involved with school lately. Every time we do any notebooking she takes hers out and asks where her paper is to do. It's easy enough for her to color and put a sticker on. They are on the way!

I think next week we are going to take an entire week to play catch-up on some of the projects we haven't been able to do and do some book basket reading. We've just sort of skimmed over a lot of them. Either we haven't had the materials (simple things like vinegar and sugar are missing from my cupboards right now!) So, we'll spend some time next week doing some of the fun stuff!

I've been really enjoying letting the kids play the afternoon away. I found the original Charlotte Mason books on sale, so I've been reading through them. I've got lots to say on the subject, so I'll save that for another post. But, in the meantime, she convinced me of the benefits of making sure children get plenty of play time outdoors. So, we've made it a priority to get outside in the sunshine (or rain...one day it actually was hailing and we had to run inside - that was fun!)

Anyway, we're still alive. (Even the Caterpillar!!- still no cocoon yet though...)

Life is grand! :-)

Look what we found!!!

What's in that jar?

We were just sitting outside working on our school this morning. First we found a rolly polly and we were holding it as we talked about it. Then, I looked down & saw A CATAPILLAR!!! Isn't that neat?

Here, if you look closely, you can see him eating the leaf!

What I've learned...

One of my favorite things I like to do is read history and also the other thing I like is when we did the project of the viking ship. (outside of MFW) Another project I liked was the paper window.

I learned a lot about when America was founded. All about the pilgrims and how they came here. Also about when Christopher Columbus came and found North America. I also learned about Pocahontas and how she saved Captain John Smith. I learned how to make butter and how yeast represents sin. (in the old test.)

The big dipper is part of another constellation called the "big bear."

This week we are studying about Benjamin Franklin. He was the one who found out that electricity can travel, so he's really important.

~Mom here~

Below is a picture of some of the projects we've done. ( I just took it) The viking ship is the project that we had outside of MFW and I was really excited to share. But, as it turns out both Superkid & Superman worked on this for over FOUR hours and, as you can see, it's still not finished. However, they both had a great time. :-)

A little on the canoes in the picture - Superkid finished his and put his hand in it pretending to have people inside, which reminded me of the "Ten Little Indians" song. After I sung it, Pickles drew her hand on her canoe - I thought that was cute. By the way, they both did their very own sewing all by themselves. Great job, eh?

Week 8

Sorry I haven't been around. You know how it is...

So, we had some breaks since dh was home for awhile. And some other things.

In the meantime we have been slowly working though and we are now on week 8.

Everyone is talking now about summer time and school being done. We'll just take it by the day - making sure to go swimming, hang out at the park, etc. I honestly LOVE schooling outside in the summer time. Too much free time makes us all go bonkers anyway. My long term plan is to be done with ADV by Jan - which I think is easily doable. I'm secretly hoping to be done before the holidays...we'll see.

No pictures today, they are on a missing sd card.

I'll post some when I find it.
Keep checking back...we're still here, just a little sidetracked. :-)

Let's see...This is week 5 - I think.

Hasn't he improved within a short amount of time? He decided what to write and wrote it all on his own. Do you see that picture?? He's really doing good. :-)

I didn't take pictures of the project we did with the window paper, but it was fun. Daddy happened to come home while we were working on this one and he added a bit of learning too. I didn't read too well and used newspaper instead, but it worked. On the sides you could see through the paper enough to read something behind it.

Anyway, I keep doing that (skimming too quickly over the tm)...we've started TWICE books that we weren't supposed to read yet. I usually have gotten a couple days into it when I realize we were supposed to be reading squanto, not the indian book. Or, Sarah Wicher not Sarah Nobel. OOohh well...I'll blame it on my "baby fog."

Otherwise, we're doing fine. We may seem like we're behind, but according to my schedule I planned before we started - we're right on time. Amazing!

And more importantly, we're learning and having FUN!!!!!!

(P.S. I'm doing away with the labels, you can just check the archives to see whats been happening.)

Spelling Switch-a-roo

I can't believe I haven't mentioned the fact that we switched our spelling!

Although I love the idea of Sequential Spelling, it just wasn't working well. Many of the words he had never seen let alone heard before. He was getting a little discouraged, even with "the motto." So, I sucked it up and bought the expensive (but highly recommended) Spelling Power.

I guess it is not THAT expensive considering you wear it out through high school with all of your children. So, when you take that into consideration, it's actually VERY economical. It's just a big upfront cost.

So, how do we like it you ask? :-)

I LOVE IT!!!

The author really took time to learn how to study spelling. As everyone mentions it is quite an instruction manual! My head was spinning after reading it all afternoon. But, it's really quite simple.

Here's how it works:
To begin you test to find out where your child should be placed. (one time only testing, but there are three different testing methods.)

After you know where to begin, each day you will do the following:

STEP 1:
~Find the group where you are at. Discuss the "spelling rule." Each list is grouped by sound, so they learn how the sounds are spelled.

~Then, test them on that group. You will only test until either 5 minutes are up or your child misses a specific amount of words. (usually it's 3 for us.)

---Your time is done, the rest is done independently by the student.---

STEP 2:
~Study the words missed using the "10 step study list." This is basically looking at the word to find out why you missed what you had missed, and trying to spell it a number of different ways.

STEP 3:
~Do an activity to practice spelling the words missed. These can be anything from typing them up, writing them in whipping cream, or writing them in a sentence. I've been having Superkid do a jumping jack for each letter of his spelling word. It's the act of doing something to help them remember how to spell their word correctly.

That's it. Then, when you do the test next you begin with the words missed to see if he/she learned them. It's really a neat concept!

So far it's really working well for us. Superkid seems to enjoy the activities and has been honest within himself when he is really struggling with a word, even when he's gotten it right - he's studied it to be more confident on that word. That's really neat to see.

I think it is worth the cost. Really. It not only is set up wonderfully, but it has taught me a lot about the why's and how's of spelling. Yep, it's a keeper around here.

Superkid tested in way higher then I though he would. And, as I test him (I decided since we're at the beginning age, we'd just start in A and make it a little easier for awhile.) He REALLY is a great speller!!! He's been tricking me this whole time acting like he doesn't know. I have been doing the "review tests" through level A and he's cruising through them. Pretty amazing!

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE homeschooling?
What else is better then watching your children grow and learn??