Search This Blog

Showing posts with label AOy1. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AOy1. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Our Combined Year 1/2 with Ambleside Online!

The early Pioneer father looked out into the unexplored valley below him, as (today in this blog post) you and I will be gazing over the brink of a historic year for our homeschool (as you may come to notice, we're also learning about similes today ;). As a mother hen scurries around gathering her chicks like a mad woman... oh. wait, those things might not be dissimilar enough to be a true simile... ;) and no, most days are NOT in the mad woman category, anyway.  (only about every other... ;) just kidding OF COURSE)




This is the year that we have officially added Siah (7yo) into the AO rotation, and he will be doing not only y1, but y1 & y2!! Oh yeah! {high five} Well... not really both years. He'll be doing a combination of the two years in order to be able to slide up to y3 next spring with Bria. I'm very excited about that for lots of reasons. We shall see to those in this post.

Reasons for Combining:
  • When I contemplate having all 4 children (someday 5) in separate AO years with our travel schedule/lifestyle, I begin to shake like a whole forest of leaves... under heavy storm!
  • Because I combined the two older boys from the beginning, it's as normal as bread for breakfast in our house to share years.
  • Siah was a much earlier reader than his brothers were and will be able to read many of his books independently this year (thus justifying for me, helping him along in y3 at 7.5yo). - I do not normally recommend this. I like to have a nice young 7yo at in y1! But, I think it's going to work for us. I plan to modify when necessary.
  • Siah has become a very good narrator under the unofficial tutorship of his older siblings.
  • Bria had her y2 abruptly interrupted by a long furlough, so she's perfectly set up to do a combined year with Siah (she'll read some books from the second half of y2, that I've decided he won't have to read, while he's listening to the books she's already heard).
  • I can keep them together on the booklist, but at their own levels in math, copywork, dictation, etc.

Here's a sneak peek, click the link to see the whole thing.

Here's the proposed schedule, we're currently in week 4. :)

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Ambleside Online audiobooks - on SALE! - or even FREE!

I read through the entire book of Our Island Story with my two oldest boys.  I feel like it is quite an accomplishment as it stretched over several school years!  Our Island Story (alternately known as An Island Story as well) by HE Marshall is a spine history text for the first 4 years of Ambleside Online.  But the second time through, now that I am teaching more than just one year, I LOVE having the audio version for my y1 girl!  I just play the audio right here on the computer and she does her narration as normal.  Many times we listen to it together, but I've had her listen alone as well and draw her narration or just come and find me to tell it back.


Christianaudio.com has a sale going on that you can find a lot of AO titles for $7.49!  Go check it out if you are interested in audios because the regular prices range anywhere from $10 - $30...




Our Island Story: Complete by H.E. Marshall
I bought mine for $38!!  This version is on sale for $25!  oh man!  


Some other titles on christianaudio.com:  (look under the Classic Literature category for more)
Librivox...
ahh.  free.  but there is one really annoying thing about free... beggars can't be choosy.  There are a lot of volunteer readers that do not read clearly or have pesky issues with their microphone resulting in terrible sound.  Or there's that special feature that if you regularly listen to librivox recordings, your kids will have the intro memorized in no time, "This is a librivox recording.  All librivox recordings are in the public domain..."  Yes.  kind of annoying over time.  All said, free is a very good price!!  Here is a REALLY helpful page I just found the other day that lists all the recordings of books on the Ambleside Online booklist in years 1-4 HERERecordings of the books on the Ambleside Online booklist for years 5-8 HERE.

Summer is fun for stocking up while things are on sale!  

    Wednesday, April 21, 2010

    Tuesdays are for Literature

    Ahh.  Today is Tuesday.  Hooray for Literature day!  As I've mentioned before we have our readings grouped by subject and then assigned to a day of the week.

    Tuesdays we muse literature and poetry and plutarch.  

    Almost always our favorite picks are the AO literature selections.  Such books as Robinson Crusoe, Oliver Twist, Kidnapped, Children of the New Forest, Understood Betsy, Wind in the Willows, Pilgrim's Progress, Parables from Nature, Robin Hood... oh, I forget myself, I could go on... and on.

    Now we are reading Kim.  Thank goodness.  I've been wanting to read it ever since I picked up the practically new hardback book from a garage sale for 50 cents.  The lady at the garage sale looked glad that someone was so excited about it.  She said, "Oh good, you're buying Kim!", those are the words she said, but the way she smiled when she said it revealed, "That story is a friend of mine, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did."  So, I liked the book before I started reading it. Just look at the cover and art...

     

    I think I've discoverd something important; when we read to our kids or present them with books, they'll give them a fighting chance if we are intrigued if not excited by them.  So my boys have an open mind towards Kim (I think), because I have been looking forward to reading it and have enjoyed wading into it with them.  Granted, it is a difficult book for this year.  It has so much religious and specific-to-India jargon that it IS rather boorish to read aloud.  For instance, how DOES one pronounce the following words and still maintain the flow of the story:
    • Gunga
    • Benares
    • Loodhiana Sikhs
    • naik (Mohammedan priest?!)
    • Sobraon
    • Chillianwallah
    • Moodkee
    • Ferozeshan
    Okay, so you're saying to yourself those don't look that bad... it's one thing to see them in isolation quite another to come upon them suddenly in the midst of an interesting yet trying narrative!  Let me tell you!  :)

    Anyway.  I'm going to try to round up some resources/links together for this book.  It's good, but it could be SO much better with some background knowledge.

    Other things we read today:

    Year 5 -
    Age of Fable
    Shakespeare (we are starting the Tempest this term)
    Poetry by John Greenleaf Whittier
    Plutarch's Romulus

    Year 1 - 
    Fifty Famous Stories Retold
    Aesop's Fables
    A Child's Garden of Verses

    Sunday, April 11, 2010

    AOy5 Term 3 Planning Day

    Yesterday and today I've been cramming to get this upcoming term planned.  We are about a week and a half later getting back from the coast than we had planned and we are scheduled to begin Ambleside Online's y5 Term 3... TOMORROW!!  Yikes. :S 

    Yesterday was my official Homeschool Planning Day
    (it was supposed to be last week... but I mentioned that already didn't I?)


    Not only that but I have exactly 12 weeks in which to finish the 12 week term.  Margin for error = 0.

    Can I just say that my adreniline was actually pumping as I was finishing up preparations last night?!  Oh but I came to realize that was nothing to get excited about, because as I was going over my calendar figuring and such - I realized that in addition to the 3rd term of AOy5, I have to start AOy1 with my 7yo tomorrow too!  I just 'bout fainted dead away.

    So, today I've been scrambling.  I was planning to unofficially start AOy1 back in January, but was distracted by upwards of a thousand other things.  We've been working steadily on all the important stuff with my 7yo.  You know, like living and learning, so much so that I didn't even realize we hadn't unofficially started her official education yet.  SO... now it's come down to the wire... like dental floss gage wire.  Yikes.

    Here was my to-do list for yesterday:
    • Divide Shakespeare readings
    • Divide Physics Lab readings
    • Print AO's Plutarch reading, divide into 12 readings
    • Print Age of Fable p.79-88 (I don't follow the suggested readings), divide readings over 12 weeks
    • Print Artist/Composer study pages  {out of color ink...shoot!}
    • Print An Island Story (ch.110-114)
    • Decide copywork selections
    • Find and download Folksong/Hymn selections  {hubby needed the computer...urgh}
    • Decide handicraft focus - buy material
    • Decide & print memory work selections
    • Buy any y6 books that are lacking 
    • Format checklists  
    • Schedule YEAR ONE readings, for goodness sakes!


    I'm still working today...

    It's an effort to figure it all out, but I know I'm not the only one who does this :)


    Thursday, February 11, 2010

    Science Junkie?

    Have I ever mentioned that I REALLY like Jeannie Fulbright's Exploring Creation books?


    Well, you might even say I have become an Exploring Creation junkie :)  A while back, I went ahead and bought about 4 from the series because I liked them that much... (well, that and they were on sale!)  I like them so much that apparently, I have gone completely hog wild with science reading requirements!  I'll have to do an honest to goodness review of the books themselves on another post.  The point of this post is to confess that, as of before working on this post, I was unaware that I have been requiring a double portion of science for two whole years in a row!  Oh my.  My poor over-schooled children.
    Here's how it happened...

    Since one of the options for AO science in y4 & y5 is out of print (and the library is not an option in Peru), I decided that meant I needed a substitution.  Obvious.  So, I subbed Astronomy in the missing book's place.  The problem is, I still have the boys reading the other two books, Fairy Land of Science & Nature Reader.  Not only that but I found an experiment book to replace the out-of-print book, that I also have them reading.  Yikes.  That's 4 science books. (*Note* It should be Exploring Creation OR the three other books; an either/or sort of thing)  I guess I just didn't want them to miss anything good!  I'm OUT of control! Well, for the last two years, it seems to have been perfectly fine and the boys certainly aren't any worse off :)  They didn't even notice!  hahahah!

    Here's what the AO Advisory recommends:
    Christian Liberty Nature Reader, Book 5 by Worthington Hooker, edited by Michael J. McHugh
    The Fairy-land of Science by Arabella Buckley
    Physics Lab in a Housewares Store by Robert Friedhoffer (another Friedhoffer book, or even another book of science experiments can be substitued if the book is hard to find - this book isn't worth paying inflated prices!)

    OR   (somehow, I missed this ridiculously KEY word. perhaps I'd have actually noticed it if they'd at least emboldened the font. maybe.)

    if you prefer, you can use any of the Exploring Creation With . . . series by Jeannie Fulbright for science in Years 3-6.
    Unknowingly, I made the same double-up-fumble by using Botany alongside the other recommended books for AOy4, last year.  Again, the boys didn't realize it and though they would have been more delighted if we had had time to complete ALL the experiments, they still learned a LOT.

    At the beginning of this year, we were still finishing up Jack's Insects from the previous year (it's yet ANOTHER added in science book... not an AO book, but a book that CM used. we LOVED it as a read aloud with everybody).  We finished that up by the end of the first term and again for some crazy reason, even though it wasn't even a scheduled book, I thought we needed something to replace it. 

    Anyway, so there you have my confession.  Here's what science looks like this year.  We read all science related books and do Nature Study on Mondays.  We are using Astronomy as a read-aloud with everybody, the AOy1ers and the AOy5ers. 
    Week 12 & 13:
    What is Astronomy?

    Week 14 & 15:
    The Sun

    Week 16 & 17:
    Mercury

    Week 18 & 19:
    Venus

    Week 20 & 21:
    Earth

    Week 22:
    The Moon

    Week 23 & 24:
    Mars
    Week 25 & 26:
    Space Rocks

    Week 27:
    Jupiter

    Week28:
    Saturn

    Week 29 & 30:
    Uranus and Neptune

    Week 31 & 32:
    Pluto and the Kuiper Belt

    Week 33 & 34:
    Stars and Galaxies

    Week 35 & 36:
    Space Travel
    My AOy5ers are also reading independently:
    The Nature Reader
    The Backyard Scientist - substitute for the Physics in Houseware's store
    Fairy Land of Science - from which they really seem to be picking up some great ideas for thought.  I'm glad we stuck with this one.

    So, we're crazy.  I'm crazy.  4 science texts?  oh my.  I can't believe I didn't get it 'til now.  Do I recommend it?  Probably not.  Next time around I'll know better :) 
    Practice makes perfect, right? 


    Saturday, May 27, 2006

    Doing much better

    Thanks to Giardia medicine, which the Doctor prescribed being pretty sure that's what they had, LooneyTunes and my Dearest are feeling MUCH better (apart from one unpleasant symptom that remains which will not be described). We will get the results today to find out if that's what the rest of us might have without symptoms which I guess is pretty common.

    School was sort of sporadic with so many sickies around. Since Thursday we have done all of our work for this week in three days! Wow. It was a lot. We read Tree in the Trail, An Island Story - Stonehenge, Trial and Triumph - Monica and Augustine, Baldwin's Famous 50 - Napolean and Maximilian, Burgess Bird Book - Eastern Kingbird, Redtailed Hawk and Great Crested Flycatcher, 4 Aesop's Fables, Just So Stories - Armadillo and Parables from Nature - The law of the wood. They did their narrations orally for all of these except Parables from Nature which they had a hard time comprehending this chapter.

    I found two interesting bird sites while looking for our stuff:

    http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/

    This is my favorite for pictures, description, and bird songs. You enter the bird name. There are many to choose from.

    http://www.birds.cornell.edu/birdhouse/nestboxcam/

    This one is an AMAZING web cam of several nests! Barn Owl, Osprey, Eastern Bluebird and several others.

    I had attempted this entry a few minutes ago and as I went to save it... it didn't save! So, it was much prettier before, but now I have no time to fix it up like before. We are going to a wedding tonight, so that should prove to be an interesting cultural experience. I'll try to take some good pictures.

    Amy

    PS. We got a package today! We LOVE packages! Thanks Tabbal family! :)

    Wednesday, May 17, 2006

    My kids LOVE school!

    Well, they love the stories/narration that we do with Ambleside Online!

    Both boys beg for Burgess Bird book every week! This is a book with Peter Rabbit getting to know the different birds that nest in the Old Orchard. -they are disappointed when I remind them that it's only scheduled every other week on the schedule we're using. Today the chapter was about a Least Flycatcher named "Chebec". While I was looking this up online, I found an absolutely awesome thing: a field guide matched to your zip code by National Wildlife Federation!

    Today we read "Tree in the Trail" chapters 17 & 18. This has prompted an interest in Indians, Wagon Trains, Santa Fe trail, Cowboys, Buffalo, etc, etc. Such great ideas for creative play.

    We also read George Wasthington and his hatchet from Baldwin's 50 Famous Stories. At first mention of George, GuerrillaGuy spoke up and said, "Hey, that's that famous war guy!" If something is somehow related to warfare or combat, I'm telling ya, my GuerillaGuy remembers it.

    We also read two Aesop's Fables - these aren't really anybody's favorites, but at least not a dreaded chore.

    As for independent reading and math they are not nearly as enthusiastic. But we trudge on because to my husband it is important that they keep up with the other kids their age.

    Our project for the week is to start our timeline book. I have to figure out exactly how we're going to do it, and then we'll work on putting the figures on for the stories/history that we've already done. Maybe I'll blog about that as we go along.

    Amy

    Post A Comment!

    Wednesday, May 17, 2006 - Untitled Comment

    Posted by humpty (216.150.112.96)
    Thanks for link to the bird in your zip and the Burgess Bird Book. I am going to buy the bird book. It looks great.

    Sunday, March 26, 2006

    Today - padded bras, household notebook, school - nature study

    Well, I'm at a loss. I just can't think of anything to say that anyone would be interested in knowing...

    We watched Little House on the Prairie - the one where Laura puts apples in her shirt to make herself look "more grown up", and I fast forwarded that whole part, because I still haven't had to explain those kind of things to my 7 and just turned 8 yo boys (at least not in full detail as far as self-consciousness of their sexuality goes).

    Yay! I am really making progress on getting my house in order! I'm currently working on my household manager notebook (I got this idea from LargeFamilyLogistics. I wrote out my 3 NEED TO lists as Amy on Dandelion Seeds suggested in her Boot Camp series... now I'll have to go over them and think on them the next couple of days to make sure their pretty complete before I print them out. I love taking advantage of the ingenuity of these other ladies to save myself time!!

    My next project after I finish my notebook is to work on a chore chart for each room explaining what needs to be done... I haven't decided if this will be a really time-intensive project using my digital camera and such, or if it will be really simple.

    As far as school goes:

    We're doing really well on AOY1 week 3 of the 18wk program. (We actually read ahead several of the books before we left the States since they weren't online, and we don't have a library here in Peru, and I just couldn't afford to buy some of them) We're doing it this way because I'm basically just buying time 'til they are reading more confidently. We finished 95% of the books on AOY0, and we'll also be travelling again in August, so I hope by July/August we'll have time for a break for travelling and then can start in on AOY2 when we get to the States in September where I can buy the books needed for that year! Wow, wouldn't it be great if that works out?

    My goal: Work on implementing nature study this week. I've been researching that

    yesterday and today. What would be REALLY cool is if I could get some pictures up of our Peruvian birds/plants/nature stuff! Here's a really cool lady that has a cool blog and a really cool website on nature journaling...website: GiftOfFamilyWriting blog: Through the Windowpane .

    So, I guess this should be the end of my ramble. I need to get to sleep so that I can have energy in implementing some of my new household plans! :)


    Monday, March 27, 2006 - Yay! Good for you!

    Posted by JacqueDixonSoulRestES (216.241.137.243)
    I am currently getting my Home Management Book put together, too!
    I love Large Family Logistics.
    I look forward to returning and reading your blog...
    when it is a bit earlier....good night!
    Many Blessings!


    Monday, March 27, 2006 - Untitled Comment

    Posted by mistresninos (71.104.21.176)
    I must have missed that episode...or is it one of the series they recently made?

    I'll have to check out those links later. I always like to read organization ideas.
    Related Posts with Thumbnails

    Blog Archive