Week #5: Just Chugging Along

Well, here we are staring down the last day of another week. It’s been okay, over all, although RobotBoy and I have had a couple of flare-ups of the same old tensions. I know I’m supposed to be the grown-up, but it just gets my goat every time he lets me know he considers me incompetent to teach him math (or anything else, but math is where it happens most frequently). This week, I decided that I will simply walk away every time he starts down that road, and today I actually got a sincere-sounding apology and a polite acknowledgement that he needed my help.

It’s a small thing, but it’s what I have to hang onto this week.

So, with that said, here’s the scoop. (I’ve decided to revert to the subject-by-subject format this week.)

Math:
RobotBoy is half-way through the first module of the second segment and doing very well. He’s been continuing to work on ratios, proportions and scaling this week. On Thursday, he earned a perfect score on his mid-module quiz! I’m starting to ponder what to do once he finishes this course, which should happen in mid-January. In theory, the next step would be algebra, but I’d prefer to have him take his time and really cement things before rushing along into high school math. FLVS offers a half-speed algebra course (spread over two years), but the description clearly states under Prerequisites that the “student should be in 9th grade or higher.” Weirdly, the regular Algebra I course requires only completion of 7th grade math. I guess a consultation with his current instructors is in order before too long.

History & Literature:
Most of his assigned reading this week has focused on events of the late 1700s and early 1800s. He’s read portions of the History of the World: Revolution and Conflict and Time for Learning: Presidents, as well as a fun bargain-bookstore find called Ultimate Field Trip: A Week in the 1800s. RobotBoy had a great time quizzing me to see whether I could recognize the objects shown in some of the pictures. (It was lots of fun to freak him out by showing that I did, in fact, know what most of them were.) He’s also finishing up the historical novel The Keeping Room, which offers a surprisingly complex perspective on the Revolutionary War. His DVD for this week is the first volume of the Ken Burns documentary, The West.

By the way, we went to see the stage adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Sunday after church. It was, I’m afraid, a bit of a disappointment. Maybe it’s just because I’m raising theatre geeks that we’re all a bit jaded, but I was less than impressed with the production as a whole and, quite specifically, with the performances of the child actors. RobotBoy enjoyed it, though.

English:
This week’s grammar was a review of types of nouns: common, proper and abstract. RobotBoy especially loved the silly caricatures representing each type. We went over the information together, after which I challenged him to name one noun for each letter of the alphabet. The catch was that he was allowed to name only fruits and vegetables, boys’ names and feelings. And he had to identify each one as a common, proper or abstract noun. He did this exercise quite cheerfully while simultaneously walking around and around the guinea pig playpen on our patio. On Thursday, we skimmed over the vocabulary and spelling page. I had planned to give him a written quiz on Friday, but just plain forgot to get it ready in time. So, he lucked out this week.

Science:
He continued reading from his three spines. In Time for Learning: The Human Body, he read about the skeleton. His Marine Science assignment this week was about the food chain, including a worksheet on which he practiced identifying “producers” and “consumers.” In Earth’s Waters, he read about states of matter and previewed an experiment he’d like to do next week that explores evaporation. In between readings, he worked on homework for his science center class, including researching information about mushrooms for the essay assignment. Just for fun, he watched an episode of Blue Planet: The Living Seas.

Latin:
He finished up Chapter 2 in Minimus Secundus, typing out his translation for the picture story. The activity sheet requiring him to draw his own pictures to illustrate the story of Odysseus and the sirens was a big hit, although I’m getting awfully tired of having to work so hard to get him to draw more carefully and include color. We also went over the Grasp the Grammar exercise on adjectives and adverbs, and he added the week’s vocabulary to his glossary.

Spanish:
I’m trying to encourage more attention being paid to the written exercises by recording grades for them. The rule is that I check his work and mark incorrect answers. I then award half credit for any corrections he makes. This seems to be working, since it gives him an incentive both for doing it right the first time and for going back to fix mistakes. He worked through three repasos and did two ejercicios, ending the week with 9/10 written in my grade book.

Music:
He continues to love Themes to Remember. This week, he’s been working on two Handel pieces: “The Messiah” and “Royal Fireworks Music.” Singing through them a few times a day has become one of his favorite activities. We’re also working hard to fit instrument practice back into his daily routine. It was better this week than it has been up to now, but he’s still getting only about 15 real minutes each day, instead of the 30 I’d prefer.

Other than that, it was the usual round of music lessons and dance classes and a choir rehearsal. Oh, and RobotBoy would be quite irritable with me if I neglected to say that he has again been cast as a one of the children in the party scene in the ballet company’s Nutcracker. So, as of this Saturday, we’ll be adding weekly rehearsals to our schedule.

Finally, I’ll mention that next week’s report will likely be either late or non-existent. We’ll be away for a few days visiting Moonheart on campus for the college’s Family Weekend. I’m not looking forward to the driving, but I can’t wait to see her.

Wishing everyone a great week!