Water Polo: Lesson 3

Water Polo: Lesson 2

Gemma is the tiny one with the star on her chest. Everyone else is sooo much bigger than she is.😳

3rd Grade: Math

We have a nontraditional way of doing math in our homeschool.

First, we use Life of Fred as our primary curriculum. I rarely come across homeschoolers who do this. The criticism I hear about Fred is that there isn’t enough practice. I disagree. Gemma grasps concepts quickly, and I don’t see it necessary to have her work through a couple of pages of problems in order to prove she can do something. I have this attitude because of my experience in a classroom setting. In a classroom, “independent practice” is used to keep the majority of students busy while the teacher pulls the handful of students who had trouble with yesterday’s math lesson and need reteaching.

Second, we don’t do math every day. Some weeks we get in three math lessons. Sometimes we do math only once a week. This works for us, but if my child were working at grade level or below grade level, we would do math daily.

Third, I’m ignoring all of the homeschool moms out there who advise other moms that later is better for algebra. All children are not the same. Some children are ready for algebraic concepts before middle school, and I live with one.

Fourth, we don’t complete a lesson in one sitting. While Gemma is capable of doing algebra, she doesn’t have the endurance of a child four to six years older than her. She can complete one-third to one-half a lesson per sitting. This is not a reason to give her math at her grade level. She craves a challenge, and needs to explore new concepts that force her to ask questions.

Homeschool moms are opinionated. We are quick to offer our advice. But you know your child, and you don’t need to ask for someone else’s approval for every educational decision you make. You don’t bring a dozen women into the dressing room with you when you try on a pair of jeans, and you don’t need to bring them into the decision-making when you “try on” a curriculum. Draw the curtain. Let yourself be alone with that curriculum. Does it fit? Because, ultimately, it’s your family that’s going to “wear” it.

3rd Grade: Free Reading

Here is how we approach Free Reading...

During the day, Gemma can read whatever she wants, and she reads a lot. I strew books, and sometimes she takes to them. (This past week, she read Tommy Smith’s Animals, which I had purchased thinking we would use it for natural history. Plans change. Gemma has asked me to also buy Tommy Smith at the Zoo, but I think she wants to read it as a free read and not a “school” book. Beautiful how the line between free reading and “school” can blur like that, if you’re willing to step out of the way and let it.) I also let Gemma make her own choices at the library, as well as from my classroom library, even if the books she chooses might be considered “twaddle” by the Charlotte Mason police. 

At bedtime, we have two books going. One is a Mom choice, and one is a Gemma choice. The Mom choice is actually a “school” book that I move to the bedtime slot; I don’t think every book needs to be narrated. Our last Mom choice was Robin Hood (Pyle); our current Mom choice is The Princess and the Goblin. (After the introduction of Curdie, and the knowledge that there is The Princess and Curdie, Gemma asked me to get her that book, too.) Our last Gemma choice was The Tarantula in my Purse (Jean Craighead George; an absolute must-read); our current Gemma choice is Beware, Princess Elizabeth (Carolyn Meyer).

Let the Summer Reading Begin!

Yes, she was cold. (She was fine once we got into the sun.)

Check out the new Summer Reading Program bag. The rule is: You can check out as many as you can carry home.

Mommy & Gemma at GHC Ontario

I let Gemma shop the GHC vendor hall, and this is what she chose:

• Critical Thinking Detective: Beginning (logic workbook)
• The Great Chocolate Caper (logic workbook)
• Science Ninjas: Big Trouble With Simple Machines book - autographed by Nathan Schreiber (creator of one of Gemma’s favorite games - Valence)
• Catan (board game)

Great Homeschool Convention Ontario

_{Gemma and New York Times #1 bestselling author Larry Schweikart playing Spot It}

At lunch, Gemma went up to Schweikart and asked him if he wanted to play Timeline. Later, after his talk on Reagan, she asked him to play Spot It. He beat her at Timeline, and she beat him at Spot It. She told him she’s going to challenge him to a tie-breaker.