Oh joy. I had just finished adding a new spelling list and setting up all our web-based programs, and was about to get B to sit down after she’d finished her breakfast…and the connection from the router to the internet fell in a heap yet again. In fact it did so twice – for only a few minutes the first time, but over an hour at time of writing. I am fucking sick of this!
Luckily yesterday I recorded the science shows (chemistry and genetics) on ABC schools’ TV in the morning, so B could watch them instead. At least they tie into the science we’re focusing on. The genetics show started with the history of the discovery of the mechanics of inheritance and genes as well as the basic science, so that is pretty useful. They finished just in time for her to flick over to today’s educational programming and watch Real Chinese. We should think of some things she can do with Lily to add another dimension to this (she’s already expressed an interest in learning to speak Mandarin), so I can write it up as a “unit” in Social Studies. Need to take photos of her with Lily for a start *g* She is now watching a show about forensics, but with a promise that it will go off at 12pm and we’ll do some Math-u-see or some reading if the intertubes aren’t back again by then *bangs head on wall*
K and I found a magnetic book about animals in the cupboard which I bought ages ago, so she has been sitting next to me sorting the animals out into their ecosystems (rather eccentrically *g*). We had a look through the cupboard and she briefly played with an egg-carton full of buttons and the Brainy Blocks, but wasn’t hugely interested in either. The Brainy Blocks were requested a couple of times during the rest of the afternoon, though. She’s also done some cutting out and drawing, and I pulled together an activity using magnets to sort between a pot of magnetic and non-magnetic items, which she loved playing with. She pulled out her rice basket later on, and we also tried out a suggestion I had read earlier for a fine motor activity – using trainer-chopsticks (the kind with the spring at the top) to pick up dry beans. K couldn’t quite manage the beans (although B had fun sorting them into cups using a real pair of chopsticks – we should get her to practise that way more often!), so I gave her another pot full of big beads and she had more success with that. I had to take the beans away from her when she started trying to eat them, though! She has been nappy-free all day and using the potty very reliably, without even needing a reminder most of the time. My big grown-up girl 🙂
[Later]
We have the intertubes! But we started with Math-u-see anyway. I’m not happy with B’s grasp of multiplication as demonstrated by the Smartkiddies stuff, and there is nothing I’ve seen on their website that really gets to grips with teaching the fundamental skills. I don’t think that attempting to get her to learn the times tables is going to do a bit of good if she doesn’t understand the principles behind it, and that is where the Math-u-see stuff is really brilliant. So we opened up the Gamma (multiplication) pack and watched the first two lessons before heading out into the garden to blow the cobwebs out of her brain. She picked up a book I’d found in the cupboard (Contrary Mary) and read it to K while I was making lunch. After that she did the first lesson page in MUS while K played with the manipulatives, then we gave up for the day. In the evening B had Scouts, and K went to the mall with Daddy to get some shopping.
Recap of the last two days:
B was out at the farm from Tuesday evening to late Thursday afternoon. Mum said they did some spelling and maths in the morning on Wednesday. The homeschooling group meet on Thursday was a tour and workshop at the new glassworks, which B adored. She was too young to be in the hot glass or beadmaking workshops, but she did get to make same kind of kiln glass art they did last year at Kirstie Rea’s studio. Afterwards there was a picnic, but I’m not sure how long they stayed there before ending up at Caitlin’s place til fiveish. K was very sad that Nannie only had time to drop B off on her way home – she appears to believe that any time Nannie arrives means she gets to go to the park *g* A very woeful little being she was when she realised that this was not the case… B also watched Catalyst in the evening, and had a discussion (which eventually became a productive one although it started out pretty badly) with all of us about how she was feeling apprehensive about being bumped out of our attention by the arrival of Rosy.