K was so thrilled with the workbook Mom gave her last night that she followed me around with it asking when school was. I got up later than usual after snuggling M and explaining why B got to stay up later and use an alarm clock to get started on his geometry. I did not get to go swimming – but my ear is still getting drops for an outer ear infection, so that’s sort of OK. Negotiating and explaining changes to upset children is sort of OK too, or at least it goes with the territory.
When M was copying his narration from history (the German Fury attacks the Pope) I finally sat down with K and her workbook. She could identify which picture started with the sound of the letter, but tracing and copying the print A was frustrating. Her version wobbled, and the fact that she had followed the strokes did not register with her. I wasn’t too upset or surprised at her upset, and I planned to teach her Cursive First anyhow, but it can’t hurt to know the print, they do look more like book print than cursive does, even if the curved lines are easier for little hands to write.
B apparently likes his new history book, the stories of Iroquois shrewdness during the French and Indian war sparked his interest.
M read his reader fluently! All that sitting on the couch with Dad just before supper in August is paying off! The word “the.” is still too abstract for comfort, but he got through our turn taking reading without falling off his chair or fiddling with his glasses. He also remembered how to sight read the notes B,A,G, and C. D was fuzzy, but he ended the song on the tonic during recorder practice.
Ben bet me last night that he could finish today’s assignments before 2PM. I’d whacked three items off of his list because I thought it was too much to ask in one day. I think now I could have left them all on.