Science, Spelling, and the Odds and Ends!

Science
For Science, we just began using the God's Design series from Answers in Genesis last year, and I really like it. It follows the same four year-cycle as recommended by The Well-Trained Mind, so last year (our ancient history year), we did God's Design for Life, and we're still finishing that up, since I refuse to leave things unfinished just because we're moving up a grade. We have plenty of time to "catch up," if we need to. The series includes fun worksheets and activities, and less fun tests (but Aimee, again, likes this kind of thing, so I have her do them, even if just in open-book style). Most recently, we studied the blood, and we did the recommended activity in which we made "sample" blood. It served its purpose remarkably well, since the kids still talk about it, and remember all the parts of the blood. Still, though, science isn't a consistent thing here. I try to do it about twice a week, but if things get busy, it's one of the first things to go. But at this point in the kids' education, I'm not too worried about formal science study. I think that at this point, they get plenty of what they need to know from observation of the world around them and from the extensive reading they do.

Spelling

We use the Spelling Workout series, and Aimee, being the workbook kind of girl she is, just goes through the books at her leisure (and since it's less demanding than any other subject, it's one of the first things she'll pick if she gets a chance!). She does formal "spelling" about four days a week, for around 15 minutes a day. I have no complaints about her spelling in any of her writing, so I never give her tests. Because of Drew's aversion to workbooks, I can't just hand him the book . Usually I just call out the words from a list and have them spell them aloud, and if we get to a list in which the spelling rule proves a little tricky for him, I have him do one or two activities from that chapter. I've been blessed with good spellers so far, so spelling is not much of an issue here. I've noticed, too, that they've often been able to spell just a hair before they acquired fluent reading skills, and that's been true of Ryan as well. So during spelling bees, I also have him spell words that I know are in his range.

As for the "odds and ends," they range from the occasional the field trip to the co-op we'll be joining this fall. I'm excited about the latter, because it will give us regular interaction with local homeschoolers, and allow the kids to have some learning time away from me, which for certain of them seems important (and I don't take it personally!). Most of all, though, I don't think I could emphasize enough the fact that what we do here isn't just school done at home. For various reasons, public and private school classes are conducted in particular ways that don't have to translate into the homeschool setting. So if we have our impromptu spelling bees in the car on the way to a LLL meeting, spelling is done for the day (especially if we're so engrossed in what we're doing that I miss the exit and get to our destination 20 minutes late!). For that matter, if the kids are working on some side project concerning Star Wars or Percy Jackson, and I find papers ALL OVER THEIR ROOMS, with writing all over it in perfectly good spelling, I can skip certain spelling lessons altogether. I can do tests with those kids who like that kind of measuring stick, but I don't have to do "assessments" in math, because I'm assessing them as we go. And I don't have to worry if my eight year-old can't sit still. I know that eventually, he'll be able to sit. As we go through our day and learn the basic skills of respect, timeliness, and thoroughness in all kinds of areas, eventually, he'll be able to put that all together and apply it to whatever task is at hand, including tests in college. Or not. Maybe college isn't for him. But it doesn't matter - what I'm raising my kids for is not to do brilliantly in the best college, or to enter the workforce as a compliant worker. For the record, I think that if college is an option when they reach that age, they probably will go, and they'll do just fine, but I'm more concerned with living and learning in the moment with what God gave us, in the unique gifts he's given each personality.