First Day of School!!!

Well, we have finished our first day of school. Sam and I worked well together. We even had an interruption--taking car for appraisal. Once again, our blue car was dented while parked. I take it in Wednesday and pick up a rental. We figure it is the safest kind of accident to have--when you're not in the car--and it is really hard for it to be your fault :).

So, back to the school day. We worked, ate lunch, even did spelling with a good attitude. I'm quite pleased. I think it helps that we don't completely take the summer off. And, over the summer having "No Screen" days means that school will be different. The screens are available when school is done each weekday (though he still has to have either Saturday or Sunday be screen-free).

Algebra is going well, much better than pre-algebra did actually. I have started having him read the textbook as an independent task, then he tackles the problems when I am available (but he rarely needs me). Science is continuing Apologia General Science. He's taking the test for Module 9 this week.

For history, language arts, reading, and Bible we are using SonLight 5. It is centered around the Eastern Hemisphere. Over the summer we looked at the Pacific Islands and Australia. We started looking at New Zealand today.

Spelling, which is still his least favorite subject we have started Sequential Spelling. There are no lists to memorize. All he has to do is take a "test" every day. I say the word, he writes it, then I write it on the dry erase board. He corrects his if it is wrong (I may mention a way to remember that kind of spelling rule or say nothing) then we go on to the next word. That's it. Spelling is done until the "test" the next day. It works because there is lots of repitition, but the repitition doesn't make a poor spelling feel "dumb" because it is there no matter what. Spelling Power based repitition on spelling errors, so when Sam saw the same word over and over he would get discouraged and pout or explode--neither pleasant to deal with.

Right now he is blowing things up on his game cube, enjoying relaxing fun after working hard. It has been a good day. Now, all I have to do is mop the kitchen, do some laundry and then I get to relax. All Dwight has to do is come home from working eight hours, fix dinner, make sure science experiments dont' need any updating then he can relax. Which of us works the hardest in the family? Dwight always wins that prize :)