End of Year Review!

This is our last week of school!  Yay!  We made it!  We used the week to go back and review everything we covered over the past year.

On Monday, we enjoyed the beautiful morning, and spent some time outside, as we did everyday, with our new chickens.

Once we were in the school room we reviewed the fables.  Grant and I went back to August of last year, and going through his lesson book, we looked at the pictures Grant drew, and he read all the summaries he wrote from the fables.

I also read the kids this book:

On Tuesday, we reviewed the months, seasons, days of the week, and analog time.  Once again, we went back through Grant's lesson book and looked at all the drawings and summaries Grant wrote.  We also pulled out the clock we made, and we used it to review telling time.

I also read the kids another butterfly story from here.

On Wednesday, we reviewed the Saints stories, and went back through our "Watercraft of the World" Math Block, and reviewed all the new concepts we learned there. 

I read the kids this book:

Since we have been reading all the butterfly books, it seemed like a good time to take a field trip to the butterfly house on Thursday.

We also saw these cute little guys on the way out.

On Friday, I read this kids this story, and then we made some tissue paper butterflies which I will add string to so we can hang them.

Our caterpillars also arrived on Friday.  We are looking forward to watching them change into butterflies!

Whew!  We covered a lot of material this past school year.  Some days were challenging, but as I look back, it seemed like it went by so fast!  I am looking forward to a little break and doing some handwork, tackling my list of "projects" (hopefully some of them anyway), and doing some reading before I dive into planning for next year.

The Richest Number and Other Math Review

Last week we were working through some math exercises and review from the book, Math Lessons for Elementary Grades by Dorothy Harrer.  The Richest Number story we worked through was also used in Melisa Neilson's A Journey Through Waldorf Math book which is where I got the idea to use number "gnomes".

On Monday, we took some time in the morning to plant the fairy garden for this year. 

After that, we made our way into the school room and Grant did some review using two number, and one operations dice, to give him problems to work out. Once we had done that for awhile, we moved on to practicing the penny whistle.

After that I read Grant this story:

Once upon a time various numbers were moving about in a beautiful number palace where many steps led up to a golden throne.  Each of the numbers wanted to sit on the throne, rule over the other numbers, and be the most important one.  Not one of them wanted to say, "I am not as great as you are."

Number One said, "I stand first before all of you!
To me the royal throne is due.
When we are counted, you will see
That all of you just follow me."

"I don't agree," said Number Two
"for I am more than you!"

Number Four
Stamped on the floor
And gave a roar,
"I am more
Than One or Two!"

And Six cried out,
"What's this about?
Just look at me
And you will see!"

Eight shouted, "I'm as rich as Six
And do as many tricks."

Number Nine said, "That is fine
But I am higher in the line!"

Then number Twelve said, "Let us see
How many numbers there will be
In all of me."

Thirteen claimed he should be King
For he had more of everything.

At this point I let Grant think for awhile about which number he thought should be King.  Afterward we worked it out.  Grant in his lesson book, and me on the chalkboard.

We found the richest number to be 12 since you could get to 12 by counting the most ways. By 1's, 2's, 3's, 4's 6's and 12's.

We also reviewed even and odd numbers using an exercise in the Dorothy Harrer book.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we continued to work through the story.  

Now that 12 was King, he ordered all the lesser numbers to share, equally, with him the work of his kingdom.  First, he proclaimed that they had 6 days for work and the 7th for rest.  At least 2 of the numbers had to be in command on each of the 6 days.

Next, they had to divide up equally into 2 groups of guards to guard the King's palace by day and knight.

Then they had to divide into 3 equal groups for 3 kinds of jobs:

• Reading from the Books of Wisdom
• Singing Songs of Joy
• Marching in Palace Parades

They had to divide into 4 groups for 4 different occupations:

• Plowing the earth
• Making fire in the stoves
• Carrying water from the wells
• Airing the rooms of the palace

Finally, they had to divide up so that there was someone to stand in the palace tower and call out each hour of the day.

And that was the way King Twelve shared the work of his kingdom!

I illustrated all of the above on the chalkboard, and Grant copied it into his lesson book, along with the addition problems to go with each grouping.

Grant's Drawings

On Thursday, we went back to The Richest Number to have Grant do the same calculations using division and multiplication, and we worked on some more math problems.

We also reviewed math throughout the week by playing the game, Sum Swamp, playing the Lots of Boxes game (which we have played before), and reviewing the times table tunes.

I also read the kids this fun book on Thursday:

All three of them enjoyed this book!  I wanted to read another "butterfly related" book, and do a butterfly craft/activity on Friday, but we just didn't get to it.  I guess I will save that for next week! We are also awaiting the arrival of some caterpillars to go into our butterfly garden (like the one below) so we can watch the caterpillars up close as they change into butterflies.

Should be fun!

King Arthur - Week 4

This is our last week on King Arthur. This week I read Grant a story about King Arthur fighting a giant.

(Grant made sure to point out to me that my

giant wasn't big enough.)

As we have worked our way through this block, I made sure to leave the darker portions of the stories for later times.  King Arthur is revisited again and again in Medieval Study in the end of grade 6 or 7 grade, and in high school in the block of Percival.  For Grant, the goal was to create, in the words of Waldorf teacher, Marsha Johnson, "the gilded moment of the beauty and height of the Camelot era of goodness and honor, dancing lightly through the golden woods and cool grey castles of rushing English waters.  To bring the ambitions of the Round Table and the holiness of Arthur, closer to a saintly figure than warrior knight."

We started our week on Monday, with a dance around the maypole. Cory set up the maypole for us on May day, which was Sunday, but just about the time we wanted to go out, it started to rain. So, the kids and I went up to the pole while we were outside before school.

Once we were inside, I had Grant spell out some more of the 100 most common words, and then we went on a word quest looking for words with the  "ch" sound.

We also talked about the chores and errands that pages, young squires and maidens would be required to do.  We came up with some ideas and then I wrote them on the board. We wrote them out out using the different verb tenses.

Finally, I read Grant the story for the week from here.


On Tuesday, I asked Grant to spell out more of the 100 most common words, and also use them in a sentence.  We practiced our penny whistle lesson, and then went on a WORD QUEST to find words with the sound of "br".

Once we were done with that I had Grant re-tell me the story, and then we drew pictures together in our main lesson books.

Mom's Picture

Grant's Picture

Wednesday, we continued our work with the 100 most common words, penny whistle lesson, and a word quest for words with the "st" sound.

Grant decided to try out a new look for the penny whistle lesson.

Once we were done with all of that, Grant and I came up with a summary for the story and he copied it into his lesson book.

I also bought this 3D castle puzzle for us to put together.  We started getting it out on Wednesday. First, let me say, I can't believe they had on the box that this was for ages 6+.  There's no way!  I took one look at it and said, "Grant, you and your Dad can do this one!"  Not to mention that Grant broke one of the main side wall pieces when he was popping it out. 

On Thursday, we worked some more with the 100 most common words, practiced the penny whistle, and went on a word quest for words with a "g" sound.  Grant requested this one.

We also added in a page in Grant's lesson book with the recipe for the almond toffee shortbread from our English Tea Party last week.

After that, we went back through the pages from the last four weeks and added a little bit of glitter to crowns and jewels. When I look back, I can't believe how fast these 4-week blocks go by. 

I also read Grant and Johanna these books last week:

Since we didn't have a spring break, didn't take off school for President's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, etc, and didn't have to take school off for any snow days, we are pretty much done. I think we might do a few more weeks of review, and maybe some nature/science type lessons and that should wrap up Second Grade.