Second Grade Week 11 in Review

We are all caught up with our schooling, and we can get back to our 4-day week this week.  I couldn’t be happier about that.  We’ve had to do some catching up due to the fact that I’ve had to spend so much time working on setting up this new Co-Op.  However, we are ALMOST done with the majority of the paperwork and forms.  So, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  :)
Here’s how Week 11 went for us…
Bible:  Our memory work for the week was Isaiah 58:11a.  The Bible story was about “Jacob’s Dream.”  We read Genesis 28:10-22.
Health:  This week we started discussing personal hygiene…bathing, brushing your teeth, brushing your hair, etc.
Science:  We have moved on to a new unit in Science, and this unit focuses on animals.  This is good news for Caleb since he’s an animal lover for sure.  This week we discussed how everything was created for a purpose.
English:  Caleb finished up his final copy of his “writing instructions” lesson.  He also took a test over the writing chapter we’ve been studying.  Here’s the final draft of his paper -- “How to Make Macaroni and Cheese.”

Vocabulary:  We reviewed the definitions of the words we’ve been studying, and Caleb scored 94% on his test.
Social Studies:  We reviewed the states we’ve been studying in geography.  In social studies, we learned the history behind “The Star Spangled Banner” by Francis Scott Key.
Reading:  Caleb read his first official chapter book (meaning it didn’t have hardly any pages and was longer than 30 pages).  He’s read other chapter books, but they’ve still been rather short.  This week he read  Superduper Teddy by Johanna Hurwitz.  He did a wonderful job of reading and comprehending the book.
Math:  This week we working on making ten in addition.  Caleb is almost done learning all of his addition facts, and he’s doing really well.
Art:  We didn’t do any art this week because we had too much else going on.  I hope to get back to it next week.
***Here are some pictures of Micah’s art work from preschool.  He brought these home about a week ago.  It looks like he’s having fun being creative***

As always, thanks for following our 2nd grade adventures at Childress Academy.  We’ll be back at the end of the week to share more exciting learning experiences.  

Second Grade Week 10 in Review

We are done with another week of second grade here at Childress Academy.  Things are still smooth sailing right now, and I’m happy about that.  Here’s how week 10 went for us:
Bible:  Our memory work was First Catechism Q&A 10.  Our Bible story focused on “God is Everywhere”, and we read Jonah 1-2 to learn more about this concept.
Health:  This week we discussed thinking right thoughts.  I, myself, think this is a valuable lesson for children (and even some adults I know). 
Science:  We spent several days reviewing everything from Unit 1, and Caleb took his Unit 1 test.  He scored 100%.
English:  Caleb is still working on his writing assignment…writing instructions.  He decided to write about “how to make macaroni and cheese”, so he’s been busy planning, drafting, revising, and proofreading.
Vocabulary:  Our words for the next two weeks are “absorb, anchor, brush, bud, center, core, factory, hive, sapling, and trunk.”  Caleb did several activities to study the definitions of those words.
Social Studies:  In Geography, we added the states Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia, Delaware, and Maryland to our study.  In social studies, we began discussing patriotic songs.  This week we learned about “Yankee Doodle”, and I must say…I learned quite a bit from our study.  I didn’t realize the history behind the song, but now I do.
Reading:  We read the following books this week:
Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! by Jennifer Dussling
The Best Seat in Second Grade by Katharine Kenah
Clifford: The Big Leaf Pile by Norman Bridwell
Math:  We actually skipped math this week.  When we started out, Brian was down in West Palm Beach with our math DVD.  So, I just decided we’d take the week off.
Art:  This week we started discussing value.  Caleb was introduced to the concept of value, and then he had to create a drawing using a black crayon on white paper.  He could draw whatever he wanted, but he had to express value using those the black crayon. 

Caleb thinking about what else he wants to draw… Completed project – black crayon on white paper

***I know I’ve mentioned in the past about how we enjoy participating in our local homeschool co-op.  Well, the co-op we were members of decided to close their doors about a week or so ago due to various reasons.  With that said, a group of us homeschool mommies came together to form a new co-op.  We created The Home School Connection of Middle Georgia.  So, I’ve been very busy working to get it all up and running.  I’m actually the Communications Coordinator, and I’ve been spending my spare time setting up a Facebook group, Yahoo group, and getting our name/info out on the World Wide Web.   We’re hoping to have a session this fall, and we’re making great strides.  If you’re a LOCAL homeschool family, please feel free to contact me for more information.  We’re super excited, and we are looking forward to creating lots of wonderful learning experiences for our children!***

Micah’s First Day of Preschool

Micah started preschool back on August 12th, and he LOVES it.  I think I’ve shed more tears than he’s even thought about.  LOL!  No, I really haven’t cried, but I did get teary-eyed when I left him that first day. 
He goes to school on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9-12.  I know that sending him to preschool may sound weird since I plan on home schooling him; however, we sent Caleb to preschool, too.  I feel it gives them a great foundation, and it also helps with socialization and breaking that “mommy bond.”  Caleb went mainly because he thrived on social interaction, and we are sending Micah to break the “mommy bond” that he clings to so tightly.
He’s doing really well, and he seems to enjoy his teacher and his classmates.  There are only 4 other kids in his class right now, and I think they’ll get another one in September.  So, a class of 6 will be GREAT for him. 
Here he is on the first day…

Our baby boy is growing up…he’ll be a teenager before we know it…ACCKKKK!!!!!!!

Second Grade Week 9 in Review

We actually finished up week 9 last week, but I never took the time to write up the post.  Here’s how week 9 went for us:
Bible:  Our Bible story this week was on “Abraham and Isaac.”  Our memory work was Proverbs 3:5 (one of my FAVORITE Bible verses of all time…along with verse 6).  We read Genesis 22:1-13 to learn more about Abraham and Isaac.
Health:  This week we discussed the importance of getting plenty of rest.  I know this is something we, as adults, need to learn to remember.
Science:  This week we discussed responsibilities, and we discussed rest in science, too. 
English:  Caleb took a test over nouns, and then we moved on to our 2nd writing chapter.  This chapter will have Caleb writing instructions.  He just started planning this week, and the lesson will continue for another week or so.
Vocabulary:  This week Caleb took two cumulative tests covering the vocabulary terms he’s learned thus far in 2nd grade.  He scored 100% on the first test, and he scored 90% on the 2nd test.
Social Studies:  We reviewed the states, oceans, countries, continents, and other places we’ve learned so far in Geography.  In Social Studies, Caleb learned about Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving.  This concluded our study of patriotic holidays.
Reading:  We read the following books/stories this week…
More Than Anything Else by Marie Bradby
”The White Rabbit’s Evidence” poem by Lewis Carroll
”Desert Life” article by Evan-Moor publishing
Dragon’s Pancake Party by Steven Westren
Math:  This week we discussed rectangles and squares.  Caleb also learned doubles +1 addition facts.
Art:  We did not complete any art lessons this week.  This puts us a bit behind in art, but it’s easy to catch up because we only do art twice each week.  So, stay tuned to see what we’ll be working on.
***In other news, I’m so far behind on this blog.  LOL!  I still haven’t posted about our vacation to Virginia back in July, Micah’s first day of preschool, and we just returned from Pensacola this weekend.  So, check back in later for those posts…not sure when I’ll get around to them, but hopefully soon!***

Second Grade Week 8 in Review

We are done with yet another week of second grade.  It feels so good staying on schedule and getting things accomplished.  Caleb has been very cooperative as well.  If I know that there will be a kink in the schedule, he’s been working with me to get the work done (on the w-ends if need be) so that we will stay on track.  I LOVE that he’s enjoying school better this year.  It makes my heart proud.
Here’s how this week went for us:
Bible:  Our Bible story focused on “God is a Spirit.”  The memory work for this week was First Catechism Q&A 9.  We read Acts 17:22-34 to learn more about our Bible lesson.
Health:  This week we learned more exercises.  We learned how to do the Elephant Swing, Ostrich Run, and Seagull Wing Stretcher.  Caleb also read about how to play Circle Tag.  I’m hoping he’ll have the opportunity to play when we get together with some of our homeschool friends.
Science:  This week we discussed “Fun & Fitness.”  Caleb learned even more about exercising in his science lessons.
English:  This week we continued discussing nouns by learning about capitalizing titles and using commas in a series.  Caleb had some difficulty with the latter concept, but  he soon caught on and understood it.
Vocabulary:  This week Caleb finished up the two-week lesson by completing more activities that reinforce the meaning of his words.  He also took his test, and he scored 92%.  He is doing really well in vocabulary, and I’m so proud of him.
Social Studies:  In geography, we added Canada, Mexico, Gulf of Mexico, Alaska, and Rhode Island to our studies.  In social studies, we continued discussing holidays.  This week we discussed Independence Day and Labor Day.
Reading:  This week we read the following books:
Daniel Boone – Frontier Explorer by Keith Brandt and Joann Early Macken
Gilbert, the Surfer Dude by Diane de Groat
Math:  This week we discussed shapes (circles and triangles) and addition of doubles.  Caleb also took his Unit 1 Test.  He is doing really well in math, and he really likes it this year.  Again, I’m so pleased of his work thus far.
Art:  This week Caleb created a “Complementary Turn About”.  We weren’t able to complete the 2nd art lesson this week, so we’ll tack it on to next week’s.  This week completed our study on the element of color, too.  We’ll move on to another element of art next week.

orange on blue turn-aboutyellow on purple turn-aboutred on green turn-about

Thanks again for following our adventures in second grade.  We really enjoy sharing what we’re learning, and how our curriculum is panning out.  If you’ve started school, how’s it going?  I hope everyone has a GREAT year!

Second Grade Week 7 in Review

We are back on track and returning to our 4 days per week schooling schedule.  That’s such wonderful news to my ears.  LOL!  With that said, here’s how last week went for us.
Bible:  Our Bible story was on the “Tower of Babel.”  We read Genesis 11:1-9.  Caleb’s memory work was James 3:16.
Health:  We began discussing exercising your whole body.  Caleb learned two exercises…the tiger touchdown and the flamingo stand.
Science:  We learned about our skin…pores, oil, sweat, etc.
English:  We continued to discuss nouns.  We learned about adding “s” to nouns, adding “es” to nouns, plural nouns that change spelling, and common/proper nouns. 
Vocabulary:  Caleb got new words this week.  The words for this two-week session are:  “ape, brain, branch, cavern, chimney, dozen, flame, net, spear, and torch.”  We did several activities to reinforce the definition of the words.
Social Studies:  In Geography, we added Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia to our state study.  In social studies, we started discussing patriotic holidays.  We began by studying Memorial Day and Flag Day.
Reading:  We read the following books/stories this week:
”Going Around Earth” by Evan-Moor Publishing
”A Bell for Cat – An Aesop Fable” by Evan-Moor Publishing
”Cave Pet” by Evan-Moor Publishing
Peppe the Lamplighter by Elisa Bartone
Math:  We discussed addition +8 this week.  With the Math U See curriculum, Caleb is really knocking out his math facts.  He continues to do really well.  I’m very pleased with our curriculum choice for math this year.  Thanks to all of my friends for your wonderful reviews of MUS. 
Art:  We continued to discuss complementary colors this week.  Caleb created two complementary color projects…1)  Cut Paper Complementary Color Project and 2)  Complementary Rip & Paste. 

Caleb working on his cut paper complementary color project (you’re basically cutting snowflake/cut out designs and gluing them on the opposite color) Caleb’s red on green design Caleb’s yellow on purple design Caleb’s orange on blue design (he had a little bit of help from daddy with this one). Final project Caleb working on his complementary rip & paste project More ripping… Final project (he created an animal, sand castle, and a beach ball factory)…pretty creative, eh?  LOL!

And because I’m such a loving mommy, I’m going to throw in a few pictures of Micah.  He’s such a cheeser for the camera.  Every time I get it out, he starts grinning and saying, “Cheese.”  He also demands that I take a picture of him and everything else.  So, I always oblige!


Thanks for continuing to follow our second grade adventures.  Join us next time to see what we’ve been up to this week!