A Fruitful Day

Some days in homeschool confirm every good reason to do it. Today was one of those days.


After reviewing our spelling words (because we didn't have time yesterday) we read Psalm 46. We made a list on the board of all the things God is and does in that Psalm. It's so cool that my kids are at a point where they can actually dig into the word! Next we read more about the Samurai for history. I had the kids tackle writing a haiku. I wasn't entirely sure how to teach them, but as I began I thought, "Wow, this is a great way to teach syllables!" Added bonus. I wrote a few haiku on the board, ignoring this one my brother wrote long ago when he was on a haiku kick which kept coming to mind:

Wind blows through the trees
It is blowing in the leaves
Preparation H

That's just a little glimpse into my brother's sense of humor. Anyway, at first they moaned and stared at their paper, but once I gave them each a topic - hippopotamus for Ethan because it has 5 syllables, and cats for Megan. They both came up with some great verse. I told them to take a break and do their readers, to which Ethan replied, "I already read mine!" I told him to find another book, expecting a protest, but he happily grabbed one of our library books. Afterwards, as is my habit, I asked them what the stories were. I was surprised when, instead of hearing, "I don't know" Megan launched into a summary of her chapter. It's those moments that are such a joy!

We moved on to some music games (double bounce - extra curricular and fun!). I showed them the clip from Sound of Music where Maria teaches the kids "Do Re Mi" and then we played some games focused on that.

Next: quick! Outside before it pours to do nature journaling. I love watching my kids doing their nature journals. Back inside for an impromptu lesson on "Why does the wind get so strong right before a storm?" Thank goodness for the Eyewitness Weather book.

Spelling test time is always an anxious one for Ethan because he is not naturally a good speller. But they both pulled off perfect scores and were quite creative in writing their original sentences once I gave them the goal of including as many words as possible (one star for each word). Admittedly, their sentences were a little more creative than made complete sense, but who wants to squash the fun?

Finally, writing. I gave Ethan the task of writing a short dialog. Megan is learning to write paragraphs. She wrote one on what she wants to be when she grows up. She said a homeschool teacher! And also, a taxi driver. Not sure where that comes from.

Sigh. I wish all days could be this easy. I felt like I could see tangible ways my kids are growing, and really enjoyed all the activities we can do together. I have to admit this was punctuated by a few trips to the bathroom (designated discipline room) for some discussions about attitude. But that's character training, and is as much a part of homeschool as anything else. I'm thankful for this encouragement today. Next week, ask me how Monday goes. :)