September has felt like a return to relative normality in terms of doing work. We took a bit of time off during August – we all needed that break! And have really got on with some stuff during September.
We have been doing various bits and pieces but there is more I need to do in terms of encouraging D to challenge himself more – he often tries to do as little as possible which can be frustrating when we know he is capable of more! We have had a few days out in September and have settled into a routine and pattern of sorts again.
It’s still frustrating to not be able to meet with friends in the way that we want to, but it is what it is and we have instead been meeting more via zoom for quick activities.
Core Subjects
We have taken a bit of a break from Maths No Problem at the moment. I want to really consolidate the children’s knowledge and, as they’re where I wanted them to be for the start of the year, it seems like a good time to go over the things they’ve been working on.
The older two really enjoy the maths mysteries from Twinkl and I find these are a great way to get them using their mathematical knowledge in a fun way.
We still have work to do on English, and I plan to take a look at the Oak Academy stuff on this. D is capable. just reluctant so it’s about finding the thing that works for him. We have also been working on handwriting, and E is getting better at writing ‘joined up’ and her spelling is improving – although there are still some words that are persistent errors so I think if we’re still seeing the same errors at Christmas, we might look to implement some practice (in a fun way) in the New Year.
And, with science, we have continued with the online videos. We have been doing these slowly as and when we have time to fit them in. The curriculum is surprisingly sparse so I have supplemented things in. I have also decided to give the Sassafras books another go. We really enjoyed the first one and lost interest in the second one. However, the children have asked to look at the third one (Botany) and it sits well with the plant work we have been doing. Given we are going to have more time at home over the coming months, it seems sensible to try it for the relatively modest cost.
Project Work
Project work has included the presentation of the children’s speaking and listening projects. The theme this time was Asia. We didn’t do a great deal on this project; enthusiasm was waning somewhat for both the children and I. However, we did it and I’m glad we did.
The next theme is Scientific Endeavours, so we are going to work on those next week. The children have chosen their topics (Harry Coover, Sue Hendrickson and Jane Goodall) so it’s just to put the work together now.
We have been working on the Harvest Festival Pawprint badge and I have run a couple of zoom sessions for the children and their friends which have been short but fun.
We have also been working through the Exploring Nature with Children curriculum and have enjoyed taking time out to look at the different elements so far and weave the discussions into the everyday work.
Regular Groups
Spanish still continues on and I am thankful that the Beaver group has been able to continue running. D has moved across to Cubs now and is enjoying that and whilst it isn’t the same as it would be face to face, he has enjoyed the zoom sessions he has done so far.
Sadly, no other groups are currently running, but I have scheduled in some zoom meetings for the next month with friends, so hopefully, that will help to keep the contact going.
Days Out
Days out this month have included a trip to the Dino themed crazy golf locally. We managed to get a particularly nice day for that and the children had a lovely time, although there was some creative scorekeeping!
We also went across to Pontcysllte Aqueduct in Llangollen – it was a rather interesting walk across! There are signs warning visitor about the nature of the ‘historical railings’… and it’s warning you would do well to heed! The gaps are pretty wide and I reckon any of the children could easily have fallen through. We obviously kept a tight grip of them! It was a beautiful day when we went and we ended up stopping for an ice cream which the children loved! It was lovely weather and four of the five of us fell asleep on the journey home.
We have also been out and about locally and have enjoyed spotting some of the new visitors to the local nature park – the cormorants and tufted ducks were new there last time we went. I am hopeful we might see more cormorants next time we head there as it’s the time of year for them to return to the UK.
October looks set to be a busy month, and we will be working on the autumn pawprint badge, as well as the Day of the Dead one (at E’s request). It will then be time to look at the remembrance badge, and I suspect there will be some things planned with Beavers and Cubs for remembrance day. I’ve got a couple of things I want to do with the children including looking at animal homes and maybe starting a new history project. We have been enjoying the mysteries in time books that we have been subscribing too, but I think a bigger project might be a good idea for the later part of the year.
Lovely to see everything the children are doing and how you are managing home ed in with current restrictions. You’re doing a brilliant job.