Amazing Story about Joel and TimezAttack

I have this computer game for the older kids called TimezAttack. In the game this little green alien is wandering through the dungeon killing large ogres by answering (quickly) multiplication problems. Joel really wanted to play even though I explained to him that it was too hard for him. Well, he started playing it anyway. I though he was just messing around but one day I stopped to watch and he was actually answering the problems CORRECTLY. He would start a screen and when he answered them wrong it would show him the correct answer. When he would come back to that problem he would remember the correct answer. I am totallly amazed. My 4 year old son has memorized about half of his multiplication facts. He doesn't know what they are. He thinks 27 is 2 7. But still! This program works!!!! I wish they had a game for addition.

Spring Semester

Spring semester is well underway. Hannah took her ACT last week and got a 23. The really great part of that is that she got at least a 21 on each subject and therefore won't have to take any basic classes at TCC. She is getting very excited about finishing High School and embarking on a new chapter in her life. She has wanted and worked towards being a chef since she was 11. She started taking cooking classes about that age and has taken them every since. In fact, now she works for the place where she takes classes. I think she has settled on transferring to the Culinary Arts School at Johnson and Wales in Denver, Colorado after she takes a few classes at TCC. She is 16 right now and her father and I would like to keep her at home until she is closer to 18. She worked all year to buy a car and did so right after her 16th birthday. She takes after her father in that she sets a goal and then works diligently towards achieving it.

As for the rest of my students we are still plugging away with our unit study. We are up to World War II and I am so excited. This era of history is one of my favorites to study. Each student is moving along in math which always my main concern as that is a subject I do not excel in. Julian is taking typing and liking it. He is such a joy to teach. He is constantly finding new things he likes to do: typing, crocheting, sewing, and cooking just to name a few. Everyday he gets more confident in his learning abilities and I see less of the frustrated, angry kid I saw when he first came to me from public school. His English and Math skills have greatly improved. Virginia is always patient with him and helps me teach him new things. Stormie is his best school friend.

Virginia and I have been working on Algebra I together. She is nearing the end of the book and it is really tough. I am doing it with her thinking two heads are better than one. Sometimes she gets the right answer before I do. She is working her way through some classics. Today she read "The Law" by Frederic Bastiat. I am hoping she understood the significance of his words for people today. Last week she read "Night" by Elie Wiezel. I am hoping to get her to do more creative writing as that is where she excels.

Joel has learned all his letters and the sounds they make. As soon as he proves it to his dad dad will take him to Toy's R Us to pick out a toy. He can also count to 20 and write his name. This is a big accomplishment as just getting him to sit still for longer than a minute is a minor miracle.

Elizabeth's girls are settling into the school routine. They come over here 3 days a week. This has proven to be a great set up. We can do fun stuff together and Elizabeth and I don't feel quite so isolated.

Fall Semester

Wow, last semester flew by. We have been very busy. I set a hard pace for us to keep up this year but we are having a great time doing it. This year we are using a Unit study called History Alive! by Diana Waring. "World Empires, World Missions, and World Wars" We have travelled through time from Napoleon, Victoria, Industrial Revolution, World War I and now World War II. Every unit has had a different element of interest for each individual student. That is the joy of unit studies. Each unit covers almost every subject with the exception of Math. My students love the Art History, Architecture, Music, Cooking, Science, etc... We also enjoy watching movies about each era we are studying. I regret that we didn't do as many field trips as I wanted to in the fall. We did make it to the a few times but, really that is about it. And I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked to. I just can't believe it went by so swiftly.

My sister is getting into the swing of this homeschooling life. This is her first year teaching three of her daughters. She has been through the initial zeal, made it through the confusion and first year burn out and I think now she is starting to settle into life as a homeschool family. It always has its good and bad days and sometimes you can't see how effective you are but when you look back to where you started from you realize in awe not only how much your children have grown and learn but also how much you have.

So, other than the unit study we have also been memorizing scripture. For English with the middle students I am using Shurley English. The older students are using Apologia Physical Science and Teaching Textbooks for math. Each student is also working their way through some great books. I am so proud of Julian who has enjoyed reading "The Man in the Iron Mask" and "The Time Machine" this year.