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Erin
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| Posted: Oct 07 2008 at 1:45am | IP Logged
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Term 4 starts back next week for us here, and I'm batting around different ideas in my head and not making progress. So.. I've come here to brainstorm (obvious place  ). I'd love some input.
For the last week of last term I tried something a little different with my dc. I guess you could call it 'block days' for want of a better word. On the Monday we had 'Math Buster Monday' where we devoted ALL of Monday to Maths, on the Tuesday we had 'Traveling Tuesday' where we 'flew' to Japan. I had all these other catchy names thought out too, Wednesday was to be 'Wordslueth Wednesday' (but we had a glitch as I went into labour  ) Thursday was to be Time Travel Thursday, Faith and Fun on Friday and Scientriffic Saturday. No I didn't intend on doing Science on Saturday but hey it rhymed and I can't think where on earth to put it but I know I do need to include it. Anyway I digress.
On Math Buster Monday we read Living Math picture books and short chapters, we played some multiplication activity games, the dc worked on Sudoko puzzles, I presented the younger children with a gnomes and gnumbers lesson, the dc really enjoyed this approach even my math phobic ds13. Until I asked him/they do also do some of their workbooks just before lunch, then the day disintegrated. I have lots of ideas flowing in my head of what to include on these days (don't you just love how the brain switches back on after the baby is born ?)
On Traveling Tuesday I had a positive response too, we read Japanese picture books and reference, we brainstormed about what we knew about Japan and I required a notebook page after our brainstorming. There are of course so many other ideas/activities to do on these days too but I needed a little more preparation. Oh and dd15 chose to do Scotland (just to be different )
So my thoughts are running like this....
Would it be too disjointed to do totally different unrelated topics every day? ie. Japan on Tuesday and Roman Britain on Thursday?
If I did it this way should I keep with Japan for the whole term on Tuesdays etc?
Should I tie these 'theme T' days together?
Should I have a theme running through the whole week? ie. If we did Japan then on Wordslueth Wednesday we could do haiku poems and on Thursday Japanese history and origami on Friday.
Maybe I should do Math Buster Monday but then just Geography week one, then Language Arts week two etc?
Dh has suggested three weeks my old way and one week this way but frankly I'm ready for a fresh change. A whole day really gave us time, time to be relaxed, time to delve deeper, time to immerse. It's just working out the logistics, because this will mean I need to have lots of 'ideas up my sleeve'. And with a newborn I want gentle, relaxed and yet to know I am accomplishing something with two highschoolers in the mix.
Also I am thinking of ditching history for the term   the reason is that most of my children are avid readers and therefore pick up a huge amount anyway and I need to fit science in. Science and Geography get neglected here  Can anyone think of a catchy name for Thursday Science?
Has anyone used/uses this approach. I'd love input, ideas. 
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Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
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domchurch3
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| Posted: Oct 07 2008 at 10:09pm | IP Logged
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I'm intrigued with the idea but can't offer any advice as I have more questions about this approach. I can't get to my questions right now as I'm having Braxton Hicks contractions and need to get into a warm bath. I'd be interested in reading others responses.
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Daniel's wife and mother to two children on earth, Bernadette (6 yrs old) and another child due in Jan 2009.
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Willa
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| Posted: Oct 07 2008 at 10:46pm | IP Logged
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I like the idea, Erin. I think Theresa was doing something like that, last year.
Look here
I guess you probably know that already since you posted to that thread
Since you have the new one maybe you ought to keep it simple and not try to tie things together unless a natural connection occurs to you. I've been finding that my kids are making their own connections when they're allowed to delve in a bit. And sometimes I don't make my own connections until we're actually working through the material.
I had an "Ireland Day" all the last term two years ago because we were going to travel there once.
One other thing your post reminded me of. I read an article in the old Heart and Mind about a mom who would always plan something completely different for the first month or so after a new birth. I think she planned a nature study theme one time, etc. I thought that was a neat idea.
Just a few random thoughts -- my brain is fried after helping DS with Geometry.
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Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
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cornomama4
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| Posted: Oct 07 2008 at 11:23pm | IP Logged
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First off, CONGRATS!!
Next, you should do whatever helps you right now, IMHO. I find when I really focus on one subject, they get more out of it. When we have a day where they just do Flashmaster (math drills in a video game guise), but then play Monopoly with dh and then do "random math question challenge" in the car they seem to make more profound connections. Another day it may be "all about rocks" or "this is how they did it in the pioneer days and BTW great-grandpa's farm was acquired in the Great Land Rush of 1889...etc)
If I try to do several things in a day, it's like they're just waiting for the "subject" to be over and not really immersing in it. It smells too much like school
If you're "guiding" their reading, you'll probably cover plenty. Also, if you're like me, I tend to be WAY too ambitious about 2-4 weeks after baby and then crash at about 3 months. DON'T go manic on us Doing anything that keeps them learning is great right now!
Thursday Science??...donderdag wetenschap
It's Dutch and just saying it makes me giggle!
Enjoy your luna del bambino (Italian for baby moon )
cm4
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: Oct 08 2008 at 1:07am | IP Logged
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As you know, I did this for awhile. It worked very, very well while we did it. I think we stopped because ds got to a point where when he was really interested in something he wanted to focus on it for longer than a day.
I also found that while monday math worked great for really getting into a concept, ds needed the repetition of daily math practice as well. So while we did a monday math focus, we also did a little bit of math practice on each of the other days to keep it fresh.
This is something that we still do to some extent. Although we don't do designated theme days anymore, and ds chooses his topics, we usually do spend an entire day (or more) focused on one topic. We like operating that way. It's just that we are more flexible about what those topics are now.
I think your idea of tying them together with a running theme sounds neat, but I would approach it as more of a happy accident if that happens, rather than trying to plan it out that way. Otherwise you are going to stress yourself out. As Willa said, the kids will make their own connections. We don't always have to make them for them, kwim?
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Erin
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| Posted: Nov 03 2008 at 4:42am | IP Logged
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Just wanted to come back and let you know that block learning/block days is working really well here I took your advice Willa and didn't link the days, it seemed too forced. Although some days are linked to the next week, ie. each Tuesday we study a new country in South East Asia, every Thursday we continue with studying Space.
CM4 I so know what you mean about crashing at 3 months, I've done that before Doing one subject a day takes away that schooly feel, that's what I love about it the most, I feel as if we are doing learning not schooling.
Theresa, I decided to have what we call 'Daily Doses' which is to chant the times tables and do one spelling list which are both weak areas, oh and the two youngest read to themselves or me.
So the pros are the TIME, time to delve and really learn and to be relaxed about it. Not going from subject to subject means time is not wasted settling back down. It allows a fuller immersion and connections are being made, the lightbulb moments are coming back they aren't just ticking of work. Often we are still going after lunch.
It does mean that I have to be organised to allow a smoother flow although now I am in the grove I am hardly having to plan on the weekends.
The Con is that as a each subject is only done once a week if you continually miss that day you keep missing that subject, ie Wednesday's so far have meant no lessons for various reasons for the last three weeks.
If you like alliteration FYI we called our days: Math Buster Monday, Traveling Tuesday, Word Slueth Wednesday, 'Triffic Thursday (for Scientriffic) and Faith and Fun Fridays. And as I mentioned we have Daily Doses. As you can see I did end up leaving out history.
Hopefully they will re-capture enthusiasm and want to dig deep and go off on rabbit trails I'm happy for that.
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: Nov 03 2008 at 2:38pm | IP Logged
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Sounds fantastic! 
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: One Subject Per Day Only - Brainstorming
