Weekly Wrap-Up: October 29 – November 2
We spent the better part of two days this past week on outings. Both outings were unplanned but also welcomed and wonderful. And I love how these outings didn’t stress me out and attribute that to planning backwards.
The Outings
One of our outings was to a local park to check out a short but picturesque trail. We also discovered that the trail is part of the National Scenic Ice Age trail and explored new parts of it we had never seen. I always find it amazing how being in God’s creation is so therapeutic. The fresh air was good for us all.
Our other outing was an impromptu trip to see my grandpa, who lives about an hour away. We did not get much done in the way of our studies that day. However, the time spent together was lovely.
Limericks
We had an entertaining Poetry Teatime this week with an emphasis on limericks. We read quite a few limericks from this book, and then created some of our own. Check out this printable if you want to try making your own!
Duolingo
I mentioned a few weeks ago we were trying out Pronunciator, an online foreign language curriculum offered through our local library. Unfortunately, it was not the most user-friendly in that we had difficulty with signing in. Probably a user error…😬 In any case, I looked around and found a free app called Duolingo that is much easier for the kids to use. Both of the older kids have been enjoying learning some Espanol.
Vision Therapy Update
Joe has now been in Vision Therapy for a month. We are 11% done (no – we’re not keeping track!) It’s going well and we’re in the rhythm of getting his exercises done at home each day. We have already seen some mild improvement in his handwriting and gross motor skills.
At the recommendation of the Vision Therapy Center (where he goes for therapy), he has been using a slant board, which has been very helpful to him when he needs to complete seat-work.
If you have a kiddo who has difficulty with handwriting I can not recommend using a slant board or slanted surface enough. A large binder can also provide a slanted surface. Working on a slanted surface cuts the fatigue down for kids who struggle with handwriting, and for anyone really. There’s a reason that desks in the “olden days” were on a slant!
Goal-setting
In my head, I know the value of goals. It’s powerful to have something to work towards. Despite knowing the importance of having goals, this is the first year I have worked with the kids to create quarterly goals. They have goals in a few different categories including life skills, academic, spiritual, etc.
We went over the 1st quarter goals this past week and made new goals for 2nd quarter. It was pretty awesome to see how certain goals were met due to diligent prodding along. It was also interesting to see my kid’s personalities really shine through in how they approach goals. One kiddo was hesitant in making goals due to the risk of not being able to achieve them, while the other kiddo made some BIG, HAIRY, AUDACIOUS goals!
While we have a ways to go in learning to make goals the SMART way (Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Timely), I’m just glad we decided to give goals a go this year!
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