This picture summerizes Loe well - she is always excited and eager for and adventure and she attacks each new day with energy and passion.
I'm starting to really get tired of the labeling that seems almost a requirement when it comes to school. When folks ask what "grade" Loe is in...she tells them 2nd. She is in an art class for 2nd and 3rd graders. She does Horizon math 2 - which we've heard is about a year ahead of most math programs - so closer to 3rd grade level. The Sonlight history/bible/literature core we are using is designed for 7-10 year olds. She is taking several K/1 classes because she knows the kids, the teachers and she's so small I like her playing soccer with younger kids for another year. So, depending upon the subject she could be 1st grade, 2nd grade or 3rd grade. So, we just go with 2nd. :) We spent some time debating what to do for school this year. She has done great with every subject so far. But, I haven't spent much time with her on Sonlight's language arts program. We focused more on Teaching Your Child to Read in 100 Easy lessons, then followed that up with several Explode the Code workbooks. I would like to give Sonlight's language arts program a try again, after giving up on it soon after the boys started homeschooling years ago. I've heard great things about it if you start early and stick with it. So, this year as I looked over the language arts that came with the used core I bought - (which happened to have the advanced set of readers) I knew she wasn't quite ready for that yet. So, I debated just doing all of Core 1 over again from last year - which would mean she would repeat history, reading, geography and bible again. I still think this could work easily. She loved the books and I'm sure would get even more out of them reading them a second time. However, in all of the other subjects she's doing fine - so I didn't really want to hold her back until we make an attempt at catching up on the language arts portion first. And really holding her "back" would just mean she'd be closer to the age of typical 1st graders - as she is a very young second grader at 6 years old. We'll just take it a day at a time and decide as we move through the year. We're reviewing the language arts portion that came with Core 1 and then we'll move into Core 2 regular level readers/language arts and see how that goes. Gosh I love being able to adjust and tweak school for our kids.
For History, Language Arts, Bible, Reading and Geography we'll be doing Sonlight Core 2.
Math: Horizons 2 - So far Loe is doing fine with this - but like the rest of her schooling - we will slow down if we need to. She actually should have all of her addition and subtraction facts memorized to start this book. She really only has maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of them down - but we're easing into the book slowly anyway. If she doesn't get those facts down soon - we'll stop the book and let her work on those for a while.
Science: this year we decided to go with one of Apologia's books: Exploring Creation: Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day. It is designed for grades 1-6. Hunter did the Astronomy one when he was in 6th grade and really enjoyed it. I like the idea of one topic for the year that we can really dig into. And to make it even more fun - we are getting together with good friends once a week and doing some of the activities from the notebook together.
Handwriting: HandwritingWithout Tears - She's used this workbook at least twice before. But, I continue to feel like one more year of printing before we start cursive is a good idea. Her printing is really very nice when she focuses on it. This is a good reinforcement after a summer of letting her write however she wanted to.
Art/Music: - Come Look With Me - Animals in Art. We looked through 2 of these books last year and Loe really enjoyed seeing the different paintings and discussing the styles and talking about what was going on in the pictures. So, I just ordered one more book in the series.
P.E.: Loe continues Tae Kwon Do at Miller's Academy and is loving it. She goes once a week on Thursdays. She is also heading into her 3rd year of worship dance and ballet at Celebration Ministry of Arts Oh man does she love dance - she counts down the days after each performance until the next session starts up again.
Enrichment academy classes: Loe is taking 2/3 grade art, elementary choir, etiquette, character for kids, and soccer at CHESS. All the classes except the first two are actually k/1 grade classes. We have the option to choose what works best for our kids with each class. She's asked if she could take Character for Kids again after loving it last year and since Sue is teaching a new set of character traits it seemed like a good plan. She knew kids in the other classes or I knew the teachers and because she's so tiny - I liked the idea of her taking soccer one more year with the younger group. She so looks forward to Wednesdays. She loves wearing the uniform, going to the classes, seeing all kinds of friends, getting to take a lunch - all of it! It's a great one day a week experience that gives her a big taste of the classroom setting (with Christian teachers and curriculum) and a social outlet without having to do this five days a week. I am so thankful we don't have to get up and rush around like that every day - once a week is plenty!
Loe can't wait to become a big sister again. She talks about "our baby" all of the time. I think God knew just what He was doing when he delayed Ren from coming home until Loe was 4 - going on 5. She is a fabulous big sister (though does lose her patience with Ren a little bit more regularly lately!) I imagine she's going to be a HUGE help to me in the coming years with these little ones.
Here is she is just after our school books arrived in the mail - she couldn't wait to tear into that box!
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