Monday, October 11, 2010

Simple Waldorf Homeschool - local geography and math

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We are moving along nicely through our simple homeschool days. Finished with our first local geography block, in the middle of our first math block, and getting ready to begin our first Man and Animal main lesson next week. How exciting!

This is just a review math block. We have looked at old main lesson books, practiced with the four processes including carrying and borrowing, and lots of times table practice. There was a brief moment when I was afraid Chloe had forgotten all the tables we had worked on last year, but of course that was foolishness on my part, and with just a little review she is doing great. She even said to me the other day, "I like math more than I thought I did." Or maybe it was, "I don't not like math as much as I thought I didn't." Either way, pretty good.

Today turned into baking day and beeswax modeling day. We had some mushy bananas so the girls made muffins while I was finishing work for the morning. So there was some good measurement and even fractions practice there.

When we brought out the beeswax Chessa just burst into a story about what she was going to make. I am quite sad to not remember every detail of it at the moment, because it was so very sweet, but I do remember there was a cottage, and two little girls, and a mama inside the cottage, and the mama was sweeping, because she was going to have a little broom in her hands.

But then they ended up making little elf families instead. I think the mamas still had brooms. And there was still a cottage, and a little garden with a pumpkin patch.


Here are some lesson book pages from our local geography block. We started with ourselves, our home, our town. Then we looked at the first native people to live in our region.






I suppose we should plan a field trip to Mesa Verde.

We only briefly touched upon where the native people are today. (Partly because we still have a very little one who is present for our lesson time.)

I found a wonderfully fun book at our library called Tales, Trails and Tommyknockers: Stories from Colorado's Past. There were a few stories applicable to our little corner of the state, and when we do our next geography block covering the entire state we will read lots more of them.

Chloe is still doing most of her lesson book drawing on her own. I think we will work together more in some of the coming blocks though.
We did all of our lesson books in cursive last year but this year will be a little of both.

Chessa still usually joins us at the table with crayons and pencils during lesson time.

Such thoughtfulness.

Guess what she is drawing...
Squirrels. As in math squirrels. We did squirrel math stories with Chloe in first and second grade rather than math gnomes.

Chessa has not asked to learn how to read, but she has asked to "do plus."

Her squirrels are gathering apples. A whole entire cart full!

Wow, I cannot believe that starting next year I really will have two school children sitting at the table together!


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21 comments:

Anonymous said...

SOunds great! I love the little drawings.

Victoria said...

Hi Renee. I discovered your lovely blog recently and have really enjoyed reading about your life. The pictures in this post by both of your girls are just lovely. Thanks for your sharing.

Sarah said...

Those drawings are amazing. I really love teaching local geography. It was fun to watch my girls suddenly see the world around them.

Indigo, madder, marigold said...

Wow, you all have been seriously busy! What lucky girls you have...they do beautiful work.

Mama Ash Grove said...

okay, Renee, we are mirroring each other here! Ella just finished up local geography and is now moving on to local native americans- we are going to do a short block on the Abenaki!
Beautiful work, Chloe!
We did the math squirrels with Ella for grade 2 (Christopherus!) and Ollie Winter thought we'd be doing them this year for him and was disappointed. He has also done his own drawings of them- gosh our families have so many similarities! This is inspiring me to want to do more homeschool posts. . .
<3

Unknown said...
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Unknown said...

How interesting you've made the lessons for the girls. Chloe's drawing are beautiful and her writing so neat. I'm sure little Chessa can't wait to start school with her big sister. We shall start our school year late once settled back home. big kissxxx

Cadi said...

love-ly...

6512 and growing said...

Will you come teach me how to teach my kids? I am so impressed Renee. Your daughters' artwork is really lovely.

We had a great trip to Mesa Verde last April, so inspiring. Now does seem like a great time to take them there, based on what they're learning. Also, the Animas History Museum might be appropriate too.

Kelly said...

Beautiful learning, Renee!

Hullabaloo Homestead said...

Kayla just got a big dose of math interest. I didn't know when that would come, but she just sits and loves to do the "borrowing" kind. I have been thinking of you. We finally found The First Fours Years at our library, and I was recalling how the both of us couldn't find it anywhere for so long. I almost had given up looking for it, but then one day...it was there. It took us a bit to transition Almonzo to Manley though! Hope you are well.

:)Lisa

Wild Maple Wool said...

Very beautiful!!!!! Can't wait for my children to be school-age!

~Samantha

Tonya Gunn said...

I just love seeing the care that goes into the main lesson books.

Anonymous said...

We are getting ready to head into math as well :). Your daughters lesson work is wonderful, and I love the idea of the little broom in Mama's hand.

saraelise said...

Such lovely images of your days! Pablo and I loved fourth grade. He really got into Florida's native people. Some of my fondest memories are those field trips when I was still pregnant and when Arlo was teeny. Enjoy your block.

oh and those sure are awesome maps from her Geography block. Nice Work!!!

Linda said...

What beautiful photos of your girls lovely work:)

Catherine said...

Wow! Fourth grade sounds like so much fun! Your girls are so gorgeous, Renee!

sarah said...

another WOW! for me too! This is one great school!

kyndale said...

Awesome pictures! I love them!

Nicola said...

I admire you greatly for warmly and positively homeschooling your girls, while simultaneously homemaking and working!
Nicola

Unknown said...

Great stuff!

Please though, correct her pencil grip immediately!