Emma's piece at the Bach Fesitval

Emma performed this past Sunday at the 22nd annual Bach Festival. She was asked by her teacher two weeks before and while nervous about it at first, she was excited to do it.

March's poem: The Wind

This was Emma's poem to memorize for the month of March. We worked on it a couple times a week as well as played an MP3 of it over and over some days. The first 1/2 was memorized by repeating lines and by the time she had that memorized, she had 90% of the last 1/2 known just by listening to the MP3 so much. Here is Emma reciting "The Wind" by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Rabbits in the house?

Emma was laying on the floor working with a magnetic board and some letter magnets.  She soon realized she did not have the letters she needed and starting trying to create letters out of other letters in order to put together what she wanted to say.  I suggested we get the white board out instead and she was all over that.  Pretty soon the following came together: 

“If the rabbit gets in the house in the doggy door what will we do?  All he wanted was a carrot.”

I tried hard not to help but was not successful.  Actually, looking back, “what” was the main one I helped with.  I was surprised with “door” since we talked through what could make the “O” say its name and I think she was going to write “dore” but I reminded her that an “e” at the end of the word is not always the only way to make a vowel “say it’s name.”  We have not even touched spelling rules yet so any doubles that she missed do not surprise me.   We did talk our way through “wanted” by discussing the “o” makes the sound, which was what she started with, but then she remembered what “a” says when it follows “w”

Creating with clay

Emma recently checked a book out from the library about a pottery studio.  The Pottery Place by Gail Gibbons.  At the end it gives suggestions for 3 projects to make your own pottery.  So with a coupon in hand, we headed to Michaels and bought some air dry clay.  Project #1 was to make a pinch pot.  Emma worked on it yesterday and it is currently drying.  Once dry we will have to buy (or borrow) some paints so she can paint it!

 

Bike Riding!

We have wonderful friends here!  They had a bike their daughter has outgrown and for now it is on loan to Emma!  Dave mailed her helmet up and Emma has been thrilled it is nice enough to bike ride!

 

Weekly Review March 7th-13th

Math:

• Starting to work on sums above 10. Lots of practice with the white board.
• Starting to work on subtraction above 10.
• Singapore Math PM 1A workbook pages: 105-107
• Math worksheets: 19, 25-28

Language Arts:

• Starting to work on a poem for the the month of March. This month’s poem is “The Wind” but Robert Louis Stevenson. She has the title, poet’s name and the 1st third of it memorized. We have been playing it on repeat each day and she has bits and pieces of the rest of the poem in memory as well.
• Copy work – writing the parts of the poem she memorized
• Library visit

Science:

• Visited with goats and chickens
• Observed baby chickens and bunnies

Other:

• Visit to Humane Society to play with the cats
• Bowling – 3 games without bumpers! Scores 22, 18, and 32
• Violin practice and lessons. Working hard for her recital next Sunday!
• Walks and bike rides
• Worked with modeling clay. Made a sun/sky/clouds and a flower growing from the ground.

Weekly review Feb 28th- March 6th, 2010

Math:

• Singapore Math PM 1A: workbook pgs89-91 and 94-104
• Mental Math 4-6

Language Arts:

• Emma read "Ten Apples up on Top!" by Theo. LeSieg
• Emma started reading "Fox in Socks" by Dr. Suess
• Read "The Pottery Place" by Gail Gibbons
• Dictation - wrote "The Flag is up on the big stick" We talked about the mistakes and she rewrote with corrections. Spelled "the" incorrect, big "G"s instead of little "g"s and "c" instead of "ck."
• Worked on writing alphabet neatly
• Read Farmer Boy chapters 6-8

Science:

• Looked inside an ear with lots of earwax. Watched how the doctor removed ear wax.
• Observed a male white tail deer close by
• Learned about Flickers (type of woodpecker). We heard him tapping on the metal vent which is a way of them communicating so that many can hear.

Other:

• Violin lesson, 5 practices. Worked on a new song for the upcoming Bach Festival.
• Long walk - 4 miles
• Geocaching