School at Home

  Zadok reads a lot, so this is only a partial list: Outlaws of Time Series by N.D. Wilson The Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander The Viking Quest series by Lois Walfrid Johnson The King Arthur series by Rosemary Sutcliff The Mighty Jack series by Ben Hatke Many books from the Landmark History series Civil War by James Robertson Abraham Lincoln's World by Genevive Foster Orchidelirium by E.B. Roshan Watership Down by Richard Adams The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien The Iliad for Children Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM by Robert O'Brien The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit Wings of Fire by Tui Sutherland Various history and science-related books

  Zadok (Grade 6) In addition to many other reading/writing-related activities, Zadok completed the Excellence in Writing workbook for his 6th grade class in our homeschool co-op. In this program, he studied:      Paragraph structure      Outlines      Grammar      Punctuation      Creating multiple sentence/clause structures      Gathering information from multiple source texts      Character analysis Zadok continues to experiment with his own creative writing projects, including more stories and ideas for movie scripts. NOTE: Zadok's personal reading list is extensive, so I will include it on a separate page.  Qorban (Grade 3) Qorban has made a lot of progress in reading and writing this past year. He completed an English Studies workbook in his co-op class, as well as many writing and reading exercises at home. He does a weekly spelling test and has started doing more ex...

We participated in a "Taste of the World" program at our local library this past year, as well as helping out at various fundraisers and church events. In addition to trips to local parks, we took our first family beach trip to Cape May. Both boys have enjoyed learning more about the world, especially the names and locations of countries and national flags. We also went to the Philadelphia Zoo.

 Zadok and Qorban are both actively involved in household activities and chores. They regularly clean the house and help in the kitchen. They can prepare simple foods with minimal supervision and understand the importance of a balanced diet.  Both boys receive payment for certain household chores and are learning how to manage their personal finances and keep track of their income and expenses in their ledgers. Qorban in particular has showed an interest in home and vehicle maintenance and often helps his dad with both. This past year they have also participated in soccer camps and other athletic activities, including bicycle rides and our annual fundraising 5k. Daily walks and exercise are an important part of our schedule, and we enjoy spending time outdoors when the weather is good. In addition, both boys completed a grade-appropriate emergency First Aid class this past winter. 

 Zadok and Qorban both completed grade-appropriate history courses at our local co-op, including weekly reading and writing homework, and in-class activities. Zadok's year concluded with him writing a paper and giving a presentation about Yuri Gagarin. I personally taught Qorban's grade level. The class was a combination of history and geography, geared toward the 2nd grade level.

In addition to a variety of topics covered at home, many special studies and weekly nature/world-themed documentaries, Zadok and Qorban both completed grade-appropriate science courses at the homeschool co-op. They studied water environments and creatures this year. Each year, we grow a garden with a wide variety of plants and observe the insects, birds, and plant life in our neighborhood. We also visit local parks, the botanical garden, and the zoo. Both boys started their first personal gardens last summer and have continued them this year.  Zadok continues to care for our bird family as well as his garden, and Qorban raised a jumping spider.

  Zadok (Grade 6) This year, Zadok has worked on division and fractions, using the Math U See curriculum. These concepts have proved to be a bit of a struggle, but he continues to persevere and make gradual progress. Qorban (Grade 3) This year, Qorban has focused on story problems as well as beginning double-digit multiplication (also using Math U See.) He enjoys playing math-themed computer games.