I haven't been as good this year about posting about what books we're reading, how things are going, and updating on the children's progress through their work...and so I'm taking a few minutes to do that now.
Krypto is doing amazingly well in his new found independence and having Mommy keep grades this year (gasp, I know, we've never been much for keeping grades in this house!) I figured he is in the 8th grade now and so we need to start keeping track of what his grades really are, so that next year, when it's all "on the permanent transcript" he'll have already had his wake-up call. So far, I'm thrilled to announced that he is taking Apologia Biology with VHSG and has a 98% through Module 8 (there are 16 modules in the school year.) He is also through 12 of 30 lessons in Math-U-See Geometry and has a 96%. My plan is to start grading our History discussions and Unit Exams in the spring semester...by the end of the year, we'll have all subjects up and running in the grade book.
Sissi is just loving her drawing books and exercises. We bought her some Craftsy art classes, but the internet speed hasn't been able to keep up with the streaming and so she stopped doing them and hopes to catch up when we're back in the US during the spring semester.
We've been slowly, but surely working our way through some basic Russian language lessons. We probably have a vocabulary of 300-400 words and basic phrases. We'll continue at this slower pace until we leave in December and review and work on some online materials while we're back in the US this spring. Our plan is to pick up the pace a bit when we return next fall, though it will still only be about 10 hours a week for Indy and I, and 5 for the children.
I've been trying to be more intentional about following through on writing assignments this year. Often, in the past, I will assign an idea and we'll get through the rough draft stage, but we never quite get all of our projects finished. This year, we're completing about 90% of them and now, I just need to add a grading rubric.
Science has been fun this year. We've always been good about reading our assignments, but I haven't always been the best at doing all of the experiments these past two years. I know that my kids particularly remember things that they do so much better than just what we read, so I'm putting in the effort to do more of the hands-on stuff!
Gwangi has made the full transition to middle school/Dialectic level work. It's much more reading and writing than he is used to, but he's enjoying it...most of the time. We just have to keep reminding him, when he gets frustrated that his brother is done with the same amount of work before him, that it's alright...Krypto is a much faster reader and has been doing Dialectic level work for 2 years longer him.
Some more art examples from Sissi. They were gifts that she made for her brothers. These are not tracings, but were done free-hand, just sitting and looking at the cases of Wii games.
Gwangi is completely done with elementary math. He is now in Pre-Algebra and says it's "easy!"
During the election, we were able to do one of the things that I remember most fondly from growing up...watch as the election results come in and color our maps. It was quite a nail-biter this time around and went very long. I was grateful we lived half way around the world and so it was during our normal waking time.
The kids, watching the election results that I have hooked up from our laptop to the full size television screen. Great government and geography lesson!
Sissi has become quite the reader, just like Krypto. She is either reading or drawing most of the time.
I'll update again, this spring, once we get settled back in North Carolina! We'll be doing lots of road schooling and seeing America and family and friends. Should be a super exciting time for our three not-so-little-ones!
