Weekly Report- Week eleven 2008-09

We had a good week.  Nothing was super exciting as far as school was concerned.  I was thinking today about how well grammar is going.  I had very little grammar in school.  My theory is that my early years in public school they assumed we would learn it later.  Later in Private school I think they assumed we had learned it before.  Hmmmm.  The two years I remember having formal grammar were seventh and eighth grade.  I was homeschooled by a friend in seventh and somehow I managed to keep my head above water through Abeka grammar.  I only had a vague idea of what a noun and a verb were to start with and pretty much felt out of my element the whole time.  In eighth grade I remember memorizing helping verbs but that's it.  Yet, I managed honors English classes in High School.  How does that work?

Around here we use First Language Lessons and then Rod and Staff Grammar.  This is serious grammar, people!

 Today Abigail was working on the different things we capitalize in the English language.  English is the only language that capitalizes the first person pronoun (I).  How is that for arrogance?  The real reason has to do with how it worked out on the printing presses of old but it is rather interesting that we are the only ones who do that.

David has been working on antecedents and verb phrases.  I can't tell you much more than that because my independent boy dislikes me teaching him grammar.  It is much more expedient to read the lesson and complete it on his own.  I tried a couple of weeks ago and was met with "Mooooom, I already read it.  It's not hard!" Ok, I get the picture. [backs slowly away for the pre-teen boy]

J has been learning to diagram for the first time.  One more kid in this world who thinks I am evil!  When he first joined us I started in on verb phrases and soon discovered that he didn't know the definition of a verb!  So much for trusting someone else's testing.  Back to the beginning we go. He is moving right along and should jump up to the next grade level by Spring.

You are now wondering how I could possibly tach grammar after so little exposure.  I am about 50 lessons ahead of David and I actually like diagraming.  I find it fascinating now as an adult.  I love filling in the gaps and it is easier since I am more motivated now than when I was a kid.   

These are pictures of us today just finishing up our end-of-the-week work.  I was taking pictures of the other kids and Miriam says "Picture me too!"  Here she is with her ponies.

David doesn't like having his picture taken 

Abigail teaching multiplication to her ponies.  She informed me today that I need to order her another math book.  She has done about 100 pages this week and finished all of the Beta review pages today.

J drilling math facts.  Not exactly his favorite thing but he will be glad to know them later.  At least that's what I tell him.

~ Christina