School is going well so far. We seem to be getting to everything we want to get to each week...Algebra, English, and Languages a good 4 days a week and Science and History alternating so they get done 2-3 days a week. I just put Music Theory back into the schedule as well.
Due to a summer that was busier than expected, Haley did not do any math for a couple months so we are working through the beginning of Algebra 1 slowly. The beauty of homeschooling is that we can stay on a topic until she has it. Dylan is doing Algebra 1 Honors in high school this year and is moving at roughly the same pace covering similar topics each week.
The K12 Literature course is going well though it requires quite a bit more work every day than she's ever done before. Haley wrote a wonderful essay on a literary character last week and I was impressed. She used evidence from the book, transitional words, and organized it with very little help from me. It was her first non-fiction work. I like having everything laid out so I have very little planning to do and it is such a complete course.
Chemistry is going well. We are moving right along learning about the Periodic Table. In history we are learning about the Ancients using a high school level text and Haley is working on a lap book where she is compiling everything she is learning.
Haley is doing a wonderful job with her violin practice. It is really neat to see how she is maturing in her ability to focus on what needs work and learning to practice with purpose. I am mostly just sitting there and being a sounding board at this point. Heh, not always the best one because often if she is playing a wrong note and it sounds good, I just don't catch it. Haley likes for me to sit and listen to her practice so it works well. She has everything she wants to practice on a chart and works each day to get it completed.
My biggest job during her practice is to play PT and remind Haley about her posture. Six months ago at her well check-up the doctor noticed a slight curvature in her spine (2-3 degrees). I started having her do core muscle strengthening exercises and I became more in-tune to how she was standing during violin practice. When you are doing something 3-4 hours a day, it is important to use proper posture and Haley often, especially when fiddling, will tilt onto one hip. She went back to the doctor yesterday to have a scoliosis check. It has not progressed and the doctor feels it is postural rather than fixed...Haley can correct it when she thinks about it, so they aren't going to do anything except watch it at this point.
When her school day is finished, Haley enjoys watching videos on crafting and making either the crafts she has seen in the video or something of her own design. She has tiny little doll things all over the place. She also makes jewelry. I think learning to knit again would be a good project for this winter...I hate to knit when it is hot out for some reason (something about the feel of wool when it's hot).
