3rd Grade, 2nd Quarter Review

Well, this last quarter wasn't really a quarter, was it?  It went by so fast!  We're half way done with the school year!  It feels like we're just getting started.

Here's what we've been working on:

Language Arts:  We're still working on and loving Queens Language Lessons.  The lessons are gentle, and Millie seems to be absorbing everything.  No tears!

Samantha likes math, too!

Reading:  She reads out loud to Elise every morning still, which is good practice.  She also reads every day while I'm doing preschool with Elise.  I haven't had any control over what she has been reading this quarter.  I'm not sure why, but I didn't have anything planned.  She's been having fun reading lots of American Girl books, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Magic Tree House, and other random book she picks out at the library.

Read Alouds:  This quarter we read Owls in the Family and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Math:  Still plugging away at Saxon 3.  We just started doing square roots.

Science:  We finished up our study of plants, and started up with physics.  I'll be honest, teaching physics a terrible bore for me, and Millie doesn't enjoy it either.  We pretty much gave up on it.  I'm supposed to be teaching it though mid-March, so hopefully I can find it in myself to get back into it.  She's got two outside-of-the-home physics classes scheduled, so if nothing else, she'll get that.



History:  Of course, history has been fabulous!  We are studying the European's arrival to "the new world".  We're using Story of the USA as our spine.  Along with the readings in those books, we read Pedro's Journal, We Asked For Nothing (this was an amazing book.  I highly recommend it.  This book led us to watch several documentaries on Netflix.  It was a great topic that the whole family got into), The Double Life of Pocahontas, Sarah Morton's Day, and Three Young Pilgrims.  We're also reading and doing projects from Easy Make & Learn Projects: Colonial America.

Spelling:  Plugging away with All About Spelling.  This is such a fantastic spelling program!  We're both learning so much!

Phy Ed:  Millie took ice skating lessons, and went swimming a few times.

Art:  She's still taking piano lessons.  It's fun to see her progress!  We did some handy crafts (although not as many as planned!) at home (doll puppets and card making), saw the Nutcracker ballet, and hit up the Children's Museum once per week to make art in the art room.

Outings:  We met up with friends at the Science Museum, Jr. Rangers classes (animal tracks and exploration by the Mississippi River, snow shelter and fire building, and snow shoeing), Minneapolis Institute of Arts to see the Terra Cotta Warriors (once in a lifetime event, here!), space lessons and the opportunity to look through the HUGE telescope at the University of Minnesota, "bring a friend day" at the St. Paul Figure Skating Club, and 4H (she learned how to use a sewing machine!  They made hats to donate to charity).

Christmas:  We spend a lot of time talking about Christmas, and doing service projects, Christmas projects, baking, etc.  It was a wonderful, simple, slow paced Christmas this year.  I loved it!

That about sums it up!  Is there anything I'd change?  Yes!  I need to up the phy ed a bit.  Perhaps we'll get into the outdoor hour again.  Oh, nature study has sort of gone by the wayside.  At least our Jr. Rangers classes are outdoors.  They're so fun!!

What's new for next quarter?  Cursive!!