Report Cards and Updates

Thought it was about time for an update to our home school escapades!  We made it through the first quarter and the kids are doing so great.  We are so pleased with their progress!

I tried to summarize what Audrey is doing so far below so you have a glimpse of how she is doing, but this is certainly not everything.  I am proud for them about that.  There isn't enough paper in the world to fit all that they are experiencing and learning on a daily basis.  But here is a glimpse anyway:

Reading:
 Audrey loves to read.  She is making very good progress with her '100 Easy Steps Book', especially if she takes her time.  Audrey has an amazing memory and can memorize simple books almost ver-batum after being read it one or two times.  She has excellent recall and can remember events (in order) of a story.  She gets flustered easily if she gets a sound wrong in her lesson but is typically able to rebound and finish the lesson correctly.  Audrey can write her first and last name in Upper and Lowercase.  She is also able to read certain words from sight.

Math:
Audrey can add and subtract very well in case scenarios.  For example, when baking Audrey was told to put 8 cups of flour in the bowl.  She scooped and leveled 4 cups and then she said "4 more."  Then she added 2 more cups and said "2 more."  She knows the value of a penny, nickle, dime, and quarter and she can correctly place them in order from least to greatest.  She can count from 1-100 very well.  She can count by 5s only missing a few, and she can count by 10s to 100.  She is excellent at patterns, both making them, and solving problems with the missing pattern.  She plays board games and card games very well: taking turns, adding up scores, matching, counting spaces.

Bible:
Audrey has an amazing memory and recall of stories.  She remembers details of Bible stories and she is able to re-inact scenes from the story accurately.  She excels at memorizing Bible verses, lyrics to worship songs, etc.  She prays powerfully.  She loves God.

 Books:
Audrey loves to read.  She loves any kind of story.  She gets so excited when she reads in her '100 Easy Steps' book.  She can retell stories very well including appropriate content.  We go to the library and check out 20 books every week on various topics and we read them all!  Audrey can then be found reading them to her doll babies later in the day.

Life Skills:
Audrey can dress herself and she matches.  She can tie her own sneakers and she can zipper jackets.  She brushes her own teeth and wipes herself very well after using the bathroom.  She uses her stool and climbs on things so that she can reach and accomplish tasks.  She can make and clean up peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  She can measure and follow baking instructions.  She knows how to level off the scoop, crack eggs, use the microwave.  She can make her bed, clean her room, vaccume, take the trash to the front, buckle herself into the car seat.  She can open and operate ABC mouse.com by herself on the laptop.

Science/Geography:
Audrey already has 18 of the States and Capitals memorized and can identify them on the map.  She is familiar with the outdoors, different kinds of plants and insects.  She is becoming familiar with taking an orange, making it into juice, and putting it into the freezer for ice pops.

PE/Arts:
Audrey is extremely artistic.  If I tell her to draw a picture of Moses and the burning bush, she always adds multiple details on her own: she will say "this is an angel over here and this is God here telling moses what to do.  And look at all the sores on his one hand (from the leperosy) and the sheep over here."  She can follow multiple step instructions (up to 7 instructions in order is the most we have tried) on the outdoor obstacle courses we rig up.  She can ride her bike without training wheels.

I have not written out Paulie's report card yet but he is really surprising us in how well he keeps up with Audrey being that he is a whole year younger than her.  One HUGE accomplishment as of last week is that Paulie can ride his bike without training wheels now!  He is so proud of himself!

I think most of all we love being able to spend so much time together as a family.  Teaching the kids to be kind to each other, to be obedient and loving, and to form habits such as making their beds every day and cleaning their rooms.  My goals for this first year are really just that: to make the kids interested in reading, forming good habits, following instructions, being kind and obedient, praying for people, loving each other.  It is a lot to bite off but we are getting there.  Of course as always I feel beyond blessed to Paul for working so hard so that this is even possible.  What a lucky wife and kids we are to have him in our lives!

Keep us in your prayers.  We love you all!