Summary of 2010-2011

In the midst of summer swimming lessons, Vacation Bible School, Tuesday themed camps, piano lessons, and preparing for upcoming vacations, I've attempted to pull together a summary of what Emily Anne accomplished this year.

ART (Co-op Course; 3rd Year of Study)
• Sketched from models

• Used a variety of mediums, including oil pastels, watercolors, pencils, & pastel pencils

• Experimented with light & shadow



BIBLE
• Completed Topic Studies on Pride, Blame, Selfishness, & Defiance

• Memorized Psalms 1, 8, 23, & 121

• Memorized Methodist Episcopal Catechism (God’s Nature & Attributes; the Person of God)



EARTH SCIENCE

• Identified crust, mantle, inner core, and outer core of earth

• Identified igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock

• Identified how fossils are formed

• Understood basic structure of minerals and gems

• Understood basic plate tectonics and formation of mountains

• Studied volcanoes, earthquakes, and geysers

• Studied planets, moon, and stars (participated in portable planetarium presentation from STARLAB from the SC State Museum)

• Studied atmosphere, air, weather, and climate

• Identified stratus, cumulus, and cirrus clouds as indicators of weather

• Studied weather and wind, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes

• Studied ocean currents, waves, and tides, along with ocean floor and ocean zones



HANDWRITING
• Completed Zaner-Bloser Handwriting 2C

• Formed letters correctly

• Wrote with good shape, size, spacing, & slant



HISTORY
• Completed The Story of the World, Vol. 2: The Middle Ages (From the Fall of Rome to the Rise of the Rennaissance), by Susan Wise Bauer

• Listened to readings and wrote narrations of each section of the 42 chapters; some of Emily Anne’s favorites were:

o Eric the Red Discovers Greenland

o Joan of Arc

o The Princes in the Tower

o Ferdinand & Isabella Unite Spain

o Christopher Columbus and His New Discovery

o Gutenberg Invents the Printing Press

o Elizabeth Becomes Queen of England

• Listened to additional read-alouds that tied into various historical periods (See Reading Log)

• Read additional chapter and picture books that tied into various historical periods (See Reading Log)



LANGUAGE ARTS
• Studied Grammar through First Language Lessons, Vol. 2 by Susan Wise Bauer, the topics of which included:

o Memorized State of Being, Linking, & Helping Verbs

o Commas in Dates & Addresses & in a Series

o Contractions

o Adjectives & Adverbs

o Conjunctions

o Memorized the Prepositions

o Synonyms & Antonyms

o Direct & Indirect Quotations

• Reinforced these Grammar Topics through Copywork

• Memorized the Following Poems:

o “Ooey Gooey”

o “The Swing” by Robert Louis Stevenson

o “Persevere”

o “After the Party” by William Wise

o “The Vulture” by Hilaire Belloc

o “The Secret” by Emily Dickinson

o “Who Has Seen the Wind?” by Christina Rossetti

o “The Owl & the Pussycat”

o “The Duel” by Eugene Field



MATH
• Completed Saxon 3

• Struggled with Math Facts using flash cards and computer games for reinforcement until we began reciting them (Emily Anne is definitely an auditory learner!)



PIANO
• Learned treble and bass clefs

• Learned counts of quarter, half, whole, and dotted half notes

• Accomplished playing with left and right hands in a variety of songs

• Scored Superior at Hartsville Piano Festival



READING/LITERATURE
• Increased fluency in reading aloud

• Continued to use phonics knowledge as word attack skills

• Increased speed in silent reading

• Enriched vocabulary in silent reading and read-alouds

• Exposed to a variety of literature (biography, nonfiction, fiction, poetry)

• See attached Reading Log



SPELLING

• Completed Spelling Workout B

• Completed through Lesson 24 of Spelling Workout C

• Continued applying phonics rules to correct spelling of words





WRITING
• Completed Beginning Institute for Excellence in Writing Course

o Learned to replace weak words with stronger ones using a thesaurus

o Completed the process of key-word outlines, rough drafts, editing, and final drafts for fables and nonfiction paragraphs

o Practiced combining sentences using dependent clauses

o Enlivened writing by adding adverbs, adjectives, and

• Completed  Writing with Ease, Vol. 2 by Susan Wise Bauer

o Progressed from writing short copywork sentences to longer ones containing direct quotations

o Progressed from writing very short sentences from dictation to two or more sentences from dictation

o Progressed from narrations of one or two sentences to paragraphs

o Wrote many unassigned, creative pieces