School Recap: May

We finished out our school year in May. A lot of it was spent reviewing things we've covered throughout the year. I can't believe how much the girls have learned and remember! I'm so proud of them and have absolutely loved my time with them this year! Our monthly focus was capacity/measurements because I knew we could do a lot of fun hands on activities since we were running low on other school work. Here are a few snapshots of some of the things we did: 

You can click on the pictures for a better view

I gave them gallon, quart, pint, and cup sized containers and had them take notes and figure out on their own how much was in each one. We also used this story about the Land of Gallon and created little storyboards to help them remember how many quarts are in a gallon, etc.

We did some fraction work and then put it into practice through some baking. They followed a recipe, measured, poured, stirred, baked (in an easy bake oven), decorated, and ate little cakes all on their own.

We measured gummy worms and then stretched them out and measured them again to see how they grew. We used the information to create math problems.

The measuring scavenger hunt I made up for them was a big hit. They had to find 4 items for each page's description (things less than 2 inches, things less than 6 inches, things less than 12 inches, things between 1 and 3 feet, and things that are 5 feet or more.)

They really got into this game too. They used party blowers with velcro attached to the bottom to pick up cards that had objects written on them. They had to decide the best way to measure that object (ounces, pounds, tons) and place it in the proper category. They needed a little help with a few, but I think they learned something in the process.

I decided to give Emma Lee a standardized end of the year test this year (we're not required to until the 3rd grade). She was a little nervous about not knowing what to expect, but although we don't have the results back yet, I know that she did great! During the testing time, Andy took Kerri strawberry picking so the house would be distraction free. ;) Kerri did a lot of picking and eating and had a good time with her daddy.

 

We met back up and had an end of the year celebration at Chuck E. Cheese's. I think they're starting to realize that the little baby rides are not quite as much fun as they used to be, and they are all about searching for the games that can give the most tickets!

 

 Here are a couple pictures of them on their last day of school for this year (and just for fun - pictures from the first day of school for this year to compare).

Last day of school - 2011/2012

Last day of school - 2011/2012

First day of school - 2011/2012

First day of school - 2011/2012

They look forward to having a summer reading chart every year, so we're doing that again this summer. This year, instead of them earning lots of little prizes, we set a large goal for them both (Emma Lee - 50 chapter books and Kerri - 50 chapters), and if they meet it they get to take a trip to Build-a Bear. Although it sounded like a lot to all of us in the beginning, I'm starting to realize that I think we really set the bar low! Here's a picture I took today of their progress:

Guess we'll be making that trip sooner than I thought!

That Emma Lee loves to read is pretty much a given around here, but I'm so excited about how into reading Kerri is getting! (Although maybe it's just because she's been begging for a Build-a-Bear trip for a while....) I've haven't once said anything to her about her reading. She's picking up books all the time and not wanting to put them down until she's finished with them. 

We're taking this homeschooling thing one year at a time. We're constantly reevaluating what's the best decision for our family for the stage that we're in and know that it will look a little different next year and in the years to come. I have absolutely loved this past year. We've made some great friends, covered a lot of material, and learned a whole lot. I wouldn't trade the extra time I've gotten with my two girls for anything. They truly are a joy to teach and to be with, and I'm so grateful that I've had this opportunity and look forward to being their primary teacher again next year. For now, though, here's to a great summer full of fun activities (with some lazy days thrown in there for good measure)!