Weekly Wrap up!

This week was super wet, so we spent a lot of time indoors. I just recently started going to The Well Trained Mind forum. Oddly enough I have never read The Well Trained Mind. Since then I have seen several discussions on using Cuisenaire Rods for math. I had heard of them before, but never really thought much about them. We have been making a point of doing hands on math over the summer, so I figured why not give them a try. I bought a set off of Ebay for like 12 dollars. It came with rods, a stack of game cards, and a instruction manual. Once I got over the goofy 70's pictures we were off. The kids love the rods especially Sweetpea. We have spent some time playing with them, and doing some of the game cards. Cuisenaire rods are by far the best math manipulative I have used or seen. The learning possibilities are endless, and the kids don't even realize it is school. Other than playing with the rods we have done some MEP (followed by Sweetpea begging to do more), and started reading The Jungle Book. I have been reading A Charlotte Mason Companion, so far it is a great book and I highly recommend it. I also have attempted to get Buster to do narrations this week from The Jungle Book. Attempted is the best word I can use to describe it, so far it is like pulling teeth. I have no idea how to get him to do it right. When I ask him to tell back to me what I have read he will just tell me a handful of key points. I then instructed him to tell it back like a story, and he went into describing the Movie "Jungle Book" instead, which by the way was not like what we had read. If anyone has any narration tips I'm open to suggestions. I was able to get him more into it with "Owl at Home" I had him read the first chapter then I narrated it to him, and then he gave it a go. It went a little better that time, but I guess we just need to practice. I signed both Buster and Sweetpea up for swimming lessons yesterday, and Buster will have his last soccer match of the season tomorrow.

Making pictures with the rods on graph paper.


Counting


Making a staircase pattern



More counting! It was quite funny when I came in the room to Sweetpea playing with the rods yesterday. She had a blue rod(#9) and a white rod(#1)
"Hello 9 I'm 1 if I stand on your head we will be 10" This was totally unprompted and so cute.

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