Wednesday, August 29, 2007

iPod Time

We've been calling our first subject of the day "Memory Time". Some families start their day with a Circle Time or Gathering Time, a time for the family to have devotions, read a story together, maybe sing some songs. Ours is sort of a cross between Circle Time and the Simply Charlotte Mason Scripture Memory System, pulled together by my favorite homeschooling tool, the iPod. Mary's learning both Greek and Spanish this year, so there's plenty to memorize, along with poetry and math facts. I've created a playlist called Schoolwork, and I update it every night for the following day's memory work. Tomorrow's list includes the Greek alphabet, her first Greek memory verse, a Spanish song, a few songs for Audrey's enjoyment, and Mary's piano pieces and ear-training exercises. We sometimes include songs we want to learn. The first week of school we learned Lord of the Dance and Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini. We're all classics, all the time, here at the Learn-O-Rama.

The poems and math facts aren't on the iPod, they're just printed out and filed in our Memory Folder. I'm thinking of having Mary record them in Garage Band so we can put them in our playlist and she can recite along with herself. Last weekend she went to an Apple Youth Workshop and created three songs in Garage Band, so she's our resident Garage Band expert.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Audrey Math

Scott and Audrey were playing Three Billy Goats Gruff in the bathtub. They had four fish, and Scott said they needed three fish to be the billy goats, and asked Audrey how they could make four into three. She thought about it, then split the four into two groups of two. Scott had her count the fish, then asked again how she could make four into three. She said, "You do it." So Scott took one fish away and asked, "Now how many fish are there?" Audrey knocked the rest of the fish into the tub and announced, "Zero!"

Soup of the Day

We're studying alliteration this month. Today we read a funny poem by Jack Prelutsky, "Gloppe's Soup Shoppe". Gladiola Gloppe's menu includes soups such as Salamander Salmon Slug, Bat Begonia Barley Bug, and Rutabaga Bacon Barracuda Bran. Mary was pretty grossed out by some of Gloppe's offerings, so she made up her own soups. Here's the menu at Marvelous Mary's Soup Shop:
Monday: Marvelous Mango
Tuesday: Tasty Turkey Tomato
Wednesday: Weight Watchers' Special
Thursday: We're closed on Thursdays (because we couldn't think of any foods that start with TH)
Friday: Fantastick Fish Fins (she spelled it that way because it's sticky soup)
Saturday: Sweet and Savory Soup
Sunday: Sour and Savory Soup
If you come on a day off from your work, you get Day Off Devour

Can anybody help us with a soup for Thursday?