Friday Progress Report

We're finishing up our first week of this new school year with some curriculum changes and more chores; here's our progress report: We've had a good week! We're back on a more structured routine with starting back to school & it is a good thing! I have printed out "Daily Routine" charts for the kids just to help remind them of things we would like them to do each day - Once they do something it gets checked off in the box for that day. They both love it! I have to say that with a better structure & more "things" required of the kids each (as opposed to our totally relaxed summer schedule), it was a very nice week. The house was cleaner (since Becky is loving this chart thing!) - She's vacuumed, made her bed & kept her room clean every day, & her favorite thing - Setting & clearing the table after each meal - I printed "instruction sheets" of how to properly set the table & how to clear the table (where to put dirty dishes, how to wipe the table with a warm washcloth, etc...) Matthew has a routine chart also & for him I put cute clip art since he can't read yet & it says things like "Get Dressed", "Brush Teeth" & "make bed". He's into doing everything except the making the bed - He has a mental block on it - He doesn't even want to try! But we'll keep working on that...

School-wise things are great so far, although Becky didn't realize that usually the first week or two of school are a review...She will be having a spelling test today & she actually can't wait! Matthew is enjoying his preschool work and all of the read alouds that we are doing. I am doing a much more relaxed school day this year & it feels much better. Of course we are covering the basics each day as far as Math & Language (phonics, spelling, writing) are concerned and then we are doing Bible, social studies, science, art, music, gym/health and everything else all throughout the week...The kids have made ABC Album scrapbooks this week & predecorated the pages with one letter of the alphabet on each page - The plan is for them to record different things we do in school or as a family throughout the year by adding pictures (and short sentences for Becky to write - Matthew can dictate his & I will write them for him). We are also going to make a school notebook today which will have sections for each subject so we can put in the completed work pages and keep an organized record of what each child did this year - I think it will be nice to look back at in years to come!

Well, this was my Friday Progress Report of our first week back at school ~ I am looking forward to the nice long holiday weekend & having Danny home with us! The kids really miss him when he is at work. We have our annual church picnic this weekend which is always a LOT of fun & some other things planned, as well as just a lot of hanging out & relaxing! :)