XTRA!

The new system for earning Xtra Computer time seems to be going well. Monday Ki and Connor choose to ride bikes. Gavin choose to read on Monday. Tuesday I don't think we will not do extra Computer time. We are out of the house a lot on Tuesdays. Today Gavin choose to write paragraphs (4). Connor choose to do push up. He has to do 20 without stopping to get 10 computer minutes. He earned 40 computer minutes. Ki hasn't decided yet. He said he might do reading. So, you can see the pattern here. Gavin likes reading and writing; non-physical activities. Connor prefers physical activities. Ki likes a mixture.

Today we looked at our sciences for this year. So far it all looks good.

Ki and I read part of his Zoology book together. We read how the book is set up and how to use the book. We looked at the different lessons, the notebook activities for each chapter,the science experiments and the project for the book. We talked about how he wants to break down each chapter. Then we found a box for his Ocean Box and he choose a notebook to use.

Gavin spent some time going over links that describe careers in robotics and computer science. ( link 1, link2, link 3) then read the introductory portions of his Physics CD-Rom. I told him that as long as he was responible in getting his CD Rom done, then it's all his decision on when and how to do it. But, for example, if I ask to look at his Physics Notebook to see where he is in 2 weeks and he only has 1/2 a page of scribbles and no notes, then I'll start assigning things. I'm sure he'll do well. I need to talk to him about experiments. He needs to tell me a couple days before he wants to do the experiment so I can make sure we have the items and the time.

Connor read at a few different websites I have him using for Geology. I told him to take notes. I'm sure he didn't take good ones. So I'll need to work with him on note taking. And I need to give him weeky assignments for his Geology to keep him on track.

On Mon,Wed,Fri Ki does 15 minutes of Aleks Quicktables. On Mondays he does 20 minutes of other Aleks work. He can choose what math to do the rest of the days of the week. Today he choose to do his 20 minutes in Miquon.

Gavin and Connor do 35 minutes of Aleks daily. but sometimes gavin will ask if he can design mechwarriors and do calculation for the mechs as his math. I let him. That's what he did yesterday. Gavin is good about not asking to do stuff like that for math daily. He does his Aleks most days and every now and then asks to do somehting different.

Ki earned 35 cents for our Geo Mind Builders today. The first 10 cents was kind of a freebe. I offered him a dime to tell me the difference between maps and globes. He needed some geography confidence. It seemed to work. His hand was first up when I asked today's question. What is the imganiary line called that circles the middle of the earth. No one knew any of the other question.
Name the imaginary line that...
b. sperates one day from the next.
c. marks 0* longitude (I gave Connor a dime for looking it up on Google.com)
d. Seperates the tropics from the temperate region in the southern hemisphere.

Then we got out the map ( the globe didn't make the trip from Ohio) and talked about all of those things and went over the questions agaiin to make sure they got them all.

I read from Story of the World. The boys did their reading in the Bible today.

Gavin and Connor are still answering the S.A.T. questions of the day. Gavin does them daily and gets them right most of the time. I'm not sure how often Connor does them. Gavin lets us know, Connor doesn't.

I finally have my schedules and routines figured out and in place. Today is Farmer's Market day! Kettle Corn and Churros! (and some fresh fruit)

And Brian bought a Miata so he can drive to work and we have the van if we need to go somewhere.