Mid-Year Evaluation

Two weeks ago we officially hit the half way mark of Year 1 as listed at AmbleSide....ok a few minor changes. ((Like saving AIS until Year 2 and no Trial and Triumph nor Just So Stories))

I thought it would be fun to evaluate how we are doing.

I am not sure who is enjoying the tales more, my son or me. I am really getting a lot out of Aesop and Parables from Nature. I had never even heard of these stories and am very glad to have been introduced to AmbleSide two years ago at our local homeschool support groups panel where several moms volunteered to share about their homeschool day. After that meeting I went home and searched for AmbleSide and fell in love with that first browse through.

This new love fest led to my reading as many books as I could get my hands on regarding Charlotte and her knowledge.

Recently, my son has also started to show that 'click' that all parents who've gone before me and successfully taught a child to read talk about. He's been looking at the guide on the cable box and trying to sound out the cartoon name that is upcoming and reading signs places we go. I'm hoping it won't be long before we can take turns reading the tales because I'm learning that my son is a lot like me in that we are both visual and hands on learners.

I notice he can word for word give a detailed account of something he has either seen or tried but not so much when he just hears it, unless of course it's a song/music piece....so in that regard he's auditory ... but who doesn't easily pick up the words to a song, especially if it's catchy. So for the early introductions to Shakespeare in Year 1, I have come across animated tales and am looking forward to seeing if he ((and I too)) can remember more if we've seen it and not just heard it only. Besides these were originally plays to be watched.

When it comes to the free reading booklist, I've also improvised and gotten as many as I could in DVD format. I've also been finding the Lang Fairy Tales in DVD format ((not necessarily the disney versions)). For example instead of reading The Glass Slipper or watching Disney's Cinderella, we watched Ever After ... yes a 2 hour movie and at first my son was like "groan" but he quickly began to just watch the story unfold. I really like this version, there's no magic ((which the Bible forbids)) and it teaches that people are people no matter there "station" in life. There's still the lesson too that Fairy Tales are "supposed" to teach, that right wins.

Overall I give the first 18-20 weeks of our official Year 1 Journey to be a delight and success.