Aria 2011

Hello all!

We had a great first semester of kindergarten! I am still trying really hard to make sure we are doing the right curriculum and it seems like I daily second guess myself.   Aria is learning primary math and reading (thanks in many ways to my mom in helping me with the reading)  She is also doing: history, English, timeline (see below), Latin, bible, geography, science (we just completed the human body (It was literally like a mini college course on anatomy!!), music (theory and tin whistle and yes I hate teaching this part and pretty much rely on our group and Brendan for help with it!)  We dance around the kitchen constantly and do lots of wiggling in hopes of getting our jitters out.    She continues to study dance and is currently taking ballet and jazz.   We wanted to share just a little bit of what she is learning with those that we love.   I wish we had time to put all of it on here... but Aria tires very quickly of me videotaping our stuff :)  Enjoy!   

Bible:  This is John 1:1-7.  She took about 10 weeks to memorize it.  We have begun learning the passage in Latin.   She already knows all the Latin translations for the words in the passage but is now learning to put them together.   This video is of the English Version:

Dance:  Aria was an angel at Jesus' birth in her dance recital. She seemed quite confident and serene. At one point, she sneezed on her imaginary baby. She told us out of the blue yesterday (weeks afterward) that everyone else was off but she was the only one doing it right. She's a very good mimic and has an amazing memory.  Her ballet school is run by Christians and every year they put on several plays.   We love the community at the school.  Aria is in a class with LOTS of other little homeschoolers and it is a great environment for her.    She still loves dance more than just about anything. She has taught Avrielle several positions in French.     

Timeline:  She has memorized a long historical timeline. She uses picture flashcards and psuedo-sign language (the sign language is in no way ASL.. It is just little movements to help the kids remember) to help her remember it all. She has an amazing memory!  The flashcards are published by a company called Veritas Press that use wonderful art (lots of classics) as the pictures.  She knows what some of the events are but not all of them. It's really fun when we are reading something in history and she recognizes a term or a name from her timeline and puts the stories together.    I helped her a little more than usual in this video... we are just so  proud of her.  

This shows Aria reciting thestates and their capitals, pointing them out on a map. Now she is learning American mountain ranges and bodies of water, rivers, etc.