Friday 20 May 2016

A week of Ambleside Online Years 5 and 11/12 and other happenings


Our 'new look' week is gradually falling into place. Moozle is in the last term of AO Year 5 and Benj is doing selections from AO Years 11 and 12. This year Benj is doing a Certificate IV in the Liberal Arts on Monday & Tuesday of each week so I adjust his AO readings according to his workload for each week. This has put much of my normal timetable on its head and I've had to re-order things so that the lessons we do together can happen when he's home. He's loving this course, which gladdens my heart, because when I asked him how everything went this week his laconic reply was, 'Dense and intense.' The work is a challenge but he's taking it in his stride and is enjoying the stretching process.

He has just started covering the Early Mediaeval History, a favourite time period for him, plus the study of Rhetoric using Aristotle's book (the picture on the cover isn't what I'd call inspirational) :


https://www.bookdepository.com/Rhetoric/9780486437934/?a_aid=journey5



We finished reading and listening to Hamlet. Benj gave an oral narration while Moozle decided she wanted to do a picture narration. This was taken from Act 1, Scene V:




Moozle's narration after reading a chapter from Plutarch's Life of Demetrius:




Benj's free reading:

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll - he hadn't read these previously but he decided for the sake of 'cultural literacy' that he should as there are so many allusions to the books. We have a friend who named her cat, Dinah, so now he knows where she got the inspiration for its name...My favourite source for free classic books has a nicely illustrated kindle version.



The Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tolkein - he said this was a bit sad, but he loves the writing:


http://www.bookdepository.com/The-Children-of-Hurin-J-R-R-Tolkien-Christopher-Tolkien/9780007597338/?a_aid=journey56


AO Year 5 has Kim by Rudyard Kipling scheduled for Literature in Term 3. I was tossing up whether to read this aloud or give the book to Moozle to read for herself. She is a very confident reader but I still read aloud some of her books - mostly those I haven't previewed before, or if, for some other reason, I think I should. We're about half way through Passion for the Impossible, and I'll be going for a few months yet as I only read her a chapter a week; Madame How & Lady Why is another read aloud plus some Australian History titles and Stories From the Faerie Queen, so I decided I'd let her read Kim on her own. I did some research and put together some resources to help her understand the context and background of the story and so far she hasn't had any problems and is enjoying the story. I'll post those later on when I have the time.

Moozle's free reading:

This week the Marguerite Henry books have been all the rage. There are many to choose from and they are all good. The hardback books we've picked up secondhand are nicely illustrated by Wesley Dennis and have larger print. They're expensive to buy online so it's probably best to look out for them in secondhand bookshops.


 

The Misty of Chincoteague Foundation is an interesting website to browse.

The Orchestra Moozle is involved with were given a piece from Peter and the Wolf and they were  asked if they'd heard it before. Two out of about 22 children put their hands up - Moozle being one of them. The piano accompanist with the group was so surprised as it's such a famous piece of music and the kids in the group have been playing for years. Music appreciation isn't just about playing an instrument and even someone who hasn't learned to play an instrument can be at least culturally literate in this area. The video below is about 30 minutes in length and is a wonderful narration and performance of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf. Highly recommended!


                                                                                                                                                                

This year I decided it was time to get back to some home-ed gatherings. I was involved in the home- ed community for a season and made some wonderful friends over the years but for different reasons that hasn't been possible for quite some time. Over the past few months some important commitments shifted to different times and this has freed up Friday afternoons for us. So now we have a fortnightly park day and the past two get togethers have been great catch up times with people I haven't seen for years. I said to my husband after our first park day that I didn't realise how much I needed this connection with others who are on the same journey until after it happened. Besides that, there are so many mothers just starting out and they sometimes just need to see that, yes, it can be done and no, your child will not be ruined for life.


Linking to Weekly-wrap-up

9 comments:

Ruth @ with freedom and books said...

I'm curious about The Children of Hurin. I'll see if my library has it.

Anonymous said...

As always very inspiring!

Warning ...lots of questions:) where is Benj doing his liberal arts... or rather with whom?
Do you meet at Westleigh? I used to meet homeschoolers there and do you know Ingrid B ?
Margaret

Carol said...

Hi Margaret, I put a link to the course here a few weeks ago: http://journey-and-destination.blogspot.com.au/2016/03/weekly-review-first-and-some-changes.html
It is quite a hike to get there but he stays overnight on the Monday, as do the other students. This is the first time it's been offered - email me if you want to know more.
The group I meet with is Hotchpotch & they have park days once a fortnight in about 4 or 5 different locations - Parramatta, Hills area; quite a large radius. We lived in the Parramatta area for years so it's good to catch up with friends we don't see much otherwise. I do know Ingrid - her youngest is at uni now!

Anaise said...

Your posting of the Peter and the Wolf video is serendipitous for me, as I had finding a video of it on my to-do list this week! Thanks!

Carol said...

Glad to have saved you some time. It's well done. Hope you enjoy it!

Anonymous said...

Sorry I missed that info in your post.
Ingrid was my good friend I inherited some of her books:)

Unknown said...

We found a copy of Stormy, and I read the book myself. It's a delightful story, and I can't wait until my youngest daughter is old enough to enjoy it with me. :-)

Natilla said...

Carol. I wasn't brought up in a family listening to classical music at all however never is late to be introduced to this kind of music. By chance I went to an opp-shop and found and old and small picture book of "Peter and the Wolf" the story was lovely. Then at the end of the book it mentions about this piece of music. Well thanks to this picture book I was introduced to this.

Carol said...

My family didn't either, Nat, although we were steeped in folksongs from when we were very little. I was about 20 when I started to listen to classical music so yes, it's never too late!