Do we know how to do the first week or school, or what?

September 06, 2014

We have rather successfully survived the first week of school. There were only two days where we did actual book work, which seemed just about right for starting into our regular routine. One of the things we are studying this year is the Middle Ages, and the first things we are is Britain in the years before 1000 AD. That means Beowulf and illuminated manuscripts. We have had a couple of long listening sessions and are now nearly through with Stories of Beowulf Told to Children which is a Beowulf retelling by H. E. Marshall. It was published in 1908, so the language is a bit archaic, but it works with the sags style of the story. None of the children (including G. and L.) have had difficult understanding the story and they have loved the long story. One of the things I had them do during one of our reading sessions was to color their initial letter like an illuminated manuscript.

First we learned about illuminated manuscripts and looked at various pictures of the real thing. I had purchased some parchment-like paper and photocopied each person's letter for them to color. (I used A Medieval Alphabet Coloring Book published by Bellerophon for the images.) I provided metallic pens and set them loose.

H. and P.

K. and L.

D. and G.

Then yesterday, we headed out for another field trip, this time to Old World Wisconsin. This time we saw the Norwegian and Finnish farms.

In the old school house.

Playing with hoops for 'recess'. A word to the wise from K., be careful, because if your stick slips it can hit your face and make your nose bleed.

There were also horses. This is one of their Percheron. He is 19 hands. A hand is four inches and horses are measured to the withers (the base of the neck). He's a big fellow.