New Directions in Education

We've been using our new Sonlight materials for a short time now and I'm slowly figuring out how to include the extra subjects that weren't on the main daily planner pages. I've even added one more.

So this past several days besides math, history, science, and grammar, I've started the spelling and handwriting books that were included with the curriculum package. We've never had a formal program for these subjects before. It's interesting. The spelling, although it sometimes feels a bit too beginner level for my girls, is actually pretty good. It teaches how to figure out the spelling of larger words by starting with a small word in the middle that you can already spell and working your way out in both directions. So for the word "beginning" you'd start with "in" and then add "ning" and then "be" and finally the "g". It's different, but it works.

For handwriting they are learning cursive this year. We touched on it briefly last year, so they can both write their names in cursive. With this book they are starting with the "c" curved lowercase letters. So far they've done "c,a,d,g" and "q". They're both doing really well with it.

On top of all the other subjects I recently purchased a reproducible book that teaches music theory. They are starting with the basics, drawing a staff, numbering the lines and spaces, drawing whole notes on the correct line or space, etc. I wish I had learned this stuff as a kid, too.