Homeschooling Jakob

Homeschooling Jakob has been way different than working with Kortney; he needs A LOT more direction and guidance than she does. Although my days with him seem to be a little bit more challenging, we still seem to be getting our work done in a timely manner....most of the time.  I've already seen a huge change in his overall attitude and in general his behavior has improved. He's always a great kid....just doesn't respond to mom properly...which is something we are working on, daily!!! Jake's schedule almost mirrors that of Kortney's with a few differences.

Daily Devotion: Like Kortney, devotion is done first before anything else in the morning. Devotion time consists of prayer time, bible reading, and reading from Chicken Soup for the Pre-Teen's Soul. I have him pray for ten minutes daily. His Bible reading right now is "30 Bible Stories you’ve Never Heard Before."

History: His text is Old World History and Geography in the Christian Perspective. Right now we are learning about Asia....specifically the Fertile Crescent.

Math: Jake is using Saxon Math - Math 7/6. Math has always been one of his strong areas. Part of the reason why I decided to home school him is because his Exceptional Education Counselor from last year felt he needed to be in 7th grade math but was afraid that he was too immature to handle that course and the walk to the middle school without messing around. So...instead of holding him back academically I am teaching him 7th grade math at home so he can continue to thrive in this subject and not become bored with it because he was not allowed to be placed in a more challenging class. Jake's math comes with the teacher videos to supplement my lack of math skills. Jake hates it when I make him watch a video. But...if he's not getting a concept I say, "Oh well, go watch it anyways."

Science: Jake's favorite subject right now is science. I have to admit his science book is pretty awesome. I even tend to read it just for fun. The first chapter we learned about bugs. Now he wants a Praying Mantis as a pet. Thankfully they cannot be ordered until after January. In the meantime, he is going to do some research about them and learn how to care for one. Jake just started a new chapter this week about Mammals and will have a big project due about a specific mammal in a few weeks.

Grammar: Jake seems to be doing pretty well in Grammar. I still sit down with him every day and work on it with him. Maybe it's the English Major in me, but, I want to make sure he's getting the foundation for reading and writing that will help him be successful later in life.

Spelling/Vocab: He does great in this subject. Jake's words seem to be a bit easy for him too. The good thing is that I can use Kortney's words to challenge him if needed.

Literature: Right now Jake is reading from a text called Beyond the Horizon. One of the last stories he read was about the slave Phyllis Wheatly. What I found interesting is that I have actually read several of her writings over the years in one of my hundred English classes that I have taken but I did not know "her" story.

Poetry: Jake seems to like his Poetry. He does quite a bit more work than Kortney does. He has already memorized this huge long poem that I didn't think he would be able to. I underestimated him. One thing that I love about Jake is his never-ending surprises.

PE: Jake starts bowling this Saturday. I think I am also going to put him in a Karate class. I think that would be a great avenue for curbing his excess energy. I noticed during Flag Football Camp this summer that he benefit's from a good workout....LOL!!!

Music: Jakob is my little drummer man. He started playing last October all on his own. He has only had a few lessons. He had one lesson, broke his leg, and then the drum instructor moved away. Jake is a natural on the drums...very talented. If he keeps up the good work, I may cave and buy him an acoustic drum set. I looked at one a few weeks ago but it was not what I was looking for.

Home Economics: This may surprise many of you, but, my Jake loves to cook. Until recently he was not allowed in my kitchen due to his fascination with accidents and spills that I always had to clean. Now that he is able to clean his own messes, I share my kitchen with him once a week. Last week he made Enchilada Casserole. He pretty much did everything himself, including cutting the raw chicken into cubes. Now, with both my kids cooking once a week, I only have to cook 4-5 days. AWESOMESS!!! Below are some pictures of Jake's first meal that he prepared.

I'm very proud of Jake and the

young man he is becoming!!!