Weekly update for week of 10/22/12

I don't have very many pictures this week.  Not sure what happened. N. did lots of fun things, but I guess I just enjoyed in the moment and didn't snap pics. 

This week he started a new project build for Science.  He built a circuit board.  I do end up being an extra set of hands with this.   Also I usually do the glue gun because his tremors make it very difficult to get the glue right where he wants it.  He was very excited that the light bulbs actually lit up when he connected the board to batteries.  Of course he had to be goofy when the camera came out.

In the Inventor study he finished his reading on Thomas Edison from "Four American Inventors".  He gained a new appreciation for Edison by reading this book.

For his history project he tried to duplicate a painting of Cornwallis Surrendering.  He did a pretty good job.  It might look messy to most people, but I know how tough it is for him to color this kind of detailed work.

He continues to work really hard during the school day.  He starts at 8 and takes a 15 minute break for snack and then takes about a 45 minute lunch.  This means most days he is done around 2.  He has had a few days that go longer than that, but mostly because he has a co-op class that requires about 1/2 hr of reading during the week so the days he does that go longer. 

I did make a concession with his written narrations this week.  I am letting him take notes if he needs to.  In theory it adds time to how long this takes him, but in reality it really doesn't.  If he doesn't take notes he has to go back and look at and sometimes completely re-read sections in order to remember what happened.  It really isn't a matter of him not paying attention when he reads.  It is due to his short term memory issues.  If he takes 1 word notes he is able to then remember what the book says and does very good narrations.

For Storytime we are reading "The Reb and the Redcoats".  We are both thoroughly enjoying this book.  It is a very different look at the Revolutionary War. 

He continues to do well with Grammar and Dictation.  He is having to redo a lot fewer passages this year in dictation.  We are doing it 4 days a week and I think that helps.