Homeschool Update - English.

We're going to be finishing second-grade Spelling before the New Year. We'll also be starting a new English unit on writing a persuasive essay. I'm not sure how much progress Elf and Emperor have made this year, although I could tell you that they have learned specific things such as distinguishing verb tenses and how to create a possessive noun. (Note I didn't tell you that they apply this knowledge correctly in every instance.)

The boys are excellent readers, but don't seem to enjoy writing nearly so much. With writing, once we're past that first draft "slap your ideas down on paper" kind of stage, it becomes work. They see where sentences need to be added or deleted. Punctuation is still used and capitalization doesn't seem to go out of style with old Mom. She's such a stickler about it, too. I know we've learned how to put commas and quotation marks in when someone is speaking, but this has been long forgotten. Thankfully, I can use this forgetfulness as an opportunity for growth. (Yay.)

I'm finding it slow going, though. When I circle a mis-spelled word on the paper that has been a spelling word about ten weeks running, it's frustrating for all concerned. I am going to try for shorter writing assignments on most days and see if we can't get the children to blog a few of these occasionally.

The boys enjoy short worksheet-type reading assignments, and reading longer passages for fun. Some of their language and ideas can be rather inventive. Did you know that it's a scientific fact that when I call Emperor from another room, that he's "almost certainly" in trouble? Yes, it is. Emperor, I suppose, has tested this theory and found it to be true.