Our Routine for Year 5

As we haven't started our new term yet, I am not able to write a day-in-the-life post.  However, I do have some idea of how our day should turn out when we start.

The basic structure of our day goes like this:

• Wake up
• Breakfast
• Morning chores
• Morning lessons part 1
• Break
• Morning lessons part 2
• Lunch
• Lunchtime chores
• Afternoon lessons

However, no two days are the same, as most homeschoolers will tell you.

The timetable above reflects the emphasis that I feel is needed in Tiger's Logic Stage years: English, specifically writing.  I have been very gentle with Tiger when it comes to the process of writing in his elementary school years, giving him time to develop his fine motor skills and build up his stamina to write more than one sentence at a time.

This past summer we have done a few dictation sessions and some copywork.  The outcomes of those far-and-few sessions show me that Tiger is now ready to write for a longer time than before and is ready for some formal instructions to get him started on the road to writing.  While some children are natural writers who can write long compositions with zero or minimal instructions, Tiger is not one of them, and he recognises this in himself.  To this end, he feels more comfortable having some kind of structure to guide him along (as do I!) and he sees the value of using a formal writing programme to bridge the (very wide) gap between his reading level and his writing level, so we'll be spending most of our time in the new year to develop his writing ability.

This seems like a U-turn from our more autonomous approach from a year ago.  It is in some ways, in that there are certain basic skills that Tiger needs to master before he can confidently progress onto the next level of learning.  Acquiring these skills (e.g. writing) isn't always going to be fun or easy, so if I didn't plan them into our week, there is a very high chance that they will get pushed aside and we will not have progressed at all on those specific areas by next summer.  The timetable helps us stay focused on our tasks but we are not bound by the clock to move to the next subject if and when a topic really takes our interest.  Homeschooling allows us to maintain a high degree of autonomy and flexibility in our learning approach while keeping a focus on achieving the goals that we have set for ourselves.

Having a timetable while maintaining an interest-led approach makes perfect sense to me but perhaps not so much to the reader yet.  Afterall, I do have the advantage of having all my plans, schedules, activities and calendar at hand so I have a clear view of what's going to happen.  We shall see how the new year pans out.  It promises to be a very busy and exciting year of learning.

Each year our approach seems to alter just ever so slightly:

• Year 2's schedule
• Year 3's schedule
• Year 4's non-schedule and how our day looked like

This post is linked up to:

1. The Homeschool Mother's Journal (8/23/14)
2. 6th Annual "Not" Back-to-School Blog Hop: Day-in-the-Life Week
3. Hip Homeschool Hop - 8/26/14
4. Finishing Strong #27 - Electives
5. Collage Friday - Who Let the Homeschoolers Out?
6. Weekly Wrap-up: Pre-Break Week

Spirits of the Summer

The seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar is known as the "ghost month".  It is the month where the spirits of the deceased from netherworld are allowed to roam the living realm.  More specifically, a festival of rituals and offerings is held on the 15th day of the seventh month, when (according to traditional Chinese beliefs) the gates of hell open.

This festival is observed by both Taoists and Buddhists, for slightly different reasons.  To the Taoists, the festival is called Zhongyuan Jie (中元节) while the Buddhists call it Ullambana (盂兰盆会).  While there are certainly differences in the Taoists' and the Buddhists' rituals to honour the deceased, they share the goals of:

• deliverance of suffering of the deceaseds' souls;
• reminding the Chinese people the importance of filial piety and compassion;
• bringing hope to those who are alive that their loved ones are in a better place.

As this is one of the traditional Chinese festivals, practices and interpretation of the festival have been amalgamted with folk traditions of ancestral worship to form a rather unique, grassroot type of mixed practice for the layman (i.e. those who are neither strictly Taoist nor strictly Buddhist) where many taboos are observed and a lot of paper offerings are burnt with a view that they will bring the deceased an 'easier' life in the netherworld.

I personally prefer the Buddhist story that explains the origin of the festival, because it emphasizes filial piety and the importance of living a life guided by moral principles.

In Asia, the rituals of the seventh lunar month are widely observed.  With many ghost stories and folklores being told amongst friends at this time, alongside the frequent sights of burning paper offerings and religious rituals, whether you like it or not, you will feel a slightly different atmosphere in the air.  There is not a hint of this festival in the UK, and it being the summer here, there is none of that ghostly feeling that one gets in Asia during this time.  However, I would like Tiger to know about this significant Chinese festival in relation to some of the important moral values in the Chinese tradition so I asked him to read up on this festival:

before showing him the clip below to let him have a sense of what it would be like to be watching an actual street performance of the Buddhist story of Mulian saving his mother:

Other than street performances, there are other more formal Chinese opera performances of the same story.  We watched one of them (see the clip below) and talked about the similarities and differences between a formal performance and a street performance in terms of the quality of the stage, costume, props, and skills required by the actors.

Of course, one cannot make a fair comparison between a street performance (where anyone can stop by and watch the show for free) and a formal performance (with a much bigger budget and crew, and where people pay to watch the show).

Tiger has watched La Boheme at the Royal Opera House before, so it has been interesting for him to note the differences between Chinese operas (in general) and Western operas in terms of style and stage techniques.

While we are not going to burn any paper offerings or observe any religious rituals while we live in the UK, I was still able to observe the festival in a small way: by making a simple stir-fry vegetarian dish using 10 different ingredients:

1. bean sprouts
2. bamboo shoots
3. water chestnuts
4. toufu
5. green beans
6. carrots
7. pak choi
8. courgette
9. green pepper
10. celery

This post is linked up to:

1. Hip Homeschool Hop - 8/19/14   
2. Finishing Strong - Homeschooling the Middle & High School Years #25  
3. History and Geography Meme #131
4. Collage Friday
5. Weekly Wrap Up: The one with all the cell division
6. The Homeschool Mother's Journal (8/23/14)

Half Way Through Our Summer

How has your summer been?  I hope it has been a very good one.  I know that most of our American friends have started their new academic year.  In Britain, summer holidays last until the end of August or early September, so we are just in the middle of our summer break.

Our summer break has been a good one so far.  We've managed to do all that I said we would do for the summer, so that's great.  This must be the first time we have kept to our summer plan, and I rather like the sense of achievement that comes with ticking off the boxes (in my head) even if that applies to summer activities.  I might try to replicate this stick-to-the-plan approach when we start the new academic year, some time in September, and see how we fare.

Anyhow, here's a quick round up of what we've been up to in the past few weeks:

1.  Classical singing school

This went spectaculary well for us.  During the week-long course, Tiger was exposed to much singing techniques, musical games, and music history.  The repetoire of songs was quite wide -- the children were taught Latin songs, Swahili folk songs, a medieval choral, and a few contemporary (not pop, or anything to be heard on popular radio stations) songs set to poetry.

Before the course started, I wasn't sure how Tiger would respond to it, as he was rather shy about singing out loud and in front of other people.  At the end of the first day, he told me that he enjoyed it very much and he was very receptive to all the games and musical history that were taught to the group.  Although he still won't sing out loud in public, he says he wants to attend future sessions of this course, so at the very least the course has achieved the purpose that I wanted for Tiger, i.e. to be able to enjoy singing as a form of self-expression.  We are not aiming for Tiger to become a choir boy or to aspire toward a singing scholarship.  My goal is very simple: to ensure that Tiger doesn't have any self-inhibitions about singing as a natural human activity.

2.  Photography and 2D animation course

This course was held at one of the leading university's School of Creative Arts.  Tiger was very impressed with the university's professional photography studio (he came home after the photography class and asked whether we could have a similar set up at home) and the animation labs.  In that week, Tiger was taught some cool tricks on Photoshop and Adobe Flash.

3.  Plays at Shakespeare's Globe

This season's plays at the Globe seem to be mostly tragedies or historical plays, which are heavier going compared to previous years' shows.  Titus Andronicus was particularly difficult to watch due to the amount of gore and violence written into the script.  I had to brief Tiger beforehand about a few scenes and put them in context for him.  Even so, I had to censor a few scenes during the play whereby I asked Tiger to cover his ears and look down at his shoes until I told him that it was ok to resume watching.

It is, by far, the most gripping and disturbing play I've watched.  I was on the edge of my seat through most of the play, and had probably forgotten to breathe on several occasions that afternoon.

4.  In the woods

We spent some time in the woods before the weather turned, but not as much as we did in the previous years.  We miss our long walks and adventures in the forest!

5.  Closer to home

While we were not running around outside, Tiger spent his time inventing adventures for himself in the garden, or we would hang out in bookshops to read.  On a few of the short walks we would make time to stop and chat to the friendly animals we met on the way.

One day, Tiger spent an hour in his room making a necklace for me.

There was a lot of banging and knocking sounds coming from his room that morning.  If I didn't know otherwise, I would have thought a blacksmith lived upstairs!

When the noise finally stopped, Tiger presented the necklace to me.  I think it's beautiful, and exceptionally well designed with the twists and turns on the pendant reminding me of Celtic jewellery.

 

I don't know whether Tiger was inspired to make the necklace after learning about the Qixi festival a few weeks ago.  Sometimes it is appropriate to just accept a gift without asking too many questions.  Tiger has always presented me with small handmade items since he was very little, so this might just be another one of his loving gestures.  He is a very affectionate boy -- much like his father -- and this warms my heart more than the summer sun does.


This post is linked up to:

1. Hip Homeschool Hop - 8/19/14   
2. Finishing Strong - Homeschooling the Middle & High School Years #25  
3. Virtual Refrigerator Blog Hop 
4. Collage Friday
5. Weekly Wrap Up: The one with all the cell division
6. The Homeschool Mother's Journal (8/23/14)

Me, Me, Me!

Sue from Stories of an Unschooling Family has very kindly given me a blog award.  Thank you, Sue!

First, I'll get the rules out of the way:

1. Thanks and link to the amazing person who nominated you.
2. List the rules and display the award.
3. Share seven facts about yourself.
4. Nominate 15 other amazing blogs and coment on their posts to let them know they have been nominated.
5. Proudly display the award logo on your blog and follow the blogger who nominated you.

Here the facts:
1.  I find it hard to talk about myself.
Have you been to parties or functions where people are all trying to impress one another?  I've been many of these in my previous life working outside of home, and have found these types of 'conversations' (more like sales pitches) ranging from uninteresting to off-putting, so I always make it a point to let the quality of my work speak on my behalf.


2. I like my own company very much.
When I was single, I used to do everything on my own -- watch movies at the cinemas, travel to different places, eat at fancy restaurants, etc.  I am not anti-social, but I'd rather be on my own and doing my own things than to have to 'entertain' someone else because I need company.


3.  I don't like to talk.
My record for not seeing or speaking to anyone  is 3 weeks.  That was many years ago, before I got married, when I had the time and space to conduct a self-imposed three-week spiritual retreat.  I found out more about my inner life in those 3 weeks than in any other time.

My motto is: talk only when I have to.  I prefer to choose my words carefully than to make senseless chatter.  I'm trying to teach this to my son, who can talk for England if you let him.  I always maintain that I've had to talk more than ever because I'm homeschooling my son since most of his learning revolves around verbal instructions and discussions.


4.  I am not from England.
It's obvious from my name that I am not English.  I came to England 12 years ago to study, met my husband (he's English), got married and now my life is established here.

Although I am not from England, my husband and his family are, and Tiger was born here.  By the fact that we live here, it makes sense that our way of life is predominantly English.


5.  I didn't really understand English until I was 10 years old.
If you've noticed any ropey English in my posts, now you know why!

I grew up in a non-English speaking household but I went to school where English was taught.  I remember struggling to understand the lessons and the teachers' instructions.  My standard of English back then was similar to Tiger's standard of Chinese right now, so I understand how difficult it is for him to learn a foreign language that is not widely used in his surrounding.  Today, I am still more fluent in Chinese than in English.

The last thing I expected to happen is to find myself married into an English household and to be living in England.  It's funny how life turns out.


6.  I married my husband wtihout ever dating him.
No, I'm not a mail-order bride.

As you can see from points (2) and (3) above, it is actually very difficult to get to know me.  My husband tried to ask me out on a date but I turned him down to go watch a 3-hour lecture by Edward Said on my own.  He decided that it was going to be too hard to ask me out so he asked me to marry him the second time we met.  I thought he must be barking mad but I agreed to marry him (because he is cute), so I must have been quite mad myself.  We certainly caused much anxiety in our parents when we got married within two weeks.  We have been married for 10 years now.


7.  I prefer one-on-one interaction.
Given the points (1) to (6), you'd think that I'm the perfect candidate to be a social recluse.  I suppose I won't mind that, if that's what's in store for me, but I do enjoy social interaction from time to time.  By that I mean one-on-one type of conversation in a small setting.  It's more intimate, and I prefer to get to know people on that basis than doing the rounds at big parties.  That's why you won't find me on social media sites with hundreds of followers or 'likes'.  I have a handful of friends -- my best friend lives 7000 miles away and we don't see each other for years.  When it comes to human relationships, I value depth and quality more than quantity.


I am supposed to nominate 15 other blogs for this award.  The bloggers who I find inspiring are all listed on "My Blog List" on the right-hand side -- there are more than 15 there.  Not everyone likes to participate in such games so but I will open it up to anyone who reads this post and who feels like sharing something about themselves. 

Where Does Tiger Go to School?

We (i.e. Tiger, my husband, our extended family, and I) get this question a lot.   When we answer that Tiger is homeschooled, the immediate assumption is that the poor child:

• never goes out;
• never sees anyone;
• is made to work through heaps of worksheets/workbooks;
• is made to work at a desk somewhere in the house from 8:30am to 3:30pm;
• does not know how to behave in public;
• does not know how to talk to other people;
• must be socially isolated;
• must be developmentally delayed ("why else would he need to be kept at home?")....

Someone once commented that the homeschoolers seem to belong to some kind of secret society, that little is known about what we do and how we do things.  It's all very secretive, it seems....

Well, well, well.

So where's our 'school room', then?  Where's THE DESK?

I looked through the photos for the last academic year (September 2013 to July 2014), and am slightly embarrassed to say that I have very few photos of desk work... but I hate to disappoint, so here they are, for what it's worth:

Working on our writing desk, the dining table, the patio table.

Has anyone noticed that they are not even the same desk?  It's outrageous, isn't it?  Not working at the same desk all the time?  What's the world coming to?!  I don't know about that.  What I do know is that my son seems to prefer working on the floor.  Maybe he doesn't find desk jobs overly appealing.

Sometimes, Tiger can be found working on the sofa:

Working on geometry and reading on the sofa.

He is sometimes found cooking up magic in the kitchen.

He also has no problems working in bed, in his dressing gown, just before lights off.

Drawing diagrams to explain how computer networks work.

My husband thinks it's misleading to call what we do 'homeschooling' because, as he says, "You two are always out!"  That's true.  A quick look over last academic year's diary shows that we were out most of the time.

Do we conduct our business in 'secret'?  I'm not sure how to do that, given the amount of time we spend outside our house, going about in public places...  Anyhow, I'll leave it to the readers to decide for yourselves.  Of course, I cannot and do not attempt to represent all homeschoolers in the many choices different families have of doing things.  I can only share what we do as one approach that has been working very well for my family.

In the academic year that has just gone past, Tiger could be found learning in the following places, other than in our home:
1.  On a back lane;
2.  In a farm shop;
3.  At castle sites;
4.  At fair grounds;
5.  In a bookshop;
6.  In big corporate conference rooms;
7.  In public parks;
8.  By the road side;
9.  At a reservoir;

10.  In music rooms;
11.  At ruin sites;
12.  In art studios;
13.  In someone's workshop;
14.  In abbeys and cathedrals;
15.  In a barn;
16.  By rivers;
17.  In a science lab;
18.  At theatres;

19.  On air fields;
20.  In scout huts;
21.  In a vehicle showroom;
22.  In someone's sitting room.

Other than the above places, Tiger also spends the bulk of his time learning at various museums and galleries,

different church halls,

in the woods;

or even in cafes and on the tube!

Reading and writing drafts on the tube, journaling in a cafe.

Am I being cheeky to use this as our "homeschool room" post?  I certainly hope this post doesn't come across to be so.  Maybe, one day, when we start to spend more than 50% of our learning time in any one room, then a picture of that one special room will be relevant.  So far, the one-room-one-desk scenario just hasn't been our reality.


This post is linked up to:

1. The Homeschool Mother's Journal (8/9/14)
2. 6th Annual "Not" Back-to-School Blog Hop: School Room Week
3. Hip Homeschool Hop - 8/12/14
4. Finishing Strong - Homeschooling the Middle & High School Years #24
5. Weekly Wrap-up: The one without a clever title

Brave New Geography

Has anyone noticed something interesting in the news clip below?

Maybe the clip is too short.  Here's a still:

I learn something new everyday.  My latest new learning comes from the CNN -- not any dodgy pirate station, mind you -- that Hong Kong has decided to park itself on another continent!  Wow.  To think that all this time I have thought Hong Kong is located in Asia, a continent which is shaped quite differently from the South American continent!  Well, if the information comes from the CNN or the BBC, it must be right!  Aren't we lucky to have these brilliant, highly paid, highly qualified expert broadcasters tell us what's what in the world?!  How else would we have figured out that Hong Kong is actually located at where most people thought is Rio de Janeiro, a city of Brazil?

Hong Kong is part of China -- tell me that is still true -- I can't take another blow to my inadequate geography knowledge.  By extension of that logic, it should be located very near mainland China.  So.... looking at the CNN news map, the bigger country right by "Hong Kong", or what I thought used to be the country of Brazil, or is now China!!  Wow, the tectonic plates have shifted so much in the few hours that I was asleep, huh?!

It's troubling, isn't it?

2014-2015 Tools of the Trade

Based on the plan that was published on Monday, how on earth am I going to pull it off?  Well, with the help of many good books, materials and good people in my community, of course!

Maths

• RightStart Math levels D and E
• Key to... series (Fractions, Decimals, Percents, Metric Measurement)

Science

Various materials to be used in accordance to the theme that we are learning.


English

• Grammar -  First Language Lessons levels 3 and 4, Editor-in-Chief A1
• Spelling - All About Spelling levels 4 and 5
• Vocabulary - Vocabulary from Classical Roots grades 4 and 5
• Handwriting - Cursive Writing Made Easy and Fun, selected paragraphs from Structured Reading books (see list below) copied onto the handwriting practice worksheets
• Writing - Writing with Ease level 3, Writing & Rhetoric Books 1 and 2, creative writing*  
• Poetry - Enjoying Poetry, poetry performance*
• Structured Reading - Oliver Twist, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia
• Drama - drama*

Modern Foreign Language

• Chinese Mandarin class*
• Pimsleur Chinese Mandarin 1
• Easy Steps to Chinese Level 1 texbook and workbook 
• Supplementary readers 
• Happy Chinese
• Growing Up with Chinese

History
Various materials to be used in accordance to the theme that we are learning.

Music

• Instruments - piano, recorder
• Music appreciation - The Story of the Orchestra, The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra

Art

• Drawing - The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain textbook and workbook, Sketching and Drawing for Children
• Art Appreciation - various materials to be used in accordance to the theme that we are learning.

Logic

• Codecademy
• Building Thinking Skills level 2

Character Building

• What Would You Do?  Book 1

P.E.

• tennis*
• swimming* 
• table tennis*
• squash

* external classes.


This post is linked up to:

1. 6th Annual "Not" Back-to-School Blog Hop: Curriculum Week
2. Hip Homeschool Hop - 8/5/14
3. Finishing Strong - Homeschooling the Middle & High School Years Week 24
4. Home Ed Link Up Week 10
5. Weekly Wrap-Up: The one with all the stuff that's working
6. The Homeschool Mother's Journal (8/9/14)

Summer Love

I'm a little late with this, but better late than never!

The Qixi festival (七夕), takes place on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. The festival has evolved from an ancient tradition of celebrating women's skills at handcrafts and needlework to becoming a commericalised "Chinese Valentine's Day", which emphasises more about love and romance.  Even though the legend behind this festival involves the separation of a couple, the original focus of the tradition was on the the weaving skill that Weaver Maiden (织女) brought down from heaven and taught to the common folk.  There's nothing wrong with celebrating love and romance, but it's also good to know the original context of the festival.

This year the festival took place last Saturday, August 2nd.  We did not do much with it apart from learning it is celebrated in modern day China:

and eating symbolic food that goes with the festival to represent sweetness and happiness: a fruit salad made up of seven different types of fruit.  I used the following:

1. kiwi
2. pear
3. honeydew melon
4. blueberry
5. peach
6. watermelon
7. mango

If I were more organised, I would probably have found some needlework or craft to go with this festival, but I'm on my summer break (that's my excuse for this year)!


This post is linked up to:

1. Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop #18
2. The Homeschool Mother's Journal (8/2/14)
3. Hip Homeschool Hop - 8/5/14
4. Finishing Strong - Homeschooling the Middle & High School Years Week 24
5. History and Geography Meme #128 
6. Home Ed Link Up Week 10
7. Weekly Wrap-Up: The one with all the stuff that's working

2014-2015 Learning Plan

This autumn, Tiger will be ten years old and will head towards the Logic Stage (according to the Classical Education convention).  As we are progressing according to his interest and ability, we are not adhering strictly to school year definitions when choosing what he will be learning in the new academic year.  In fact, Tiger's study programme will be tailored, as much as is possible, to align with his continued interest in military history.

While Tiger is strong is a few areas (history, reading, maths), he needs to develop in others (notably writing).  Therefore, instead of rushing into Logic Stage, we will be spending the next 12 months concentrating on language arts to bring Tiger's skills up to a level where he will be ready to take on the amount of written work required of a Logic Stage student.   In short, I am looking to focusing on three specific areas over the next few years:

1. writing
2. character building
3. study habits

The resources that we will be using will vary according to the theme that we are studying at any point.  I will share the specific resources that we use as we progress through each theme.

Maths
Topics that will be covered this year include:

• Decimals
• Prime  numbers
• Percents
• Factors
• Addition
• Subtraction
• Multiplication
• Square numbers
• Division
• Fractions
• Money
• Constructing triangles
• Angles
• Coordinates
• Symmetry
• Measurement - imperial and metric units
• Patterns - numeric, symbolic and algebraic
• Data and graphs
• Probability

Science

Topics that will be covered this year include:

• Forensics
• Biology - genetics and DNA
• Physics - engineering, sound, flight, relativity
• Scientists and inventors - Faraday, Bell, Wright brothers, Einstein

English
Topics that will be covered this year include:

• Grammar - Eight Parts of Speech, Plurals, Four Types of Sentences, Diagramming, Simple and Complete Subjects, Direct Objects, Predicate Nominatives, Predicates, Abbreviations, Contractions, Direct and Indirect Quotations, Compound Subjects and Predicates, Fragments, Splices, Punctuation, Synonyms and Antonyms, Double Negatives, Dictionary Skills, Oral Usage
• Spelling - Prefixes, the four sounds of Y, Months of the Year, Spelling Strategies, Unaccented A, Words ending with double S, Words with silent E, Plurals
• Vocabulary - Suffixes, Prefixes
• Handwriting - cursive copywork
• Writing - Letter Writing, Oral and Written Narration, Dictation, Analogy, Comprehension, Sentence/Word Play, Rewriting, Summary, Amplification, Idea, Conflict, Outline
• Poetry - Similes and Metaphors, Sound-words, Rhyme and Limerick, Rhythm, Alliteration, Comparison, Personification, Recitation, Interpretation
• Structured Reading - written narration and summary, plot and character analysis, comprehension, book reports
• Drama - Improvisation, Storytelling, Performance, Movements, Voice Work

Mandarin
Topics that will be covered this year include:

• Countries and languages
• Subjects of study
• Making phone calls
• Weather
• Seasons
• Sickness
• Hobbies
• Vegetables and fruits
• Meals of the day
• Eating out
• House
• Furniture
• Neighbourhood

History
Topics that will be covered this year include the following period, with a emphasis on war studies:

• Victorian Britain
• Edwardian Britain
• WWI
• WWII 
• Military history (self-directed study)

Music

Topics that will be covered this year include:

• Instruments - piano, recorder
• Music appreciation - instruments of the orchestra

Art
Topics that will be covered include:

• Drawing - contour drawing, negative spaces, proportions, light and shadow, hatching and crosshatching
• Art appreciation - the Pre-Raphaelites, war art of WWI and WWII

Other Areas of Learning

• Logic - Describing shapes, Figural similarities and differences, Figural sequences, Figural classifications, Figural analogies, Describing things, Verbal similarities and differences, Verbal sequences, Verbal classifications, Verbal analogies, Coding
• Character building - discussion of different scenarios and stories
• P.E. - tennis, swimming, squash, table tennis

"You can make your own son or daughter one of a kind if you have the time and will to do so; school can only make them part of a hive, herd or anthill."

-- John Taylor Gatto

This post is linked up to:

1. The Homeschool Mother's Journal (8/2/14)
2. 6th Annual "Not" Back-to-School Blog Hop: Curriculum Week
3. Hip Homeschool Hop - 8/5/14
4. Finishing Strong - Homeschooling the Middle & High School Years Week 24
5. Home Ed Link Up Week 10
6. Weekly Wrap-Up: The one with all the stuff that's working

Year 4 Reading Log

 
Books read from August 2013 - July 2014

1. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
2. Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
3. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
4. Mathematicians are People too, Vol. 1 by Ruetta Reimer
5. Mathematicians are People too, Vol. 2 by Ruetta Reimer
6. Rip Van Winkle and Other Stories by Washington Irving
7. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
8. Detectives' Handbook by Colin King
9. Wicked Words by Terry Deary
10. History of Britain: Medieval Britain by Brenda Williams
11. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar by Roald Dahl
12. Going Solo by Roald Dahl
13. Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne
14. The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss
15. The 101 Dalmations by Dodie Smith
16. Five Children and It by Edith Nesbit
17. The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit
18. The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Bunyan
19. The Red Pony by John Steinbeck
20. The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare
21. Tales of the Greek Heroes by Roger Lancelyn Green
22. The Sea of Adventure by Enid Blyton
23. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
24. The Second Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
25. Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
26. The Children of Green Knowle by L.M. Boston
27. Ivan Hoe by Sir Walter Scott
28. The Warlord's Series (8 books) by Virginia Pilegard
29. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
30. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
31. A Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne
32. The World of The Wind in the Willows (Pitkin Guides)
33. World War I (DK Eyewitness)
34. Terrible Trenches by Terry Deary
35. The First World War (Usborne History of Britain)
36. Frightful First World War by Terry Deary
37. Sherlock Holmes: His Last Bow by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
38. Sherlock Holmes: The Valley of Fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
39. True Stories of The First World War by Paul Dowswell
40. Woeful Second War War by Terry Deary
41. How to be a Detective by Dan Waddell
42. Badger by Michael Leach
43. Badger by Louise and Richard Spilsbury
44. A Year in the Life: Badger by John Stidworthy
45. Mapping Rivers by Louise Spilsbury
46. Mapping Earthforms: Rivers by Catherine Chambers
47. Habitat Explorer: Rivers, Ponds and Lakes by Nick Baker
48. Rivers and Streams by Anita Ganeri
49. Wild Britain: Rivers by Louise and Richard Spilsbury
50. The Who's Who of World War I by Clive Gifford
51. First World War: We Will Remember Them by Dr. Brian Knapp
52. The Usborne Introduction to the First World War
53. Britain and the Great War by John Robottom
54. The Causes of World War I by Tony Allan
55. History Through Poetry: World War I by Paul Dowswell
56. Weapons and Technology of World War I by Paul Dowswell
57. The First World War by R. G. Grant
58. Usborne War Stories by Paul Dowswell
59. World War I by Sean Connolly
60. World War I by Bob Fowke
61. Bomber Flight Berlin by Mike Rossiter
62. The River Book by Dr. Brian Knapp
63. A Walk by the River by Sally Hewitt
64. Rivers and Waterways by Louise Spilsbury
65. River and Inland Water Habitats by Barbara Taylor
66. By the River by Clare Collinson
67. Mill by David Macaulay
68. Rivers and Seas by Sally Hewitt
69. Sherlock Holmes: The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
70. Sherlock Holmes: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
71. Landscape Detective by Alison Hawes
72. The Cavern of Clues by David Glover
73. Pond and River by Steve Parker
74. River by Ruth Thomson
75. Great Rivers of Britain by Michael Pollard
76. A Soldier's Life in World War I by Fiona Corbridge
77. The Western Front in World War I by Paul Dowswell
78. Headlines of World War I by Patience Coster
79. The Great War by John D. Clare
80. Baker Street Whodunits by Tom Bullimore
81. Baker Street Puzzles by Tom Bullimore
82. Disaster at D-Day by Peter Tsouras
83. Falaise: The Flawed Victory by Anthony Tucker-Jones
84. The Number Devil by Hans Magnus Enzensberger
85. Tobruk: The Great Siege 1941-1942 by William F. Buckingham
86. Gauguin by Michael Howard
87. Paul Gauguin by Robert Anderson
88. Cockleshell Commando by Bill Sparks
89. Men of the Bombers by Ralph Barker
90. Five of the Many by Steve Darlow
91. Jewish Synagogue by Lisa Magloff
92. Danger UXB by James Owen
93. The Black Death 1347-1350 by Cath Senker
94. Stories from the Jewish World by Sybil Sheridan
95. Jewish Stories by Anita Ganeri
96. Jewish by Monica Stoppleman
97. Jewish by Jenny Wood
98. Apples and Honey: A Rosh Hashanah Story by Jonny Zucker
99. The Temple Lamp and Other Stories by Anita Ganeri
100. Jewish Festivals by Angela Wood
101. The Prince Who Thought He Was a Rooster by Ann Jungman
102. Tank Action by George Forty
103. The Defenders: A Comprehensive Guide to the Warplanes of the USA in Service Around the World published by W.H. Smith
104. Undersea Warfare by Richard Humble
105. The Guiness Book of Military Blunders by Geoffrey Regan
106. Epic Land Battles by Richard Holmes
107. Epic Sea Battles by Richard Holmes
108. 100 Battles: Conflicts that Shaped the World
109. World Wars published by Miles Kelly
110. The Second World War in 100 Objects by Julian Thompson
111. Cross-Sections: Castle by Stephen Biesty
112. The Bachelor and the Bean by Shelley Fowles
113. Killer Energy and Shocking Electricity by Nick Arnold
114. Plague and Peril by Terry Deary
115. Jerusalem by Nicola Barber
116. The Jewish Faith by Ruth Nason
117. My Jewish Faith by Anne Clark
118. Little Britches: Father and I were Ranchers by Ralph Moody
119. The Life and Work of Paul Gauguin by Paul Flux
120. Macbeth by William Shakespeare
121. George's Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl
122. Doctor Proctor's Fart Powder by Jo Nesbo
123. The Mystery of the Vanished Prince by Enid Blyton
124. The Maths Pack by Ron Van Der Meer
125. Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
126. A Christmas Carol and Other Stories by Charles Dickens
127. My Jewish Community by Kate Taylor
128. Plants and Fungi: Multicelled Life by Robert Snedden
129. Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery
130. The Wonderful Garden by E. Nesbit
131. The Magic City by E. Nesbit
132. The Magic World by E. Nesbit
133. The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit
134. Fairy Stories by E. Nesbit
135. The Island of the Nine Whirlpools by E. Nesbit
136. The Complete Book of Dragons by E. Nesbit
137. The Phoenix and the Carpet by E. Nesbit
138. The Story of the Amulet by E. Nesbit
139. The Decisive Duel: Spitfire vs 109 by David Isby
140. Britain at War by Richard Overy
141. The World at War: A Historical Account of World War I and II
142. The Encyclopedia of War: From Ancient Egypt to Iraq published by DK
143. The Illustrated History of Weaponry by Chuck Willis
144. Weapon: A Visual History of Arms and Armour published by DK
145. Great Military Leaders and Their Campaigns edited by Jeremy Black
146. Down Comes the Rain by Franklyn M. Branley
147. A Drop Around the World by Barbara Shaw McKinney
148. Follow the Water from Brook to Ocean by Arthur Dorros
149. Five Get Into Trouble by Enid Blyton
150. The World's Great Tanks by Ian Graham
151. Chronicles of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery
152. Melisande by E. Nesbit
153. Hamlet by William Shakespeare
154. Bilbo's Last Song by J.R.R. Tolkien
155. Flood by Paul Bennett
156. Floods! by Helen Dwyer
157. Floods by Christ Oxlade
158. Flood by Julia Waterlow
159. Flood! by Anita Ganeri
160. Flood by Catherine Chambers
161. Hurricane and Tornado by Jack Challoner
162. Hurricanes! by Angela Royston
163. Be a Storm Chaser by David Dreier
164. The Story of the World Volume 2 by Susan Wise Bauer
165. The Story of the World Volume 3 by Susan Wise Bauer
166. The Story of the World Volume 4 by Susan Wise Bauer
167. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
168. Violent Skies: Hurricanes by Chris Oxlade
     
169. Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery
170. The House of Arden by E. Nesbit
171. Hurricane Disasters by John Hawkins
172. Stormy Weather by Anita Ganeri
173. The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac by Dawn Casey
174. A New Year's Reunion by Yu Li-Qiong
175. Lanterns and Firecrackers: A Chinese New Year Story by Jonny Zucker
176. The Dragon Kite by Kenneth Steven
177. Chinese New Year by Catherine Chambers
178. Chinese New Year by Sarah Moyse
179. Chinese New Year by Saviour Priotta
180. Drake's Comprehensive Compendium of Dragonology
181. Wild Weather and Other Forces of Nature by Anita Ganeri
182. Life of Fred elementary series (10 books)
183. The Essential Arthimetricks by Kjartan Poskitt
184. Beowulf: Dragon Slayer retold by Rosemary Sutcliff
185. Warplanes: A Hundred Years of Military Aviation by Peter R. March
186. Modern Fighters and Attack Aircrafts by Bill Gunston
187. Battle of Britain by Alfred Price
188. World War I in Photographs by Robin Cross
189. War on the Western Front edited by Dr. Gary Sheffield
190. Atlas of Military History 
191. Modern Body Armour by Martin J. Brayley
192. Warships of the World by Christopher Chant
193. What Will the Weather Be? by Lynda Dewitt
194. Weather (Usborne Spotter's Guides)
195. Beethoven by Alan Blackwood
196. The Black Death and Other Putrid Plagues of London by Natasha Narayan
197. Rebels and Royals by Geraldine McCaughrean
198. Witches by Terry Deary
199. Tower Terror by Terry Deary
200. Spies by Terry Deary
201. The Twisted Tunnels by Terry Deary
202. Shadow of the Gallows by Terry Deary
203. Dublin by Terry Deary
204. How You Were Born by Joanna Cole
205. Edinburgh by Terry Deary
206. Explosive Experiments by Nick Arnold
207. Suffering Scientists by Nick Arnold
208. York by Terry Deary
209. Raiders and Ruins by Terry Deary
210. Queen Victoria and her Enormous Empire by Alan MacDonald
211. The USA by Terry Deary
212. Rowdy Revolutions by Terry Deary
213. Horrible Christmas by Terry Deary
214. Wind by Steve Parker
215. Wind and the Earth by Nikki Bundey
216. Planet Earth (Miles Kelly)
217. Deadly Days in History by Terry Deary
218. Tomb of Treasure by Terry Deary
219. Pirates and Plunder by Terry Deary
220. The Bomber Balloon by Terry Deary
221. Wall of Woe by Terry Deary
222. The Pigeon Spy by Terry Deary
223. Trenches by Terry Deary
224. Stuart Little by Terry Deary
225. Evil Inventions by Nick Arnold
226. The Moffats by Eleanor Estes
227. Theatre Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
228. Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates by Mary Mapes Dodge
229. Why Beethoven Threw the Stew by Steven Isserlis
230. The Middle Moffat by Eleanor Estes
231. The Piped Piper of Hamelin by Robert Browning
232. Doctor Dolittle's Zoo by Hugh Lofting
233. Doctor Dolittle's Circus by Hugh Lofting
234. Doctor Dolittle's Caravan by Hugh Lofting
235. The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
236. Doctor Dolittle's Post Office by Hugh Lofting
237. Doctor Dolittle's Garden by Hugh Lofting
238. Doctor Dolittle's Puddleby Adventures by Hugh Lofting
239. Doctor Dolittle in the Moon by Hugh Lofting
240. Doctor Dolittle and the Green Canary by Hugh Lofting
241. Vicious Veg by Nick Arnold
242. The Circus of Adventure by Enid Blyton
243. The Midnight Fox by Betsy Byars
244. Dancing Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
245. The Age of Total Warfare by H.W. Koch
246. Great Battlefields of the World by John Macdonald
247. Great Battles: Decisive Conflicts that have Shaped History
248. The Encyclopedia of War: From Ancient Egypt to Iraq (DK)
249. 100 Battles: Conflicts that Shaped the World
250. The Art of War: Great Commanders of the Ancient and Medieval World edited by Andrew Roberts
251. Victory: 100 Great Military Commanders by Nigel Cawthorne
252. Gulf War: A Day-by-Day Chronicle by Dr. Frederick Stanwood
253. War in the Falklands by The Sunday Express Magazine team
254. Air Forces of the World by Mark Hewish et al
255. Top Gun
256. Fighter Aircraft by Michael J. Taylor
257. Royal Air Force 
258. Russia's Top Guns (W.H. Smith)
259. The Defenders: A Comprehensive Guide to the Warplanes of the USA in Service Around the World (W.H. Smith)
260. America's Top Guns (W.H. Smith)
261. The World's Major Military Jets by Doug Richardson
262. Encyclopedia of the Second World War by Bryan Perrett and Ian Hogg
263. World War II (St. Michael)
264. Great Battles of World War II
265. The World At Arms: The Reader's Digest Illustrated History of World War II
266. World War II: The World in Flames by Owen Booth and John Walton
267. War in the Pacific by John Winton
268. D-Day Landings by Kim Lockwood
269. D-Day: Dawn of Heroes by Nigel Cawthorne
270. Warships (St. Michael)
271. Warships by Mark Dartford
272. Aircraft Carriers by Kevin Doyle
273. Battleships: The Definitive Guide to the Greatest Maritime Warships of All Time
274. The War at Sea: 1939-1945 by Stuart Robertson and Stephen Dent
275. Doctor Dolittle's Return by Hugh Lofting
276. Where the Red Ferns Grow by Wilson Rawls
277. The King Arthur Trilogy by Rosemary Sutcliff
278. Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
279. The Orchard Book of Fairy Tales by Rose Impey
280. The Brownies and Other Stories by Juliana H. Ewing
281. Mustang Man by Louis L'Amour
282. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
283. Tales of Hans Christian Andersen translated by Naomi Lewis
284. The Steadfast Tin Soldier by Hans Christian Andersen
285. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
286. The Cuckoo Clock by Mrs Molesworth
287. The Visual Dictionary of Military Uniforms (Eyewitness Visual Dictionaries)
288. Why Things Don't Work: Tank by David West
289. Special Forces by Henry Brook
290. Special Forces by Brian Williams
291. Battle Machines by Bill Gunston et al
292. The Mega Book of Tanks by Lynne Gibbs
293. War Machines: The Deadliest Weapons in History by Martin J. Dougherty
294. Five are Together Again by Enid Blyton
295. Submarines by Alex Frith
296. Tanks by Henry Brook
297. Helicopters by Emily Bone
298. Mythology by Edith Hamilton
299. Jane's Fighting Ships Recognition Handbook by Keith Faulkner
300. Mixtures and Compounds by Alastair Smith
301. The Periodic Table by Adrian Dingle
302. Chemical Chaos by Nick Arnold
303. Special Forces (Miles Kelly)
304. Soldier (DK Eyewitness)
305. Special Forces by Adam Sutherland
306. Warfare in the 20th Century by Andrew Robertshaw
307. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
308. War Machines: Aeroplanes by Simon Adams
309. Wild About Planes by Bill Gunston
310. Warplanes by Ian Graham
311. Military Vehicles by Ian Graham
312. Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien
313. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
314. The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
315. The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
316. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
317. Unfinished Tales by J.R.R. Tolkien
318. Mr. Bliss by J.R.R. Tolkien
319. The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
320. The Final Problem and Other Stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
321. The Puffin Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
322. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
323. The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
324. The Extraordinary Cases of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
325. The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
326. A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
327. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
328. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
     
329. The return of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle  
330. The Mysterious World of Sherlock Holmes by Bruce Wexler
331. The Case Notes of Sherlock Holmes by Dr. John Watson    
332. War Machines by Jane Shuter
333. Starting with Science: Solids, Liquids and Gases by Deborah Hodge
334. What is the World Made of?  by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
335. The Complete Fairy Tales by Grimm Brothers
336. The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells
337. Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why Commas Really Do Make a Difference!  by Lynne Truss
338. The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells
339. Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
340. Swallowdale by Arthur Ransome
341. Peter Duck by Arthur Ransome
342. Winter Holiday by Arthur Ransome
343. Coot Club by Arthur Ransome
344. Pigeon Post by Arthur Ransome
345. We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea by Arthur Ransome
346. Secret Water by Arthur Ransome
347. The Big Six by Arthur Ransome
348. Missee Lee by Arthur Ransome
349. The Picts and the Martyrs by Arthur Ransome
350. Great Northern?  by Arthur Ransome 
351. The Story of the Bomber 1914-1945 by Bryan Cooper
352. Great World War II Stories published by St. Michael
353. World War II Aircraft by Christopher Chant
354. The Illustrated History of Air Forces of World War I & World War II by Chris Chant
355. Pirates by John Matthews 
356. Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith
357. Bombers: Profiles of Major Combat Aircraft in Aviation History by Bill Ganston
358. Five Have a Wonderful Time by Enid Blyton
359. Vile Victorians by Terry Deary
360. How to be a Victorian in 16 Easy Steps by Soular Anderson
361. Going to War in Victorian Times by Craig Dodd
362. Michael Faraday by Anita Ganeri
363. Michael Faraday by Ann Fullick
364. Michael Farady by Michael Brophy
365. Victorians by Jane Bingham
366. The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells
367. Star Begotten by H.G. Wells
368. Michael Farady: Father of Electronics by Charles Ludwig
369. The Chemical History of a Candle by Michael Faraday
370. Matisse by Jude Welton
371. The Life and Work of Henri Matisse by Paul Flux
372. Matisse by Antony Mason
373. Military Fighting Machines by Alex Gilpin and Alex Pang
374. Modern Military Aircraft by Alex Gilpin and Alex Pang
375. Victorians by Ruth Brocklehurst
376. The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
377. Victorian Britain by Brenda Williams 
378. Tales from the Arabian Night edited by Andrew Lang
379. Five Go to Smuggler's Top by Enid Blyton
380. Five Have a Wonderful Time by Enid Blyton

Books that Tiger read in the previous years can be found here or in the links below:

• Year 1 Reading Log
• Year 2 Reading Log
• Year 3 Reading Log