This week was pretty uneventful, really. It was a short week because of Thanksgiving. Steven spent most of it preparing a slide show presentation on life in space, which he presented to us yesterday. I kept it simple, just asked him to pick 5 everyday tasks (like eating and sleeping) and research how they are done in space. After his presentation, we watched some of Chris Hadfield’s YouTube videos from his time on the space station to cover some other everyday tasks.
We did make one homeschooling discovery this week, though. We figured out the problem with books, and why they cause an argument almost daily. According to Steven, they seem interesting, but then they get boring after he’s been reading them for a few days. I of course disagree. I’m sure there are more books out there that would hold his attention. He just hasn’t found them yet. But Liam and I are book lovers, and Steven is not. He likes what he likes, and will voluntarily read certain specific books and series, but those alone will not satisfy the curriculum (or me).
So, I am currently compiling a list of short stories that will hopefully cover a wide range of topics. I worked hard to make my suggested novel reading list cover a wide range of genres and cultures and social issues earlier in the year, and now I want to do the same with short stories. He will still have to do one proper book report and another report comparing a novel to its movie, but I think we can satisfy the rest of the curriculum with short stories.
I think this is one of those times when I need to remind myself that my child is not me. When I made that novel reading list in August, I was so excited about it. I want to read 80% of the books on that list. I might actually still buy some of them for myself. But most books are not exciting to Steven. He seems to be on board with the short story idea, though. Even if he doesn’t like a story, it will only take him a couple days to finish it and then he can move on. It’s not a 2-3 week commitment like novels would be.
Next week we’ll be finishing up our Space unit and starting our prep for NaNoWriMo! Stay safe out there.
