Writing & Rhetoric Narrative II

Primary Language Lessons (PLL) seemed to have worked well for Builder (10), but I don't think Intermediate Language Lessons (ILL) is working so well. He seems to need more guidance and finds ILL tedious and most of the time dull unless it asks for an original composition. I'm still trying to decide whether to skip ILL in favor of Writing & Rhetoric (W&R) or not. He liked the Narrative I samples. He found it interesting, but he feels he needs to finish ILL. I tell him ILL still needs another year, and he groaned. That's probably my cue, right? He actually asked if there was any more from W&R coming, and I told him no, the sample was done. It seemed easy for him. He seems interested, which is a lot to say for him. This kid doesn't like writing, he has told me that on multiple occasions.

Writing this, I think I will have him start Narrative II samples and see if he does well with it. I'm looking for something that is at his level, not too easy or too hard. Above all, I'm looking for something that sparks his interest. The aesthetics of this program and its interest level look right for him. I also like the fact that this particular volume works on outlining stories and summarizing from a longer narrative. Here we come! 

The End Is Near - Of School, That Is

The signs are all there. When we step out of the house, you can hear children's voices - other children's voices. When we go to the pool, the lifeguards are anxious and have duplicated themselves. They shout, "No running!" until they are hoarse as countless heedless children scurry on the moist blue padded floors around the pool. Our school district has finalized its lessons.

We, on the other hand, will not be done until the end of July, which coincides with my middle's birthday. Our month off will be in August, two weeks before the public school kids start school again. Our school begins again in the second week of September.

My kids are dragging their feet. I'm waning. The heat is palpable as soon as you step outside, a wall of humid heat that you enter like a spoon in jello. The air-conditioning that usually shuts off is always on, whether it's set on 85 or not. Schoolbooks are getting done one by one. A few more weeks, a few more weeks.

As excited as I am about showing my eldest the Superstar Student DVDs I got (from Great Courses), I'm not going to do it now. I'll wait until that first week or two of school, when the idea of the new school year is still fresh and he is much more likely to be receptive.

This July has been intensely hot. Good thing I had the World Cup to divert my attention. Now that it's over we still have the AC - and the pool. Bike rides followed promptly by cool showers. Nothing else will do.