Sunday, October 05, 2008

Our week of Learning - 5 Oct

It was an interesting week this week - it's school holidays so our normal activities are stopped. We continued 'lessons' though as we're taking time off in November. We got through some of what we had planned, but I had a migraine most of the week, so I was at a slower pace - I got through Tuesday & Wednesday with the help of Nurofen, spent most of Thursday curled up whimpering on the lounge (my friend Nurofen was not helping!), and got through Friday with more Nurofen.. Better now though.

English:
Almost finished Charlie & the Chocolate Factory together, interspersed with other smaller books from the library. Pete & Billy are still reading The Hobbit together once a week.

Maths: Leap into Maths Yr 1 workbook - Unit 8

Science & Technology: Weather unit - Finished filling out a daily weather chart (just the basics - ie sunny, rainy, cloudy). Created a poster of what clothes to wear when it is hot, cold & rainy. Watched 'Scope' about poisons and toxins.

He has been creating pictures using KidPix, updating his blog and sending emails.

HSIE (Human Society and it's environment):
Read a European folk story (the Bremen Town musicians) and made a picture about it using KidPix. Read about the "The Beginning of Life" (early blue-green algae & pre-cambrian creatures) and the "Shells & Skeletons" (Cambrian creatures such as arthropods).

Creative & Practical Arts:
We watched a play at the Civic Theatre called 'Emily loves to bounce' - excellent! We also visited the art gallery.

PDHPE (Personal Development, Health & Physical Education):
Swimming for fun with friends.

On Friday I implemented a 'no-tv through the weekday' ban.. This is one of those decisions that will be as hard on me as it is on Billy - not because I watch TV but because I use it as a babysitter too much :(

I've never really had a problem with how much TV he watched as he mainly watched Nick Jr and Playhouse Disney. All of the shows on those channels are either educational or morally 'nice' so I didn't have a problem with it. Now though, he's declared himself too old for most of the shows on there, and has discovered Nickolodeon and Disney channel. I consider the majority of the shows on there to be utter cr@p! It amazes me how it goes from nice educational shows for preschoolers, and then suddenly once they go to school, the shows are just rubbish. Not only do I think the shows are too old for him in the main, they are pure 'entertainment' with very little redeeming values! Anyway rant over..

He's really addicted to the TV to the point that it's interfering with normal life - he's constantly watching the clock to see when the next show is on, wanting to hurry up and finish school work so he can watch something, wants to plan his activities around the TV schedule :( No more! I've decided the TV goes off at 9am on weekdays and is not to come back on until at least 3pm - unless I give him special permission. I was going to say he can watch educational DVDs, documentaries etc, but I've decided he just has to go cold-turkey.

We have friends who put the TV away on Sunday night and don't get it out again until the next Friday - but the other male in the house couldn't handle that either!! I'd be happy to never watch it again!

3 comments:

libby said...

Hi Kerrie,

The TV issue is hard. I think having it off during "normal" school hours is a good start. We've recently instigated no TV till after 5pm (though now Summer is here we might make it later). I'm lucky in that Christy still loves the "baby" shows but Amy, who is 9.5 does like Disney shows like Hannah Montana. I don't mind them for her age - quite like some of them myself :-). For a while she was watching more adult TV so I was happy to see her go back to the teen shows. You are right about the big jump in shows and about the fact a lot of the older kids shows are pure rubbish.

Libby

Anonymous said...

I agree with the rubbish on tv :( We don't have cable, so we're even more limited, which suits me fine. I would love to get rid of the tv, but there are still some shows we watch - like myth busters, it's science, right?! (do I have to admit we watch Top Gear?!)Actually, that's it -two shows! I think we would have a minor rebellion if we couldn't watch them, though.
I told hubby the other day that I am considering turning off the power in the morning and putting it back on at night :) Just not sure how the freezer would cope...
lv,
Joy

Becca said...

Hi Kerrie,

I had to do the same. The TV goes off in the morning and doesn't go back on until the afternoon. I even put a cheap alarm clock in the loungeroom for the alarm to go off at 8:30 or 9 otherwise they wouldn't remember and if I slept in (they don't wake me up, God bless them) they would just keep watching. When they tell me they're bored I reply with that time honoured saying...'I have plenty of things for you to do.' ;)

Becca