reviewing the situation
Although we started our education together in January 2009, and haven't really kept to school terms or years, we seem to have naturally reached a review point, and over the past week we've spent a lot of time thinking and talking about what we would like to be doing next. Maths is my stickler, mainly in case either ever returns to school. Madi had a subscription to Whizz Maths last year, but we haven't renewed, partly due to a a huge price hike, but mainly due to the fact that she found their protracted methods rather frustrating. We also found some topics came up a lot, and that these tended to be neither interesting, useful, nor challenging! She also rarely uses Education City now, and I think she has probably outgrown it, so we won't renew that subscription either. However, both have enjoyed Mathletics so we will continue with that. JK will continue with Conquer Maths and MathsWatch GCSE, supplemented with CIMT where necessary, and I have also managed to buy MathsWatch at KS2/3 from the Fareham & Gosport HE Group for Madi, which we will use alongside lots more times tables workbooks and online practice with Tutpup, Free Rice and Timez Attack. 
Madi is taking part in the library summer scheme again (more about this later), but JK has decided he is now far too mature to require stickers and rewards for reading! He is a real fan of Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl books, and so I actually bought the latest instalment rather than making him wait for it to reach the library; he devoured it within days. He has read, re-read and re-read this series so many times I am really keen that he moves on to something new. He has always been a series reader, so I shouldn't really worry about it, but to prompt him 
I bought two of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series (BOGOF) as someone mentioned to me that their son preferred reading books of his own than library books. Meanwhile we have been listening to an audiobook of the first of Caroline Lawrence's Roman Mystery series, 'The Thieves of Ostia' . This has proven really popular with them both, and the first 15 books in the series were available from The Book People for just £9.99! 
That should keep them going a while! It has also sparked an interest from JK in learning some Latin. We have a copy of Minimus, so we will make a start with that. Although it is aimed primarily at KS2 children, it will be a fun introduction and we can always move on to something more substantial if he wants to continue. Meanwhile Madi has decided to give Spanish a go. We have plenty of resources, DVD, CD and workbooks (including the dreaded Muzzy which we have tried a couple of times before, but we'll try again- you never know!). With the 'Back to School' offers on, I've also picked up a nice range of different workbooks covering all sorts of topics for her to pick and choose from in her own time, and we hope to include mini-projects on the Romans, and weather, possibly as lapbooks, which seem to be very popular with some of her friends. And I am determined we will complete one of the cross stitch designs that she has started! Madi has recently returned to swimming lessons, and has been enjoying trampolining and gymnastics sessions over the school holidays, and she would like to carry on with these, so has decided to give figure skating a break for a while. She is also looking forward to getting back to hockey and lacrosse, and has her new archery club. Dancing exams are looming, so she has decided to focus on ballet, tap and theatre craft, and not continue with jazz. She has been watching 'Orchestra United' which "charts the creation of the Hallé Harmony Youth Orchestra, which brings together a cross-section of young people from Manchester's vast cultural and ethnic community" [C4 website] and with JK about to take part in a saxophone 'band' workshop she has decided she would like clarinet as well as piano lessons if funds will allow! JK has been teaching himself some HTML from instructions on the internet, and is about to move on to JavaScript. As yet he is undecided whether to continue working towards Biology IGCSE or attempt an OU level 1 course with more in-depth study of computing and ICT. He still aims to complete his ECDL tests, and the Bronze Arts Award. With this in mind he has enrolled for the cast of Disco Inferno, and has had a taster singing lesson. No hesitation, of course, about continuing with ice hockey and field hockey, and he has managed to interest a friend in coming to lacrosse with him. He is less sure about his saxophone lessons, as he doesn't feel he is making a lot of progress, and although he is very keen to carry on with Scouts, his current troop is now very thin on the ground and the leaders are struggling to deliver a programme that excites the kids. I had considered helping, but I feel that he gets far more out of Scouts without a parent there. This one will be a difficult decision for him.
Madi is taking part in the library summer scheme again (more about this later), but JK has decided he is now far too mature to require stickers and rewards for reading! He is a real fan of Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl books, and so I actually bought the latest instalment rather than making him wait for it to reach the library; he devoured it within days. He has read, re-read and re-read this series so many times I am really keen that he moves on to something new. He has always been a series reader, so I shouldn't really worry about it, but to prompt him 
I bought two of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series (BOGOF) as someone mentioned to me that their son preferred reading books of his own than library books. Meanwhile we have been listening to an audiobook of the first of Caroline Lawrence's Roman Mystery series, 'The Thieves of Ostia' . This has proven really popular with them both, and the first 15 books in the series were available from The Book People for just £9.99! 
That should keep them going a while! It has also sparked an interest from JK in learning some Latin. We have a copy of Minimus, so we will make a start with that. Although it is aimed primarily at KS2 children, it will be a fun introduction and we can always move on to something more substantial if he wants to continue. Meanwhile Madi has decided to give Spanish a go. We have plenty of resources, DVD, CD and workbooks (including the dreaded Muzzy which we have tried a couple of times before, but we'll try again- you never know!). With the 'Back to School' offers on, I've also picked up a nice range of different workbooks covering all sorts of topics for her to pick and choose from in her own time, and we hope to include mini-projects on the Romans, and weather, possibly as lapbooks, which seem to be very popular with some of her friends. And I am determined we will complete one of the cross stitch designs that she has started! Madi has recently returned to swimming lessons, and has been enjoying trampolining and gymnastics sessions over the school holidays, and she would like to carry on with these, so has decided to give figure skating a break for a while. She is also looking forward to getting back to hockey and lacrosse, and has her new archery club. Dancing exams are looming, so she has decided to focus on ballet, tap and theatre craft, and not continue with jazz. She has been watching 'Orchestra United' which "charts the creation of the Hallé Harmony Youth Orchestra, which brings together a cross-section of young people from Manchester's vast cultural and ethnic community" [C4 website] and with JK about to take part in a saxophone 'band' workshop she has decided she would like clarinet as well as piano lessons if funds will allow! JK has been teaching himself some HTML from instructions on the internet, and is about to move on to JavaScript. As yet he is undecided whether to continue working towards Biology IGCSE or attempt an OU level 1 course with more in-depth study of computing and ICT. He still aims to complete his ECDL tests, and the Bronze Arts Award. With this in mind he has enrolled for the cast of Disco Inferno, and has had a taster singing lesson. No hesitation, of course, about continuing with ice hockey and field hockey, and he has managed to interest a friend in coming to lacrosse with him. He is less sure about his saxophone lessons, as he doesn't feel he is making a lot of progress, and although he is very keen to carry on with Scouts, his current troop is now very thin on the ground and the leaders are struggling to deliver a programme that excites the kids. I had considered helping, but I feel that he gets far more out of Scouts without a parent there. This one will be a difficult decision for him.
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