Assessment 2024-25: Beowulf

 Beowulf was a 5th/6th grader this past year.  His meds are now balanced, but the year behind us was tough because they weren't balanced then.  

He wasn't too much of a danger to himself or others, but he struggled with keeping his temper and managing big feelings in safe ways.  He left home several times (never for more than a few hours, but the wondering and looking took their toll on us), broke through the drywall of several rooms in the house, and resorted a great deal of the time to throwing things--rocks, bricks, tools, lawn chairs, tires, anything heavy enough to be satisfying to heft and throw--to relieve the emotions raging through him. 

This affected his ability to complete school work, so while I am proud of the progress he made, it was limited by the instability of his brain chemicals.

How grateful I am for a vigilant and compassionate psychiatrist who has helped our boy calm down and feel good in his skin!!

It was a struggle for him to be a pharmaceutical guinea pig--psych meds are so unique to each individual--and he was frequently extra-sleepy as he adjusted to new meds/adjusted med doses.  

Mental illness and trauma are no joke.

Math

Beowulf completed Teaching Textbooks Math 4 and Math 5.  He'd started Math 4 the previous year and finished it this school year.  He completed all of Math 5 this past school year.  He doesn't love math at all, but at least the instant feedback of Teaching Textbooks keeps him on course.  

He and Baymax are competing with each other over who can do best because they are at the same math level.  

(I'm not loving the competition, but it seems to be good for their male brains . . . I hope!)

Morning Meeting

Beowulf was a semi-active participant in all of our Morning Meetings.  He read, sang, answered questions, learned to lead music in 3/4, 4/4, and 2/4 time, memorized scriptures, and contributed spiritual insights to our daily lessons when he was calm and/or alert enough to attend.

Beowulf is a singer just like Brother is.  He spontaneously breaks into harmony when we're singing.  He's not as adept at copying what he sees others do, but he sure gives leading music a joyful effort, and we all follow him with equal joy.

Evening Reading

Beowulf is a wiggly young man.  He got a yoga ball for Easter which has helped tremendously with his need for sensory feedback and constant motion.  He listens very well if his body is at peace.  He loves our bedtime reading and is our most vocal plot commentator.

American Rhythm

Beowulf danced in Nature Angel's class this past year.  He's not a natural dancer, but he tries with every fiber of his being, and that makes him a valuable member of our dance troupe.  He charms our audiences with his beautiful smile and sweet greetings after each show.   He was invited to join the more experienced dancers at a few shows, and he worked hard to learn the new steps and routines.  

Everything Else

I based our Kid School time on The Peaceful Press Playful Pioneers 2.  

And we followed it beautifully for a month, then we simplified in the second month, then we simplified further for the rest of the year.  Ultimately, we followed the history reading with pretty good faith. 

We did quite a few written narrations to add some power to our daily oral narrations.

Then we added Shakespeare Stories for a little bit of fun.

     *King Lear

     *Twelfth Night

     *The Taming of the Shrew

I needed history to be less literature-based and more straight-forward for my crew so we made our way all the way through The Story of Science: Newton in the Middle.  In the spring semester, we added brief lessons from The Golden Book of Natural History. 

As with history, we did daily oral narrations and occasional written narrations.

As part of the Playful Pioneers 2 plan, we memorized all 50 states and capitals over the course of the school year.  Beowulf loved it each time he successfully matched a set of states and capitals.  We also did a few mapping activities.

A few times we did Rod and Staff grammar lessons from the Level 2 book.

When we got adventurous, we turned to  Under the Home for enrichment. We explored 

     *Art Appreciation

     *Studio Art  (we did one or two Art for Kids Hub lessons, too)

     *Geography

     *Music Appreciation

For a couple of months, we did a great job heading out for weekly hikes. Then we shifted to working on Couch to5K training.  Beowulf has asthma, so running is hard on him--even with a rescue inhaler.  He and Ladybug became pacing partners during our workouts as they learned to walk/run/rest in healthy patterns for their bodies.

Back in the late summer, he participated in our 5 week homeschool soccer "league."  Beowulf loves, loves, loves soccer and is an excellent defensive player for his experience.

On His Own

Beowulf loves to eat, play basketball, play football, read, play board games, and spend time with friends.  I find it fascinating to watch my wiggly, clumsy, bull-in-a-china-shop boy settle into a book with total focus.  He's really enjoying Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and historical fiction novels lately.  

Beowulf is less certain of his passions than Brother is.  When I ask him about favorites or goals, he usually shrugs and walks away with a casual, "I don't know."  I look forward to watching my boy find himself and his place in the world.

He does love to be a helper!

Looking Forward

Beowulf will complete the year ahead as his 7th grade year.  I have every hope that his current med regimen will continue to work and allow him to find out that he's a terrific human being who can learn and do hard things