The theme for this year is "Keep it Simple".
We'll be getting back to basics. Reading, writing and arithmetic are the main focus. History, science and health ed will round out our lessons.
Here is what we are using this year;
Math U See
All About Spelling
Spectrum Language Arts workbooks
Paths of Exploration (Part 2)
Apologia Science and Anatomy
General research skills
and lots and lots of writing...
More details to follow ----
Friday, September 7, 2012
Reviewing last year
We made it! We survived another year of homeschooling, enjoyed our summer, and are beginning a new homeschool year!
So what worked and what didn't work last year?
MathUSee worked wonderfully as always. It is looking like we will eventually wind our way through the entire MUS curriculum since it really works well for us. It has been the easiest subject to deal with and succeed in by far. I really can't say enough about it.
Paths of Exploration worked in some ways, but did not work in others. As far as a history curriculum, it worked, but I definitely would not say it adequately covered ALL subjects. We started out really enjoying the lessons. We happily worked through the Columbus unit, and did get a lot out of it. The kids enjoyed it, and I was pleased with the flow of the lessons. The kids' knowledge in history, science, and geography was greatly improved. We continued with the second unit - Jamestown - but didn't feel the same enthusiasm as we did in unit 1. The lessons didn't feel like they had as much meat to them. The kids still felt connected to the historical characters and enjoyed the stories, but the lessons weren't as engaging. It just didn't feel as planned out as unit 1 felt. We pushed through and finished unit 2. The real difficulty came when we got to unit 3 - Pilgrims. Now the lessons felt more like a bunch of busy work. The information seemed repetitive and didn't tie together very well. Everything felt disjointed and without value or purpose. We barely made it through the lessons. We finished reading, but did not complete all the written lessons. Unit 3 became drudgery in the end. We decided that Part Two would wait till next Fall with the knowledge that it would not be considered a "complete" curriculum. We will definitely be supplementing with other materials, especially in Spelling and Language Arts.
Overall, I will continue using Paths of Exploration (part 2) just because we have it, but it will be considered a HISTORY curriculum only.
So what worked and what didn't work last year?
MathUSee worked wonderfully as always. It is looking like we will eventually wind our way through the entire MUS curriculum since it really works well for us. It has been the easiest subject to deal with and succeed in by far. I really can't say enough about it.
Paths of Exploration worked in some ways, but did not work in others. As far as a history curriculum, it worked, but I definitely would not say it adequately covered ALL subjects. We started out really enjoying the lessons. We happily worked through the Columbus unit, and did get a lot out of it. The kids enjoyed it, and I was pleased with the flow of the lessons. The kids' knowledge in history, science, and geography was greatly improved. We continued with the second unit - Jamestown - but didn't feel the same enthusiasm as we did in unit 1. The lessons didn't feel like they had as much meat to them. The kids still felt connected to the historical characters and enjoyed the stories, but the lessons weren't as engaging. It just didn't feel as planned out as unit 1 felt. We pushed through and finished unit 2. The real difficulty came when we got to unit 3 - Pilgrims. Now the lessons felt more like a bunch of busy work. The information seemed repetitive and didn't tie together very well. Everything felt disjointed and without value or purpose. We barely made it through the lessons. We finished reading, but did not complete all the written lessons. Unit 3 became drudgery in the end. We decided that Part Two would wait till next Fall with the knowledge that it would not be considered a "complete" curriculum. We will definitely be supplementing with other materials, especially in Spelling and Language Arts.
Overall, I will continue using Paths of Exploration (part 2) just because we have it, but it will be considered a HISTORY curriculum only.
Monday, October 10, 2011
A new HSing year
We are entering week 5 of our 2011-2012 HS year, and I couldn't be happier. Things have gone smoothly and the kids are generally enthusiastic about our new curriculum. Here is what we are using this year;
Paths Of Exploration
Math U See
Simple.
History has never ever been my strong subject. The thought of trying to put something together on my own was intimidating to say the least, but the reality is closer to impossible. There is simply too much out there to sift through. When I saw "Paths Of Exploration" last year at the UHEA Convention, I knew it was the answer to our History dilemma and so it came home with me. Yes, it took a while for me to actually start using it, but now that we have started, I am SO HAPPY! Everything is planned out and presented so clearly. I really don't have to plan much at all. I simply open the book, make sure we have the necessary supplies, and begin. It has been a Godsend. All subjects except math are covered and all relate to the topic of the day. We are nearing the end of the Christopher Columbus unit, and next will be Jamestown. All of it a great refresher for me.
Next is our old friend Math U See. We have been using it from the beginning. The kids' progress through Math has been impressive. They are both understanding and progressing rapidly, with each of them working at Grade 5 level. And the beauty of it is that it too is completely planned out for you. We are finishing up the last of "Delta" (multi digit division) and will continue with "Epsilon" (fractions).
I must say that the biggest and best part of this year is that we have finally found peace in our household. A lot of changes have taken place this past summer, and although difficult, they have been for the better. We are all breathing easier, and are at long last finding joy and comfort in our home and in each other's company.
School is good... Life is good.
Paths Of Exploration
Math U See
Simple.
History has never ever been my strong subject. The thought of trying to put something together on my own was intimidating to say the least, but the reality is closer to impossible. There is simply too much out there to sift through. When I saw "Paths Of Exploration" last year at the UHEA Convention, I knew it was the answer to our History dilemma and so it came home with me. Yes, it took a while for me to actually start using it, but now that we have started, I am SO HAPPY! Everything is planned out and presented so clearly. I really don't have to plan much at all. I simply open the book, make sure we have the necessary supplies, and begin. It has been a Godsend. All subjects except math are covered and all relate to the topic of the day. We are nearing the end of the Christopher Columbus unit, and next will be Jamestown. All of it a great refresher for me.
Next is our old friend Math U See. We have been using it from the beginning. The kids' progress through Math has been impressive. They are both understanding and progressing rapidly, with each of them working at Grade 5 level. And the beauty of it is that it too is completely planned out for you. We are finishing up the last of "Delta" (multi digit division) and will continue with "Epsilon" (fractions).
I must say that the biggest and best part of this year is that we have finally found peace in our household. A lot of changes have taken place this past summer, and although difficult, they have been for the better. We are all breathing easier, and are at long last finding joy and comfort in our home and in each other's company.
School is good... Life is good.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Got Bees?
It has been a VERY busy month! Not so much in our school life, but life in general. We have once again put our home up for sale. This means cleaning, de-cluttering, cleaning some more, and then leaving the house whenever someone wants to snoop take a look at it. It does tend to make life a little more hectic than usual.
In all the chaos, I thought it wise to cancel the honeybees I had on order (placed in December). It really didn't make sense to acquire bees when I knew the possibility of moving was in our not-so-distant future. We were sad, but accepted the reality of our circumstances.
We did decide though that we would take a field trip to at least see other people getting their bees. Wow - what a sight! Hundreds of thousands of bees, all packaged in neat wooden containers with screened sides. At least 4-6 pallets stacked full of bee boxes. Escaped bees confused and aimlessly buzzing around, people coming and going, some with pick-up trucks for larger orders, most simply putting the bees in the trunk of their cars, but all of them with a nervous smile plastered on their face. If only I would have remembered my camera!
We enjoyed meeting beekeepers and connecting with the local beekeeping clubs, seeing the bees, and wishing we would have kept our order in place. Then the strangest thing happened... In speaking with the organizer of the entire sales event, knowing that all the bee packages were spoken for, we were offered a package of bees! In my weakness, I eagerly accepted the treasure box presented to me. We rushed to the car with the same nervous smile as everyone else, put the buzzing bounty in the trunk and headed home. About half way home I really began questioning my sanity, but kept going until we stopped in our garage. We opened the trunk and gazed in amazement. Now What???
to be continued.....
In all the chaos, I thought it wise to cancel the honeybees I had on order (placed in December). It really didn't make sense to acquire bees when I knew the possibility of moving was in our not-so-distant future. We were sad, but accepted the reality of our circumstances.
We did decide though that we would take a field trip to at least see other people getting their bees. Wow - what a sight! Hundreds of thousands of bees, all packaged in neat wooden containers with screened sides. At least 4-6 pallets stacked full of bee boxes. Escaped bees confused and aimlessly buzzing around, people coming and going, some with pick-up trucks for larger orders, most simply putting the bees in the trunk of their cars, but all of them with a nervous smile plastered on their face. If only I would have remembered my camera!
We enjoyed meeting beekeepers and connecting with the local beekeeping clubs, seeing the bees, and wishing we would have kept our order in place. Then the strangest thing happened... In speaking with the organizer of the entire sales event, knowing that all the bee packages were spoken for, we were offered a package of bees! In my weakness, I eagerly accepted the treasure box presented to me. We rushed to the car with the same nervous smile as everyone else, put the buzzing bounty in the trunk and headed home. About half way home I really began questioning my sanity, but kept going until we stopped in our garage. We opened the trunk and gazed in amazement. Now What???
to be continued.....
Saturday, February 12, 2011
MathUSee Gamma - COMPLETE!
WOW - we are soooo excited! The kids have finished MUSee Gamma! They are now proficient in multiplication!
I'm not really sure if I can say that multiplication itself was a challenge, but actually getting through the lessons was the challenge. The kids, especially H, really started to slow down as the problems got larger. Not because they couldn't do them, but because they "didn't want to" do them. Oh the drudgery....
But with some arm twisting, and some cheer leading, and maybe even a little bribery, all lessons have been completed successfully. What a relief!
I will be waiting a few weeks before diving into the next level (division) so that the kids can decompress a bit. I've decided a nice change of pace is what they really need, so the next month or so will be primarily focused on science, maybe some history, more reading and writing.
This is what I love about HSing. The flexibility to make changes as we go. It makes learning so much more fun when you aren't chained to a desk, enduring the same monotony day after day - and it makes teaching so much more satisfying as well. Oh, and best of all - I get to spend time with my kids. ;-)
Sunday, January 16, 2011
2011 - Already?!
Another turn of the year has come and gone. We are already 1/2 way through January! I find myself amazed at the accelerating rate of the passage of time. No matter how hard I try to slow life down, it keeps going - faster and faster. I suppose I will just have to accept the fact that time really does fly.
So where have I been the past 4 months? Home. Trying my best to bring harmony to our household. And although challenging, I have had some success. Here is an update on the happenings of late;
We are still homeschooling, and doing MUCH better than we did last year. December was tough to keep momentum going, but that is par for the course with the holidays. I am not going to beat myself up about taking a few weeks off for the holidays. I am overjoyed to say that we are almost finished with MathUSee Gamma! We started over with it in September and have made steady and swift progress. Both kids are reaching mastery of multi-digit multiplication. We are on course to move into division in the next month or so! I am so very pleased and am breathing with relief at their progress. The Spectrum writing workbooks have proven to be a tremendous help as well. I have seen great progress in both of their writing and spelling abilities even though it doesn't feel like we have been making any extraordinary effort. I think the variety of the lessons as well as more consistency has been the key to improvement. Reading has really taken off this year too, especially for H. It is a joy to come home from the library with armloads of books and actually see that my son is reading them. I thought it would never happen, but patience has paid off. Overall, I am feeling the best I have thus far with our HSing. I think I have finally reached a true knowing that the kids will be fine, even if we don't do it like they do at PS. It is a blessing to have them learning at home. My son is still very enthusiastic about cooking, and is looking forward to some serious science projects. Both kids also want to learn to sew and knit, so there are lots of fun things on the horizon for us.
As for myself, I have been challenged to the extreme over the past few months in several aspects, but I feel like the sun may finally be breaking through if at least a little at a time. My primary concern at the moment is my struggle with severe anemia. The past three months I have been struggling with it, but have just come to discover that it has gotten worse. I am now engaging in overdrive iron supplementation and hope it will make a difference. Another month will tell. My financial picture is slowly taking shape with the recent purchase of a duplex, but I still am looking for a way to further supplement my personal income. I am seriously considering starting up my spinning business again. Which reminds me - I have actually made some time to sit down with my wheels again! It feels so good to create once again. It has been long overdue...
My goals for this year are pretty basic - to keep up our HS momentum, to improve my (and our) health, and to continue to improve my financial outlook. And finally to bring back joy and peace to my household.
OH! I almost forgot! We got another doggie! She is a young Australian Cattle Dog (aka; blue heeler). I never in my wildest dreams would have thought I would ever own more than one dog at a time, but much to my enjoyment, we now have two!
So where have I been the past 4 months? Home. Trying my best to bring harmony to our household. And although challenging, I have had some success. Here is an update on the happenings of late;
We are still homeschooling, and doing MUCH better than we did last year. December was tough to keep momentum going, but that is par for the course with the holidays. I am not going to beat myself up about taking a few weeks off for the holidays. I am overjoyed to say that we are almost finished with MathUSee Gamma! We started over with it in September and have made steady and swift progress. Both kids are reaching mastery of multi-digit multiplication. We are on course to move into division in the next month or so! I am so very pleased and am breathing with relief at their progress. The Spectrum writing workbooks have proven to be a tremendous help as well. I have seen great progress in both of their writing and spelling abilities even though it doesn't feel like we have been making any extraordinary effort. I think the variety of the lessons as well as more consistency has been the key to improvement. Reading has really taken off this year too, especially for H. It is a joy to come home from the library with armloads of books and actually see that my son is reading them. I thought it would never happen, but patience has paid off. Overall, I am feeling the best I have thus far with our HSing. I think I have finally reached a true knowing that the kids will be fine, even if we don't do it like they do at PS. It is a blessing to have them learning at home. My son is still very enthusiastic about cooking, and is looking forward to some serious science projects. Both kids also want to learn to sew and knit, so there are lots of fun things on the horizon for us.
As for myself, I have been challenged to the extreme over the past few months in several aspects, but I feel like the sun may finally be breaking through if at least a little at a time. My primary concern at the moment is my struggle with severe anemia. The past three months I have been struggling with it, but have just come to discover that it has gotten worse. I am now engaging in overdrive iron supplementation and hope it will make a difference. Another month will tell. My financial picture is slowly taking shape with the recent purchase of a duplex, but I still am looking for a way to further supplement my personal income. I am seriously considering starting up my spinning business again. Which reminds me - I have actually made some time to sit down with my wheels again! It feels so good to create once again. It has been long overdue...
My goals for this year are pretty basic - to keep up our HS momentum, to improve my (and our) health, and to continue to improve my financial outlook. And finally to bring back joy and peace to my household.
OH! I almost forgot! We got another doggie! She is a young Australian Cattle Dog (aka; blue heeler). I never in my wildest dreams would have thought I would ever own more than one dog at a time, but much to my enjoyment, we now have two!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Boy Scouts
My son has finally found a cub scout den to join! We have certainly had a tough time finding boys his age in the immediate area to play with, so this is the perfect answer. He is thrilled! I'm even having a tough time keeping him out of his scout uniform (Aren't they funny). Our first meeting went wonderfully. He knows a few of the boys from the short stint of PS so he doesn't feel like an outsider. Also, it is a small enough group that he isn't overwhelmed. Neither of my kids are large group types. They definitely thrive in one-to-one or small group environments. H is now on a mission to earn his patches. He already earned a zoo patch at the pack meeting, and likely will earn another for his efforts in karate (need to update the karate situation in a later post). Little L now wants to find a girl scout troop to join, so the search is on.
On a side note, I have never heard of this before - the boy scouts sell popcorn for fundraising. I know all about girl scout cookies, but not boy scout popcorn. I don't know how I made it this far in life without ever hearing of it. Oh well... The boys set up a popcorn table at the grocery store on Saturday and sales were fairly good. I was actually surprised at how supportive people were of the scouts. A very senior and enthusiastic former Eagle Scout even drilled the boys on their motto and promise. He told us of all the fond memories he has of scouts, even after all these years. It was quite charming. I got to sample some of the caramel popcorn... mmmmmm. Yummy stuff. Pricey but good. I bought a bag on the spot (must have been hungry) with plans of more. As you can guess, H is now selling popcorn to raise funds for the boy scouts. Would you like to order some? Here is H's link to the online ordering site. He would be very thankful for your support. http://www.trails-end.com/estore/scouts/email_referral.jsp?id=8356096
Now I'm hungry.... sigh. And not one popcorn kernel in the house....
On a side note, I have never heard of this before - the boy scouts sell popcorn for fundraising. I know all about girl scout cookies, but not boy scout popcorn. I don't know how I made it this far in life without ever hearing of it. Oh well... The boys set up a popcorn table at the grocery store on Saturday and sales were fairly good. I was actually surprised at how supportive people were of the scouts. A very senior and enthusiastic former Eagle Scout even drilled the boys on their motto and promise. He told us of all the fond memories he has of scouts, even after all these years. It was quite charming. I got to sample some of the caramel popcorn... mmmmmm. Yummy stuff. Pricey but good. I bought a bag on the spot (must have been hungry) with plans of more. As you can guess, H is now selling popcorn to raise funds for the boy scouts. Would you like to order some? Here is H's link to the online ordering site. He would be very thankful for your support. http://www.trails-end.com/estore/scouts/email_referral.jsp?id=8356096
Now I'm hungry.... sigh. And not one popcorn kernel in the house....
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Change of plans, just for a day
Instead of our usual academics we took a different approach to our day today. The fall colors are simply stunning right now - leaves freshly dropped from the trees are crisp and richly colored and smell of earth and autumn. I have had the idea in the back of my mind to get out and collect leaves for a fall project and today was the day. With rainstorms brewing, we rushed outside with grocery bags in hand and headed up the trail. Approximately 10 minutes into our hike we arrived at the mother load of autumn leaves. All colors, shapes, and sizes. Leaves, twigs, pinecones, and the occasional rock all made their way into our overflowing sacks. The kids chattering the entire time, picking here, picking there, and helping the branches shed just a few more leaves, breathing the fresh autumn air and simply being in nature was therapeutic for us all. I once again became the best teacher on the planet, at least for today. Once our bags were full to bursting, and the threat from distant thunder drew closer, we headed back home with our bounty. Immediately upon arrival, much like after a Halloween outing, the kids poured out their goodies all over the middle of the living room floor for closer inspection and sorting. Fall had moved indoors! As
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Almost Friday
I am astounded at how fast this week is flying by. Tomorrow is Friday - already! And Friday signifies our Life Skills day, which means COOKING LESSONS! The kids have been asking for two days now to do another cooking lesson (it is easy to deduce that this is their all time favorite HS lesson) and so tomorrow their wish will be granted. On the menu for tomorrow is banana nut bread. Not because I have any specific plans or lesson to teach, but because we have some very ripe bananas that are screaming to be used soon - very soon. I can't wait to sample the goodies! Yum!
So, I mentioned that this week has flown by. This is a good thing. It means we actually had a good week without too much drama (except when I noticed that my son no longer knew how to properly hold a pencil - nor did he wish to adjust his grip... sigh). We actually covered all lessons planned for the week, and even finished early on two days. This was a great motivator for the kids (and me). I am noticing an improved sense of cooperation and less resistance on the kids part (the pencil grip was self-rectified the following day) as we near the end of week two of HS. Oh JOY! We CAN do this!
The reason I make the above comment is that I just read a wonderful article at The Pioneer Woman, entitled "Erasing the fear of Homeschooling". It has taken me two solid years to finally find a sense of confidence in my ability to teach my children and to loose that frantic feeling of "Am I doing it right?". If only I had seem this article two years ago... Confidence does come, it sometimes takes a while in getting here though. Take a peek, perhaps it will help lay some fears to rest for you too.
So, I mentioned that this week has flown by. This is a good thing. It means we actually had a good week without too much drama (except when I noticed that my son no longer knew how to properly hold a pencil - nor did he wish to adjust his grip... sigh). We actually covered all lessons planned for the week, and even finished early on two days. This was a great motivator for the kids (and me). I am noticing an improved sense of cooperation and less resistance on the kids part (the pencil grip was self-rectified the following day) as we near the end of week two of HS. Oh JOY! We CAN do this!
The reason I make the above comment is that I just read a wonderful article at The Pioneer Woman, entitled "Erasing the fear of Homeschooling". It has taken me two solid years to finally find a sense of confidence in my ability to teach my children and to loose that frantic feeling of "Am I doing it right?". If only I had seem this article two years ago... Confidence does come, it sometimes takes a while in getting here though. Take a peek, perhaps it will help lay some fears to rest for you too.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Week 1 Review
I am so very pleased. Overall it was quite a successful week one of homeschooling. Even with the behavioral hiccups, we had a great start to school this year. A LOT better than last year I must say. I hate to brag, but I would venture to say that this has probably been our best start yet! I am very optimistic for a great year full of accomplishments and learning. It is my biggest hope however, that my relationship with my kids will transform into something deeper, closer, and more harmonious than what we have experienced thus far. As the teen years inch their way closer and closer, I am so much more aware of how quickly time flies and how soon the kids will begin to follow their own paths. It pains me to say that I feel like I haven't been able to "really" have the kind of relationship with my kids that I envisioned not so long ago. Thank goodness there is still time to change the tides in a more favorable direction. I so look forward to building a new level of closeness with my kids, built on mutual respect and genuine interest and caring for each other. There is no other time than the present... My focus is clearer now than it ever was before, and I think I finally have all the tools I need to fulfill my vision. A favorite quote of mine is ringing so true for me right now -
"Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself. Go forward and make your dreams come true. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
It's time for me to start living the life I have dreamed for myself....
ON A LIGHTER NOTE: Boy did I go off on a tangent... Back to the subject of school now. We had a fantastic week. It looks like the schedule I pieced together is going to work nicely (although we may have to start a touch earlier in the morning). Our accomplishments of the week included;
Basic math review and practice - place value to 100 million, carrying, borrowing, rounding and estimating. Multiplication begins next week!
Language arts - basic spelling review (actually more like a total refresher), some actual writing (pen to paper) and light grammar and punctuation review. I am SO THRILLED to see that the kids are much more interested in reading now! Neither one of them was too thrilled about reading last year, so this is a major hurdle we have overcome. YAY!
Poetry review - unfortunately the kids have forgotten about half of the poems they memorized last year, so we will begin anew with those.
And the highlight of the week (drum roll please) - the kids got their first official cooking lesson! Woooo Hooo! They had a grand time making chocolate chip oatmeal cookies! I am now considered the "best teacher" in the world. (Aren't they funny?) It really doesn't get much better than this does it?
Have a great weekend!
Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
A much improved Day 3 of HSing
What a relief! Our HSing Day #3 went as well as Day 1. The kids have come to the quick conclusion that it does not pay to be difficult. Thank goodness! We swiftly moved through all our lessons without all the moaning and groaning of yesterday. When the kids showed signs of loosing control of themselves, a quick reminder served to shape them right up. I feel good!
However, the kids aren't the only ones who learned a lesson. I am getting back into the swing of things, and am finding that planning a lesson that's not too short or too long takes some practice. Yesterday was a great learning experience for "what happens when the lesson goes too long". Oh well. We all survived and came out in one piece in the end.
I hope that other HS moms out there are having quick and easy success with their students/lessons! What a blessing for parents to be able to stay home and have this time with our children. It feels so right to be the one who teaches my kids not just academics, but also good character and general life skills.
However, the kids aren't the only ones who learned a lesson. I am getting back into the swing of things, and am finding that planning a lesson that's not too short or too long takes some practice. Yesterday was a great learning experience for "what happens when the lesson goes too long". Oh well. We all survived and came out in one piece in the end.
I hope that other HS moms out there are having quick and easy success with their students/lessons! What a blessing for parents to be able to stay home and have this time with our children. It feels so right to be the one who teaches my kids not just academics, but also good character and general life skills.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
What a difference a day makes
Oh brother. It's 3PM and my daughter is STILL NOT DONE. I have been at this table since 10AM this morning. Obviously things have not gone according to schedule or even remotely close to how the day went yesterday. The kids have been testing me ALL DAY LONG. I figure if I stay tough today, we may have a chance at a smooth rest of the week. I can only hope. So, today we did get through all our studies, but not without lots of interruptions, goofing around, complaining, whining, several time outs, some arguing and a temper tantrum... Where is Santa with the pear tree when you need him?
Monday, August 30, 2010
Our first day of school!
What a wonderful start to our HSing year! We started on time, there was no whining or complaining, and the kids actually even enjoyed our first day! The teacher was quite pleased as well. So - what did we do?
After the kids finished their morning routine and breakfast, and after they tended to the animals (while I cleared the table), we all took our seats in thekitchen classroom. The funny thing is that the kids happened to remember that last year's teacher had a very strange name (I forgot all about it). Mrs. Kronable... Yep, that's me! They insisted that I introduce myself before beginning and so I did. I introduced the schedule of the week and month to the kids and they seemed rather pleased. It looks a bit like this -
M-F Journal
M-TH Math
MWF Word of the Week (aka character study)
TTH Poetry Memorization
M-TH Spelling
M-TH Writing
M-F Music lesson and practice (The kids will be learning the recorder)
M-F 1 hour of daily quiet/reading time
Our Fridays aren't as academic
Journal and Math are still required, but then the remainder of class time will be spent on Life Skills. We will be starting with cooking lessons. The kids already have a long list of things they are ready to prepare. Mainly cake, cookies, candy and chocolate. They may be disappointed to learn that they will be learning more than just baking, but I won't tell them just yet.
Something I am doing different this year is incorporating one week per month of concentrated Art, History, or Science studies. I had a difficult time before fitting adequate time in for these on a daily basis, so rather than have it all spread out, we will take a solid week to work on a unit study. The kids
thought this was a great idea. I'm liking the idea too. It just seems to make sense.
SO - After explaining the schedule and the things that will be expected of the kids, the kids started with their first journal entry. They were reminded to use neat handwriting, and were discouraged from writing the same entry over and over again for each day (something my DD did atdaycare Public school). (I had to laugh at myself over this issue. At the end of PS, my daughter brought home her neatly bound and beautifully decorated journal from first grade. It was a work of art which I eagerly looked forward to reading. In anticipation of finding profound words of wisdom that only a seven year old could fathom, and glorious insights into the mind of my little princess, I opened her journal and began to read. I turned the pages with mixed emotions. I was glad to find that she really really likes our dog and our two cats. But an entire journal dedicated to the subject was a bit disappointing much. Out of approximately 25 or so entries, all but two introduced our dog and cats... over and over again... sigh. So much for my profound reading experience.)
Next, we moved into some basic math review. I figured I better make sure they remembered place values, and how to add, subtract, carry and borrow before starting with multiplication. Thankfully they did remember (dd needed a little reminder but was quick to pick it up again). We practiced a few questions on the white boards and then moved ahead with some basic worksheet practice. It was quick and easy. And a great confidence and enthusiasm builder. ;)
We took a short break and returned to do some penmanship practice. My son has always had messy writing and any bit of dedicated practice is of great benefit. We didn't get into any language art instruction today mainly because I still need to figure out what to review and where to begin anew. Tomorrow is another day, and I have another few hours to dig into our spelling lessons and figure out a starting point. Anyyyywayyyy, once they finished their penmanship, they were free to have lunch and recess, followed by Quite/Reading time. This seemed the perfect way to end our first day back to homeschool. And so it was.
My son tonight told me he was happy to begin learning again and that the first day back to HS was "fun". It makes my heart smile.
After the kids finished their morning routine and breakfast, and after they tended to the animals (while I cleared the table), we all took our seats in the
M-F Journal
M-TH Math
MWF Word of the Week (aka character study)
TTH Poetry Memorization
M-TH Spelling
M-TH Writing
M-F Music lesson and practice (The kids will be learning the recorder)
M-F 1 hour of daily quiet/reading time
Our Fridays aren't as academic
Journal and Math are still required, but then the remainder of class time will be spent on Life Skills. We will be starting with cooking lessons. The kids already have a long list of things they are ready to prepare. Mainly cake, cookies, candy and chocolate. They may be disappointed to learn that they will be learning more than just baking, but I won't tell them just yet.
Something I am doing different this year is incorporating one week per month of concentrated Art, History, or Science studies. I had a difficult time before fitting adequate time in for these on a daily basis, so rather than have it all spread out, we will take a solid week to work on a unit study. The kids
thought this was a great idea. I'm liking the idea too. It just seems to make sense.
SO - After explaining the schedule and the things that will be expected of the kids, the kids started with their first journal entry. They were reminded to use neat handwriting, and were discouraged from writing the same entry over and over again for each day (something my DD did at
Next, we moved into some basic math review. I figured I better make sure they remembered place values, and how to add, subtract, carry and borrow before starting with multiplication. Thankfully they did remember (dd needed a little reminder but was quick to pick it up again). We practiced a few questions on the white boards and then moved ahead with some basic worksheet practice. It was quick and easy. And a great confidence and enthusiasm builder. ;)
We took a short break and returned to do some penmanship practice. My son has always had messy writing and any bit of dedicated practice is of great benefit. We didn't get into any language art instruction today mainly because I still need to figure out what to review and where to begin anew. Tomorrow is another day, and I have another few hours to dig into our spelling lessons and figure out a starting point. Anyyyywayyyy, once they finished their penmanship, they were free to have lunch and recess, followed by Quite/Reading time. This seemed the perfect way to end our first day back to homeschool. And so it was.
My son tonight told me he was happy to begin learning again and that the first day back to HS was "fun". It makes my heart smile.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Gearing up for a fabulous Home School year!
I must admit that I am very excited to begin HSing again. After sending the kids to 6 months of Daycare public school, and seeing the regression dismal progress they made, there is no doubt in my mind that homeschooling is what we need to continue with. We have taken the entire summer off for decompressing and relaxing, which was badly needed for all of us, so it really amazed me when my DD started asking to begin school again. It made my day and brought a smile to my face. DS has also expressed his joy of returning home for our lessons. We are at peace with our decision to come home.
So what are we doing this year? We will basically be starting again where we were last year.... I plan on backing up a bit from where we left off and going through a solid review to bring us back up to speed. I plan on beginning with MathUSee and All About Spelling. I found some workbooks for the writing process (can't remember the title at the moment), so will be integrating those after a few weeks of warming up again. We will be incorporating more read aloud time in the Charlotte Mason style as well, and will have one day a week for life skills and character study. After the holidays I will make adjustments as needed and hopefully keep our learning sessions fresh and interesting.
I feel like I already had our school planned out since last year (but never got it off the ground), so my planning for this year has been easy-peasy. YAY! Now with some calmer and clearer weather in our household, we can actually apply the plan and see the fruition of our efforts. I am smiling and sighing with great joy and relief.
New beginnings are often the Best beginnings!
So what are we doing this year? We will basically be starting again where we were last year.... I plan on backing up a bit from where we left off and going through a solid review to bring us back up to speed. I plan on beginning with MathUSee and All About Spelling. I found some workbooks for the writing process (can't remember the title at the moment), so will be integrating those after a few weeks of warming up again. We will be incorporating more read aloud time in the Charlotte Mason style as well, and will have one day a week for life skills and character study. After the holidays I will make adjustments as needed and hopefully keep our learning sessions fresh and interesting.
I feel like I already had our school planned out since last year (but never got it off the ground), so my planning for this year has been easy-peasy. YAY! Now with some calmer and clearer weather in our household, we can actually apply the plan and see the fruition of our efforts. I am smiling and sighing with great joy and relief.
New beginnings are often the Best beginnings!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Family time
What a beautiful day today! The kids and I took our first official bike ride of the year complete with a stop at the playground. Then we worked a bit in the yard followed by violin practice (without moaning) and a yummy dinner that my daughter helped prepare. It feels so good to see the smiles on my kids faces. I am at peace today.
I am so excited about the end of PS and going back to HSing! There's no place like home.
I am so excited about the end of PS and going back to HSing! There's no place like home.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Guilty or Good?
It's amazing how quickly things can change, right beneath our noses. And it's also amazing how long the process of change can wreak havoc on our day to day lives.
I write this today with the (in my mind shameful) admission that in January I had to put the kids in PS. Oh DREAD! But in reality it was likely the best thing to do at the time. My marriage and life in our household had deteriorated to such a point that I was physically, mentally and emotionally unable to function in any real capacity. It took just about every ounce of energy I had to get out of bed and deal with the basics of meal prep and general household maintenance. Yes, HSing was still taking place, but honestly, it was sporadic and always came with a dark cloud looming nearby. Patience was no longer in my vocabulary, nor did I have the energy to combat the ever increasing incidences of student resistance. Needless to say our HS schedule, and life in general for all of us, had been negatively affected by the incessant arguing between myself and my husband. TOTAL BURNOUT had moved in and taken over our household. It pains me to even think how dismal my world seemed at the time.
Fast forward 4 months. Had it been so long???! The kids have adjusted to PS and for a short while even enjoyed it. My daughter has made progress in spelling, however has lost ground in math. My son however has made no real progress in any subject that I can identify, but thankfully has not appeared to lose ground in any subject either. Yet in the past several months, I have found greater clarity in WHY I felt so strongly about homeschooling in the first place. I have reconnected with my values and my self. I feel like I can stand on solid ground now, and not be shaken to the core by the negative energy that is unfortunately a very real part of life. I have collected myself and I am ready to begin again. This time with a new set of priorities, a clearer vision of how to meet them, and perhaps a thicker skin as well. I couldn't have found this clarity had I continued to "go through the motions". Yes, I still think of PS in negative terms, but at the same time realize that it was better than sitting at home with a miserable mom. Sometimes we need to bite our tongue and do something we don't want to - in order to save the things most important to us.
The reason I write all this is that I know for certain there are other HSers out there experiencing tough times. If I can offer just one bit of hope to someone out there suffering the effects of burnout, I am happy. I have learned from experience that we don't have to feel guilty about sending our kids to PS for a while. It might be the best favor you do for your kids and yourself...
Ready to start anew! Look out HS - here we come!
I write this today with the (in my mind shameful) admission that in January I had to put the kids in PS. Oh DREAD! But in reality it was likely the best thing to do at the time. My marriage and life in our household had deteriorated to such a point that I was physically, mentally and emotionally unable to function in any real capacity. It took just about every ounce of energy I had to get out of bed and deal with the basics of meal prep and general household maintenance. Yes, HSing was still taking place, but honestly, it was sporadic and always came with a dark cloud looming nearby. Patience was no longer in my vocabulary, nor did I have the energy to combat the ever increasing incidences of student resistance. Needless to say our HS schedule, and life in general for all of us, had been negatively affected by the incessant arguing between myself and my husband. TOTAL BURNOUT had moved in and taken over our household. It pains me to even think how dismal my world seemed at the time.
Fast forward 4 months. Had it been so long???! The kids have adjusted to PS and for a short while even enjoyed it. My daughter has made progress in spelling, however has lost ground in math. My son however has made no real progress in any subject that I can identify, but thankfully has not appeared to lose ground in any subject either. Yet in the past several months, I have found greater clarity in WHY I felt so strongly about homeschooling in the first place. I have reconnected with my values and my self. I feel like I can stand on solid ground now, and not be shaken to the core by the negative energy that is unfortunately a very real part of life. I have collected myself and I am ready to begin again. This time with a new set of priorities, a clearer vision of how to meet them, and perhaps a thicker skin as well. I couldn't have found this clarity had I continued to "go through the motions". Yes, I still think of PS in negative terms, but at the same time realize that it was better than sitting at home with a miserable mom. Sometimes we need to bite our tongue and do something we don't want to - in order to save the things most important to us.
The reason I write all this is that I know for certain there are other HSers out there experiencing tough times. If I can offer just one bit of hope to someone out there suffering the effects of burnout, I am happy. I have learned from experience that we don't have to feel guilty about sending our kids to PS for a while. It might be the best favor you do for your kids and yourself...
Ready to start anew! Look out HS - here we come!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
School is in session
It's the end of August already... The new 2009/10 school year officially started last week for the public schools and for us as well. We got off to a rough start with some interruptions on Monday, but we managed to salvage the week by beginning on Tuesday instead. Overall, our first week went very well! The kids willingly, even eagerly, jumped into their studies without any resistance or complaining. The time spent last month in planning our lessons has been worth the effort, affording us a clear direction for this year and an easier start. Also, I think that our new approach to discipline and communication has helped make an enormous difference in all of our attitudes and behaviours and is a definite contributor to our positive start for school. My discovery came at a class at the UHEA conference this past June called "Teaching Self Government". I have been slowly implementing the techniques I have learned over the summer and it really is working! You can find out more about it here - http://teachingselfgovernment.com/. I am very thankful to have found these parenting techniques. My sanity has been spared! :)
Regardless, we are all grateful to get back on a normal, and less hurried schedule. Fall is already in the air and we are seeing the first few trees displaying their autumn colors. The night air is bringing in an early chill, and we all seem to be getting ready to hunker down for another long winter. The garden has not withstood the cold snaps that have been moving through, with our corn, cucumber, and pumpkin plants all falling victim to a summer cut short. The cold weather crops are fairing much better, but I suspect they will require an early harvest. Such is life in the mountains... Sigh...
Regardless, we are all grateful to get back on a normal, and less hurried schedule. Fall is already in the air and we are seeing the first few trees displaying their autumn colors. The night air is bringing in an early chill, and we all seem to be getting ready to hunker down for another long winter. The garden has not withstood the cold snaps that have been moving through, with our corn, cucumber, and pumpkin plants all falling victim to a summer cut short. The cold weather crops are fairing much better, but I suspect they will require an early harvest. Such is life in the mountains... Sigh...
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
MidSummer already! Getting ready for a new HS year...
Here we are, enjoying the fantastic mountain summer at last. It's weather like this that makes mountain living worthwhile. Summer got off to a slow start with most of June being plummeted with LOTS of rain, but alas summer finally arrived. The garden is now beginning to grow, and I am beginning to see that cold weather crops are necessary for a successful harvest up here since the growing season is quite short. We do however have a very nice bunch of potted tomato plants growing on our sunniest deck. I'll move them indoors in Fall, so we will actually get a pretty good tomato harvest this year. Out in the garden we have two variations of kohlrabi, beets, carrots, pumpkin, snap peas, asparagus, and we did have some cucumbers, but something ate them. Oh well. In pots we have one cabbage plant, potatoes, chard, spinach (which mostly drowned in June), radishes, and the previously mentioned tomatoes. The kids loved turning the soil, planting the seeds, and are thrilled to see how things are starting to grow. The radishes are mostly harvested already which gave the kids a thrill. Our lettuce seeds did not sprout, but I knew they were old. We'll try again with some fresh seeds. The flowers and weeds are growing like mad from the rain, but luckily everything is growing where it is supposed/allowed to.
We are still HSing through summer, but on a lighter schedule. The kids just finished the Beta level in Math U see (today), and we are continuing with AAS level two on a regular basis. I would like to finish our Body Systems study by mid August, and then for the new school year, we will be digging into Writing, Astronomy, Home/Life Skills and Character studies. So, in a nutshell here's what is planned for 2009-10 school year starting end of August/early September:
Math U See - Gamma
All About Spelling
Writing Strands
Apologia Astronomy
Character First
Reading
Sewing/spinning/kitchen and cooking skills, etc...
When we finish with Astronomy in/near March, we will switch to social studies and geography, with a possible unit using the Little House series. I think our Life Skills will tie in very nicely with Colonial and Pioneer Times, so that will be our focus when the time comes.
The most important thing I have learned this past school year is to have faith in the curriculum choices I have made, and to not overwhelm myself with too many different sources of information. I was going nuts with too much information, and ended up crippling myself. We are keeping it simple this year, and not worrying about what the school or anyone else is doing. I think we will all be much happier.
In the mean time, I have created an outlet for my photography. My new website is http://www.ambientnature.com/. Please take a peek and let me know what you think.
Until next time -
We are still HSing through summer, but on a lighter schedule. The kids just finished the Beta level in Math U see (today), and we are continuing with AAS level two on a regular basis. I would like to finish our Body Systems study by mid August, and then for the new school year, we will be digging into Writing, Astronomy, Home/Life Skills and Character studies. So, in a nutshell here's what is planned for 2009-10 school year starting end of August/early September:
Math U See - Gamma
All About Spelling
Writing Strands
Apologia Astronomy
Character First
Reading
Sewing/spinning/kitchen and cooking skills, etc...
When we finish with Astronomy in/near March, we will switch to social studies and geography, with a possible unit using the Little House series. I think our Life Skills will tie in very nicely with Colonial and Pioneer Times, so that will be our focus when the time comes.
The most important thing I have learned this past school year is to have faith in the curriculum choices I have made, and to not overwhelm myself with too many different sources of information. I was going nuts with too much information, and ended up crippling myself. We are keeping it simple this year, and not worrying about what the school or anyone else is doing. I think we will all be much happier.
In the mean time, I have created an outlet for my photography. My new website is http://www.ambientnature.com/. Please take a peek and let me know what you think.
Until next time -
Thursday, May 7, 2009
The best laid plans
Life has a way of interfering in even the best of plans and we are no exception.
We plodded our way through winter and actually were doing quite well. We have been moving through our math and spelling lessons swiftly, language lessons were falling into place, science found it's way into our schedule.... then March came. I had surgery to fix a small (and I mean tiny) umbilical hernia. I thought, "Okay, it's a teeny tiny incision, so this will be easy. Like a paper cut." HA! What a joke. What I thought would take 3 days, took weeks! I suppose even the smallest of surgeries are still a big deal. It's tough to teach when you can't move, so our lessons slowed significantly. BUT - blessings do come in the strangest packages. Since I was not allowed to do any lifting of any sort, the kids got a few lessons on cleaning house. Both kids are now proficient at vacuuming the house, and H is now a laundry aficionado. I have been informed that he will now do all the laundry. We'll see how long his enthusiasm lasts. :)
So that was March - then came April..... After being cooped up in the house all winter, we finally had enough! April was a perfect time to take a trip to Grandma's house in CA and celebrate birthdays there. What a glorious trip we had! Spring had sprung and the weather was outstanding! We stayed the entire month and the kids played outside everyday! We went to the Redwoods, the ocean and beach, got a beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge from the Marin Headlands, visited Marine World (now known as Six Flags Discovery Park) and the Exploratorium in SF. We celebrated Easter and two birthdays (H is now 8 and L is 6). Needless to say, our education was very hands on for April. The books stayed quietly in their bag. We finally made our way back home just in time for May to begin. My homecoming was celebrated on a heating pad with a backache which is now going on week 2..... We are very happy to see that the snow is melted away though, and spring is arriving here in the mountains. We are off to a slow start this week, working on Math and continuing our "body"books as a start. It is time to start our garden (and gardening lessons) as well. It will take another week or two before we are back to speed, but we are all thankful for the wonderful time we had in CA. The break was worth it.
We plodded our way through winter and actually were doing quite well. We have been moving through our math and spelling lessons swiftly, language lessons were falling into place, science found it's way into our schedule.... then March came. I had surgery to fix a small (and I mean tiny) umbilical hernia. I thought, "Okay, it's a teeny tiny incision, so this will be easy. Like a paper cut." HA! What a joke. What I thought would take 3 days, took weeks! I suppose even the smallest of surgeries are still a big deal. It's tough to teach when you can't move, so our lessons slowed significantly. BUT - blessings do come in the strangest packages. Since I was not allowed to do any lifting of any sort, the kids got a few lessons on cleaning house. Both kids are now proficient at vacuuming the house, and H is now a laundry aficionado. I have been informed that he will now do all the laundry. We'll see how long his enthusiasm lasts. :)
So that was March - then came April..... After being cooped up in the house all winter, we finally had enough! April was a perfect time to take a trip to Grandma's house in CA and celebrate birthdays there. What a glorious trip we had! Spring had sprung and the weather was outstanding! We stayed the entire month and the kids played outside everyday! We went to the Redwoods, the ocean and beach, got a beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge from the Marin Headlands, visited Marine World (now known as Six Flags Discovery Park) and the Exploratorium in SF. We celebrated Easter and two birthdays (H is now 8 and L is 6). Needless to say, our education was very hands on for April. The books stayed quietly in their bag. We finally made our way back home just in time for May to begin. My homecoming was celebrated on a heating pad with a backache which is now going on week 2..... We are very happy to see that the snow is melted away though, and spring is arriving here in the mountains. We are off to a slow start this week, working on Math and continuing our "body"books as a start. It is time to start our garden (and gardening lessons) as well. It will take another week or two before we are back to speed, but we are all thankful for the wonderful time we had in CA. The break was worth it.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
About Writing
So, I went nuts this week and ordered Step up to Writing AND Lessons That Change Writers. I found Step up to Writing on the web and really liked the way it seemed to operate. I watched all their sample videos of the program in action and actually tried it out with the kids. All I can say is WOW! The kids each wrote their first paragraph! And I must say, they turned out beautifully. It took two days to work through the process, although I think I should have been happy with three. The kids were definitely tired when we were done. I was so pleased with the outcome that I decided to go ahead and order Step up to Writing. I'll post more when it gets here.
I heard rave reviews about Lessons That Change Writers from our local librarian. She happens to be a teacher and couldn't have been more excited about this book. She even refused to switch to the school district's writing program as she thought this one was far superior. So, I ordered it as well. Since I feel that writing is such an important element in the kids' education, I feel like I can never have too much information. Between all the writing plans I now have, we should be covered through high school and hopefully the kids will find enjoyment and success in their writing.
I heard rave reviews about Lessons That Change Writers from our local librarian. She happens to be a teacher and couldn't have been more excited about this book. She even refused to switch to the school district's writing program as she thought this one was far superior. So, I ordered it as well. Since I feel that writing is such an important element in the kids' education, I feel like I can never have too much information. Between all the writing plans I now have, we should be covered through high school and hopefully the kids will find enjoyment and success in their writing.
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