Arrivals

Here's what's shaping up for fall.

I will review 1B with Luke over the next few months & start him in the fall on 2A. I will begin Liv in 1A. (Oops the 1B didn't happen over summer, starting with review in September)

Lots of writing, drawing, & fun paper

I will likely order more of the 1-2-3 Draw themes. Great little articles on each ocean animal & the kids love following the drawing steps... Some fun & easy science. I thought Luke would be excited to read Stuart together, given his love for EB White's other novel, but for now he pleaded for another round of Charlotte.

Hopscotch, sight words, journals.

Multiplication DVD, math facts songs

Art & music - a start. Will also include plenty of listening. Luke is interested in learning the flute or violin, actually he wants to learn the whole orchestra but told me he'd start with one of those two. The violin teacher I talked said he's too young....would love to find a good Suzuki method teacher but that didn't happen.... The flute teacher recommended starting with a recorder.... So that's the plan.

History in the form of trains & planes & coloring. These modes of transportation will hopefully dovetail nicely with some of our historical fiction. . . Mazes because they love them!

We'll try out the Magic School bus science set.

A very small sampling of the books on the menu. Much of the menu I have in a box somewhere.

Some of it was just so tempting they couldn't wait! They're loving this fraction game!

History will start with historical fiction & student-interest topics. We will build on these topics through library books, research, field trips, map activities, videos, discussion, etc. We will also study history as related to holidays throughout the year. And finally, we will learn some US geography using puzzles & activities pictured.

Language Arts will be reading & writing & reading & writing & more reading & writing. Sight words displayed & referred to. Student independent reading & read alouds with discussion & some tie-in to story elements. Writing for real reasons- stories, articles, letters & editing/spelling/grammar all within the context of writing.

Math will be the only textbook. Although down the road, I'd love to incorporate & even focus on math classics, writings of

Mathematicians. For now I'm going with Singapore. In all I've seen, I find it to be simple & straightforward but at the same time focused very much on the concrete, contextual why's & not just on the "do this." Place value charts, base 10 cubes, manipulatives, real world measurement via cooking & working on a barn addition & more, fraction & other games, & memorization by song to be included.

Science will be student-interest, grandpa-interest, dad-interest based, nature walk inspired. Caterpillars & tadpoles are on our front porch right now. This month grandpa built a battery with Luke from lemons & dad panned for gold with him & taught him to identify the local minerals that showed up in the pan. Science ideas seem to spring up on their own left & right. We will run with these through research, books, videos, discussions, and hands-on projects. Visits to the beach and mountains will bring fresh ideas. Additional learning comes through the drawing ocean life book, reading highlights & zoo nooz magazines, trips To the zoo, etc. We will try out the Magic School Bus kit on germs. We will try various experiments from a few other books as needed to spur on the student, grandpa, & dad interest.

There will also be Bible, art, music, physical activity, life skills like safety & household chores...... But much of those seem to be so much a part of home anyways, I'm not sure how much will get categorized as homeSchooling in my mind.

. . . . I already am crazy to even consider . . . .

This blog may soon go one of two ways. It may totally take-off, as in I actually start writing again. This would be born out of necessity as I strive and think through things and try to keep somewhat of a record to be referred back to down the road in hopes of doing more schooling-wise for my 3rd kid than what I've done baby book-wise (haven't even bought one :-/). Or, it may become absolutely obsolete, as in I don't even post the occasional pictures.

As my first grader has been studying increasingly real and academic topics, my brain has been exploding with ideas of how I want to teach those topics and methods or activities that would really inspire him. The how I would do it is nagging at my heart and refuses to stay swept under the rug. In theory, I should be able to use the beautiful private school 2 days a week, complete their prescribed lessons at home 3 days, and still be able to do all of my own wonderful, in-depth things those 3 days. In reality, while there may technically be time for both and we do do a little of my stuff, my brain simply is not going to take on that WORK & responsibility unless I do ALL. Plus, if I'm going to take on that work and responsibility, I might as well just do it and help our budget out a bit too. There are cons to this train of thought. I do love the heart of the beautiful private school and the other adults that are speaking into my kids' hearts those 2 days. I love most of their friendships. And, most importantly, I do LOVE dropping them off sometimes & not being with them 27-7 non-stop, and I do think of my own sanity. Those cons are significant and real. Yet, my heart will not let me ignore the tug to really go for this thing. After all, it was my dream over two years ago when I started considering kindergarten for my oldest. I now believe I must return to the dream (albeit, the dream-like quality has faded) and at least give it a shot. If the sanity and exhaustion issues can be negotiated, I do fully believe I can give my children the best possible education. I know, in theory anyways, what I want to do and how to do it and how to inspire these young prodigies to their ultimate potential.

An additional complication is that we are most likely moving into our 500 square foot barn and I am going crazy with my inspirations of turning home into classroom.... Ok, I already am crazy to even consider homeschooling with this move on the horizon. This will (hopefully) be a short-term issue, with a barn-addition also in the near future. Another separate but related issue is that I was looking for a small and preferably telecommute job to help out the budget; I suppose I would still be interested in the PERFECT job but the definition of perfect has been narrowed considerably and I have ceased actively looking, as I am more than aware that the undertaking I am considering would be a full-time job. If I am to take this on, it will not be to settle for mediocrity.

I have just finished re-reading A Thomas Jefferson Education for the umpteenth time and am currently reviewing my Charlotte Mason series, more for inspiration than information.

Come fall, it is likely I will be taking full charge of a kinder and second grader. When my heart and mind are fully at good hard work and engaged and alive, writing seems to be part of the equation; this blog will either be testament to such, or it will disappear. My emotions range from fear and doubt to excitement and a sense of destiny and fulfillment but there's enough of a real conviction mixed in to compel me forward.