Posted in homeschooling
|
We start school this coming week so I thought I'd post our new fall schedule. In the past our school schedule has been more of a routine than a strict time schedule. But this year with 4 school age kids and a toddler who has recently stopped napping, I think we're going to have to follow our schedule more closely. So here is is: 7:00-8:00 I wake-up, shower, and hopefully have some quiet time -Wake kids. 8:00-9:00 Mom -help Sophie and christian with morning routine (make their beds, eat breakfast, get dressed, brush teeth and wash up) Read stories to Sophie Older Kids -morning routine and bible reading 9:00-10:00 Mom- with Christian-bible lesson and Language Arts. Charles and Isaiah-rotate playing with Sophie and assigned silent reading. Andrew -History and Science ( on computer with Switched on Schoolhouse) 10:00-11:00 Math for all kids. Mom available to help. Sophie playing independently (puzzles, play dough, special toys only for math time) 11:00-12:00 Language Arts for older 3kids. Christian and Sophie watching educational or Bible Videos and DVD's. 12:00-1:00 Lunch and break for kids. Mom-Lunch and computer time. 1:00-2:00 Mom and older 3 kids do cleaning jobs. older 3 boys rotate 20 minutes each with Sophie. Mom-refer to daily cleaning schedule 2:00-3:00 Outside time for everyone. Nature walks on wednesday and Friday. Crafts on rainy days. 3:00-3:30 Mom -science with Christian and Isaiah. Charles history. Andrew play with Sophie 3:30-5:00 Free time for everyone. Mom make dinner. Sophie playing near mom. 5:00-6:00 Dinner and dinner clean-up 6:00-10:00 Family time, outside activities, baths for younger 2 kids, Tuesday and Thurday TOPS science experiments. |
Posted in homeschooling
|
I can breath a sigh of relief, all this year's school evaluations are done! I worked all week-end to finish the last 3 portfolios. I met with a teacher this morning at the private school we go through. We've had the kids evaluations done throught this school for the last 10 years. My oldest son only needs to take one class at the school sometime before he graduates and he'll get a diploma through the school. The portfolios consist of a yearly summary of what the kids covered in each subject and what grades they got. For the younger years I don't give grades, I just write about what they used for curriculum and what they learned in each subject. I list the books they've read for the year, and include samplings of their work. I also like to put in scrapbook type pages with pictures of field trips, friends, and projects.
|
Posted in homeschooling
|
Here are just a few that I can think of off the top of my head. 1. Homeschooling takes less time. I've read that 2 hrs of one on one instruction is the equivelent of 6 hours of public school. The kids can move on when they are ready instead of waiting for the class. High school students obviously need more time. 2. Kids have more time to pursue their interests. For younger kids that means more free time to play outside and just be kids. For older students it can mean anything they are interested in. My oldest son has spent hours and hours writing novels, 3d modelling, and playing guitar and writing music. 3. They don't have hours of homework , everything is done during school hours. 4.Homeschooled Kids tend to get along well with all ages, not just their peers. 5. You don't have to be so rushed to get your kids off to school in the morning. 6. You can take family vacations when you want to not just during school vacations-when places are crowded. Please feel free to post some more! |
Posted in homeschooling
|
I always look forward to starting the new school year, I did even when I was in school. We always start the first week in september. But for at least the first 4 years that we homeschooled I would get the the end of the fist week and want to throw in the towel. I was always ready to jump into a full school schedule. But....my kids weren't. They were still enjoying summer vacation. They needed time to adjust to a new schedule. So, every year I would cry to my hubby and saying, " we've made a mistake! Maybe we should send them to school!" He would remind me that we made the right decision and to give it time and it would work out. And he was always right! Every year I've been so glad we've chosen to educate our children at home. There are so many advantages and blessings, maybe in the next post I'll list some of them :) |
Posted in homeschooling
|
A friend of mine loaned us the Sonlight Core 1 (Intro to world History) Instructor's Guides to use this year with my 7 yo. She also gave me the science and LA guides. The Core instructors guides include daily lesson plans for history, bible, geography, readers and read-alouds (books the parent reads to the child). We have used Sonlight for 5of the 10 years we've been homeschooling. Our family loves good books, so Sonlight is a great fit for us. It's a literature based curriculum and most of the books you can get at the library. You can also use each of the cores with a range of ages. Even if you don't want to purchase the IG's you can get thier free catalog at www.sonlight.com to use their reading list. |
Posted in homeschooling
|
I love this Langauage arts curriculum! I found it at a homeschool curriculum fair this last April. Each workbook focuses on a novel and is about 8 weeks long. They cover grammar, spelling, writing, vocabulary, comprehension questions., and extra projects. We used the workbook based on the novel "The Whipping Boy" by Sid Flischman. My 10 year old really liked the story and doing the workbook pages-this is my son who normally isn't thilled with school :) . I will be using this curriculum with my 11 and 13 yr old boys this fall. |
Posted in homeschooling
|
My son and I finally got his portfolio together and we met with the principal of the local christian school. Andrew did really well this year all A's and one B! He earned 7 1/2 credits. I'm very proud of him. I can't believe he only has 2 more years of high school! Now I need to finish the other kids portfolios. I've worked on them some, but I need to finish! |
Posted in homeschooling
|
Andrew (11th) Radio Theater High School course NCFCA Lincoln/Dougless debate NCFCA Speech club (counts as part of Language credit) Home Economics couse (not sure what to use, I might make up my own) Geometry (math-U-See) Language 1100 (Switched on Schoolhouse) Science (SOS) History (SOS) Bible (not sure yet) Music (guitar) PE -basketball, maybe ultimate frizbee Charles (9th) Bible (not sure yet) Pre-Algebra (math-U-See) Total Language Plus History -The Mystery of History vol.2 with sonlight core 6 readers Science-TOPS (not sure which one yet) Home Ec class (possibly with Andrew) Isaiah (6th) Total Language Plus Math-U-See Epsilon or SOS math 5 (second half) History-Mystery of History VOl. 2 with Sonlight Core 4 readers Science-TOPS (not sure with one) Bible (not sure) Music-piano Christian (2nd) Language-sonlight core 1 History-sonlight core 1 Science-Sonlight Core 1 Math-Miquon Math Bible (not sure yet)
|
Posted in homeschooling
|
One of my favorite things about home schooling is reading great books to my kids. Here are some of our favorties: The sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth Geore Speare The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth Geore Speare THe Little House on the Prarie (entire series) Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink Spuanto Friend of the Pilgrims by Clyde Robert Bulla Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl A Cricket in TImes Square by George Selden The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman Liitle Pilgrim's Progress by Helen L. Taylor (from John Bunyan's classic work)
|
Posted in homeschooling
|
Something I think I've been pretty good at in our home school is not pushing the kids to learn something just because it's the age they are "supposed" to be doing it. For example, when my now 13 yo son was in K-2nd grade he hated reading. He liked to be read to, but he didn't want to learn how to read. He also didn't have the fine motor skills to begin writing. I didn't push him. For kindergarten I used Teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons. It has 15 minute lessons that you can snuggle on the couch with your child and do. For handwritting, I allowed him to write giant letters instead of having to write within tiny lines that most handwritting courses use. In 1st and 2nd grade he had some we played homemade phonics games and read lots of "I can read" books. In third grade he read the entire Redwall series on his own, many of the books are 400 pages! Since then he has been an avid reader. Another example is when my oldest son was in 4th grade, he just couldn't understand long division. He would cry and get so frustrated. So, I just dropped it for a while. When he was ready he picked it up easily. |