I have spent this week getting ready for our official beginning of the school year next week!  The boys have spent this week as they have much of the summer, enjoying friends, playing lots, reading, playing board games, practicing real life math -- learning with or without "official" school!

A few photos of unofficial learning this week:

We usually "school" year round, since things are pretty relaxed around here.  This year, because CJ is 8 years old, we are getting a little more formal, and I wanted time to prepare so it would go off without a hitch.  We didn't do any math workbooks or phonics work this summer, although Micah is reading lots of beginner books to himself, and you couldn't keep CJ from reading.  We kept up our History Studies on a small scale by reading Amos Fortune, Free Man (excellent story!) about slavery, and we are currently in the middle of Old Yeller (also excellent!  I feel like I understand men and boys better with each of these wonderful boy-books!).  Old Yeller has helped the kids really understand life in the United States in the mid-1800's.  (I can't remember the old Disney flick but sure hope that it is well done, we plan to watch it as soon as we finish the book!)  We have continued our Bible Study throughout the summer, with generous breaks for vacations and outings.  Ron has been faithfully reading Grandpa's Box to the kids for evening devotions.  This book goes through the main stories of the Bible, pointing all the while to the grace of God.  The kids have had lots of good questions, and we are all learning from these readings!  Our many field trips and vacations (including the Grand Canyon) have also been very educational.  I'll post photos soon of our many summer adventures, and file them under appropriate dates -- so check back in old posts if you'd like to see the pics.

What exactly are we going to do this Fall 2006 semester?  We plan to block out a few hours each morning for school time (after Breakfast and Bible and the boys' Morning Routine), spending each day of the week focused on different subjects.  Here's a copy of our proposed weekly schedule:

Every Day:

Bible and Breakfast (we just finished learning about Solomon and the temple he built, and are taking a break from Bible History to think on Solomon's Proverbs, using Miller Family book)

Reading Aloud Together for 30-45 minutes – (History, Literature, or Natural Science, depending upon day of the week)

Read Poem of the Day (incredible anthology found here, we printed it out and had it spiral bound)

Copywork (bought StartWrite program and began creating personalized copywork books for each boy!  Yeah!)

Math (CJ is in 3rd grade Singapore and finishing up Miquon, Micah is still in 1st Grade Miquon but will move faster as we being practicing math every day)

Tutoring -- Micah – Phonics, CJ – English from Roots Up, Daniel – anything one-on-one

One Day Each Week:

Bible – notebook what we’ve been learning in Bible, do extra research, acting out, etc. etc.  On this day, use bible verse for copywork.  Plan into these days character studies from Instructions in Righteousness.  Teach Bible tools such as using a concordance, bible dictionary and atlas at this time.

Language Arts – analyze literature, re-write stories (use IEW ideas picked up at Modesto Conference), Family Writing practice (Rosetta Stone Spanish computer practice while kids take turns dictating stories to me).  On this day, use literary prose for copywork (from one of our readings or from one of our poems).

Science – go through Considering God’s Creation, notebook, add living books, etc.  On this day, use one of the songs or poems in CGC for copywork.

Music/Art/Everything Else – Listen to Hymn of the month, Folksong of the Term, possibly listen to classicsforkids.com if there's time, use a verse of hymn-of-the-month for copywork and figure out meaning, every month or so do a Great Artists activity, use this day to notebook History stuff.

Extra Day – visit grandparents (I would like to visit each of our living grandparents once a month, and perhaps start an elderly care ministry visitation for the off-week)

A friend and I are also prayerfully considering starting a homeschool co-op.  Each family would take turn teaching lessons, and we would meet once a week.  We are thinking 2 weeks of true co-op, one week for field trips, and one week for ministry (elderly home ministry, feeding homeless, baking cookies for shut-ins, helping with church projects, raking lawns, etc. -- the possibilities are endless).  I think this co-op would be loads of fun and would help us see lots of people that we enjoy, without being busy almost every day of the week!  We'll see how it goes.  Homeschooling is so much fun, it knocks my socks off.