Tiany at Less of Me-More of Him is hosting a Homeschool Open House for everyone to share their homeschool plans for this year. If you aren't homeschooling this year because you are finished, you can still join in. Just go to her blog and see what to do.
For those of you who don't know, I am Carol.I grew up in Kansas in a home with a single mom and five kids including me.I came to the Lord in the fourth grade through summer camp, and was discipled by many community members of our small town through church, youth group, summer camp and so forth.I have been married 13 years and have 4 children. We now live in Colorado. My girls are Ciara, 9, Jaedyn, 8, Eliana, 3, and Josiah 8 months.This is the beginning of our 4th year of homeschooling (Can it be?It seems we just started!)
Our homeschooling days always start with a Bible lesson.Currently we are going through Child’s Story Bible by Catherine Vos.The girls listen with me, draw a picture of what they have learned, and I choose a portion of the reading for them to write out under their picture.Ciara does hers in cursive.
Next we do our unit study or history.Right now we are studying the ocean with some library books including Seabird by Holling C. Holling, Oceans for Every Kid by Janice VanCleave (this book gives a short lesson about ocean topics followed by a hand’s on activity to cement their learning), I Wonder Why the Sea is Salty and Other Questions about Oceans by Anita Ganeri (this one appeals more to the younger children).
Jaedyn is reading a couple of books by Wayne Grover that are first chapter books.One is Dolphin Treasure.The other is Dolphin Adventure.She is also making her way through the Little House Chapter Books Brookfield Days.
Ciara is reading BabyIsland by Carol Ryrie Brink and if she finishes that one, she will read Stowaway by Karen Hesse.
For math so far this year we haven’t gotten out our Singapore books.The girls were pretty burnt out at the end of last year.Instead we have been playing games to review their math.Last week we played a version of the card game War in which the children flipped over two cards from their piles and added up their totals.Whoever had the most took them all.If they added up to the same number then they had a “war”.They put three cards out faced down and flipped up two more.Whoever had the highest total of the second set of cards won all of them.I also used a subtraction version and changed rules to make it more interesting.The girls did a lot more mental math in this game, and I didn’t have to fight them to do it.Today we started a money game in which they used a die to add up money.They rolled the die and took that much in money.The next time they rolled they added their coins together.Whenever they had five pennies they had to exchange it for a nickel, ten cents had to be exchanged for a dime, twenty-five cents for a quarter.When they totaled four quarters the game was over and they got to keep them or exchange them for a dollar to keep.Very motivating, and they liked it.I liked them doing all of the mental math!Next time to speed the game up we will use two dice.
Right now for bedtime read-alouds we are going through Little House on the Prairie and Treasure Island.We love this time together.Daddy usually reads Elly her own bedtime books at the same time.
Once we are done doing the ocean theme, I will start American History.I think at this point I am probably settling on Homeschool in the Woods Time Travelers Explorers and Colonies Unit for activities and such, but I also will use My Father’s World American History to 1850 with the supplement for 2nd and 3rd graders.
For readers and language arts I think I will give Sonlight’s Language Arts 3 a try.All of this is if I can afford it!Lol.I would also like to do one of the Apologia elementary science books.MFW lists botany for this year, so we may choose that one to get the MFW set.
Both girls loved Explode the Code last year for phonics and we still have a few books to do.I will probably have Jaedyn do hers, and Ciara can do her last two books if she wants to.
Other extras I’d like to add once we get into the swing would be Rosetta Stone Spanish, piano, and/or recorder.Our church is doing a revised Bible Bowl program that is supposed to be much more child-friendly, but I don’t know if we will get involved or not.
Field trips I have in mind are going to San Diego next month (for my brother-in-law’s wedding) and stopping by the Grand Canyon on the way and seeing the ocean, etc;and visiting some Native American museums around here like Mesa Verde and a Ute museum in Montrose.
I’m sure there is more, but it isn’t coming to mind right now.
As you can see we like structure, but also allow fun activities while I watch for delight in my children to run rabbit trails with.
For the most part we homeschool in our living room and dining room, with breaks to play outside.
Wow, I really enjoyed hearing what you are going to use this year !!! I think the girls are going to have a blast my friend. (0=
Keep us updated as you do things and show and tell as much as possible. (0;
Hi Carol! We're back from camping and I'm trying to get caught up on blogging. I really enjoyed reading your openhouse. I joined that, too-isn't it fun? I'm learning so much from everyone.
Holly
Hi Carol.
I lived in Kansas also LOL :)
The books you have listed are wonderful, for history. We have read almost of of them, when we did B. Feet American History.
I know you are busy, when you a have a chance come to my blog, I made mention of you in one of my entries. ((hugs)))
Thanks for telling us about your family and homeschool - I loved all the pictures of the books you're using! Have a wonderful week with your girls and little one!
Melissa
Thanks for sharing your homeschool with us. I am thoroughly enjoying this thread. I am entering my second year of homeschooling (6 and 4 yo). We are going to be using Singapore Math and Explode the Codes that you stated you used. Was the math too easy and boring? I bought all 8 code books and wondered if it takes several grades to go through all of them? Which code books will he do during the first grade?
Looks like you have a good year planned out! Have fun.
Thanks,
Letisha
Letisha, since you weren't logged in and didn't leave me a blog address, I'll have to answer you here. I don't think the math was too easy or boring, I think maybe I pushed too hard. As for Explode the Code, we did about 3 books a year. It all depends on the pace you use, but we did about a lesson a week, which amounts to 1-2 pages a day. It seems to be a pretty good pace. First grade does books 1-3 I believe.
Carol,
Yes, I realized later you are on homeschool blogger and I did not leave my blog address. I had to find you again! Thanks for answering me!
We did the first lesson in Code one for grade 1 and was way too easy. The next day we started Code 2 and it seems to be a better fit. Thanks. The reason I asked about Math is because it seems to be too easy for the 1st grader as well. Review is good though, right?
Hi Carol, just catching up a little on what you have been up to. It does look like we like a lot of the same things! I love your math program for now - good stuff you are doing. Fun bear story below - I do a pretty good imitation of Yogi Bear - but I don't do it for anyone but my family. lol We love the Homeschool in the Woods Time Travelers stuff, the girls are currently finishing up the colonial costumes with transparancy overlays - very fun! Thanks for sharing your school plan. Now I'm off to your next entry. :)
One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. To behold the beauty, the beauty of the Lord. To inquire in His temple, the temple of the Lord.
This is my everyday thoughts about being a mother to three little ladies (10, 8 and 3) and a toddler son. We serve God full-time, and I am a physician assistant. I have the most awesome husband in the world. I am trying to seek God with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind and all my strength.
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