It's been some time since I've updated my blog here...

Still homeschooling ; but not much time for blogging about it, I guess.  

We've had some challenges lately.  The biggest distraction has been my sweet niece who is 2 months old coming to stay with us during the day.  It is hard to stay focused on math when there is a beautiful baby making noise in the background .  I'm sure as time passes, the new will wear off of that, and things will become a bit less chaotic.  At least I certainly hope so!  It has also been a while since I've had to function and care for a baby...I'm as easily distracted as the children are . 

I'm thinking we need some changes to the curriculum for next season.  Teaching Textbooks will replace Saxon for 1 dd; and I'm thinking I'll get Math U See for the younger girls.   

I also need something for Language Arts, since I don't have as much time to put together copywork and so forth on my own.  I have LLATL for grades 2 & 3, which is OK; but I'm considering Language Lessons from Queen Homeschool instead.  Anyone use these?  Simply Grammar is not a good fit for my oldest dd.  She does not like it, even a little bit; so I'm thinking I'll get Language Lessons for her as well. 

We're doing fine with our History, using A Child's History of the World as a text and then adding library books and other activities to that.  Next year we'll move into the Mystery of History books.

Science has been hit or miss, and I really need to focus a bit more on that subject.  We do lots of reading about animals, plants,  a fair amount of Nature Study, and are reading Storybook of Science off and on. 

We just finished volume I of A Child's Geography which was great fun.  We'll begin volume II soon. 

Lots of reading going on, everything from piles of easy readers, poetry, non-fiction, and fairy tales, to Sarah's newest obsession, knitting and crochet books. 

I struggle with record keeping, so I think I may try to do more journaling as a record here in the coming days.  I've tried countless different "systems" and don't seem to keep up with any of them.  Perhaps an online account here will be better.

OK, I need to get a few "non-school" things accomplished today, too.  Off to start the crockpot and find a cup of tea!

This sounds like such fun!

I signed up for Blogger Friend School 2008-2009. 

They are having a great Back to School giveaway that I am participating in.  Check it out if you haven't signed up already!

Blessings,

Catherine

It's almost time for our new learning season to start. 

 I love the excitement and "newness" of a brand new educational year. 

Our adventure will begin on Tues., Sept. 2, 2008. 

I had big plans to begin Aug. 1; but life exploded in lots of good ways; but in ways that put my lesson plans and new books right back on the bookshelf! 

That's OK, when I was in school (ancient history now), we never started classes until after Labor Day....just seems right in my brain even now.

Sooo.....I've signed up for Blogger Friend School, and am looking forward to making new friends and doing some learning of my own as well this year. 

Here are a few of the great resources I plan to use this year:

Bible

SCM Scripture Memory System

A Child's Book of Character Building

A Child's Geography

Mystery of History Vol. 1

A Child's History of the World

Simply Grammar

LLATL Red

Phonics Pathways

Copywork books

English from the Roots Up

Exploring Creation with Botany

Handbook of Nature Studies

Storybook of Science

Parables from Nature

Miquon Math

Math Mammoth

Teaching Textbooks 5

Ambleside Online resources for Literature, Poetry, Art, Composers, Shakespeare, etc.

Plus lots of great read alouds, craft projects, and whatever else we find that looks interesting along the way!

This is the first year I have 3 "grades" to teach- 1,2, & 5.  Should be quite an adventure.

Blessings,

Catherine 

sometimes there seem to be too many!  I am thrilled that we have so many different things to choose from, but it can be hard for me to "choose just one". 

I am planning to order a few things for our "summer school" session and for next year, too.

I would love to hear other's opinion of Teaching Textbooks Math.  I am tentatively planning on this for my dd who will be in 5th grade, and is very much an auditory learner.  Math is the subject that has caused me the most grief in curriculum choosing and teaching, and  I've tried several .   My second choice for her  is Math U See, which I will very likely be starting the "little Loves" in this fall. 

I'm also debating on either English for the Thoughtful Child and/or Language Lessons from Queen Homeschool.  Any thoughts or opinions on these two would be gladly received, too! 

We're enjoying A Child's History of the World right now, and will move into The Mystery of History this Fall. 

Science is my favorite subject area, so we have LOTS of Science "stuff" to choose from....Handbook of Nature Study, Apologia Botany, Abeka Science, Giant Science Resource, The Story Book of Science, It Couldn't Just Happen......plus many other Science and Nature books ! 

Art/Music/Poetry...Ambleside Online suggestions, etc. 

Blessings,

Catherine

It seems I don't have much time for blogging these days; though once summer hits and it is too HOT to venture outside, I'm sure I'll find my self rambling away again .

Our family has been in a season of transition, and we've been almost completely "unschooling" since August.  Not my plan at all, but I worked part-time from mid-August until Dec. 31st.  And, even though the girls were with me at work, and I had permission to do my teaching while there, we still ended up not doing the "formal lessons" I had planned.  They learned much in spite of our very relaxed approach. 

I have found that by having lots of educational toys, manipulatives, workbooks, and other learning "supplies" and putting them out for the children to "discover" or "re-discover" now and then, I can encourage learning in a very simple, and even fun way.  My oldest uses her natural "first-born" tendency to be the boss and order everyone about to play teacher , and the little ones actually play along and have fun doing so! 

We also moved recently, which put my plans for getting back to my lesson plans on hold, yet again.  But, when I look back at what we've accomplished this year, I can see that a season of "unschooling" may have been the best thing for us. 

A break from the math book did wonders for my oldest's math phobia.  When we started things up again, she was ready to learn what had, at one time, caused much frustration and many tears.  She has also become a voracious reader, like her mom , and because she is a talker , too...she just naturally narrates what she is reading to me.  What could be easier than that? 

A free online typing program has been interesting for the older 2 and they are getting quite good with the keyboard. 

The little ones enjoy math games and several online math sites and are both improving in their reading and writing skills. 

Even though we did what I would call "unschooling" this year, there was still a focus on learning, and my "teacher mom" mentality made certain that we covered Language Arts and Math in some form or fashion every day !