Last week was spent in a hodgepodge of formal/informal evaluation along with reading, writing and math activities.  I did a lot of 'kidwatching' as they call it in teaching circles.  Not sure what the homeschool buzzword for it is.  My highest priority right now is to recapture the joy of writing and math for my son whose been critiqued to 'death'.  That's my assessment.  His very nature invites criticism since he is very observant and critical himself.  It's very challenging working with children like him because they have more critical thinking skills than their maturity can handle.  I'm realizing how much tender nurturing he is needing but also overwhelmed by how much firm discipline he demands.  (regular defiance of one sort or another).

Monday we have an appointment with a behavior counselor.  They will not be pushing meds on us (I made sure of that).   Thankfully, he's been responding favorably to what I've been doing already.  And I think that with persistence and patience on my part----he'll begin to settle into the joy of learning again. 

I may have ordered the wrong level of Singapore Math.  If so, I'll try to fill in the gaps with a first grade textbook  from back when I taught primary grades before.  Also, I have a lot of hands-on games and devices to use with that primarily literature based program. 

Have researched the reading program he was using at his school.  I have the highest respect for the school system he was in.  (His teacher was fairly new and had little if any experience teaching reading or math to first and second graders).  Makes a big difference who the teachers are in my opinion.  Curriculum is secondary.  Who teaches is of utmost consideration.

The curriculum is called Pathways to Learning.  I think I can order it if I decide to.  They have a website with homeschool curriculum.  It's priced competitively and is an integrated literature based program----my favorite kind.  At last.  It's the first year the school had adopted the program after using another system for over 20 years.  Back when I taught I had to totally supplement the basals so the students would stay interested.

I'm thrilled to have gotten so organized with all my resources closets here at home.  It's helping me do better at my volunteer Kindergarten teaching position (church).  Yesterday I used a sound effects CD (recorded from a website---will provide link asap) to introduce the story of Paul's shipwreck experience.  The students really got into the story more than usual.  Also, we made cheese and apple sailboats and construction paper canoes (laced up with yarn).   The class went very well and I enjoyed playing guitar for the simple memory verses set to nursery rhyme tunes.  It's all coming back to me now how I used to teach in Birmingham.  (Found the supplemental book--from Advent Source---called 52 Easy Program Ideas for Kindergarten Sabbath School. 

Was able to find a homeschool network online for my area.  Also, found another one closeby which provides a PE program utilizing the YMCA.  Finally, I've found things that I've looked for for two years now.  I'm very encouraged and things are looking way up!  Praise God.