2011-2012 Curriculum

I mentioned a few days ago that I was "finished" choosing books and ordering curriculum... and then I spent the next three days re-evaluating my list, and ordering a bunch of things I'd forgotten! What can I say? This job is never done!

In case you're stopping by for the first time... I have three boys, ages 10, 8, and 5. They'll be in 5th, 4th/3rd, and Kindergarten. Our homeschooling style has gradually evolved over time, from extremely unschooly to more mama-planned, based on the boys' learning styles, gifts, needs, and stages.

I've learned from John Holt and Charlotte Mason, the Moores and the DeMilles. I love Melissa Wiley's concept of "tidal homeschooling," TJ Ed's Phases of Learning and the Closet, and the classical ed emphasis on studying history chronologically.

I still believe that we learn what we're interested in, and that my job is to spread a feast, set an example, and pray for God's help in everything. I know our family needs order, routine, and a sense of direction. I don't believe in one-size-fits-all homeschooling.

I like to call our approach "child-led classical." Or, "unschooling with a schedule." Or "Complicatedly Charlotte Mason." Homeschooling is my favorite oxymoron.

That said, here are some resources we'll use during the schooly part of our days this year...

Language arts

Littlest (Kindergarten) --
Memoria Press's Copybook I
BOB Books, sets 2, 3 and 4. -- My first two learned to read with these, too.
Reading Eggs -- He LOVES this program.
Lots of reading aloud from our shelves and library books.

Middlest (4th grade) --
New American Cursive 1 -- Handwriting, Bible
First Start French -- Foreign language, grammar
King Arthur and His Knights (audiobook), and other historical read-alouds I've chosen
Books from his shelf and wishlist, including the Chronicles of Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander and Redwall

Eldest (5th grade) --
Selections from The Arrow by Brave Writer -- Copywork for handwriting, grammar, etc.
Lively Latin
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and Lit Guide by Memoria Press
Read-alouds, historical novels and books from his shelf and wishlist

Math

I bought Math Mammoth's Blue Series for grades 1-6 a while back, and we'll continue using those. I'm not crazy about having to print out every page, but I do like that we can skip sections and save paper. And I like how it's written.
Also -- Board games, cooking, living math books from the library

History

Middle Ages, Renaissance & Reformation --

If I were smart, I'd simply follow Simply Charlotte Mason's guide. It covers the entire time period I want to study together this year, uses the spines I like (Famous Men), and includes geography and Bible studies. But that would be too easy, and I like to make things complicated.

Instead, I purchased LBC's Guide to the Middle Ages, because I like how it's written and organized, even though it doesn't use Famous Men of the Middle Ages and is intended to be spread over a full year. I'll be squeezing it into 17 weeks, and adding Memoria Press's Famous Men guide and Monks & Mystics. Like I said... I like to make things complicated. We'll see what happens when we get to the Renaissance after Christmas. I'll probably switch to Tapestry of Grace just to keep myself on my toes.

We also like the Drive-Thru History DVDs, which we get from Netflix.


Science

The boys have had so many questions about bodily issues lately, I figured this was a good time to dive into some anatomy and physiology. Again, the simplest thing would be to use Apologia's Exploring Creation with Anatomy & Physiology.

Instead I ordered The Way We Work, which I know Eldest will love. Maybe that's simplest after all. I also want this and this. We still have Exploring Creation with Botany to finish, too.

Other favorites: Handbook of Nature Study, Nat Geo Wild, and Animal Planet. Gardening, nature walks, field trips to the local zoo, etc.

Bible

Devotionals from 24 Family Ways
Possibly James, and a gospel starting in December. Still praying about this.

Stay tuned for a more detailed list of our literature and history read-alouds. In the meantime, here's last year's curriculum post, in case you're interested.

My plan for easing into the new schoolyear

(Our schoolroom at the beginning of last fall. It hasn't been that tidy since!)

Can I tell you how grateful I am that I spent a chunk of time in the spring choosing books and ordering curriculum for this year?

So, that aspect of my planning is finished (through about February, when I'll want to dive in and mix things up a bit). However, because we have so much left to do with the remodel, we're not quite ready just to jump in. This is my plan to make the transition a little more sane.

1. Take it slowly.

As much as I would love to finish the kitchen COMPLETELY on Friday, and be ready for a super-special, fully-routinized First Day of Homeschool on Monday, that's just not going to happen. And it's probably not necessary or realistic to expect the boys to switch gears that fast. They've been on their own a lot this summer, entertaining themselves and re-learning to get along with each other without my help. Suddenly having my full-time attention (and the expectations I can't hide) would probably put them into shock. Instead, I want to engage them in getting the house set up for living and learning again so they feel part of the process.

2. Have a Homeschool Date with each boy to talk about... their strengths, interests, things they want to do, what they want to learn this year, what they need most from me, what I want to see from them.

4. Clean up the schoolroom Room of Requirement so the boys have a place to play and work while the other living areas get put back together. Move big furniture back into the house when the floors are finished. Organize bookshelves, hang pictures, etc. Find a way to make breakfast until we have kitchen counters again.

5. Start getting to sleep earlier so we Mommy can wake up with Daddy, and we can start our day together by 8.

All summer, we've been wandering over to my parents' house at random times for breakfast each morning, each of us on our own wake-up schedule. It's been lovely to have that time to visit with my mom before she leaves for work at 9. But in a few weeks (God-willing) we'll be able to have breakfast at home again, and (I've warned the boys) mornings will be t.v.-free.

6. Create a new routine that works for each boy, and includes time for reading alone, reading together, working with me at the table, music practice, and time outside.

7. Focus on character and habits, and let academic subjects follow in importance.

8. (First in importance!) Pray over each child and for the schoolyear, asking the Lord to lead me in the direction He has for us as I work out plans for our homeschool.

Twelve things I learned this year in homeschool.

No matter how well you plan, something out of your control will always mess it up.

It's good to plan anyway.

Seize precious opportunities when they arise.

But weigh your options and know when enough is enough.

Environment, environment, environment.

Environment is both your attitude and your surroundings.

Even a homeschool mom can wonder, "Where the heck did they learn that?" But it's often a good surprise.

No matter how many great philosophies you read, it always comes back to trusting yourself with your own kids.

No matter how perfect your approach, you're still going to have bad days.

Sometimes it's best to set aside the books and go ride bikes.

Sometimes it's best to commit to something you want to learn, and actually do what it takes.

My kids still teach me more than I teach them.

May was for Play!

Can May really be over? The weather's been teasing me; if it's almost June, shouldn't it be hot already?? (Not that I'm complaining!)

We began the month with our last Homeschool Skate Day of the year. They'll do one more, but we'll be at Vacation Bible School next week. It's been so nice to see this event grow in our community! We're really grateful for supportive local business owners!

A new geography puzzle kept 'em busy one morning... 

A solar car kit was a birthday present. Eldest was quite focused on the technical construction. It worked -- the wheels spin as long as it's in the sun!

Sometimes we just lie around reading. Even Littlest picked out a chapter book at the library to "read" to himself. (He's also starting to read to me from the Bob Books!)

And then there was the obstacle course-fort...

And the Saturday I heard hysterical laughing outside, and went to see what was so funny... That box entertained them for more than two hours, nonstop! And then it got left out in a freak rainstorm that night.

 


Eldest spent last week learning how to ride a bicycle!!

Middlest let him borrow his bike to learn on, since Eldest has never wanted one until now. He braved scraped ankles and bruised knees, and went through more band-aids than he's ever used before. (Middlest is the one who's always covered in band-aids.) We're so proud of him!!

Somehow I thought we'd do more school in May... but with weather this beautiful?!!  The boys were itching to be outside even more often than they were itching from allergies.

So, they did a lot of experimental physics this month...

And some chemistry, too...

We did lots of other things this month, too, like start seedlings, go berry-picking, and visit an alpaca farm. But I left my camera battery at home in the charger that day!

How have you been enjoying spring?

Homeschool organization

I am constantly reorganizing our homeschooling stuff. (And by "homeschooling stuff," I mean books, toys, games, curriculum, etc.)

My hubby's always saying, "You're moving stuff around AGAIN?"

"YES!" I answer. There's no one perfect way to organize when your needs keep changing; it takes regular effort!

Part of our spring cleaning in April was to sift through the things in the boys' bedroom. Because the three boys share a room, I've tried to simplify what we keep in there.

They each have a drawer or two for miscellaneous treasured objects. The fish tank and hamster cage sit on the dresser. One small bookcase holds chapter books and science books they like to read to themselves.

Legos, Nerf guns, Hot Wheels tracks, and stuffed animals are the only toys in the bedroom -- just their favorites.  I prefer to keep Legos separate from most of the other toys -- they're easier to clean up that way! They also have the biggest floor space in their bedroom.

We reorganized their books, and gave away a few, so the rest fit better on the shelves. I moved the puzzles and games that were being ignored into the cabinet in the playroom. Eldest spent several hours sorting the Legos from one giant tub into smaller ones, and now they fit on the shelves where the floor puzzles used to be.

I've tried to arrange things around the house according to how and where we like to use them. Right now I've got most of our books in the living room, plus some puzzles and games. I moved the game table and four chairs by the front window. The boys have loved that spot for playing chess, cards and Dinopoly, and there's room on the floor for puzzles. Library books are in their own basket in a corner.

The rest of the games are in the cabinet in the schoolroom, arranged by age level from bottom to top, so Littlest can easily reach things he might like. His toys are all at that far end of the play/schoolroom around his rug, which has been working AWESOMELY since I moved everything!  He goes in there to play by himself when no one's available to join him, and he's spent a lot less time on computer games.

Most of my education books, curriculum we're not currently using, and future history literature, are in my little office (currently a giant mess) off our bedroom. The older boys have their Math/Latin/History binders on their desks in the play/schoolroom, which they can easily bring to the dining table if we want.

Science kits, Bible and history books (except ones we're not using yet) are on the dining room shelves, because we usually read Bible and history while snacking. Unfortunately, I'm going to lose those shelves in the remodel, so my next project is to find a new place for them!

What I plan to do is see what I can pull out of the dining room closet, and put the science stuff that's on the dining room shelves into that closet, but make it accessible somehow.  I also want to get a book basket for each boy that can be kept in the closet and brought out for school on the dining room table.


Fyi, while I like to organize, I am not the best at daily housekeeping. Things usually get pretty messy around here during the week, and then we have a big tidying-up on Saturdays. But since everything has a place, it doesn't take very long, and the boys can all help!

I really like the Thomas Jefferson Education idea of The Closet as a means of inspiring learning. I just happen to spread our Closet all over the house!

How do you organize for homeschooling and indoor play?

January days gone by...

Oh my goodness, I swear I did not give up blogging as a New Year's Resolution! How did it get to be the 16th of January with no new posts for 2011?! Is anyone even still here?

Apparently, we've been keeping busy.

After a full month away from anything that smelled like schoolwork, we Mommy needed a few days a week to transition back into our usual routine. I was also trying to figure out what Littlest meant when he requested to "start kindergarten" right after Christmas.

I went ahead and bought the My Father's World kindergarten curriculum I'd been looking at forever. Of course, I'm not using it exactly as it says, because I don't like following directions. And yes, I wondered through the first two weeks whether I should have ordered something different, or written my own curriculum, because I'm picky, cheap and indecisive.

But, so far, it's working out.
 
I do think it's more of a preschool curriculum, as they take the entire school year to introduce the first 26 letter sounds, but that's fine because he's only four anyway. The science is pretty basic, too, but I'm attempting to expand on it by coordinating the themes with the older boys' science. And I really like the Bible/character lessons that go with each week's theme.

Other things that kept us busy...

Fake snow that came in the boys' stockings.

The big boys took up their knitting again. (The gloomy cold outside was inspirational.) And Littlest learned to cast-on.

Lots and lots of reading, thanks to new books and gift cards for Christmas!

A little Celtic crafting with our history lesson.

Escapes into the sporadic sunshine, and visits to the park after too many days indoors.

The ever-changing, ever-present fort, and Nerf war.

And yes, even a little baking (the kids' fruitcake recipe from our new Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook)...

And somehow we managed to get all the Christmas decorations put away, too.

A good reminder

"If God is the one who called you to homeschool, then He has the plan and the right to be the director of it! Be still for awhile and know that He is God, and you will begin to hear His quiet voice directing you. He will not lay it all out for you. He will tell you one or two things to begin working on now. As you obey He will give you another step. This is called dying to self, becoming still, empty, and willing to be broken of your own ideas, methods, agendas, beliefs, etc."

--"The Heart of True Education," by Marilyn Howshall

Fall is for beginnings

I knew our big road trip would make for a busy season, but here it is August, and my hubby has only one more week off before he heads back to the classroom -- and we're back to the schoolyear routine. (No more breakfast in bed for Mommy!)

We've been working really hard to get the new play/schoolroom finished so we can surprise the big boys when they get home from camping with my dad. (And so I can share the results in next week's Not Back to School Blog Hop about homeschool rooms!)

Since I browsed the posts from last August's Not Back to School Blog Hop: Curriculum Week numerous times during the last year, I thought I should actually participate this time. I'm a little late, but you can find the rest of this year's curriculum posts at Heart of the Matter.

 I see my educator role mainly as setting an example and spreading a feast. So, these resources are as much for me as for my boys. We're unlikely to consume everything I've stocked in the pantry -- especially if I forget to cook it before it goes bad. Then again, these kids do seem to be always hungry! (Enough with the food metaphor, sheesh!)

Bible

We'll continue our study of the Old Testament using Christian Studies II and/or the free Journeys With God: Third Grade, and hopefully begin the New Testament by Christmas.

History

Our chronological history study will take us to Ancient Rome this year. We'll also do some American History through a co-op with friends once a month.

We used SOTW and Mystery of History last year, and we'll supplement with those as appropriate. We also have Streams of Civilization, which I like better than MoH, because it doesn't feel like someone else is trying to homeschool my kids.

Eldest (who's 9) and I are excited to start Lively Latin, which includes history from Famous Men of Rome alongside Latin grammar, vocab, picture study, and hands-on projects. Middlest (8 in Oct) is very interested in foreign language, so hopefully he'll want to follow along, too.

We'll use the commentary from TruthQuest to give our studies of Ancient Rome some Biblical perspective, and read about ancient Church history in "Peril and Peace". Also: “Jotham’s Journey," “Detectives in Togas,” and “Mystery of the Roman Ransom.”

Language Arts and Lit

Lively Latin
Simply Grammar
Startwrite 5.0 (found this used!)
Scribblenauts (for Christmas)
The Last Battle
The Bronze Bow (possibly, as it's pretty heavy material)
Lots and lots of books from our shelves and the library

Science 

Science is such a favorite subject around here that I simply could not narrow things down to one area of study. Instead, I just keep collecting resources that we can learn from whenever we want to, including...


Apologia: Exploring Creation with Astronomy
The Earth Science Book: Activities for Kids

Apologia: Exploring Creation with Botany
Handbook of Nature Study

The Periodic Table: Elements with Style
Library books gleaned from Noeo Chem I, including Super Science Concoctions

Geography

This gets its own heading, even though I think it also falls under earth science, because it's one of the few things I'm buying new this year, and I think it's worth some solid attention: A Child's Geography: Explore His Earth

Math

We're trying the Math Mammoth worktexts. Blue series, grades 3 and 4. We haven't done much formal math up to this point, but they're on grade level. I think they're ready for more, and I like how this program explains concepts with words, not much jargon, and not just pictures, for my verbal learners.

Foreign Language

Besides Latin, the boys have a long list of languages they want to learn to speak. We want to start with German this year, but I may just have to rely on the library and my own memory (which is not very reliable).

Music

Middlest is taking violin lessons, and I'm searching for a cello teacher for Eldest. I'd love to do some composer study, too, but we'll probably just listen to Pandora.

Pre-K

Littlest gets his own stuff, of course, mainly because I don't want to forget about him. He will happily occupy himself with Legos and Bionicles and his brothers for hours at a time, but he appreciates a half hour of focused attention from Mommy every once in a while. So, I'm going to get a used copy of My Father's World: Kindergarten A to Z, and use their wonderfully organized ideas for stories and Bible and science, etc.

Well, that's it. I hope we manage to follow through on some of this, because my budget is small, and I'm spending every penny. :)  Go see what everyone else is piling on their homeschool tables this year!