What? A New Post???

Yes, I am posting again! After quite a long break, first excused by morning sickness and then by summertime, I feel the need to record at least a weekly summary of what we're doing in school, if for no other reason than to have evidence that we are not spending all day every day watching The Pound Puppies (we reserve that for Saturdays).

After weeks of searching for the best curriculum, then for the best deals on the best curriculum, then for a place to store all of the best curriculum, school has finally begun. We started Monday, July 30 and will be going through Friday, September 21, followed by a three-week break (for baby Phil to arrive & get situated). School will start up again on Monday, October 15.   

(Red = School Days) 

AUGUST
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31
SEPTEMBER
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
					1	2
3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28	29	30
OCTOBER
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30	31

Hmmm. That table looked a lot better in Excel, but you get the idea. 

School Schedule

This semester, we’re trying a morning schedule. School starts at 8 and ends between 12 and 2, depending on when we have lunch and how intense our English and Math lessons are.

8:00: Bible

8:20: Vocabulary

8:35: Handwriting and Spelling

8:50: English

9:20: Math

10:05: History

10:45: Book Basket

11:00: Science

11:25: Who is God? (WONDERFUL book from Apologia!)

11:45: Art/Music

12:00: Read-aloud

What  We’re Learning

Our core curriculum is My Father’s World, which provides our Bible study, vocabulary, history, science, art, music, and read-aloud materials, as well as our overall lesson plans. It’s a Christian, history-based curriculum, and the package we’re using is geared toward children in 2^nd – 8^th grades. Last year, we did “Exploring Countries and Cultures,” a geography-based study in which the kids learned the locations of major countries, oceans, continents, ecosystems, and people groups. This year, we’re doing “Creation to the Greeks,” through which we’ll learn about history from creation through the Greek Empire.

The first two weeks of school have been spent reading the story of creation and the flood in Genesis, studying dinosaurs and how they fit into the creation story, and performing science experiments using light (because on the first day, God created light).

Spotlight: English and Math

Simon and Isaac are using the same Math and English curriculum at their own, age-appropriate levels. Simon is using Learning Language Arts Through Literature (LLATL) Red, and he’s been reviewing phonics rules, punctuation, parts of speech, alphabetizing, and reading skills. Isaac is using LLATL Tan, and he’s been learning new vocabulary, punctuation, parts of speech, and writing a biography based on internet research.  This series uses literature (including the Bible and classic children’s books) to teach basic English grammar and writing skills.

Esme is learning to read with “Teaching Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. So far, by lesson 10, she has learned the sounds made by the letters m, a, t, r, s, and e, and can read simple words like “mat.”

In Math, Simon and Isaac are using Math-U-See, which is new to us this year. Simon is on the Beta level (addition and subtraction), and Isaac is at Epsilon (fractions). Levels roughly correspond to grade levels but are more focused than other curriculum on a specific skill set. Each week, they complete practice worksheets A – F and a unit test (Simon’s is called an “activity”). Esme is using Mathematical Reasoning from The Critical Thinking Company, and she’s been studying counting, writing numbers, even and odd, and patterns and addition with shapes.

FAQ

What does Grace do during school?

Grace likes to look at books, play with her toys, and sit with Mom. When the boys are doing subjects that Esme doesn’t participate in, such as Spelling, she and Grace go and play in their room.

What if someone gets behind?

If one of the kids does not get finished within the time allotted for a subject, it is his responsibility to finish that work after school is over – similar to homework at a regular school.

What do you do with the rest of your day?

We’ve been going to the library and reading our library books, playing with cousins, going to the pool and the free movies, and just relaxing at home. After we meet with our homeschool group at the end of the month, we’ll have more formal activities planned, either monthly or more frequently. Isaac is going to play soccer, and Simon is going to take weekly art lessons. Wednesday night church will be starting in a week or two as well.

We may choose to participate in the zoo classes again this year but haven’t officially decided.

Every Monday, we take some or all of the kids on our Meals on Wheels route, and we’ve been playing bingo at the nursing home – less frequently lately – on Wednesday afternoons.

We’re excited for a great year. I look forward to watching each of the children develop intellectually, spiritually, physically, and emotionally – and to sharing their progress with you.