Planning for our summer session…

For the last couple of days, I have been working on a new plan for our summer school session. While exploring curriculum choices makes me happy and excited, that feeling doesn’t carry over into the actual ins and outs of the everyday school day. We are a relaxed homeschool family, but we function better and get more accomplished when we have some sort of plan ahead of us. So, 3 times a year, I work on a schedule to give us a guide for what we need to accomplish.  I like the idea of new curriculum but the implementation is so difficult for me.
I have had so many plans that have been unfulfilled over the last 6 yrs. of homeschooling, that it took lots of soul-searching to decide what were our family goals, what really would work for us and how to go about it. I came to the conclusion that I wanted my kids to “LOVE” learning as one of our primary goals, unit studies and chronological history using living books worked for us, and that we are really laid back and a relaxed style was what was needed in our home. No stress!

We’ve homeschooled for 6 yrs. now but every time I start looking at curricula for the next year or sit down to make a plan, I have to remind myself of what our priorities are and what works for us ~ because it all looks good from the outside!!

Do my kids study different things and do they need to? Well, when we started, I had only 1 child in school, DD played with play-doh and doodled, watched Sesame Street counting videos and pretended to read books from the pictures. So it was so much easier, and we also went that first year with basics for kindergarten. We followed that first year with Abeka, which is a great intensive learning curriculum ~ we liked some aspects of it like the math, but overall it wasn’t a fit for us. That led us to unit studies and Five in A Row… This is where we begin to really have our eyes opened to what worked for us as a family unit.
I found that it isn’t necessary or desirable for us to use different curriculum for each child. Some mothers are better at scheduling and can handle this. I can not… My brain will not allow me to have so many things floating around and stay sane. This may come as Earth-shattering news, but it’s true…
My kids study the same topics and subjects using slightly different information and intensity based on age. I try and plan for certain subjects based on grade level (like Math, English, Spelling)  to assure continuity and increased levels knowledge and understanding based on age and ability. .

We homeschool year-round, so we can still take breaks often but not have to repeat information that I spent weeks working on with them due to it being forgotten while we spent 2.5 months playing outside in the sun. For us, it works to be able to do both. They still have frequent vacations, just not for months at a time, and are able to get some school done everyday. And it is possible to do it all the while meeting the needs of your kids who are most likely at different stages of development. Another thing that I like about using one curricula is that it saves time, money, and sanity.

We are able to take field trips, do crafts and activities, and play games as they relate to our studies as a family unit. Not having one child be bored or uninterested because they aren’t familiar with what the other child is studying or what the field trip is about. Plus this allows for me to get our goals accomplished without overextending myself. Something that used to happen on a daily basis and left me tired, grumpy, and not enjoying the time spent with my kids.

There is no single curriculum that is going to answer all your homeschooling needs. Children in a family are at different ages, abilities, interests, and developmental stages. But you can develop a plan that suits your own family needs and can build on it to help aid you in your learning adventure. Take the time to build a library for your house, and encourage your kids to have fun while learning. By combining our studies, I have saved money (very important in this economy), my time (one of my most important posessions), and saved my sanity (at least for awhile). And the best benefit is that my family is growing, learning together and becoming a closer knit family. The best outcome of all.

Free G.A. Henty books now available…

A friend of mine posted about this last night on Facebook.
  Just click on the book for a listing of books and you can find reviews listed there.
Amazon has G.A. Henty Historical novels now available for FREE download for the Kindle and I was able to get the first 4 that we were planning to use this fall. I was doing the happy dance ~ since one of them was going to cost me an extravagant amount of money.  I had decided that I wasn’t going to be able to get it, since that was way out of our budget.
~ but don’t worry ~ if you don’t have a Kindle, you can download the FREE Kindle for PC app for your computer and still get the wonderful benefit of these great books for your homeschool. 
And here’s a list of G.A. Henty books in chronological order. It will make planning your year using good historical literature easier… 

Learning Sign Language...

Today we started something new in our curriculum... SIGN LANGUAGE

The last couple of years, DD has taken a "performance" sign language class at our HS co-op... she learned sign to a couple of songs each semester and then would perform them with her group of friends in a recital at the end of each semester... She really developed a love for sign.. So when our local library offered signing classes this summer, we signed up... They used the "Signing Time" videos, which though made for younger kids, are wonderful...the only downfall to the class was it was only 1~2 times a month and for less than an hour...

Now we happen to have been blessed by a wonderful young lady who taught sign at the co-op because she is offering a weekly FREE sign class at her dance studio... of course, I signed both kidlets up to take the class... but I worried about what to do in the time between classes when they would come home and I wasn't able to help them... I looked into buying "Signing Time" videos and the cost was just way to much for our budget...

But, I have found the cure to our problem... and it's called "American Sign Language for Kids" from Learning Tree... These are videos that teach kids (my kids age) ASL in a way that is enjoyable and fun... They loved it!!  Not only are they affordable, but  the DVD is easy to follow, with lots of repetition for practice, social tips, and mini quizzes... they were a captive audience and loved it...

I am very pleased!!  If you'd like to check it out before buying, you can rent it here on YouTube for $3.99...

Happy Learning!!!

 

Free Internet Resources...

I love FREE things... and FREE homeschool stuff is even better!!!

There are so many sites that you could literally create a whole years curriculum and only spend the cost of the monthly internet charge, paper,  and ink for the printer...

So here's some of my favorites...

    Dynamic 2 Moms  this is an incredible site with lapbook, notebook, and unit study resources for history and science...The pieces can be downloaded and printed seperately so you can print only what you will use...They even include background info which makes it easy to teach the material...I love the fact that they are willing to share all their hard work with everyone in the homeschool community!!! 2 wonderful ladies!!

       Homeschoolshare is an on-line cooperative effort of several homeschooling moms to provide free but quality literature-based unit studies and resources. You can find all sorts of unit studies, lapbooks, notebook and stuff in between for every subject, theme, or idea you have. And the cross book lists that coordinate with other curriculums like Sonlight, FIAR , and Usborne are fantastic!! Definitely a 2 thumbs up for this site!!! (p.s. I use it literally every week or so)

    Guest Hollow is another one of my favorites... You can find a complete 2 yr. American History curriculum, a science curriculum focusing on the human body (different levels for preschoolers through 6th grade),  and a Ancient World History program. They also have some great printables, information, articles and resources for a variety of homeschooling subjects like math, language arts, and science.

     Lesson Planet  is a  search engine that makes it easy for teachers to search over 200,000 teacher-reviewed online lesson plans and 150,000 online worksheets.

 The Homeschool Mom is a site that offers a wonderful place to get tons unit studies and homeschool lesson plans for everything you could think of. It's home to thousands of quality resources where you can also find planner sheets, forms, menus, articles, websites, and more.  

     

 The Homeschool Channel is a website that offers videos, articles, interviews with leading authorities in homeschool styles, homeschool speakers, and some great FREE programming that can be used by itself as a class. My kidlets and I have enjoyed some great shows and learned tons by just clicking on the link.  Shows like "Drive Thru History", "Creatures that Defy Evolution" , "The Constitution", "Answers in Genesis", and the "American Heritage Series"...

American Heritage is a site where you can order a CD for FREE that contains a full history curriculum for elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Math Mammoth is a  curriculum that you pay for, but you can sign up for the FREE package of 300 worksheets and sample pages;

Spelling City is the ultimate online spelling program... you can use lists that have been pre-made by others, or make up games using your own lists... You can use it as your spelling program or as a go-along for the program you are already using and the best part is: it's FREE!!!

Then finally there is the SCOTT FORESMAN Online Grammar program for grades 1-6...here you can find your complete grammar curriculum for FREE and can print off worksheets if needed or just do the work on paper from the screen... the choice is yours...

Well, I hope these links are going to be as helpful to you as they have been to me the last several years... With the economy in such a slug, it makes it even harder on the homeschool family...

Happy Learning!!

The Homeschooler's Journal

Since it's that time of year when all homeschool families start getting ready to keep up with all the info we have to record, I thought I would share one of the best finds I have ever had!!

Every year, I try something new when it comes to a planner.  In the past, I have bought planners (that were never what I needed). I have printed out forms and calendars an made my own with a 3 ring binder (too time consuming) and then I tried to wing it one year with just a notebook...

Halfway through last year, I came upon this, "THE HOMESCHOOLER'S JOURNAL" ... It is wonderful... I ordered one to try through the spring and summer... It has everything I need in one small thin package...and is less than $10... (which is a bargain if anyone has priced planners lately)...

The journal contains a daily (Sunday through Saturday) subject log for over 200 days, a field trip logs,  check-off list for yearly requirements, a calendars through the 2012 school year,  semester objectives/resources pages,  and it's covered with a spill proof plastic cover and spiral bound...

I use mine not as a planner but I actually record what we do each day... I find that this helps keep me more on track, since I can look back and see what we actually did, not what we were going to do or had planned on doing...

Plus, it has circles to fill in for the day~ so if you have school on Thursday but skip Friday and want to do some on school, it doesn't matter... Just fill in the circle with the "S" for Saturday...

There is a section with each week for notes, so you can make a note if you need to review something the next day or if you did a project with your unit study...

In the back is a section for "Educational Supplements" ... I found this the best part of the journal... I can list all the movies, books, etc. that we use with each unit study... I love that,  since it makes it easier for me to keep up with...

There is also a test score keeper sheet... and a check off list of MD appts. like when each student needs their physicals, eye exams, dental check-ups etc...

and for those of us who have to test yearly through our state or umbrella program, here is even a place for that to be kept up with...

I love using this ~ no wasted space and a perfect record keeper!!!

Have a great day!!

What we are doing this year...

Here is a brief run-down of what specific curriculum we are using this year...

DS 10yo (5th grade)

Rod &  Staff 4 "Building with Diligence" ~  Last year, was the first year we had used R&S for English and I loved it... It is very thorough and DS learned so much from it...

Daily Grams 5 ~ we love using these, as they take less than 10 minutes a day, my son can do them independently,  and still practice activities and exercises that help with his  English grammar.

Teaching Textbooks 5 ~ this year I went with TT {we previously had used Abeka and Horizons, and a failed use of Saxon (DS hated Saxon) }... After using ALEKS some of the second half of last year, we decided that an online program was the way to go and TT provided the computer aspect with the built -in tutor, but without the cost of the online ALEKS program...

DD 7yo (2nd Grade)

Rod & Staff English "Preparing to Build" ~ This was a natural choice since we had great success with R&S for my son last year... DD had completed First Language Lessons and was wanting to use a book like her brother...

Easy Grammar 2 ~ These are perfect exercises that take less than 10 minutes to complete and compliment her R&S... Next year we will move into Daily Grams for her with 3rd grade.  But these are perfect for this year...

Abeka Math 2 ~ This choice was an easy one, since we used Abeka K and Abeka 1 for her, it was natural to move into Abeka 2... She loves the colors of the workbook and I love the ease of a scripted lesson... and the extra drill and worksheet make it a very thorough math program...

Combined Study:

Apologia "Exploring Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day" ~ We chose Apologia, because we love it... It is something I can do with both kidlets, take little prep time, contains tons of useful information, and they really ENJOY it!! We use Apologia "Exploring Creation with Astronomy" and had a great time learning about what's "OUT" there...

For History~ I tend to do our own thing here... We use "Story of the World" and "Mystery of History" for a spine, but we use "LIVING BOOKS" as the core of our curriculum with lots of unit studies and what I like to call "Lap-a-note" a cross using notebooking with lapbook elements included...

There are several sources I use for unit studies... I love Amanda Bennett unit studies, Download N' Go, andHands of a Child...

And of course I love the ones that are FREE:

HomeschoolShare

The Homeschool Mom

Guest Hollow

Dynamic 2 Moms

E-Themes