We've officially started our second year of homeschooling. I feel like I have learned a lot, and yet I am still a little too optimistic. Oh boy do I have a lot planned for this year!
What, you may ask?
Well. Let's see.
For Math, we are all using Teaching Textbooks. It isn't my favorite, but it gets the job done and frees up a little of my time. We started everyone mid-to-end of last school year, so right now #1 is mid-Math 7, 2 is end-of-Math 5 and 3 is mid-Math 3. I have also purchased Life of Fred to try with #1, as I don't really plan to stick with Teaching Textbooks forever.
For Science, we'll be learning about Earth and Space (as per the classical homeschooling method) and we're trying out the Christian Kids Explore series for that. So far it looks good, and it's a better academic spread for us than the R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey was.
I'm really excited about history (as usual). This year we are studying the Middle Ages, and using History Odyssey (Level 1 for 2 and 3 and Level 2 for #1). We've started this and are already really excited about it. Even #1 isn't (yet) daunted by the work load. :) There are LOTS of reading assignments!
We didn't finish studying Old Testament yet, so we'll be finishing that out before we move on to the New Testament. They all love this.
I was really not very good about grammar last year, so I have lofty goals on this one (wish me luck!). I'm still working through First Language Lessons with 3. But I couldn't get myself to love that at the higher level. So I've purchased, with the intent to use, Easy Grammar 4 and 6 for 2 and #1. (I also purchased Daily Grams from the same publisher and am really worrying that I bit off more than I can chew on this one...) And, because 4 REALLY wants school for himself, we are going to work through Language Lessons for Little Ones together. He's very excited about it.
#1 has a lot of writing assignments in her history text (it's also a writing curriculum), so we aren't doing anything separate for her. At least for the moment. She loves to write, so I may add some in just to keep her happy. But the boys are in Writing With Ease levels 2 and 3.
4 gets some one-on-one time this year as we are planning to work through his letters and numbers (using Education Cubes to make it more fun--he and 5 LOVE to throw things around!). He's also going to learn some nursery rhymes and fairy tales.
I will continue using Spelling Power with #1 and 2. For 3, we are relying on the scads of positive reviews we've seen online and trying All About Spelling. I'm excited to give it a try.
As far as logic... We are still loving Mindbenders, so that's a staple each week. I also want to start some lessons from Building Thinking Skills with #1 and 2 and work through some of the Fallacy Detective with #1.
I've decided to teach the kids a bit more about literary genres and am committed to more read alouds. I have even mapped out which books we are reading when, to keep me going on that one. Read alouds are hard to maintain because I get so busy! They also have Reading Journals and will have regular assignments to add to those.
The plan is for weekly artist studies (found some resources on Ambleside Online and have printed 4x6 prints of all the paintings we'll look at this year) and composer studies. I still have supplies for art projects we haven't yet completed from a preschool art class we sort of followed last spring. The older kids loved it, too, and I like having a few things geared toward 4 so he feels included.We'll also work through some geography, nutrition and other extras as the mood strikes me. I still have this typing program they've hardly touched!
I also want to teach them more home skills and independence. They should know how to make more than sandwiches! I've been making a lot more of our foods from scratch and they are going to take shifts helping me with that. One of the nice things about homeschool is that we can take a little more time to be sure they are doing their own chores. We're working on following through with actually COMPLETING each job they are assigned and completing it well is our next step. :)
#1 and 2 have committed to regular Taekwondo practice at home as they are preparing for black belt testing. I also want them practicing piano daily. And I hope to put them all through the Couch-to-5k program on the treadmill. (Unfortunately, I think I need to start at the beginning with that again, too...)
And, #1 and 2 have expressed interest in learning Latin. I had planned on Spanish, but I don't actually know it, and we didn't manage to start last year. And now the sister who lived nearby and is fluent in Spanish has moved away. So there's an appeal in a dead language... :) I'm planning to use Lively Latin for that.
We've semi-implemented a memorization program that helped them learn their Taekwondo terminology and I am going to take it up a notch and put more of their school work into the memory work box to get things reviewed with more frequency.
And we have to Home-Scout, too, because our local Bears Den is meeting during 2's Black Belt Prep class each week and he can't go anymore. He's earned his Bear already, so we will just work toward getting some Arrow Points at home and hope Webelos have a more accommodating schedule (though that's not until February...).
And that is why I am stressed. Are there really enough hours in the day for all this???
But I am excited!
