Small Successes and Thankful Thursday: "Prepping to Homeschool" Edition

I figured since I can't sleep again (this time because of congestion, not a racing mind like the below post) I'd recall some successes here on my new home school page as I have not really done much else in my regular life - aside from getting the kids out of the house in the heat yesterday - I've been attempting at figuring out the ropes for schooling in our home. Also, in posting here, maybe I'll get some ideas from other home schoolers on future successes?

1. Books are starting to arrive. I should have done this before baby Gift arrived, but I didn't, so getting them ordered finally is a success! I'm getting my books from different places, so it has been taking a little longer.

2. I got my links and online materials organized and in a place I can use them quickly for planning/sharing. There are so many resources out there. I wonder if I'm not overdoing to? Will I actually follow through on my ideas and these resources? She's only seven, but my mind is racing at the possibilities we can do....I'm probably over excited.

3. I went supply shopping - got notebooks, pencils, pens, storage items, etc. I got a notebook/planner for me - but I need to get binders for all of Lovely's subject areas. How did I forget that?

Still left to do? Lesson plan....eeek! I feel overwhelmed. Excited...but really overwhelmed in that area. I also need to do more work in our learning room (pics in a post below).

As always...tips or ideas welcome...and more importantly  - how are you? How were you a success this week?

Thankful Thursday
This week I am thankful for....

1. my friend Kris and her sharing her precious family time with me this week to plan and learn some paperwork/program tricks.
2. neti pots!!!!!!
3. good websites and blogs to look at.
4. NAPS!
5. patience.
6. The support of family and friends.
7. the gifts of inspiration and excitement for mental, emotional and spiritual fuel.

Thanks for reading.

Forming a Schedule

It's a little after 5am. I nursed the baby and then could NOT turn my brain off. I'd rather be asleep, Maybe if I type out the routine I'm thinking about, I can switch back to "sleep" mode.

Let's see...I'm following very closely the ideas set out in The Well Trained Mind (the bible for homeschoolers doing this method of teaching). I'm adjusting it for some of the co-op "school" days we do, her weekly Montessori class (Good Shepherd), weekly Montessori/Waldorf lessons we'll do from here, and here (** see end of post for more info here) respectively, and field trips/catch up days - all done with faith involved. This routine I'm working out will cover the book basics, but once once that is done expansion/method and hands on learning commences for the day.

I'm viewing it as 4 days "on" with the 5th day being a catch up day, or field trip day, or co-op day. That "day" can rotate as needed. I'm also doing it this way to help make the most of the days little Valiant will be at PreK - giving Lovely and I some major one on one time (while holding a baby some, I'm sure!). Those days will find more of the classical learning done to free up the other days for creative/method or hands on or practical learning.

So, in thinking that way - I'm aiming (and this is SO basic. I don't have lesson plans done yet) to do the following with Lovely:

Phonics - every day (Spelling included in this)
Reading - every day
Handwriting  - every day
Grammar - every day
Social Studies/History (which will also help with Literature/ Writing/Critical Thinking and Reasoning) is every day in this pattern:
         Day 1 - read chapter
         Day 2 - practice narration   
         Day 3 - Hands on learning  
         Day 4 - review topic
Social Studies/Geography - twice a week
Math - every day
Religion - every day - we have both Kolbe materials and some readers and such that it will pop up in most subject areas. 
Writing - every day  (closely resembling History above - every day being something building on the previous day - with many Charlotte Mason ideas with Day 1 copy work/ Day 2 and so on....narration/dictation/critical thinking/etc....)
Science - one day a week as a goal (one can speed through our state's required lessons) but I hope to expand daily on this with kitchen experiments, book reading, etc.
Music - Lovely currently takes piano lessons, and enjoys singing, etc.
Art - we'll do art together, crafts, and in her co-op as a class, and I hope to find a teacher for her as well for supplement.  Also we can do art study on Serendipity (I could connect it with Val's letter of the week...for example click here and scroll down to Paul Cezanne's Apples and see how to discuss/write/sketch/visualize  about the art piece. Note their goal of art study - to be exposed and train the eye to appreciate. The child should make their own connection to the art - as all artists want).
PE - our local rec center has classes, and we'll get outside and active DAILY. I need it too!

Included in this will be library runs for books on our topics for both Lovely to read herself, and me to read to or with her to enjoy.

Also - Our Co-op - Totus Tuus - will meet weekly, and also on feast days and other important days (like May Crowning) to share and grow in faith as well. I look forward to doing things at home too.

With the library trips, I plan on including Valiant in our home learning where I can (as Lovely works independently for example) when she is not at PreK. For Valiant, I plan on following the letters of the week her PreK does, colors, nursery rhymes, etc to go along with her fun preK class and use a lot of Elizabeth Foss' Serendipity site - "Along the Alphabet Path"  (Waldorf based). It's great with reading books, art, etc for doing fun things for her age (or widening it for older kids, etc). Again - for Val, it is totally play based, hands on "Val" learning time as she engages- just throwing in some of the same themes she'll be experiencing weekly so we all feel we are learning together (I'm sure Lovely will like knowing Val is learning too LOL). Plus it gives me that time with each child, learning and bonding!

So, that is the basic plan. Listing it like that makes it look like a lot, but some of the books we ordered were used at her school last year for K. Many things are short bursts as well that we expand on during the day with other methods of learning, games, hands on, life experience etc. Reading The Well Trained Mind helps make sense of the pattern/timing.

Writing that out helped me sort the thoughts in my brain. Maybe I can go back to sleep now?

What's your daily routine? I'd love to hear how you apply your method, child's learning style, etc. I need ideas or tips!

Blessings!

** I really recommend skimming Elizabeth Foss' site Serendipity. Just looking at the lesson for Aa is pretty terrific. Just scroll through - you get such great ideas for ALL ages, and books to check out, etc! She also links to Montessori sites for lessons (Kim's Site - Starry Sky Ranch - "Funschool") in that method following the letter theme, etc. It is two FREE methods/curriculum together online.  Foss is amazing!!! Kim is amazing on her Montessori site too! If anyone needs pacing/routine/scheduling for those two methods - check both sites out!!

Helpful Links

Howdy!

I've added, on the sidebar, some links I have found most helpful in researching in books, or online, to help form what we are doing. I'm sure it will change or be added to in the future. If you have any helpful suggestions PLEASE let this desperate teacher know :)

Today finds me trying to figure out the Homeschool Tracker  (I got the full version since I'm also doing book learning along with the methodology and field trips. MANY thanks to Kris for the tutoring and continued help! I love it though - makes lesson planning so much easier!).


Thanks for the great ideas thus far!

Seeing our "Classroom" for the 1st time....

The girls saw their classroom (still a major work in progress, with materials still coming - or - to be figured out!) this morning for the first time. Our dinning room will be our main "hub" though I'm sure learning will happen everywhere. Our dinning room is nice though, because it can be closed off for quiet, etc. and has the storage room I need.


The buffet serves as my storage area. I also got some posters up that I know can help us - though I'm sure there are other ones I may need to swap out with in the future (any tips for a 1st grader?). I also got a erasable calendar that Lovely can write the days, dates, and plans in for practice.  Lovely enjoyed looking at them, and I saw or heard her go in there throughout the day to look - little Val too. I liked that. I need to get some colorful crates or whatnot to store books, or reading etc, so it is a welcome space for that as well.

Target had some great $1 spot deals. I got some manipulatives in square, cylinder, and triangles this weekend, as well as some really inexpensive storage containers (I used some pencil boxes for small item storage as well). I also got a teaching clock in the $ bin too. As materials are purchased or arrive, they go in the drawers.  

This room is a major work in progress, but it seems the girls liked it well enough - especially Lovely. She takes us on a tour through pictures (and Val joins us in the end to check out materials in her way):

In the above pics, I noticed Lovely making patterns with the color blocks. It may be hard to see, but they are there. I never said anything - just let her explore the stuff we had so far.  Val decided to copy her :) .

So, there you have it! The start of our learning room. Any tips, ideas? I need them!!!!

Bio Bus

Last week, Lovely and I were able to attend another class sponsored by the library. This one was held in a bus! It was a "Bio Bus" from a local university. College students there volunteered their time and knowledge to talk to the kids about the biology of animals and a little chemistry demonstration as well.

It was not as hands on as I was led to believe, but it was a great experience to listen and watch. The bio student was great with the kids. Lovely LOVED being on a bus, and while she loved the demonstration, she wished the bus would have driven around while they learned! HAHA (it stayed parked).I learned a ton as well!

Our teacher loved making his "potions"  - he was great with the kids and explained chemical reactions well. 

Thanks again to our library system, the Bio Bus, and the college students!

Critter Class

We've been so blessed this summer to have a lot of opportunities to learn, for free, at our local library. This particular class was a "Critter Class" where our county's gardener's group came to lead children in exploring the insects and animals found in a local yard or garden. The children learned about which "critters" help or hurt a garden. They labeled insects, colored, had books read to them, and then were given bug collectors, nets, and tweezers to then use outside the library (and then take home to keep and use) to find specimens for study. Lovely found an earthworm and rolly poly. At the end of the class, we were given a chart for our home of pictures of "good" and "bad" insects and animals to identify in our own yards and gardens (or in my case at times, my HOUSE!!! EEK!). It was a great class!!! Lovely had so much fun!!! 

You'll notice by coincidence Lovely's headband matched the outdoors! hehe! Many thanks to our local library, children's librarian, and gardener's club.

I'm REALLY doing this?

I can't believe I'm thinking what I'm thinking. I can't believe I'm doing what I've been doing lately to prepare. I can't believe August is almost here, 1st grade is almost here for our eldest, and that I'm recording my thoughts here on this new blog - about HOME SCHOOLING. We're homeschooling!!! Oh wow!!

If you had asked me about this 3-4 years ago, I would have laughed you off. Four years ago I was teaching high school at a Catholic high school and loving the atmosphere. I love school...notebooks, sharpened pencils, erasers, colored pencils and marker cases. School, school(s), are fantastic!! But, I've been learning in the last few years schooling can happen anywhere, and that excitement grow anywhere - even in the home.

Three years ago I witnessed homeschooling in my own home. One of my wonderful friends who had been homeschooling for years (I supported her 100% but thought it was never for us and laughed when she tried to convince me to think about it ) came to visit for a week, and brought her kids and their learning materials with them. I was able to watch them work together, look at her materials...and...the wheels in my head starting turning.

I made a flippant remark to Hubby about homeschooling, fully expecting him to chuckle too. To my surprise, he LOVED the idea of homeschooling. WHAT? Really? My Husband? I kept telling him "but what about Lovely and any future kids being socialized?" He reminded me my early years in school were mostly learning only, and my pals were in my extra curricular activities and music and I turned out beautifully. He was so spot on, I was rendered speechless LOL!! That was true! My wheels turned more. I then learned my next door neighbor/turned friend had future plans to homeschool her kids, and THEN I learned my church has a strong and bustling homeschool co-op. I then realized I was seeing REAL signs. I had something to pray about and research.

I love the idea of PreK, and Kindergarten (and yes, school). Being a certified teacher in grades 7-12 made me feel less confident to teaching the really young child the fundamentals - and Lovely was in PreK - so I decided I'd keep working on our plan while she finished PreK. The more I read, witnessed, and learned about homeschooling, the more I felt called to it. In talking to Hubby, we felt like we could be a homeschooling family - supporting each other on the journey. We had another daughter (Valiant) her last year of PreK, and Kindergarten seemed to be a good fit for Lovely. She could learn the basics and get to a point I'd feel better about taking over while having another baby. She had a GREAT year, but still - even she mentioned homeschooling (she's gotten to know a lot of families and friends doing it. She may not know fully what it is - but her asking makes me feel good about trying it and it being a family decision). Funny thing is that baby #3 came along pretty quickly too (Gift) - but blessedly for me, my desire to homeschool (wait...can I really admit the desire I had by this point? Yep...I think I can!) didn't wane. I was making friends in the co-op and seeing them and my neighbor homeschool with young kids kept my confidence up. Wee ones or not, we are going to give this a real shot!!

So, we find ourselves here...on the cusp of our first official year. I think all parents home school - those teachable moments, time together - it's schooling, in the home. Adding academics and life skills and new ways of thinking just makes it more official.

I still don't know what I'm doing. I'm doing a little of everything to figure it out. My sister has been a great resource as an Early Childhood teacher. I have my neighbor and my co-op and so many supportive friends. I will figure this out, step by step. I have started the book ordering process for homeschooling. I'll be taking a classical approach to learning (something Lovely and I both seem to learn from style wise) along with embracing other methods (Montessori, Waldorf based learning from Serendipity - especially for little Valiant as I work with her too - even at her age), Faber for music, and some Suzuki in music as well. I have a feeling we'll do a lot of "unschooling" as well! I just can't wait to give this a go. I like trying different methods because we're not all cut one way. My girls are into books, but they love imaginative play, fairy tales, and music. I also am seeing Lovely is quite the artist. So, I have a multi-faceted child(ren) and need to do different learning. We also want to include our faith and values. Just listing all that exhausts me....what am I getting into? LOL!! But, it's also been fun looking up places I want to take Lovely to for field trips and pricing passes, etc. I'm praying this is for us and we both enjoy it. So, that is a start and very small success I'm adding to this coming week.

Links that I have found helpful in our multi-faceted learning are: Why We Homeschool, an article by Sarah Reinhard about taking the plunge, About Homeschooling, Montessori, Suzuki, Waldorf, Montessori based Good Shepherd, Classical learning.

So, here we are - about to homeschool. I can't wait to blend faith, academics, family time, explorations, and discoveries together. I expect lots of great moments, and...well...struggles too. Maybe tears from me as well as 'mile wide' smiles. It's all in the tagline of my blog, under my title. It's going to be one heck of a ride - wanna join us on it?

In that vein - here are some pics from some adventures this summer in learning. I have some more, but I need to upload them. Below are some fun moments digging for "fossils" and exploring with the sisters...







PRAY for us. Pray for me. Blessings!

** I'm tired, a little sick, and well..tired. Please excuse any typos or fragments. I proofread this and I still know I missed things. I just needed to add my disclaimer!