Day 1: August 31, 2015
I had the nervous, excited jitters last night, just like I would before my first days of teaching in a traditional classroom. This, among other things, reaffirms that it truly is God's will for us to homeschool our kids. We've been practicing different routines and curricula with our kids over the past two years, and I/we've found that the Five in a Row (FIAR) curriculum is the best starting point for us where we can add other projects, and eventually curriculum, to cover all of the necessary skills. One reason that I love the FIAR curriculum is that it gives suggestions
for activities that encompass all aspects of development, including art,
music, geography, science, and, in an additional text, it also gives
suggestions for character and Biblical topics. As the title of this
blog suggests, our goal is to educate the Whole child, and FIAR helps us do that with minimal prep.
To give you an idea of who I am working with: Our first guy just turned five, is incredibly creative and energetic, and seems to pick up on things quickly... when he can sit still long enough to listen. Our daughter will be three in February and was dying to be involved so she will be doing pre-K type activities and joining the FIAR stories. She seemed quite proud to be part of our lesson based upon the book titled The Story About Ping. She kept announcing that she could do things because she was "bigger, bigger, bigger!"which, of course, gave my oldest and I a big laugh. My youngest is barely one and keeps us on our toes. The older two never put anything except food in their mouths, and this little guy seems to find everything, though (praise God!) he seems to be getting pickier as he gets older. It is difficult to focus on anything while he's awake so most of today's lessons took place while he was napping. Anyone have magic tips for entertaining one year olds? Might need to visit Pinterest soon :).
Overall today seemed to go better than I expected. We enjoyed the story. I enjoyed teaching again! And the kids enjoyed being "big". We worked on number and letter recognition, number and letter order, and briefly touched on the concepts of buoyancy, fiction, and discernment. While the two littles slept, the first guy and I created his nature journal/ leaf collection. I am excited to see this develop over the course of the year as it was his suggestion, and nature has always been a favorite topic of mine. The book Keeping a Nature Journal is the inspiration for the layout, and I plan to do a journal right along with the kids. I know that my pictures will look nothing like those in the book, but I need to practice what I preach and look for "progress not perfection".
Final thoughts: I learned that we will someday have a paramedic and a
princess in the family. Fitting jobs for our guy that rescues everyone
and everything and our girl that must have everything that is pink or
sparkly- preferably sparkly pink.
I am excited for tomorrow, but more than a little nervous since our housing area has a scheduled power outage from 8-4... yes, that would be 8 hours without power with three little ones. Running errands and staying in the AC is my only hope. I am going to bring along materials and test out the flexibility of homeschooling in a different environment.
How do you do school in unfamiliar settings? Is it worth it?
'Till Next Time,
Sarah
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015
When Snack Times Meet Cooking Experiments
2. If I want to be a patient parent and embrace the unexpected, I need to physically prepare myself. It is much more of a challenge to view this mess (... as well as the rest of the table... floor... bath tub... and everything else the camera didn't catch!) as a blessing in disguise when I am overly tired, hungry, stressed, etc. Keeping myself in balance makes for a more pleasant experience for everyone!
3. Keep coffee and cookies at the ready for those really big, time-consuming, or expensive experiments ;).
Monday, March 10, 2014
Book and Resource Reviews: Part 1
Below you will find a list of books, curriculum, and resources that I
have found useful in my homeschooling journey. Title and author are
provided, as well as links to purchase if one is available. This list will be updated periodically. Please be sure to check the Book and Resource Review tab to see the current list.
(Disclaimer: I am not being rewarded or compensated in any way by the authors, publishers, or book sellers. These are materials that I have used/plan to use within my own home and have purchased on my own or have been given by friends.)
Homeschooling Advice/Methods:
Homeschooling: A Patchwork of Days by Nancy Lande
This book follows 30 different families through a typical day at each house. It has given me great insight as to how the different methods would look actually played out in a home. The book can be purchased here as well as other websites/bookstores.
Homeschooling Methods: Seasoned Advice on Learning Styles by Paul Suarez, Gena Suarez, and Ruth Beechick
The authors have compiled information from experts in each of the common methods as well as practical advice. It is a great resource for those trying to learn about or decide on a method or methods. Perfect for someone like me that does not want to spend hours searching through websites, compiling information, and then trying to remember where you found it all. The work is done for you. This book can be purchased at Amazon as well as other sellers.
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
Awesome benefit, that I just discovered when writing this- There is a bimontly, digital copy of the magazine available FREE online. Additionally there is a yearly print issue. I have purchased the print issue and enjoyed the different perspectives and the many potential resources that are listed. The subscription policies have changed recently (from what I understand) so please visit their website for details.
Scheduling/"Classroom" Management:
Managers of Their Homes by Steve and Teri Maxwell of Titus2 Ministries
We all know how important a schedule and routine are in the lives of families, whether they are homeschooling or not. This book gives awesome practical advice for creating a schedule for each family member. There were some parts that will apply more in our future, as her personal story revolves around her eight children. However, the vast majority of information can be applied immediately, and there are stories/testimonies from other families of various sizes, ages, and homeschooling stages interspersed throughout the book that are easy to relate to. The best part is the worksheet packet at the back of the book that can be used as a manipulative to create your own family schedule. My husband and I enjoyed working together on this part. Although we have not magically stuck to a detailed schedule, we have learned a lot about the importance of routines as well as the how-tos of scheduling. As our children grow and homeschooling time increases, we find ourselves going back to the knowledge gained in this book. There are additional resources regarding chores, homeschooling itself and other topics, as well as ordering information on their website.
Your turn: What books or resources do you recommend to other homeschooling families? What is on your most used or read resource list?
Happy Teaching,
Sarah
(Disclaimer: I am not being rewarded or compensated in any way by the authors, publishers, or book sellers. These are materials that I have used/plan to use within my own home and have purchased on my own or have been given by friends.)
Homeschooling Advice/Methods:
Homeschooling: A Patchwork of Days by Nancy Lande
This book follows 30 different families through a typical day at each house. It has given me great insight as to how the different methods would look actually played out in a home. The book can be purchased here as well as other websites/bookstores.
Homeschooling Methods: Seasoned Advice on Learning Styles by Paul Suarez, Gena Suarez, and Ruth Beechick
The authors have compiled information from experts in each of the common methods as well as practical advice. It is a great resource for those trying to learn about or decide on a method or methods. Perfect for someone like me that does not want to spend hours searching through websites, compiling information, and then trying to remember where you found it all. The work is done for you. This book can be purchased at Amazon as well as other sellers.
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
Awesome benefit, that I just discovered when writing this- There is a bimontly, digital copy of the magazine available FREE online. Additionally there is a yearly print issue. I have purchased the print issue and enjoyed the different perspectives and the many potential resources that are listed. The subscription policies have changed recently (from what I understand) so please visit their website for details.
Scheduling/"Classroom" Management:
Managers of Their Homes by Steve and Teri Maxwell of Titus2 Ministries
We all know how important a schedule and routine are in the lives of families, whether they are homeschooling or not. This book gives awesome practical advice for creating a schedule for each family member. There were some parts that will apply more in our future, as her personal story revolves around her eight children. However, the vast majority of information can be applied immediately, and there are stories/testimonies from other families of various sizes, ages, and homeschooling stages interspersed throughout the book that are easy to relate to. The best part is the worksheet packet at the back of the book that can be used as a manipulative to create your own family schedule. My husband and I enjoyed working together on this part. Although we have not magically stuck to a detailed schedule, we have learned a lot about the importance of routines as well as the how-tos of scheduling. As our children grow and homeschooling time increases, we find ourselves going back to the knowledge gained in this book. There are additional resources regarding chores, homeschooling itself and other topics, as well as ordering information on their website.
Your turn: What books or resources do you recommend to other homeschooling families? What is on your most used or read resource list?
Happy Teaching,
Sarah
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