Last week I posted on our facebook page that after a week long intensive planning time, I was finished planning school for the entire year. I was shocked by the immediate response of so many of you. Many moms said they felt overwhelmed and they didn't even know where to begin. Others were more confident, but still wanted to hear and see our plan. Homeschooling children has to be one of the most time intensive and emotionally draining tasks. However it is a gift and a blessing just the same. Before we had children my husband and I decided we would really like to homeschool. Both of us went to public school, and to be completely honest this was definitely foreign territory to us. We were blessed with the opportunity to have a family close to us that we looked up to that were homeschooling. They had a huge impact on our decision to homeschool simply because they were an incredible example of a Godly family. We loved how their family "worked". So here we are fourteen years later with 4 kids of our own, a 3 year old, a 1st grader, a 3rd grader, and a 5th grader. I love having my children home with me and I love to homeschool! Although it is difficult, I believe that a fair amount of organization can make it a rich and rewarding experience for both the parent and the child.
I remember when we started to homeschool I didn't have a clue what to do. At that time we chose to use K-12 Online which was a big help to me. After a few years I finally got the nerve to hand select the curriculum I wanted to use for each subject. This has been a process and we still have a long way to go. For all of you mamas who said you didn't know where to start or what to do, there is hope!
Here is our curriculum and schedule for the year.
Tyler- 5th grade
Math: Math 5 by BJU Press
History: The Story of the World 2, Activity Book, & Tests (LOVE THIS!!!)
English: Language Lessons: Level 4
Spelling: Spelling Workout F
Science: Apologia Zoology 1 with Notebook (LOVE THIS!!!)
Latin: Latina Christiana by Cheryl Howe
Bible: The Dig for Kids
Bella - 3rd Grade
Math: Math 3 by BJU Press
History: The Story of the World 2, Activity Book, & Tests
English: Language Lessons Level 2
Spelling: Spelling Workout D
Penmanship: Penmanship for Christian Writing 3 by Rod & Staff
Science: Apologia Zoology 1 with Junior Notebook
Latin: Latina Christiana by Cheryl Howe
Bible: The Dig for Kids
Noah - 1st Grade
Math: Math 1 by BJU Press
History: The Story of the World 1 & Activity Book
English: Language Lessons Level 1.
Phonics: First Start to Reading by Cheryl Howe
Penmanship: Penmanship for Christian Writing 1 by Rod & Staff
Science: Apologia Zoology 1 with Junior Notebook
Bible: My First Study Bible
Sophia - 3 years old
Lacing Cards, Playdough, Blocks, Puzzles
Let me give you a peek into how I organized our school on paper. (and no it is not all fancy...just good ol' pencil and paper) I am sooo thankful for my friend Sherry who came over for an entire day to help me get an overall skeleton of our schedule in place so I could just fill it all in!
First there is a binder for each student with every month of the school year.
The first page of every binder is the Master Schedule for everyone.
Following the Master Schedule is every month of the year and the individual student's assignments for each day.
We also have a separate binder that has all the assignments we do together. These assignments are not included in the individual binders, only the "Together" binder. (Apologia Science, History, Latin, We Choose Virtues etc.)
You will also notice at the beginning of each week I list what books need to be read that particular week. These are just a few of the books we are reading. We typically take small breaks throughout the day and read from a whole stack of fun books I purchased for the year.
As you embark on your homeschooling journey there is something very important to remember. As a mom every single one of us has a different personality. Once you start homeschooling it will be essential that you recognize your own personal strengths and weaknesses. Me? I like to go with the flow. I do appreciate organization and need it in my life, but too much can also make me feel trapped. Some of you know exactly what I mean, while the rest of you feel completely opposite. :) This means I need a schedule to stay on track, however I am aware that we do have "wiggle room" in our days. Regardless of which end of the spectrum you find yourself on, we can all learn from one another. I will be the first to say I don't have it together and am thankful for the women I can depend on in my life!
What tips do you have for homeschooling? Is there anything that you have found that has worked great for your family?
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