Curriculum Part 2
I thought I would share what curriculum we have decided to go with for Brooklyn this year. Last year we went with "My father's world." This truly is a great program, but I felt with such a weird year last year that we experienced we didn't fully use the program. I'm planning on using some of it for Bailey soon and I'm sure Brooklyn will love to join in.
This year I feel I have finally come up with a good routine. We need a good routine but also we need variety. We aren't following the school system with days off and days on. We did that last year and it was just not right for us. We are doing schooling Monday thru Thursday starting around 9:30 and we are usually done around 11 give or take depending on the lessons or arts and crafts. Every 4 to 5 weeks we will be taking a full week off from any bookwork except reading and that week will be dedicated to Home Ec. We will do lots of hands on projects like Baking, Cooking, Arts, Crafts, Field Trips, and just learning about everyday life in general. House projects etc. I really think this will be good for us to just step back and take a week off from major lesson planning. Year round schooling also might be something that we do. Taking more time off or lightening the load during certain times of the year but continuing even through the summer months.
Last year we took all of December off which we loved. I really felt we got to just soak up the true meaning of Christmas and Jesus' birth. This year I am planning on lightening the load around Thanksgiving and then being off mid December thru mid January with the baby joining the family first of January. Also, we are taking off the kids' birthdays if they happen to fall during the school week. A fun tradition of celebrating their birth.
For my birthday last year I got the book byCathy Duffy: 100 top picks for Homeschool Curriculum. This book I had gotten at the library and enjoyed it so much I wanted to own it. It's a great book for people starting out and I'm sure every year I'll even get it back out and do a review. She brakes down your home school style into different home school philosophies. I fall in the range of being Charlotte Mason, Eclectic, and Classical as my top three. Then she brakes down your child's learning style which also helps when searching for different material. I highly recommend this book.
I met with a lady from our church who home schools all three of her boys. She was so encouraging and gave great advice and showed me lots of different materials. She has a friend that puts together planners and I also highly recommend buying one. I'm really enjoying a planner I got for Brooklyn. I don't really feel I need my own for right now but maybe when Brooklyn gets older and I'm adding Bailey with more work as well. Check them out its. www.aplaninplace.net
"First Language Lessons- for the Well-Trained Mind" by Jessie Wise, Level 1 & 2 (Using level 1 this year and will use level 2 next year).
"Cheerful Cursive" by Letz and Laura Farmer
"Missionary Stories with the Millers" by Mildred A. Martin
"Explode the Code" by Nancy Hall and Rena Price
"
" by Nancy Hall book A - this is a book Bailey is working through.
"Teddy's Button" - fun extra book we are reading
As far as bible. Dennis is working on coming up with a time line that we will have Brooklyn work on. A lot of her curriculum has bible as a part of it, and like I said above she works on a weekly memory verse and review from previous memory verses, along with going through our Pastors children's books he wrote.
I think so far that is it. I've got a few other things on my wish list to add. Brooklyn is also joining 4-H this year. We should in the next few weeks be finding out what group she will be apart of. Also, I am getting together with another mom and her children and coming up with a weekly plan of activities we will be doing, and what day we will be meeting.
Keeping busy that is for sure. 26 1/2 weeks pregnant so I'm sure our schedule will always be shifting around. We are a flexible easy going family and I love that!!!!
"By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is es
tablished; and by knowledge
the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches."
~Proverbs 24:3-4