Craft_media_hero -- oh my -- that sounds intimadating but also exciting. so hard to have to be accountable to YOURSELF....i find the biggest challange i have is not the boys -- but is ME ...I hope you can find a routine or structure that makes it go smooth.
cmh-good luck on going back to school! I know I would not be up to it right now!
We are quiet here for several reasons. First I have been a busy bee around the house, cleaning, decorating, and organizing. Secondly, I have made some resolutions for the year which means I am spending my time on things other than the computer, shock I know! Lastly we are just doing basics these days. I have decided to give up on this trying to make him in First grade business. If I did PS he would be K. I had tried to do all these extra things even though a lot of programs didn't recommend it for his age/grade. I have decided to put our focus on the basic stuff- reading, writing, and math. We do religion as well- bible and catechism and some nature as it comes up. I am not doing history, at all, social studies stuff as it comes up but that is it. I will start SOTW next year for 1st. I tried to start AAS but it was too hard to modify to work with his I See Sam books, perhaps when he makes it through this set it will line up better. He is doing great with reading, it is coming along rather nicely there. Math, we are making progress, but it is hard work right now.
found i site i thought i'd share:
Craft, I am so proud of you and imagine what your kids are seeing through you - true education NEVER ends!!! How awesome!!
And what REAL are you doing? :D
Crunchy, I'm with you. I have a ton of organizing to do. I have to either plan the gardens or prepare to move - I won't know which until next month. lol
Since the math blowup, math has been going so much better. Who knew that they needed me to scream, "Relax and let it flow!!!!" for it to work well. lol
We did one round on the Valentine list and we're hoping to do another. Anyone here want to exchange within the thread?
We're hosting the Valentine party on the 14th too.
We have gotten 3-5 inches of snow every day consistently now for weeks. I have never in my life seen so much snow. I cannot use our slider doors because there's 2 feet of snow up against them that would fall onto my wood floors if I slid them open. It's insane and it's made my kids nuts.
We have gotten 3-5 inches of snow every day consistently now for weeks. I have never in my life seen so much snow. I cannot use our slider doors because there's 2 feet of snow up against them that would fall onto my wood floors if I slid them open. It's insane and it's made my kids nuts.
That is an insane amount of snow! Here's it's been in the upper 70's and very dry. I have made this week a very relaxed week while I tweak my plans for the rest of the year (I'll post about that below), and today we actually made it to the library and then spent 2 hours at the park with my bf and her kiddos. It felt so nice to get out and let the kids run around.
I have used the CW primer books before but never their regular writing programs. I didn't care a lot for the primer books (they actually are good, but they didn't fit with the other L/A materials I was trying to use). I've decided against using CW though ... I'm just not sure I have it in me to figure it out, plus I think it plus what I am using (MCT and Sentence Composing and such) would be too much. So, we are keeping with using MCT and the SC (and eventually Story Grammar) book, and using WWE for literature. I'm hoping the 5th grade/logic stage WWE book will be out next fall so I can see if I like it or not. But, otherwise, I think I'll just use WWE (I have the hard-backed original book) and integrate some IEW in there too (skill deciding if I just want to work through a theme book for history or buy the teacher DVDs).
As for us, I've been tweaking our organization and our curriculum. I had been trying to do way too much, and though it was possible pre-baby, now I need to be much more concise with our time. 
So, here is how our filing is going (I originally posted this on WTM):
Filing is going well for me, though as I'm going, especially now with an infant in arms, I am realizing how I need to tweak it to work better. First, what is working:
*I filed by subject within the weekly files. So, in week 20, for instance, I have a file for Latin, a file for history, a file for science, etc. That way, if we don't get to something (we haven't done history or science since dd was born ... we will get back to it in February I think), I can just move that individual file to the next week.
*I did not cut up spelling (AAS), grammar (though we are only doing MCT now, we were alternating with FLL and GWG), or math. I did plan out math so I had an idea how long I could expect to be in each level of Singapore and how LoF would fit in for ds#1. But, I did not tear up those workbooks. And, I don't even plan spelling or grammar ... usually we get to 2-3 spelling lessons a week, but sometimes less; we do one Practice Island sentence a day (averaging 4 a week), but we read the other books until we get to a part that feels natural to stop.
What isn't working this year, which I plan on tweaking now as we still have approximately 17 weeks of school left:
*I wrote lesson plans for each subject all together. So, week 20's lesson plans are all on the same grid. It looks nice and neat, but it's not working because if I need to back up history but get through Latin and math, I have the next week's lessons on two different pages. It is getting a little confusing. I only write out lessons for Latin (chapter and page numbers for each day), math, history, science, and make notes on what we are doing for art and nature study each week. I use a weekly planner grid from Donna Young.
So, what I'm going to do this week (I'm calling an audible and taking it off to work on interpersonal relationships 
) is print out the 6-week lesson plan grids from Donna Young and plan each subject 6-weeks at a time, and keep each subject on a separate sheet. So, I should end up with five 6-week planning sheets at a time. That way I have the freedom to move one subject to the next week and not affect my planning of the other subjects (what I do is use a highlighter to "check off" assignments as we do them).
As for our curriculum, I've dropped FLL and GWG. MCT Island is working quite well and I can keep the older two boys together, so it frees a bit of time too. 
Both older boys are working through Singapore and ds#1 is doing Life of Fred Fractions on Fridays. Ds#2 has more Miquon, but he'll pick it back up in April when he starts Singapore 3A. He'll do Miquon on Fiday while ds#1 does LoF. And though I was afraid it wouldn't work, I am really liking applying WWE principals to our own books, and also to history and science instead of doing the WWE workbooks. I have all four, so they are there for back-up (I might have ds#1 do level 4 next year; I'm not sure). But, again, I can keep the older two boys together while we all enjoy a great book (we are going to read The Moffats after we finish Mr. Popper's Penguins).
As for us, I've been tweaking our organization and our curriculum. I had been trying to do way too much, and though it was possible pre-baby, now I need to be much more concise with our time. So, here is how our filing is going (I originally posted this on WTM):
Filing is going well for me, though as I'm going, especially now with an infant in arms, I am realizing how I need to tweak it to work better. First, what is working:
*I filed by subject within the weekly files. So, in week 20, for instance, I have a file for Latin, a file for history, a file for science, etc. That way, if we don't get to something (we haven't done history or science since dd was born ... we will get back to it in February I think), I can just move that individual file to the next week.
*I did not cut up spelling (AAS), grammar (though we are only doing MCT now, we were alternating with FLL and GWG), or math. I did plan out math so I had an idea how long I could expect to be in each level of Singapore and how LoF would fit in for ds#1. But, I did not tear up those workbooks. And, I don't even plan spelling or grammar ... usually we get to 2-3 spelling lessons a week, but sometimes less; we do one Practice Island sentence a day (averaging 4 a week), but we read the other books until we get to a part that feels natural to stop.
What isn't working this year, which I plan on tweaking now as we still have approximately 17 weeks of school left:
*I wrote lesson plans for each subject all together. So, week 20's lesson plans are all on the same grid. It looks nice and neat, but it's not working because if I need to back up history but get through Latin and math, I have the next week's lessons on two different pages. It is getting a little confusing. I only write out lessons for Latin (chapter and page numbers for each day), math, history, science, and make notes on what we are doing for art and nature study each week. I use a weekly planner grid from Donna Young.
So, what I'm going to do this week (I'm calling an audible and taking it off to work on interpersonal relationships ) is print out the 6-week lesson plan grids from Donna Young and plan each subject 6-weeks at a time, and keep each subject on a separate sheet. So, I should end up with five 6-week planning sheets at a time. That way I have the freedom to move one subject to the next week and not affect my planning of the other subjects (what I do is use a highlighter to "check off" assignments as we do them).
As for our curriculum, I've dropped FLL and GWG. MCT Island is working quite well and I can keep the older two boys together, so it frees a bit of time too. Both older boys are working through Singapore and ds#1 is doing Life of Fred Fractions on Fridays. Ds#2 has more Miquon, but he'll pick it back up in April when he starts Singapore 3A. He'll do Miquon on Fiday while ds#1 does LoF. And though I was afraid it wouldn't work, I am really liking applying WWE principals to our own books, and also to history and science instead of doing the WWE workbooks. I have all four, so they are there for back-up (I might have ds#1 do level 4 next year; I'm not sure). But, again, I can keep the older two boys together while we all enjoy a great book (we are going to read The Moffats after we finish Mr. Popper's Penguins).
you are rocking along MOMMA!!!! :)
Well, I don't know what's happening with our homeschool. Sigh. We haven't made any real "meaty" progress since before Christmas. Dd is hitting another 'resistant' phase, and honestly I'm just tired of pushing every little thing through. Dh's schedule change threw us off, too, and we just have not got back on track yet.
We're still doing our classical languages and math, and I think that if we only did those two subjects for her entire homeschool career, along with reading the classics which we always love, she'd still get a pretty good education. It's been about 15 minutes each for math and CLs.
Her reading has just leaped so far forward--she's reading Peter Pan and The last of the Mohicans by herself; just picked them up off the shelf and started in on them.
She has been saying she doesn't like Miquon and only wants to do Singapore which kinda breaks my heart; I love Miquon so much. I think it's because the Miquon is really challenging to her right now whereas the Singapore is maybe a little too easy at this point. So I'm thinking that when we get through this multiplication block we're on that I might let her just breeze through the Singapore and bring back Miquon later when she's more open to it.
Spelling has come to a screeching halt, as has FLL.
I feel like I'm failing at homeschool! And my time is only going to get more crunched for the next four months.
We've been moving more toward basing our days around activities instead of the academics; it's getting warmer here, and we want to be out of the house. Dd has really high needs for social interaction and lots of physical exercise, and after the baby and this cold winter, we've been stuck inside and pretty isolated. So she's been going to swim a couple hours twice a week which pretty much eats up our hs time, then we've been walking our river trails or out in the yard prepping for the garden or at the library.
*I'm thinking about unschooling.* I don't know I just have such a hard time trusting that everything will be okay if I'm not "in charge" of her education. I am totally dealing with this need to be in control in other areas/relationships, too.
So that's where we're at lately. I am so drawn to Classical Education, but I just feel like it's really forced right now and maybe we need to focus on other aspects of our lives for a while.
Things have been going quite well for us, but I kind of feel Calvert is not stretching dd enough. We have almost got to the end of the 3rd grade math (she is 8, second grade age), and I am going to have to purchase another math course.
She can finish two lesson plans per day. The geography was great, but the history is totally American-centric. I have bought the `History of the World, classical child` books and workbooks and am waiting for them to arrive.
We are going to continue homeschooling, even if we have the move to the US. So, I am thinking, I am going to give up on Calvert. She finds the reading selections really easy. I do love the workbooks.
Any ideas for a way forward? I do not want to have to make my own workbooks, and I need math for a child who is talented with numbers...
KW I am interested in the CW and MCT as well, I am confused about all the different grammar/writing programs out there and what I need. For next year I already have WWE1, which I think he will be ready for by the time we finish this year. I considered FLL but think I may go w/ one of the older free texts out there, like Maxwell. We have AAS1 as well, and hopefully it will line up with our reading come next year. It seems that Math will likely go until at least next winter. From what I have read often times RSB takes 1.5 years to complete, so that is what I am expecting and seems the pace we are going. However, he seems to be learning great and at least on par w/ K work and actually ahead. We are going to have to order our next sets of I See Sam books soon, I plan to stick with it as it seems to work well for him and is easy for me. We will probably try SSL again next year I think it was too much w/ him still learning on reading right now.
I think I will be doing SOTW1 for our history and Science, well I am not sure what I want to do there. I just know I want things planned out for me more instead of me planning things out. I would love something that scheduled the SOTW history, science and lit for me, is there anything out there like that?
We have changed our days up as well. I like the idea of us'ing but I need that guidance for myself. MLW I like reading what you are using and your plans. Right now it is lit(just finished Kipling's book and some HA fairytales) moving onto Burgess animal books, some more heros and myths and some more Blue Fairy book. Reading- I SEE Sam Orange books , RS B and HWOT 1st Printing book. On religion we do catechism once a week and bible daily. We are doing about 2 hrs a day now, most of that (nearly half most days) is our Math. Nature studies we are doing more informally. Like yesterday we went out to take a walk and while we were out we checked out the evergreens and talked about how they looked now compared to this summer. We didn't do any notebooking or such though. Art has been as we have came across it, I am receiving a little missalette now and it has classic art works in it, so I think I might use it for appreciation. I want to start drawing lessons once a week, w/ the Drawing w/ Children book he got for Christmas but haven't yet, hopefully next month.
Mmmm. this is EXACTLY why we left Calvert for a classical education too. It just didn't challenge my kids at all. there are a ton of fabulous math curriculums out there and you can always purchase Calvert's math on its own if you want. We went with Critical Thinking math. I have a friend doing Saxon and that's workbook based too.
Craft, maybe you need to deschool for awhile? Maybe it's just time to take a break and let stuff sink it. Learning to read is a pretty significan step in her development!!!
Kitty, I look ahead a lot too. It's really hard not to, with all the great stuff out there!
Jen
We have until September to run on the `course` with Calvert, so we are covered with the legal issues until then, and Im hoping we will be in America by Spring.
We have received the `Story of the World - History for the Classical Child` book 1 and workbook. It seems much more like what I was hoping for. So we will do American History, via the Calvert course, but supplement with the Story of the World.
What is the level like with the Critical Thinking math? The Calvert math just is not challenging her at all. I am not sure if she is truely gifted, or Calvert math is easy. She has always been `good` at math, but seems to just pick up concepts really easily and a lot of the work is going over things she already knows, and does not move quickly enough. Its good to know that it is not only us that feel Calvert to be not very challenging.
The science is also rather easy, and moves very slowly. I add to it, but still think it is lacking.
Im adding to her reading, and trying to give her more complicated composition activities, but really feel that for how much this course cost me, I should not have to be spending so much money on extra books, and so much extra time adding to the curriculum!
I do like feeling as if I have `everything` covered with Calvert, and I am not worrying that we are missing things she would be doing in school. I love the fact I can set pages from workbooks.
Today started so promising around here! 
Dh is home sick, but he got up with the kids (I think they slept until about 8:30 though) and I was able to sleep in until 9:30 or so. We had breakfast and actually started school before 11am! Latin went great (review week, though they had a fit when there was no "How the West was Unus" this week). Then came math. Ds#2 got right to work; dh was able to help him while I worked with ds#1. Ds#1 took forever to do anything; I actually told him to put it away after a while because we needed to move on (by this time, ds#2 had done math and spelling). So, we started IEW (we haven't done this in a while and the boys tend to enjoy it, so I figured it would go well). Unfortunately dd picked that time to have a messy dipe, so I figured I'd take her in the shower and finally get ready for the day. The boys had some time to play and watch School House Rock. Oy ...
By the time I was done and dd was all dressed, it was getting late and food needed to be made. They were melting and not wanting to take my suggestions for a snack and picked their won and then got mad and ... I'm sure most all of you reading this have been there, done that. I gave up on IEW and MCT today. After lunch and a few tantrums, ds#1 finally finished his math and his spelling. Then, he needed to do one outlining page (we had been very slack on this). Oh man ... another tantrum or three. He even said, "I don't want to be self-sufficient" when I explained to him that my goal is to teach him how to learn on his own and how to be self-sufficient. I told him he might change his mind when he's 30 and living at home, still under mom and dad's rules. 
Finally, he finished. Now he's reading while ds#2 and ds#3 play with a friend in the living room. I'm tired of the "ds#2 is already done with his work ... his stuff is SO easy!" argument. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. (Thankfully IEW is only 4 days of work this week, so we can do it T-F, and honestly it wasn't even an issue with them ... I just wanted our Friday to be a little lighter.)
As for me, I'm working on rewriting our spring semester plans. I have math all done - I printed off six-week planning pages for each boy and wrote out their weekly assignments. I also made a blank form for each boy to record what they do in language arts. Then, I have planning sheets for science, history, and nature study that will go in there. (If anyone is interested, I can post pictures when it is done.) I'm going to use my mom's comb binder to put it all together and stop buying commercial planners. I think having separate pages for each subject will be much easier in case we don't get to something. Now I just need to work on our days so we actually get some school done! 
Craft, maybe you need to deschool for awhile? Maybe it's just time to take a break and let stuff sink it. Learning to read is a pretty significan step in her development!!!
I think so. I'm trying to back off. It's hard for me :P
Tonight she discovered Choose Your Own Adventure books, and we took turns reading through one ending; that was fun.
We're still doing History because she loves it dearly, and we finally got to Greece, yaaayyyy!
Honestly, though, I do think we need a break and to focus on more physical work/learning, so I feel pretty content with not running through our usual routine for now.
We actually got up to doing stuff because I only checked online on my ipod while making breakfast so I didn't get caught up on the web. And the kids actually did what I asked them to. It almost was scary how much they cooperated. Then we did circle-practiced our 12's table, reviewed Latin and French, our months poem (made up our own June rhyme because it was strangely missing?), talked about Mardi Gras for some reason and going to Ste. Genevieve this year, and did our movement poems.
How did your week go, Craft?
We had a pretty good one. Quiet. Restful. The kids got these Vtech learning laptops (with really crappy screens that make me laugh) but the "computers" are packed with word games. It's really hard for me to interrupt them when they are so proud because they figured out how to spell "school" or something. They are both desperate to read and they are both so.darn.close.
We've got finish up science and history this weekend and get ready for our Monday co-op day!
MLW- I would like to see your schedule, I just did another 6 wk one here. Just bought a new music program that I think the kids will love, it is based on the liturgical year- has alll kinds of songs from african to gregorian chant- silly finger plays to hymns. Lesson plans and everything w/ a different cd and song book for each part of the year- 5 in all. Bought some more instruments as well.
I also bought our next 3 levels of I See Sam books, we did 5 books alone last week, I considered not buying and trying to do it on my own. However, it is going so well and it is so easy and he likes it, so it seemed well worth it.
I just started reading the Drawing w/ Children book and hope to start that for all of us in a couple of weeks. We read Mrs. Piggle Wiggle last week- LOVED it - so cute! We are also working on The Bobsey Twins, which he is enjoying as well. Yesterday we started Chronicles of Narnia as well, meant to do that 2 months ago, but never did! Anyway, finally getting our groove back after the holidays, thank goodness. I think we will do a little experiment today w/ salt crystals(from OHC). I am trying to transition to just doing interest led on Science- I think we will plan on doing 2 week periods on that, every week I think would be too soon and we have been staying home more lately. Weather has been crappy, which makes it hard to enjoy it outside- I hate it when it is cold and windy and rainy- UGH!
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