Day 4 (176 days to go)

I was pleasantly surprised this morning. First the boys all woke up and got out of bed on their own. Then two of them took the initiative to get ready to start the school day without prompting as well. At 8:55 they were sitting at the kitchen table with their books open. So nice that they fell into a routine so quickly. Landon is being a bit of a hold out, but we have had the conversation about the importance of an education already. I am sure it won't be the last time that exchange happens this year.

I did do a bit of curriculum research today (getting really far in this not buying curriculum thing!) The goal is to have Landon reading independently this year. This is definitely more my idea than his! For the last couple of days, we attempted "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" Honestly, this book hasn't been a hit with any of our children, but I keep trying to like it. Apparently Landon isn't going to be the exception. He is very computer motivated and has done well with Starfall.com and Hooked on Phonics. The drawback is that I really want something that tracks his progress. I have friends who highly recommend readingeggs.com, but I was not thrilled with the cost. In the end I found and purchased http://www.clicknkids.com/ We tried out the sample lesson which met Landon's approval, and the price was right since the homeschool buyers co-op has a group buy going on. I will give a better review once we start using it.

Art for today consisted of free expression with crayons on butcher paper on the kitchen table :)

September 09, 2011

Day 3 (177 days to go)

Thursdays are always an exciting day at our homeschool. That is the day that we attend our local homeschool co-op. Unfortunately, the co-op is not meeting this fall while the group searches for a new meeting space. Instead we will be meeting at a park each week, weather permitting. One of the moms even arranged soccer for those kids interested. With a household full of boys, you know we will be playing!

Mother nature had different plans on this particular Thursday it seems. I got the boys started on school and left the house about 9:00 AM to deliver an order to a customer. This is what I saw when I got to the stop sign at the end of our street.

Things weren't looking very positive for our park day. By the time I was headed back home it had started pouring and the front yard was flooded when I pulled into the driveway. We bowed out of the park (although apparently one mom was a trooper and took her kids to check out the park despite the puddles!), but my boys decided they didn't need a formal park day to have fun on a rainy day.

Swim trunks + rain + trampoline = homeschool gym

Of course the math and language arts got done as well. Here is Landon working on some math.

September 08, 2011

Day 2 (178 to go)

Our second day of school was our first day of a full schedule. Since we are currently down a student computer, we are trying to find a new rhythm with 3 students and 1 computer. For now, the plan is 1 hour rotating slots. So while one child is on the computer, one will work with me at the table doing spelling tests, reading aloud, or other activities that demand my one on one instruction, and the third will work independently. I already see a couple of problems with this plan. We have a baby that needs my attention, and a 3 year old that stands in front of me and demands that he "go to school" too. Also, since Landon is not reading independently yet, he requires more attention when not doing his computer work.

We are trying to accomplish this school year with limited purchase of new materials. We have several book shelves full of materials to choose from and have found some fantastic resources on line for free. One of these is the Khan Academy. The boys have been given the option to use this for part of their math instruction. So far they are really liking it, and Landon is excelling. On his first day, he mastered simple addition and subtraction and moved on to multiplication. Remember he is just beginning first grade. The site is full of educational videos, and a math practice area that works a bit like a video game as far as my boys are concerned. The other website we are excited about is Book Adventure. At this site, they are able to create book lists, and then take quizzes on the books they read to earn points. Jayson wasted no time cataloging his personal library and taking some quizzes of the books he has already read.

I proved that we homeschool moms have to stay on our toes, when Jayson came to me in the afternoon asking for help finding the inverse of f(X)=X3-7. What is a mom to do? Why post on facebook for help of course! (after which I went and looked a video up on Khan Academy so I could actually help my son)

September 07, 2011

Day 1 (179 to go)

We hold on to summer for every moment we can around here. That means that school officially starts the day after Labor Day. Combine that with the fact that our local babywearing group meets on the first Tuesday of each month, the two days often coincide. This year was no different. To make more interesting, I also had a full schedule with a visit to the home of a La Leche League mother, making a stop at a sewing store to firm up details for International Babywearing Week, and delivering a meal to a new mother.

So here they are, all ready for the first day of school.

Jayson, 8th grade. Dalton, 6th grade.

Sterling, 5.5 months of squishy cuteness.

Landon, 1st grade. Maddox, playschool :)

So you may be wondering how we get schooling done on days like this. You wouldn't be alone, we get asked that question a lot. First, on car school days we don't do our entire schedule. Math and Language Arts are the priority on days like this.

We do school work where we are, in this case it was at a table in Chick-Fil-A during a babywearing meeting. We read in the car. The big kids were able to help the little kids with workbooks while I checked on the new moms. We saved spelling for the evening, at the kitchen table while dad made dinner.

The other thing we do is look for learning opportunities while we go about our daily activities. This monster sized Praying Mantis required a closer look. (that is Jayson's hand, so think adult size)

September 06, 2011