It's electrifying, slightly terrifying, but pretty energizing! It's BACK TO HOMESCHOOL time!!!! (cue the big voice there).
I look back a couple of months ago...ah, the cute little phrase "Oh, I'm planning on homeschooling through the summer...Math twice a week, Phonics three times a week...it'll be a light load" went past my lips multiple times.
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BWAHAHAHAHA!!!! That's really funny now! Yeah, we concentrated on Science primarily. Good luck getting much else done! But the kids are better swimmers, we've been reading a lot...I'll settle for that (especially since Pumpkin hasn't built her time machine yet...she's after dinosaurs, I'm after lost time).
Anywho, the plan is to start back in full swing next week, as public school kids in this neck of the woods start this week. Plus, I'm doing the spring-cleaning fling a bit late...lots of purging of toys and clothes lately. The more I cut, the more fun stuff we can cart around in our travels!
So here's the game plan:
Both Pumpkin and Capt'n Crash:
Bible: Working through Proverbs and "A Purpose-Driven Life" with them for now, and adding in material to their History lesson.
History: The Mystery of History - LOVE that it is history with the Bible as base! The lessons are super-short, but I add in some material from varying resources. I have to say, I love having "The Story of the World" workbooks to go along with this...often, they have better hands-on activities and great supplemental material!
Science: R.E.A.L. Science Level 1, Life - they caught a glimpse of the binoculars, have been avidly studying the field guides...I'm pretty sure they're going to love the material too. There's an anatomy coloring book that is highly recommended for it, but thanks to http://www.homeschoolfreebie.wholesomechildhood.com/ , I have the Kaplan Anatomy Coloring book, as well as several wildlife coloring books.
Reading: We're starting out with "Little House in the Big Woods". I'm using a comprehension guide with activities, and the local library has the cookbook, so we'll get to try out some neat associations! I want to go from this to "Little House on the Prairie" (also have the comprehension guide). By the time winter sets in (and it is too cold for Mommy to want to be outside, much less dress three young nomads in their winter gear), I am planning on taking on "The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe". Thankfully, I have a few months to figure out how to tackle that one (although this guide by Progeny Press is what I'm leaning toward).
Grammar: Shurley Method, Level 1. *crossing fingers* I know, I'm finding it a little strange that I'm going to delve into grammar when the nomads can't read very well (or at all, depending on which little nomad I'm discussing), but I'm hoping that they'll at least pick up the jingles and learn the definitions. I know a gal who, in public school, was taught a year of the Shurley Method and can STILL dissect a sentence as she recites the jingles! So I'm not hoping for prodigies, but I am hopeful that whatever they can soak up into those little nomadic sponges-of-brains will help them in the future.
Misc.: We're going to be looking into more physical self-sufficiency material (this facet of our lives seems to take a special place with the kids...they positively ooze self-esteem when they describe how they found xyz growing and knew that they could/couldn't touch/eat it.). I have a few books now that will help in our endeavors. Pumpkin still REALLY wants her own beehive and chickens, but it's just going to have to wait until we settle down. We've already started talking about farmer's markets in the next 5 years, and Pumpkin and I keep coming up with ideas as to what we want to be able to offer. I'm hoping that this physical self-sufficiency material will help them develop the self-assurance they need to forge ahead (and perhaps create their own businesses in the far-FAR-off future?).
Pumpkin (2nd grade)
Math: Math-U-See Beta - super stoked about this one! RightStart did not work well for us at all...anyone want to buy a slightly-used RightStart starter set?
Capt'n Crash (Kindergarten)
Math: Math-U-See Primer - he has been begging to do schoolwork, and to have his very own math workbook might send him to a wonderful state of bliss, I dunno. What I do know is that the sneaky little nomad can get the manipulative blocks out on his own...those little green ones HURT first thing in the morning on the way to the coffeepot!
Button will just be observing and coloring pictures at this point. I have discovered that most libraries we visit have specialty bags, where a bag is given a designation and there are activities and books and toys that correspond with the designation (dinosaurs, transportation, shapes, etc.). While Capt'n Crash really enjoys these, I think Button is getting to the point where she will enjoy them as well.
Ah, enough already, I still have lots more to clean out of our stuff...gotta find a way to cart all the homeschool material around!
[Addendum: We started our school year yesterday and things are going fantastic! I changed our schedule around a bit this week, trying for a few small core subjects each day and then "go with the flow" off of that. Yesterday turned out to be crammed full of teachable moments! More to follow...it's rather late right now and I'm extremely tired.]
