We're three weeks into our homeschool year. I've been way behind on my blogging (obviously). I am going to try to get back into doing the Weekly Wrap Up posts, probably next week. My camera is broken, so I have no pictures, and I'm sorry for that. I know pictures make blog posts way more fun. Eh. My dearly devoted will read this anyway. I think.
So this year has been going pretty well. I would say it's our best kick off so far. I chalk a lot of that up to my gaining experience and confidence. Sadly, this doesn't mean I never question what we're doing. I've had to hide myself away a little bit. I have been hiding from Facebook ("Look, here's a picture of my kid going to school. Yay!" "My kid went to school and I went home and cried." Either way, it's hard to look at when you're so obviously thumbing your nose at the whole system.). I've been really trying to immerse myself in my family, and surround myself with people and information that supports our decision to homeschool.
Anyway, let's talk about the kids and their materials. I know what you homeschoolers like: curricula!
These are the materials everyone is using:
Apologia's Swimming Creatures of the 5th Day (finishing up from last year)
Apologia's Land Animals of the 6th Day
Story of the World, Book 2: Middle Ages (our 2nd year for this. Thankfully, I knew we couldn't complete it in one year and I don't feel like we're behind at all.)
Orchestra unit study
Lamb's Book of Art
Around the World coloring book
Abeka's Health, Safety, and Manners
Scrappy, age 9, 4th grade
Math-U-See Gamma (he started the year in lesson 11 and I am planning for him to move onto Delta after Christmas)
Steck-Vaughn's Language Arts Handbook, 4th grade
Wordly Wise 3000, book 1
IEW: Writing Structure and Style
Sequential Spelling
Funny, age 8, 3rd grade
Various Steck-Vaughn Early Math workbooks
Various grammar workbooks (right now using Writing Sentences from TCR)
IEW: Writing Structure and Style
Sequential Spelling
Goofy, age 7, 2nd grade
Various Steck-Vaughn Early Math workbooks
Various grammar workbooks (right now using Writing Sentences from TCR)
Silly, age 5, Kindergarten
Come on now. I don't have a Kindergarten curriculum. She's kid #4. She just magically knows stuff! Though, she does use a few things:
Bob books
Various Steck-Vaughn Early Math workbooks
Explode the Code
We also have a ton of supplemental materials. Being part-time unschoolers, we have a house filled with all sorts of fun, educational things (and a well-loved library card). Some of the highlights I'm looking forward to using this year:
Math Shark (handheld electronic math drill game)
Cooking Up Sentences board game
Math wrap-ups
Spellominoes
I also set a goal this year to take the kids on at least 20 field trips. We went on 18 trips last year. So far we've gone on 6 trips. Once I get my new camera, I'll be back to posting more field trip posts with pictures.
You should feel special. I almost never read blog posts with no pictures, but you are worth it.
ReplyDeleteWe should make sure we go on some field trips together. We're trying to do as many as we can this year.
Wow! I get to be dearly devoted. It sounds like you have a wonderful plan for the year and I'm sure your kids will learn a lot, whether or not you stick to the "plan." You're a great teacher & mom!
ReplyDeleteI just wanted you to know that I too am dearly devoted. I'm glad your year is off to a good start. I like it when that happens! I hope we get to join you on a few field trips too!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, the broken camera problem. We have two of those in the house. Thankfully one of those is NOT mine, but at the rate things are going... remember when a good 35mm lasted forever? (And cost a lot more to develop film, too, okay.)
ReplyDeleteSorry, no takers here on the dal. We are adventurous, but not that adventurous. Curry, yes. Coconut milk, yes. Lentils, no. What ever do you do with dal anyway? Put it on pita bread? Drink it? lol
I am thinking about changing my blog name to Weird Unsocialized Homeschool Mom. :)
Oh yes, the broken camera problem. We have two of those in the house, and thankfully one of those is NOT mine. But the way things are going... Remember when a good 35mm camera lasted forever? (Oh, and developing was expensive? Nevermind.)
ReplyDeleteDal. Whatever do you do with it? Drink it? lol. Okay, more like put it on pita bread or something. Curry, yes. Coconut milk, yes. Lentils, no, never again, is the consensus here. We aren't that adventurous, and besides, recipes that require shopping trips have been outlawed.
I think I will change my blog name to Weird Unsocialized Homeschool Mom. :)