Sunday, September 9, 2012

And I'm Right Back Where I Started: Homeschooling!

Tomorrow begins our first official day of homeschooling!  Talk about coming full circle!  I am pretty sure I am part of the first generation of modern day homeschoolers...the movement started in the mid to late 70's I believe and I joined the pack from the get-go once I turned school age.  (Mom, I'm guessing I started 1986?  I actually don't remember the date, but I would have just turned 5 then...correct me if I'm wrong!). 

Since Johnathan is just now a few months over 4 years old we're going to do a mix of pre-K and Kindergarten this fall/next spring.  Eli will also be getting in on the educational fun with some age appropriate learning too.  I'm going to try to remain flexible and see how to best tailor our school days to the boys' individual needs.  That is one of the beauties of homeschooling, the changing and tweaking of this or that to fit each child's unique learning style. 


Here is what is on the schedule for our first year...

JOHNATHAN:
-Bible Time & Character Development (a mix of Sonlight & A Beka Curriculum)
-The Writing Road to Reading Language Arts: Phonics/Writing/Reading (Spalding Method)
-Science (Sonlight Kindergarten Science Books)
-Math/Numbers (a mixture of my own teaching & A Beka Curriculum)
-Spanish (a mix of several different sources, introductory level Spanish)
-Misc...learning days of the week/months/seasons/etc. (my own teaching)

ELI:
-Bible Time & Character Development (a mix of Sonlight & A Beka Curriculum)
-ABC's (focusing on one letter per week, my own teaching)
-Numbers, Learning to Count to 10 (focusing on one number per week, my own teaching)
-Colors (one new color introduced each week, my own teaching)
-Shapes (one new shape introduced each week, my own teaching)
-Spanish (a mix of several different sources, introductory level Spanish)

We're also going to incorporate lots of fun craftsy type learning activities, fun educational outings, and of course we will include lots of creative play throughout our days.  I am really excited about this new phase of life, and I can't wait to see how our new way of living goes.  Homeschooling really is a way of life, taking everyday happenings and learning all you can about them, finding extraordinary facts in ordinary things, and just getting the most you can out of each day.  It's going to be great!

*Grace* 

4 comments:

A.K.W. said...

I was home-schooled.

Amy

Ivy said...

You go, Grace! homeschoooling is the bomb! AND even cooler than it was back when we did it!

Mom said...

Happy 1st Day of Homeschooling! And yes, it was September of '86 for you and Grant.

Your Grandma had given us a cassette tape when you were only 2 of Dr. Dobson interviewing Raymond and Dorothy Moore (homeschool pioneers of our day). Dad and I both listened to that and immediately felt that this was God's calling for us. So for a few years we checked it out, researched, went to a couple of home school conferences, and then jumped in!!

Those were the best, sweetest, and most precious years and I'm so excited that this is also where God is leading you all at this time!

Happy Days with your guys!

Love you so much,

Mom

Gail said...

So proud of you Grace (and Aaron too of course!). ;) Homeschooling takes a lot of discipline....when we get there I'm sure you'll have lots of advice for me!

Love you,
Gail