2011-2012 Curriculum

So far, these are the choices I've made for curriculum: (obviously, I have no idea what will work and what won't or if we'll even get to use everything!)

Rocket Phonics (along with finishing up Get Ready, Get Set & Go for the Code Books)

Horizons math with manipulatives

Nature in a Nutshell for Kids and home spun experiments for science (to fill time when needed)

The Hand Book of Nature Study by Anna Comstock along with Handbook of Nature Study ebook

Continent Bags a la Counting Coconuts for geography

Five in a Row for everyday reading

Pink & Green Mama for art inspiration

Lesson Pathways for a free curriculum for just about anything (i.e. if I'm fumbling and need something to do)

Tot School for Eli, if he so chooses! 

History and all things between the lines of this list will be seasonal, eclectic (classical education to Waldorf!). We'll bake, prepare meals, play, build, pretend, dream...we'll pretty much continue life as we already know it. Just, maybe, a little more organized.

We're DOOOOING It!

After MUCH deliberation, we will be homeschooling! 

We finished the rest of preschool with some wonderful weather so I abandoned the blog and we went outside. Really, we worked on getting Turner ready for kindergarten in case the decision was made to send him to the local public school. 

In getting him ready, I found all the rest of my reasons to go ahead with homeschooling. Turner hates writing at the moment: he's not ready. He hates coloring. Um, hello, I know they color all the time in kindergarten classrooms. He's not ready for sitting, nor should he be forced to do so. He still takes naps and, really, the thought of him giving them up abruptly in September to go to school just saddened me. 

Then I thought: "Why be sad when I can educate him?" 

What I know Turner wants is to stay home. Whether it's to play, laugh, love or learn (let's hope all), or just be is fine by me. This moment, the boys love painting, getting dirty, baking, helping around the house, doing homemade science experiments, fighting, playing together and learning from me. 

And they love driving me nuts, too. 

Enjoying Warmer Weather

I knew today was supposed to be warmer out so the plan was to stay outside as much as possible! 

Since I had the ingredients on hand, I decided to make a cornstarch and water mixture for some sensory play. 

Turner really doesn't like his hands to be dirty but he was receptive to this project. 

He really enjoyed squeezing the mixture to make it hard...

and then opening his hands to let the mixture flow. 

We talked briefly about things that were liquids and things that were solids. He was pretty interested!

Eli, on the other hand, was more interested in painting himself...

SQUIIIISH

Make a ball, but stop touching it and...

Turns back in to a liquid.

Chasing bad guys.

Painting trees.

Swabbing the deck. I think they had the most fun doing this!

New Sensory Boxes

The boys really enjoy their rice boxes that I've been making a la Counting Coconuts and Pink and Green Mama. 

Last week I saw a cute spring themed box somewhere and I'm kicking myself for not bookmarking the link. The rice boxes have done us well, but I can see the kids are getting a bit bored. 

(I've been taking pictures with my phone for TWO days. Remind me to charge my cameras!)

The result: 

Split green peas (grass) , lima beans (bugs) , tiny bow tie pasta  (butterflies), and fake cherry blossoms
left over from a recent household project), and a tiny pot.

Eli added bugs and a tractor. 

Turner chose to do some flower arranging. 

Deacon just sat around, looking cute. 

 I think the new box was a hit! Turner is always much neater and more precise with his pouring and playing. 

Eli is always a mess! But he has fun, so that counts for something. 

Just Another Day Around Here

Just finishing up another week around here. Tomorrow is "Family Friday" so school will take a back seat. I mean, there's always something to learn but nothing "official." It will be one of our last family dates for a while as John prepares to head off to more schools for his CO tour. 

Working on letter sounds with our DIY moveable alphabet.

Starfall fun. Turner loves using the computer!

Rexy had to help with our science experiment. I'll let you know how said experiment goes
and post some pictures of our germinating seeds! 

To Continue or Not

So, here we are, just 4 months in to homeschooling.

It's all actually going well. I mean, it's just preschool and most of that is just facts of life type stuff. Turner is doing really well with his ABCs and 123s. His appetite for knowledge is incredibly fun to watch and he's often the one keeping me in check! We're done with all of the checkmarks children "should" know for going in to Kinder and now we're working on the shoe tying, *ahem* rear wiping, handwashing and general chores.

Playing a game. He still had to find the last 'r.' 

I think April is the time for registering for Kindergarten so John and I have been talking a lot about what we'll do for the next stage in Turner's schooling. At first, I wasn't sure John was on board with continuing to homeschool so I brought it up and it seems that he's completely supportive either way! I am lucky to have such an incredible supportive husband but now it's time to decide what to do.

It seems there's a lot to think about: send Turner off to school or continue to homeschool for the next school year. He was, initially, excited to go to Kindergarten but it seems he's more interested in staying home now.

We shall see what road we take!

In the mean time, we're still plugging along with "work." I made my very first lapbook. Until now, I've been printing out Tot Packs from two fantastic resources (Homeschool Creations and 1+1+1=1).

Spring lapbook. 

Life cycles of a plant, butterfly and frog (not pictured). Tracing cards,  things that hatch booklet,
memory game.

Parts of a flower.

Tracing cards. Covered in contact paper, so they're reusable. 

Life cycle of a plant mini book and a corresponding game. 

Life cycle of a butterfly.

Seed Math! I used pumpkin seeds since they're easier to handle. 

A Little Here, A Lot There

I think I've finally come to understand "go with the flow" for school. Some weeks we get lots accomplished and some weeks, we really go for the "play based" ideas.

At any rate, I have wanted to post more of my weekly plans so I remember the links and ideas when it's Eli's turn. These days, it looks like we might go on with homeschooling for Kindergarten. Turner is getting cold feet and, while I'm on board for continuing, I'm not sure John is.

This week we've managed to accomplish a lot. Turner is able to sit for longer periods and does his workboxes with minimal help. I really think the hardest part of all of this is staying at a preschool level (with some Kinder skills) so he's not sitting board if he does choose to go to a public school!

Even Deacon enjoys the videos from Have Fun Teaching!