Homeschool 2014-2015

-->

Abby to Mom: “Do we get to do Shakespeare again tomorrow?!"

I spent dozens of hours this summer preparing for this homeschool year.  I do every summer actually.  I love to plan!  My favorite resource for homeschool is www.milestonesacademy.com.  The woman who has put together this “curriculum” is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and promotes a few educational styles that I have come to love: Montessori, Suzuki and Charlotte Mason.  Check out her site if you aren’t familiar with these learning styles and want to know more.  I have enjoyed every resource she recommends!

I have come to learn about myself that the better prepared I am for homeschool, the easier it will be to execute.  Homeschooling five children isn’t easy.  They range from high school to preschool and all require daily personal attention in addition to subjects we study as a group.  I know that the more I have prepared ahead of time, the more successful our school year will be.   So I plan A LOT.

Here is what our week looks like.  (This semester we are working extra hard, knowing that next semester will require a couple of months off to celebrate and enjoy our new baby sister!)

Daily:

8:00-8:45 am  Devotional during breakfast (this includes prayer, primary song, hymn, scripture memorization, poem, praise, character training and scripture study.  We are continuing our study of the Book of Mormon this year.  The character qualities we are trying to develop include orderliness, hospitality, contentment, responsibility, patience, gentleness, joyfulness, obedience and thoroughness—one per month)

8:45-9:00 am Brush teeth and cleanup after breakfast

9:00-9:15 am Team Clean Up (this is where we all work together and do some deep cleaning.  Our house is divided into five areas and we all pick something to do in the same area.  For example, vacuum edges of the living room and hallway or clean under couches and couch cushions, etc).

9:15-10:00 am Preschool with Klaus (see below for more details about preschool!  The older kids begin their individual workboxes including English lessons, math and literature)

10:00-10:15 am Mom Time with Felicity (we work on reading out loud together, writing practice, and poem memorization.  Klaus has preschool-aged activities to work on during this time which I call “tot trays”)

10:15-12:15 pm Snack and Block 1 (this is usually as a group while Klaus has an activity box to work on to help him be quiet)

Block 1:

M: Zoology with Girls (Kian has literature and Latin on his own)

T: Zoology with Girls (Kian does biology on his own)

W: Read Aloud Literature (all)

Th: Voice and Piano Lessons (all)

F: Wild Day/Nature Study/Drawing Lesson (all)

We break for lunch and do lunch cleanup.  Then back to school by 1 pm.

1:00-3:00 pm Block 2 (Klaus is supposed to nap)

Block 2:

M: History/Geography (all)

T: Plutarch and Shakespeare with Kian and Abby (Ella and Felicity do drawing lessons, Read Aloud biography or history, and science selections)

W: Spanish and Chinese (all)

Th: Biology with Kian (girls do their own work including Read Aloud, handicrafts)

F: Music and Picture Study (all)

The kids then have to earn screen time by playing outside for as many minutes as they’d like screen time if they haven’t been outside previously during the day.  I’m usually making dinner by 4:30 pm so screen time has been drastically reduced this semester.  That makes me happy!

I have been very surprised at how I’ve had the energy to get through and even enjoy these longer school days.  I give all the credit to my generous Heavenly Father answering my prayers.  I’ve experienced a greater happiness as a mother and enough energy to handle such busy days.  Considering that these are exactly the blessings I’m praying for, I am thankful for direct answers!

Preschool: I divided each semester into 16 weeks.  Each week covers a new topic.  We read some fiction and nonfiction books on the subject, learn a song and poem related to the topic, and do a different activity each day, also related to the topic.  Some of the activities we have done for week 1 have included going outside to observe ladybugs, using clay and pipe cleaners to make our own bugs and spiders, using string to make spider webs, doing bug puzzles, sprinkling cookie crumbs and watching ants collect the pieces, etc.  They have all been fun for Klaus and I’m glad to make the time for us to have just him and I.  That’s why I planned for 2 semesters.  Even with a new baby, I hope to keep the tradition of he and I with quality time each day.

Week 1: Bugs and Spiders

2: Trains

3: Dinosaurs

4: Trucks

5: Weather

6: Colors

7: Fall/Leaves

8: Apples

9: Animals

10: Maps and Neighborhoods

11: Plants

12: Pumpkins

13: Airplanes

14: Indians

15: Thanksgiving

16: Gingerbread/Christmas

Semester 2 Week 1: Teddy bears

2: Snow and Winter

3: All About Me

4: Families

5: Birds

6: Love

7: Cooking/Food

8: Houses

9: Springtime

10: Counting

11: Ducks

12: Ships and the Sea

13: Easter

14: Farms and Gardens

15: Butterflies

16: Camping