Showing posts with label homeschooling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label homeschooling. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Food for Thought on "Unschooling" or Freedom in Learning
Wow, were these 4 articles/blogposts ever interesting...
Friday, January 14, 2011
A Day in the Life with a 6, 4, and almost 2 year old
Today I'm linking up to Simple Homeschool talking about a typical day for us as far as homeschooling goes...I'm a bit late doing this as I've been having issues with my computer and Firefox...so I'm using dh's computer.
We are new to homeschooling this year as the princess just started Kindergarten, but really they've been being "homeschooled" since they've been born. The princess did go to preschool last year but we decided not to put the pilot in preschool...instead he can learn with us at home.
We are also still trying to figure out what a typical homeschool day will look like. We've had lots of breaks this year as from the end of September through the beginning of November I was out of commission with morning...well all day...sickness...due to baby #4 and then in December I was gone for 10 days plus the craziness of the holidays and 2 birthdays so we took a break then too.
As far as January goes, I'm feeling better now that I'm past the halfway point in this pregnancy and am feeling like we can finally find some balance and routine with our day(which will go out of whack again I'm sure in 2 weeks when we move...fortunately we are only moving about 5 miles away).
So here is what we try to do(4 days a week...the days Dh is working usually, which are not all weekdays), though we are pretty relaxed:
The older two kids are usually awake between 7:45 and 8:30 and they will play by themselves until I force myself out of bed about 9ish or whenever guy smiley wakes up. After I'm up I will make breakfast for everyone and enjoy a cup of hot tea. After breakfast I try to do something around the house...either a load of laundry or unloading the dishwasher and then we start with schoolwork.
The princess is working through Explode the Code Book 1(we just started after not enjoying the program we were using...she seems to like this one much better), Saxon Math 1(which she loves...she just loves Math), and Handwriting Without Tears...these are our three main subjects we try to make sure we do at least 4 days a week. I am still trying to figure out how to work in History and Science...but we'll get there eventually. The princess is only in Kindergarten.
During our morning we usually take a break for snacks and the princess can play a little. The boys will play pretty well for most of the morning, sometimes in their room, sometimes wanting to color at the table with the princess and I.
About 12:30 we have lunch and afterwards the kids play while I either work on some chores or knit until quiet/nap time. Guy smiley goes down for a nap about 1:30 or 2 and the older two have quiet time where they either read, draw or watch a movie. Sometimes we'll run errands and I'm hoping to get back into a library day once a week. Also the princess has art lessons once a week as well.
After quiet/nap time is more playing until about 5. Then we pick up the main rooms and make sure the house is looking neat before Dh gets home. I also start on dinner...which we try to eat at 6:30 but that doesn't always happen.
After dinner is more playing(usually rough housing with Dh) and then jammies, teeth brushing, prayers and bedtime about 7:30 for guy smiley and 8/8:30 for the older two. On work nights Dh goes to bed pretty much with the older kids and on non work nights we hang out for a while.
Now if only I could stop my nightowl habits and get in bed before midnight...I enjoy my quiet nights usually with a cup of tea and reading or knitting.
We are new to homeschooling this year as the princess just started Kindergarten, but really they've been being "homeschooled" since they've been born. The princess did go to preschool last year but we decided not to put the pilot in preschool...instead he can learn with us at home.
We are also still trying to figure out what a typical homeschool day will look like. We've had lots of breaks this year as from the end of September through the beginning of November I was out of commission with morning...well all day...sickness...due to baby #4 and then in December I was gone for 10 days plus the craziness of the holidays and 2 birthdays so we took a break then too.
As far as January goes, I'm feeling better now that I'm past the halfway point in this pregnancy and am feeling like we can finally find some balance and routine with our day(which will go out of whack again I'm sure in 2 weeks when we move...fortunately we are only moving about 5 miles away).
So here is what we try to do(4 days a week...the days Dh is working usually, which are not all weekdays), though we are pretty relaxed:
The older two kids are usually awake between 7:45 and 8:30 and they will play by themselves until I force myself out of bed about 9ish or whenever guy smiley wakes up. After I'm up I will make breakfast for everyone and enjoy a cup of hot tea. After breakfast I try to do something around the house...either a load of laundry or unloading the dishwasher and then we start with schoolwork.
The princess is working through Explode the Code Book 1(we just started after not enjoying the program we were using...she seems to like this one much better), Saxon Math 1(which she loves...she just loves Math), and Handwriting Without Tears...these are our three main subjects we try to make sure we do at least 4 days a week. I am still trying to figure out how to work in History and Science...but we'll get there eventually. The princess is only in Kindergarten.
During our morning we usually take a break for snacks and the princess can play a little. The boys will play pretty well for most of the morning, sometimes in their room, sometimes wanting to color at the table with the princess and I.
About 12:30 we have lunch and afterwards the kids play while I either work on some chores or knit until quiet/nap time. Guy smiley goes down for a nap about 1:30 or 2 and the older two have quiet time where they either read, draw or watch a movie. Sometimes we'll run errands and I'm hoping to get back into a library day once a week. Also the princess has art lessons once a week as well.
After quiet/nap time is more playing until about 5. Then we pick up the main rooms and make sure the house is looking neat before Dh gets home. I also start on dinner...which we try to eat at 6:30 but that doesn't always happen.
After dinner is more playing(usually rough housing with Dh) and then jammies, teeth brushing, prayers and bedtime about 7:30 for guy smiley and 8/8:30 for the older two. On work nights Dh goes to bed pretty much with the older kids and on non work nights we hang out for a while.
Now if only I could stop my nightowl habits and get in bed before midnight...I enjoy my quiet nights usually with a cup of tea and reading or knitting.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
A new adventure...
So we have started a new adventure this week...Homeschooling!
So far so good...for the most part. I have been enjoying it so far, though I can't tell if the Princess is. Though when I have asked her she said she does...but she seems to use quite a few excuses if she's not really wanting to do any of her work.
I find it amusing since she's not working alone...I'm right there with her and typically she LOVES it if I join her in what she's doing. And if any of my children likes to be social and always with people, it's her. Maybe part of it is just the transition...from playing and having fun all day to having to sit and work. Maybe it's just the sitting still and being focused part. Oh wait, she can do that for her doll stickers and her coloring...so it's probably the school work.
Some things from this past week:
-Constant fidgeting/moving...seriously, I do NOT know how a Kindergarten teacher does it. And I'm not even wanting her to be completely still...I just want her to actually be looking at what she's doing.
-Just guessing on words...instead of actually looking at what letters the word is made of. For instance her list of words to read was something like hat, man, fan, cat, Dan, rat. And she would read hat, mat(me asking her to read it again...about 2 or 3 times before she actually sees that the last letter is not the same as the word before), man, fan, can(more correction, multiple times over)...you get the picture. Thankfully it wasn't frustrating for me or her...we just laughed and she fixed it and we moved on. But I do find it amusing that it's natural to try and do things the easy way instead of doing it right or trying hard the first time.
-Needing to rest...WHAT? Rest...you do know that means doing nothing while laying on the couch right? Oh, you mean you just don't want to start your writing right now...I get it.
Overall I'm enjoying it...now to really get into a good routine and help the boys figure out what the morning or sometimes the afternoon will look like for them.
So far so good...for the most part. I have been enjoying it so far, though I can't tell if the Princess is. Though when I have asked her she said she does...but she seems to use quite a few excuses if she's not really wanting to do any of her work.
I find it amusing since she's not working alone...I'm right there with her and typically she LOVES it if I join her in what she's doing. And if any of my children likes to be social and always with people, it's her. Maybe part of it is just the transition...from playing and having fun all day to having to sit and work. Maybe it's just the sitting still and being focused part. Oh wait, she can do that for her doll stickers and her coloring...so it's probably the school work.
Some things from this past week:
-Constant fidgeting/moving...seriously, I do NOT know how a Kindergarten teacher does it. And I'm not even wanting her to be completely still...I just want her to actually be looking at what she's doing.
-Just guessing on words...instead of actually looking at what letters the word is made of. For instance her list of words to read was something like hat, man, fan, cat, Dan, rat. And she would read hat, mat(me asking her to read it again...about 2 or 3 times before she actually sees that the last letter is not the same as the word before), man, fan, can(more correction, multiple times over)...you get the picture. Thankfully it wasn't frustrating for me or her...we just laughed and she fixed it and we moved on. But I do find it amusing that it's natural to try and do things the easy way instead of doing it right or trying hard the first time.
-Needing to rest...WHAT? Rest...you do know that means doing nothing while laying on the couch right? Oh, you mean you just don't want to start your writing right now...I get it.
Overall I'm enjoying it...now to really get into a good routine and help the boys figure out what the morning or sometimes the afternoon will look like for them.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Brain overload
Yesterday I was able to attend a Homeschool Conference/Curriculum Fair.
Wow. Brain overload.
More on this topic soon...
Wow. Brain overload.
More on this topic soon...
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