Week one is done and we are into our second week and like typical homeschool fashion it has gone completely not according to plan. Mice and baby and general chaos limited the lovely first week I was hoping for, but never-the-less, we finished and I think they may have even learned a vocabulary word. Gasp!
So I wanted to share what’s up with us this year: what we’re studying, what our classroom looks like, what books we’re using…because we homeschool people love that stuff, right?
So besides rodents and baby challenges, I am officially teaching a kinder, and 2nd, and a 6th grader. That’s a lot! I’m trying to work out the kinks, but the tricky thing is that I know very much that I cannot set the bar too extremely high right now so I’m trying to figure out the balance between lower expectations and STILL having order, which is a must!! I’m thinking like the perfect balance between Kate Gossline and her opposite. Does that make sense?? Suggestions welcome!
HOMESCHOOL CURRICULUM CHOICES
So…for my Kindergartener we are taking it pretty easy, but making lessons a little longer and a little more intense. Here’s what she’s doing:
Math: Horizons K (second book…I felt like book 1 was way too easy for what she is doing)
Phonics: Phonics Pathways and Explode the Code
Reading Practice: BOB Books and Easy Readers
Writing: Draw Write Now journal
Geography: Daily Geography
Jack is in Second grade this year. He and Sophie are sitting together and doing a lot of their subjects together. Here’s his list:
Math: Saxon 3 (he got ahead in math and he’s doing fine)
Phonics: Explode the Code
Spelling: Spelling Workout
Grammar: Easy Grammar
Writing: Draw Write Now journal
Geography: Daily Geography
Noah is Sixth grade and he’s doing a lot more independent work this year, which is great. He is really getting stretched in some areas…like writing and that is good. He’s doing really great so far as a MIDDLE-SCHOOLER!! Yikes!
Math: Horizons 6
Grammar: Easy Grammar 6
Spelling: Spelling Workout
Writing: Write Shop (he’s doing this through our enrichment classes at our hs group)
History: Mystery of History vol. 1
Geography: Daily Geography
Literature: I am assigning him books and giving quizzes over them. He’s also journaling along the way. Right now he’s ready The Golden Goblet. Next is The Odyssey.
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We always do some subjects together. It just has to be that way and its way more fun! For history we are starting over with volume one of Story of the World. Noah has already done it so that’s why he’s doing Mystery of History. But we will do it all together some days. We are also using History Pockets Ancient Civilizations as well.
Science: Botany!
Literature for Sophia and Jack: Literature Pockets Caldecott Medals (we LOVE this book!)
Art: I make up the lessons. Every Friday is Fine Art Friday and I LOVE this time of the week. Last week the kids created their self portraits and I am so in love with what they drew!!! I’ll be showing some of our projects as we go.
More Details…
Our schoolroom is our lower level family room. Last year we did school at the dining room table, which I do like doing, but I just doing have space for all our stuff. Also I wanted to use a bunch of posters and hang up art and stuff and I don’t want it all over the main living area of our house. So lower level it is.
Here is our history corner…maps and such. We’ll hang up projects here as we go as well.
I made a five-minute art wall with two hooks and a wire. I am so excited for this little spot. Their portraits are already hanging (I had already taken the photos for this post…sorry) and they look so good with the other art!
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The bad thing is that our school room is on the lower level, which means there’s no natural light since we live in a townhouse where windows are from the devil, which means sub-par photos. Sorry. Yuck.
Jack and Sophie’s desks. And all our books. (I have yet to show you what I did in our family room: paint, rearranged, added some wood planking, etc…I should totally do that.)
So that’s our school room and what we’re working on. Hope you liked it.
For my Curriculum Directory where you can see all our choices from year to year. Also, HERE is my homeschool binder to keep me organized!
Your room looks great! Best of luck to a wonderful year!
makes me miss it… i suppose a part of me will always miss the homeschooling gig. everything you did here is just CUTE.
I love your schoolroom! It looks great, and those old desks are awesome.
I love that they have those fantastic desk and name tags :o)
I love the school room, especially the art wall. Fun! We're using MoH Vol. 1 this year too, and Horizons for math. Your school sounds so fun! 🙂
I love your new space downstairs! Especially the fun art wall!
Have a great day my sweet friend!
Your school room is adorable! And I do love hearing what others use for books. Thanks for sharing!
THIS is the post I've been waiting for! I always love to see your new school year line-up. We are using Story of the World Middle Ages this year. And I have to know where you got those maps?? Those were just what I needed last year! And I'll need them again when we get back to Ancients. Tell me where to buy them or I may have to steal yours! 🙂 –Dara E
Good luck. I hope you have a great year. Do you like the Bob books? When I taught Kindergarten I had one kid that LOVED them and one kid that hated them. It was interesting. It made me have mixed feelings on them.
Great curriculum choices, we used so much of the same and had a wonderful time! Love your classroom! You are so creative with your kiddos and the love oozes in every pic. Have a fabulous school year!
I also have a Kindy, 2nd grader and 3 month old (just missing the 6th grader.) We are also doing SOTW 1 and WE ARE LOVING IT! We are more relaxed homeschoolers and do most of our work on the living room floor. I don't require much of my kindergartener. He takes piano lessons, reads when he wants to and I read aloud to him a lot. He does chores, plays with Legos a lot and participates in the hands-on activities that we do and he also writes to a penpal. That's about it for him. Hope you have a great year! (We also used Spelling Workout A previously.) It's always fun to see what other HSers do!
the SD house <3
oh it looks good, but it always does with you!! i wish you were here to do fine art friday with my kids because that would be soooo fun. i just blogged our curriculum today too! great minds….