Longterm planning

Just looking ahead at the cycles we're going to be doing and this is what I get:

[DONE] K
[DONE] 1st
[DONE] 2nd gr + K'er ---------------------- Adventures
[THIS YEAR] 3rd gr + 1st grader -----------ECC + 1st
4th + 2nd + 3 year old-----------------------C to G + pre-k
5th + 3rd + 4 yr old -------------------------R to R + pre-k
6th + 4th + K -------------------------------Exp to 1850 + K
7th + 5th + 1st ------------------------------1850 to Modern + 1st
8th + 6th + 2nd -----------------------------Would we repeat ECC here?
9th + 7th + 3rd ------------------------------High School + C to G again
10th + 8th + 4th-----------------------------High School + R to R again
11th + 9th + 5th -----------------------------High School + High School + Exp to 1850
12th + 10th + 6th ---------------------------High School + High School + 1850 to Modern
11th + 7th-----------------------------------High School + [Would we repeat ECC here again?]
12th + 8th ----------------------------------High School + [Would we repeat C to G again?]
9th------------------------------------------High School
10th ----------------------------------------High School
11th-----------------------------------------High School
12th ----------------------------------------High School

Hoping that sitting on this one and mulling it over will bring some clarity ;)

Our "down" time is nearly over!

I plan on finalizing my plans for the next school year next week while the kids are at VBS. This summer has been so jam packed that I've hardly had time to think about it. Which is a good thing. Or is it!?

We also have some busy times ahead. I'm beginning to think that that's life - busy. Wonder why it's taken me so long to figure that out! I think my biggest challenge is going to be to learn to be consistant with school, even though the rest of life is so incredibly busy.

Off to organize the school room, which has move. Again. Pics to follow...

Gearing up for 2008-2009

While we're taking a break from "school" mode, I'm taking the opportunity to prep when and if I feel like it. I enjoy the oppotunity to do it without pressure, and of course with MFW prep is at most getting supplies together for the year.

Our 2008-2009 year will be MFWK and MFW 1st so when I'm done with the supply lists, I'll post them as resources for future use. I plan on putting the supplies for each week in a labeled Ziploc bag so that when we get there, we just pull it out and do it. I also plan on making all copies and everything else needed for the entire year otherwise we'll jsut skip over those things!

To Do
1) Spend some time in prayer asking the Lord for guidance and leaving the next school year in His hands.
2) Make lists of supplies needed and copies to be made.
3) Schedule a shopping trip (without kids!) where I can buy everything needed.
4) Scheulde an appointment with hubby to enlist his help with the tweaks needed (e.g. cutting plywood to size etc).
5) Create a daily schedule.
6) Decide on extra curricular activities.

I'd love to hear how you get ready for the coming school year, so if you stop by, please be sure to mention your number one prep step!

Ta da!

I have had the most fabulous time over the last week working with Darcy from Graphically Designing on a new blog template. It took a while for my creative ideas to kick in, but with Darcy's help I think my blog is beautiful.



I really wanted to link to my African roots, as well as touch on the fact that an African minute is about as long as 10 American minutes - or so it seems. And I want to teach my children not to get so caught up on being overscheduled that they miss the joy in the moments of life.

So thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, Darcy, for a wonderful blog home

P.S. Darcy's personal blog is also wonderful - she's a real laugh, so go get a pick-me-up over at My 3 Boybarians.

Schooling Year Round

I recently came across a post on another blog that reminded me that schooling year round is not the norm here in the US. In South Africa, the school year runs mid-January to early December, with the longest break being the Dec/Jan break. Of course, that also happens to be the warm season.

I prefer to school year round for a number of reasons:
1) Any length of time off tends to turn our brains into fudge.
2) I like to have the wiggle room that schooling year round allows. This allows us to have time off when we're sick, for vacations, or when we just plain need it.
3) It allows schooling to be more of a lifestyle than an "on/off" thing. Even when we're not officially doing school, we're still in the mode, and everything is a learning experience. It's a mindset that's easier to maintain when we don't have to switch it on and off.
4) We LOVE schooling in the summer because we love the outdoors and nature studies. There is so much to explore and it's so much richer if we do something with it - turn it into a nature notebook entry, look in depth at something in the encyclopedia.

Our calendar for next year goes as follows:
1st Term
7/14/08-8/1 /08
8/4/08-8/8/08 = VBS week
8/11/08-8/15/08 = Ease into school with a 3-day week (Mon/Wed/Fri)
8/18/08-09/21 /08

2nd Term
09/24/08-11/23/08

3rd Term
12/01/08-12/19/08

4th Term
01/05/09-2/13/09

5th Term
02/23/09-04/17/09

6th Term
04/27/09-06/12/09

A long term plan

I've had a wonderful discussion with the ladies over at the WTM forums, and I wanted to leave a copy of my conclusion here:

I absolutely agree with both of you. [*Note* This is referring to letting the kids have fun, and rediscover just how exciting history is.] I think that's at the heart of my dilemma. There are definitely so many curricula I could just pick one and go with it. But I lean towards science/geography for fear of burning them out on history (already!) and that won't really address the problem. I think looking at history exactly as you described it with a little reading and a lot of fun is definitely on the cards.

I guess one way to do that would be to take Jessica's idea of looking at our state history from a very hands on/adventure/exploration perspective. Along with that we could look in depth at some animals that we have here - starting with insects, looking at birds, and some of the bigger animals - skunks, foxes, coyotes, bears etc. That would mean a trip to every reachable zoo in the state, and definitely a reciplrocal zoo membership!

Thank you to all of you for helping me to think this out. I definitely want to take advantage of the fact that they're 'only' in 1st and pre-k and use that to have fun and allow them to function at the level they're at. I also want to take advantage of their sponge brains and fill them with facts. Ultimately, it doesn't really matter what we're doing because we will still be focussing on the 3 R's, but I do want to do other things that will make them excited and look forward to school because I believe that along with the 3 R's, the foundation of expection and attitude needs to be created at this point, and will have lasting effects, hopefully in a fantastic attitude towards learning for the rest of their lives. I want to take advantage of being able to just take off and have fun somewhere, or do a fun project or activity, and within that, I want to build our relationships and learn more about them so that I know how to adjust our long-term plan for their benefit according to their gifts and needs in the future.

My tentative long-term plan for C, M and J is this:

(I do not think we will be using MFW for anything. I had planned on Adventures, but I may just put it all together myself, because I am so attracted to so many different resources out there. I would feel like we'd missed out if we were stuck to resources someone else had chosen.)

So that means this next year is a "filler" year. But I hate to call it that because filler sounds so much like...well, cardboard. I want it to be an exciting year filled with adventure and following our interests. I already have some ideas for how I'm going to approach it. But more on that later.

I am so thankful for the ladies over at the Well Trained Mind forums. They really helped me think through this one.

There is hope for my blog!

I am SO excited that in the future there is hope of a beautiful template for my blog. I really need to be organized and inspired with everything I do, otherwise it falls apart. Hence the stop-start-stop-start nature of my blog.

Well, I am excited that there may be a solution for that on the horizon. So bear with me while I try to make this work in the meantime ;)

Working MFW 1st and HOD LHFHG together

I've had numerous emails asking me how to make MFW and HOD work together, so I hope to try to answer that question here.

First of all, I need to mention that each program is complete on its own (i.e. implimented as scheduled) but I have chosen to combine different aspects for different reasons.

The first step to combining is to decide what you want for your children as far as what their day looks like. Before we added HOD, my kids were asking for things to do, and were always asking for more science, for example, "Can we study bugs?"

The second step is to assess which program is going to be used as your spine. You cannot use both programs in their entirety every day. Unless you're superwoman, of course. But I certainly am not, and I needed to decide which program was going to be the foundation, and then pull the deficit from the other program.

MFW 1st has a wonderful overview of the Bible, which is presented as the outline for history. You start a timeline, and work through from Creation to a quick survey of the NT. This leads up to the next year of Adventures (American History). I decided to use that as my core, and the HOD LHFHG compliments this nicely with the same theme for the year, with weekly units being broken down into an overview of history from Creation to recent history.

There is also daily devotions and memory work in both programs. MFW 1st does some Proverbs. HOD works through the book of Matthew. I chose to do the HOD Bible because I feel it's important to always be working on NT, and not to just be in the OT.

MFW 1st language arts move very quickly compared to the MFW K program. We struggled at the beginning and had to add in HOP and some Bob Books for practice. We weren't doing the MFW LA every day and it was driving me crazy flipping around from the current day to do the Bible, and then back to wherever we were to do LA. So we dropped MFW LA altogether. However, as happens with maturity over a few months at this young age, DD6 seems ready for the quicker pace in LA and we have picked it up again, and are still doing the HOP and Bob Books.

As far as I'm concerned, for a family who does well with formal teaching, worksheets etc, MFWK and 1st math does not work. The "conceptual math" based on games and daily life didn't translate to anything meaningful. We replaced it with Singapore Math (which is also the HOD and Sonlight recommendation) and it's going extremely well. I've ordered RightStart Math (used) and Horizons math to compare all three programs, since it's important to me to start with the program we plan on using for High School.

History is covered in MFW1st in conjunction with the Bible. It's good, but there's no world history integrated with it, which I feel helps to contextualize our world with the Bible. So we've added in HOD history with "History for Little Pilgrims" and "History Stories For Children".

Science in MFW1st is incredibly light for my kiddos. Why would they want to do the 3 R's every day and leave the "cool stuff" to only twice a week, one of those days being a reading assignment!? So I wrote down the themes from both programs and have combined them. Now they get to do science 4 times a week. Much better.

As far as the "fun" that they're looking for, is HOD all the way! There are fingerplays (we learned the continents in the first week with a little creation fingerplay) and fun activities. They love them all.

That, in a nutshell, is how to combine MFW1st with HOD LHFHG. Every day, make sure you do your vital subjects (the 3 R's - Reading, Writing and Arithmatic) and everything else is icing on the cake. Our icing on the cake includes French, Home Economics and Galloping the Globe but these are done if and when we feel like it at this point, since we are also doing LHTH and growing a 5 month old!

If you're combining programs, please let me know how it's going, or leave your blog address or web site - I'd love to take a peek!

And it's going to STAY like this!

There's nothing like Spring to inspire me. Having come from a mostly sunny South Africa, the winter here becomes almost unbearable to me from January on. So with the bright sunshine and fresh air, I'm feeling like a crazy woman wanting to get my entire house completely spic 'n span from top to bottom.

However. Reality check. With 3 younguns, one only 5 months old, those sorts of dreams stay all warm and cozy in my head. For now, I am ecstatically happy to have gotten one room in my house sorted out. Aside from getting rid of the lemony yellow on the wall (I really, desperately don't like it and would rather have something like "Lemon Shine" by Benjamin Moore) and a few tweaks, it's pretty much done.

BEFORE

Granted, we are going through a curriculum transition, switching from one complete program to another, but still - this is kinda bad

AFTER
I can actually think in this room! I find that for me, less is more.

Oops! Must find that "D-d-dinosaur" flash card!

These "Desk Apprentices" from Staples are fantastic. Each kid has his/her own filled with the books they're currently working with. When it's school time, just whip it out and get on with it! These are going to be great when/if we move.

Must find a place for the scanner/fax/printers on the floor. They make it look messy. However, this is my office too, and if I'm going to get things done "in between" then this is where they must stay.

1st Grade Reading & Writing

Language Arts



Hooked On Phonics 1st Grade
Bob Books - I get the complete set in a nice "bigger" edition from my local Costco for $10!

Literature
To be determined

Handwriting

Foreign Language

The earlier you start with a foreign language, the easier it will be for your child to learn it. Up to the age of 1 year old, a child's brain is wired to assimilate all the sounds of language. After that point, the child begins to use those sounds to communicate the language.

Many with a classical education approach are choosing to teach their kids latin and greek. We are going to major on living languages, and supplement with latin and/or greek.

Our first choice is French. Next, Spanish. Once our children get to an age where they begin to develop their own preferences and can make the choice themselves, they will be allowed to choose any foreign lanuage.

We began with La Francais Facile but it didn't work for me. I started learning French in 8th grade, and followed through to 12th grade. For the first two years we couldn't figure out whether our teacher could speak English or not! That complete immersion was valuable to how easily we picked up the language. La Francias Facile claims to use a Parisienne accent, but as someone who spent 5 years listening to and being taught by a Parisienne local, I am can very clearly hear the French Canadian influence and accent in the program. I also could not get used to English and French being mixed into the same conversation. While I love the philosphy and ministry desires of the author of this program, I don't believe it is a good foundational beginning for someone who wants to be as fluent in French as possible.

We may use the program at a later stage to assimilate the vocabulary needed to share the gospel. For now, we are starting with Ecoutez! Parlez! and French songs and rhymes.

Our Goals and Philosophies

• To be exposed to the glory of God and know that He loves us unconditionally the way no one else can and that He wants an ongoing relationship with us no matter where we are.
  


• To be exposed to a variety of cultures, peoples and religions to form a healthy view of the world that allows them to do as Christ commanded in John 13:34 ""A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."
  


• To learn in a fun and engaging way that will open their hearts, minds, and imaginations to all the possibilities the world and God offers.
  


• To develop good habits early so that they may be good stewards of the Lord's word and have the tools to follow their dreams and God's will for them wherever it may lead.

We want our core curriculum to be bible based to teach our children the foundation of our faith, along with integrating those truths into their everyday living. I was looking for something that would allow them to be children, and yet take advantage of those amazing stages they go through and the curiosity and natural desire to learn that starts from birth. I like the idea of a classical, Charlotte Mason approach.

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