2014-15 Ready to Roll!

Well here we go shoving off into the new school year! How is it that I have all 4 kids school age this year?!? Yes my little one is kindergarten so not major academics, but still this is crazy! Here is a look into this years mama's school book, things get wiggled a bit but for the most part this is the plan for the year. (Sorry some of the photos came out blurry I have no idea how that happened!)

As usual we are using Oak Meadow for the majority of the subjects, we do not do their social studies or history. It is just easier on this mama to do that together as a group. I am considering doing Fern and Jake's science together to also help with the amount of material I am teaching and time. As you can see there is also a little Waldorf, Charlotte Mason, Unschooling and TJed thrown in too! I have learned over the years that homeschool labels are generally just narrowing and constricting and so I don't label our philosophy. We take what works for our family from wherever we find it and call it good!

If you have any questions let me know! I'm happy to share!

Oh the good times are rolling along! We have had a good rhythm going all winter after a rocky start last fall. One of the things helping that is we (the kids and I) have not traveled or had many other distractments.

Fern has been all excited about math since I introduced her to horizontal problems! She asks to do math EVERY day!

Jake has been my reading machine! And being an awesome big brother has been reading to Leili often! She just loves that! This book was a big hit here last library run Llama llama mad at mama.

Science is always popular around here, impromptu experiments are often going on in various parts of the house!

Here is our biggest science experiment recently... Riley got a rat... for a pet! Yes I am crazy, but so far everyone is enjoying Cookie (Cookies & Cream)!

I also have a few links to share!

:: The new Oak Meadow Journal Live Oak is out!

:: This genius of a homeschooling mama collaborated to make these great Living Learning Lists, seriously if I could homeschool like this for everyone through every stage I would!!

:: Recently the local elementary down the road had their science fair, I am thinking we need to have a homeschooler science fair... now just to find some willing participants!

:: And last but not least, I am not a big fan of computer games for learning but I do like Starfall and these Cool Math Games for kids and Cool Math Games for Little Kids looks like we need to explore a bit!!

So we are trying something new to help us get through our day. At the beginning of the year I bought Riley a student planner because he likes to know what is expected of him before he starts his day. I thought eventually he would be able to look at our schedule and look at his weekly assignments and fill in the individual days himself. It has not happened that way and in fact I realized he rarely even looks at the daily list, he jut asks me again... But I have to say it was nice to have a daily list of what we were going to get done, so I am trying out the white board. I take the weeks assignments, look at what subjects are scheduled for the day and then write every ones assignments. Jake is enjoying this as he has become a super reader, Fern really does not need a list as she does not read yet but I knew she'd feel left out so I put her right at the top. Besides it helps my brain (it needs all the help it can get)!

So we will see how this goes, maybe it will stick maybe it won't.

And a little FYI for those who are not readers of my other blog, my hard drive is fried so I will just be posting occasionally now when my husband is not traveling and such. But also the photos will suffer as the few I do share will be off of my phone...

Sorry.

Here is an interesting article about homeschooling rising!

Seasons

I love seasons, I love all four for their unique beauty. I also love the different activities that come with each season, flowers and vegetable planting in the spring, swimming, and camping in the summer, apple picking and canning in the fall, and the slowness and coziness of winter's cold!

What about the seasons of a homeschool? For me that is a little harder. Letting go of a routine that is no longer working, reading the kids to see if they need more or less rigor in our studies, and just the change. I'm not a big one for handling change well it's hard on me, sometimes really hard. Sometimes I am not graceful about it.

This year I am trying to grow in the flexibility department. This is a must in our house, Dan travels often with just a moments notice. I am trying to learn to give us lighter flowing days when Dan comes and goes, and more studies to fill our weeks when he is gone. One thing I have not given into yet, but have really had a wonderful epiphany about this week is letting go of my public school history and realizing that we do not need to start our week on a Monday and end on a Friday. It could be a Thursday to Wednesday! Just because we don't get a good start on Monday because Dan left and we're all off or the baby is sick and I sit and nurse her all day does not mean that we have to throw out the whole week!

Learning all the time that is what I'm doing! And that is a good thing!

What are you enjoying this season (of the year, of life, or of your learning)?