We are Establishing a Routine

The girls were dressed, fed and in the classroom ready to go by 8 this morning so we started early. I am so glad to see they are getting better and better at this routine so quick. I too am getting better at the preparation. I am really figuring out that having a copier is my absolute savior right now. Being able to copy each lesson ahead of time so that I can follow along is key. I then organized them in folders according to subject for each grade so that it is ready to go at arm's reach. I had their Handwriting and Grammar in their "Work Boxes" ready to go so they could come in and get started on their independent work which was nice. They are being troopers about the workbooks. They know they have to work ahead soon because we have field trips coming up. Friday is our first field trip and we have 2 fun ones next week!!!

The Apologia series is amazing! The kids learned about how to classify different plants today and what Binomial Nomenclature is and how it is used when classify plants. They learned about Taxonomy and how it is the "Plant" version of how biologists classify something....plants:) They are so excited to learn these big scientific words. We made note cards with the definitions and vocab words as I wrote them on the white board and then we did a journal page about Botany and they drew some pictures about what they have learned so far. Then we did an art project with rolling pins and leaves we collected from outside by inking them down with dabbers and then pressing the leaves on paper and rolling them out. They really enjoyed this!

Now that I am teaching my children I am starting to see what their strengths really are which is really fun and interesting. My oldest is AMAZING at Algebra which I didn't know she was so good at. I noticed yesterday she was breezing through some of those problems so I chose an entire lesson on it today with more difficult things and to make it fun, I let her do all of her work on the white board. SHE LOVED THAT! She breezed through the problems. She absolutely loves Algebra so we will definitely be using a lot of that in each lesson. The twins did well with their lesson and are learning a lot with word problems which they were not too familiar with. This is really important with Math so I am eager to get them on track with that. The Xtramath racing games on the computer is something they look forward to everyday and it breaks up the day quite well.

We are starting our Literature part of the curriculum with our first selections today. My oldest chose Hoot by Carl Hiaasen and the twins chose Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary. There are many writing pieces to integrate with each of these books and comprehension quizzes and activities. Teacherspayteachers.com has been my savior when it comes to this area thanks to a special teacher friend of mine who has been helping me a ton! THANKS NICOLE! They are reading independently during downtime in class as well as before bed which helps them wind down.

History was more facts on Ohio History and tomorrow we start our adventure on The Story of the World which I cannot wait for! I am learning just as much as they are and it is so much fun.

Math, Science and Writing.....OH MY!

Another great day!
We started with the creative writing pieces on our first day of school. They did really well although we had to stop and they had to pick up later in the day. They would write all day if I let them. Today was the first day in the Easy Grammar workbooks. These are really great. The teacher's guides are easy to use and there are different games and activities throughout the book to help them memorize what they are learning such as prepositions etc. Marissa is right on level with what I ordered and the twins are breezing through theirs so I am a little concerned that I may be ordering another set before the year is out. Such as life! Handwriting is their least favorite for sure. I think I will be eliminating this for Marissa and letting her demonstrate it solely in her creative writing pieces and monitoring it for her writing is immaculate. The twins are getting ready to start to learn cursive so it is imperative I continue to teach the proper slants, vertical and horizontal lines and most important shape of each letter before we move onto cursive.

Last night I watched the MathUSee Instructional DVD to see how the twins were going to be learning their math with manipulatives. Every lesson is broken down into an instruction with the blocks to add a visual so basically it is like helping them develop a photographic memory when it comes to Math. Because Math is so sequential it is essential they master every component in order....MASTER being the keyword here! I am starting over with Math with the twins. The lessons are so brief  that it will take no time at all to start at the beginning and review it. I like the books because they have several worksheets to pick from, reviews that include previous material, cumulative tests and also enrichment critical thinking work so that they are always challenged. The beginning is a little dry for them because it is review but I think it will be good for them to start this way, especially after summer. It was nice to see them enjoying counting with blocks instead of their fingers. I am hoping this program is a good fit for us. After reading the reviews it seems to be very effective. Marissa is working out of the Saxon Math books. I say BOOKS here because I ordered the 5th grade and it was not hard enough. I had to reorder the next grade up and all of the corresponding materials for that level. To say the least I am very eager to get the beginning of school under my belt so that I can get them on task for everything. Next year will be so much better because I can go to the convention and purchase everything I need there and be set for the year. I have learned SO much already. I am such a pre-planner that waiting over 6 weeks for those placement tests to come back killed me and then to see they were totally off on so much I was basically starting over. I guess I was really scared to take the leap and be responsible for my children's education when once I was forced to do it on my own, it turned out my choices were more challenging and enriching than anyone could have ever chosen for them. My motto proves right once again, "EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON!"

Science we read through the first section in our Botany book which they really enjoyed. The way it is written is really nice because it is almost like someone is talking to them instead of a boring typical text. We talked about all the experiments we would be doing inside to prepare for the big garden experiment in the Spring. They each have scientific journals that correspond with each lesson in the book that integrates hands on activities to the lesson to keep it fun and interesting.

For History we took turns reading through 25 fun facts about Ohio from the 1700s through 2000 including territory discovery, sports and even the invention of the Hot Dog which believe it or not originated from someone born in OH. They really enjoyed reciting these as I wrote them on the white board. Their favorite was the Ohio Michigan border dispute of 1836 because it proves OH and MI never have really gotten along, not just in football:)

We ended the day with learning how to draw a buffalo and doing a tissue paper Fall tree which they loved while listening to Skip Count music for Math. That CD and music book is very average. We will be headed to the library for some new music to learn and master for our music curriculum.

Tomorrow is another new day! But for now, signing off for more lesson planning:) Hopefully it isn't another late night!

First Official Day

Today was our first day in the classroom and I must say it was a success all the way around!

First we read a book on Living and Nonliving things as an introduction into Botany which discussed the 5 senses. I wrapped a piece of Belize chocolate in a piece of foil several times ahead of time and gave it to each of them.We then did an observation chart using the 5 senses on what we see, then feel, hear, smell and then I let them open and taste it which was fun of course.

We decorated our Interactive Writing Notebooks for tomorrows writing lesson while listening to some Sinatra . Tomorrow my 2nd graders will be given the assignment to write about 3 things they did on their first day of school and 3 things they liked the best about their first day and then illustrate it. My 4th grader will be given the assignment to write about her favorite summer activity and illustrate it and then her favorite first day of school activity and illustrate that. Then she will have to write a collective piece integrating both items together in a story.

For Spelling we took a placement test to figure out what level to start our words at next week.  Nothing too exciting there. We are trying Sequential Spelling.

For History we watched a 27 minute show on Amazon Instant called The Song of Sacajawea in the Hull Theater. There is a fantastic site that I found integrating shows found on Netflix and Amazon that are fully educational.  http://edexcellence.net/articles/netflix-academy-best-streaming-videos-lewis-and-clark-expedition  I will be using this a lot. Then we made Sacajawea dolls using popsicle sticks and other misc art supplies I pulled out of the closet:) That took care of Art for the day.

For Math 2nd grade played a coin exchange game where they rolled the dice and exchanged pennies for larger coins until they upgraded to all quarters using a fun charting system while my 4th grader used a program online called Xtramath.com to practice her facts. This is an amazing program because you can put in all of your students and it tracks their progress and the parent/teacher can log on and track their progress at any time, not to mention it is really fun for them!  They then continued on with some playful patterns by Discovery Toys and took turns playing Mancala while they each had a turn on XtraMath which worked out well.

Our Handwriting books came today so we were able to do the first lesson in those. 4th Grade is learning full writing pieces in cursive while 2nd grade is learning the start of the alphabet in cursive. I used the Zaner Bloser books continuing on the level they left off at from school last year so they are familiar with the learning style and what to expect.

Recess included riding bikes and chalk which is always fun and a hot lunch with FRESH fruit is delightful when it comes straight from the fridge and not a lunchbox.

We did graphs for Health on all of their favorite foods to eat and healthy alternatives to each food.

We went from 8:30 to 3! I cannot believe we had that much to do and we didn't even start the Grammar or Math books yet, which came today. I have a LOT of planning to do tonight. Considering the fact I have always wanted to be a teacher, this is the best experience I could ask for! Why not teach the most important people in my life.....my own. The thing most beneficial about this experience is I find myself super critical on the material they are learning to make sure it is challenging for them. If that means it takes 2 hours to plan 1 subject for one student then I do it. A normal teacher could not dedicate the time to do that whereas a mom has that advantage and the invested interest. I am very much looking forward to watching them grow this year.

Overcoming the Fear of ..HEY! This IS OK! Homeschool is OK!

"Shouldn't you kids be in school?"

We decided to venture out today and have a little lunch at our usual local spot and then head over to get some much needed art time in at the pottery place in town. We wanted to add a few personal touches to the classroom before the textbook work starts. As we walked into the restaurant, we got the double take, then the shrug, then that look. Yes, other homeschool moms, you know which look I speak of.  The look that means, this mother should have her kids in school and doesn't....something is very wrong here. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she was dying to ask me if they should be in school.  We sat down and as she handed us the menus, she couldn't resist.  "Shouldn't you guys be in school?"  My girls have not experienced this just yet because summer just ended so this scenario is a first for us. I promptly explained that we are homeschoolers now. From there she didn't say much, but when she brought us our food she hammered me with a ton of questions asking why I took that turn and how it works etc.  It ended up becoming quite the conversation and she was completely impressed. She had no idea what was available these days and how it all worked and how popular it was becoming. She commented on how well behaved my kids are every time we are in there which made me feel good. 

From there we headed to the pottery place and wouldn't you know, the first thing the owner said was......"Shouldn't you be in school?".  At that moment I realized, I guess this is going to be something I better get used to and I better come up with a cliff notes version of what I am going to say to these people that start hammering me with questions. I think it will be kind of annoying at first but I am sure we will get used to it. She said she is starting a 5 week art class based on a homeschool curriculum for homeschooled kids at her art studio.  It is something new her and her partner are venturing in because so many people have been asking about it. I think it is great that business owners are adapting and making changes to offer more things for families like us. We are seeking things that are offered during the day because most of the time we will be done with our textbook work by 12 or 1 and would like to get our activities in shortly after. Why not be home in the evenings and enjoy family time with Dad!!!

All of this made me think it is time to list out why we made this choice for our family.  My reasoning is quite simple (AGAIN...this is MY reasoning alone):

1.    Homeschooling allows my kids to move at their own pace.

2.    It allows me to choose what curriculum I want to teach, aka not common core.

3.    It is much more economical than a private school tuition even though I am using an umbrella school which helps me tailor my curriculum to that similar to a private school. This way they are still getting a Catholic based education similar to what they were before in case we ever decide to go back to brick and mortar.

4.    It allows me to challenge my kids in areas they need it. My children get bored easily when it comes to academics so it takes a lot to keep them challenged. The last thing I want to do is sit down with them and give them extra work after a long day at school. If I am challenging them in their normal school work, I am killing two birds with one stone.  I am hitting all the necessary things that need to be taught but also tweaking these things to make them more challenging for them and most importantly ELIMINATING BUSY WORK! If there is one thing I cannot stand it is busy work. I am looking forward to hitting the books during class time and when we are done, WE ARE DONE!  There will be no time wasted at the Valleywood Academy:)

5.    We can travel locally and learn things hands on in the real world which is something they could not experience being inside a school building everyday.

6.    The numbers speak for themselves when it comes to comparing the GPAs, ACTs, SATs, IOWAs, etc of a homeschooled child to that of traditional student.  They are at minimum dead even if not extremely better. It all depends on what you put into it.

7.    We are a low stress family so this is a good fit for us. The morning rush to pack lunches, get ready, and rush out the door, then rush to school for pickup, rush to sports, cram in homework and then repeat the next day (not to mention cramming in all the extra school activities) was so much stress on everyone. It is nice to not worry about that. Not to mention we can travel, vacation, or take "sick days" without worrying about making up busy work or worrying about which one of us is staying home from work this time.

8.    My kids are all very close and get along really well so they enjoy being together. This is not something every household can attest to. I am not saying this will last forever but I will take it while it lasts. My kids have their days but most of the time we are a team here. It does not take much to rope them back in if they start to forget it.

9.     There are so many social groups and friends that are homeschoolers that the opportunity for socializing is endless. So many businesses are now offering classes and activities during the day because homeschooling is becoming so popular, especially in school districts that are suffering. There are so many things to do with other homeschooled kids that I have trouble deciding which things would be the most exciting for everyone. 

10.    If someone is going to be teaching my children what they need to know, why not let it be me. I could either work a full time job and let someone else teach my kids, or I can stay home and teach them myself. Not everyone is lucky enough to have this opportunity but we are very blessed that I am so I am running with it.

These are just some of the things that come to mind when I think about why we made this choice......at least for now:) 

While I had a sad moment in glancing at their old school when I drove by today and saw the Welcome Back Students sign out front, I also looked in my rear view mirror and saw 3 smiles ear to ear glancing back and me reassuring me that we made the right choice and that it is going to be a fantastic year!

Today's Lesson...Pointillism

Today we did a relaxing art project focusing on Pointillism.   They learned the different perspectives on how someone views a painting such as this up close and then far away.  They were amazed at how different it looks each way.   It was so easy with a canvas, acrylic paint and some Qtips.  No messy water or brushes:) Their inspiration came from Sunday Afternoon by Georges Seurat.

The Final Steps in the Transition

I am in the middle of completing the final steps in transitioning the girls from brick and mortar to home school. The placement tests are almost finished and a recommended course list is on the way so that I can start hunting for the best deal on my books.  There are some rules that we have to follow to abide by the state law.  Those I have found on this site:

http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/School-Choice/Home-Schooling

This site provides you with all of the information you need in order to submit what the state requires you to school in your home.  These requirements include a brief outline of the intended curriculum for the current year, a list of the textbooks you intend you use, prior school year standardized testing scores or reports for each child and a list of assurances you must agree to including the subjects they require you to teach your child, the minimum amount of hours you will spend schooling for the year and that you as a parent have the proper qualifications to provide this education, which is basically a high school diploma or GED.  All of this information must be submitted to the superintendent of your school district and approved.

As of now we are still on track to start September 2 as long as we get our books by then. Our conference to review the curriculum with our counselor is the last week of August so thank goodness for Amazon Prime:)  I feel like we are cutting it very close but I think it will all come together.   If we start a few days late?  Well I guess I have to get used to the idea that we can be flexible now:)

The Things I Won't Miss

The countdown until school starts has finally begun.  Reality is sinking in as I watch the moms in Target scramble to the School Supply section frantically checking their lists and filling their carts.  I step back and breathe and think to myself, I am so relieved I don't have to do that this year!  No more long lists, book bags, medical forms, fees, permission slips, stressful mornings and most importantly NO MORE PACKING LUNCHES which I dreaded on a daily basis.  I can definitely get used to the perks.   If the extent of my stress in the morning is who gets to the sink to brush their teeth first,  I am going to be one happy mama!