First Day of School 2015-2016 Homeschool Hightlights (1-8-17)
Science Fun Homeschool Highlights (2-17-17)
Meal Plan Homeschool Highlights (3-2-17)
Homeschool Highlights (8-26-15) Homeschool Highlights (5-27-17)
Pros and Cons (One Month In) Homeschool Highlights (7-21-17)
Homeschool Highlights (9-2-15) Homeschool Highlights (8-14-17)
Homeschool Highlights (9-15-15) Homeschool Highlights (10-9-17)
Homeschool Highlights (9-24-15) Homeschool Highlights (11-3-17)
Homeschool Summer Goals Homeschool Highlights (11-30-17)
Homeschool Prep 2016-2017
First Day of School 2016-2017
Homeschool Highlights (8-11-16)
Homeschool Highlights (8-22-16)
Homeschool Highlights (8-27-16)
Cooking Class
Homeschool Highlights (9-1-16)
Homeschool Highlights (9-5-16)
Homeschool Highlights (9-9-16)
Homeschool Highlights (9-14-16)
Homeschool Highlights (9-21-16)
Family Bible Time
Homeschool Highlights (9-28-16)
Homeschool Highlights (10-5-16)
Homeschool Highlights (10-11-16)
Homeschool Highlights (10-19-16)
Homeschool Highlights (11-8-16)
Homeschool Highlights (12-5-16)
Assessments 2015-2016 School Year
In preparation of the upcoming school year, I've been assessing each child to make sure I know exactly what they know. I always tell them to do their best and it will help me be a better teacher. I've taken the time to write on index cards everything I want to assess for each child this year and then I'm dating their progress. Each child has a specific color to make it easier (Macie pink, Gavin, blue, Lilah orange). This is what I'm testing on each of them before school starts, I'll do more as the year progresses:
- Macie - Writing Sample, Spelling Words (110), Sight Words (110), Gross Motor skills, Name (say and write/first, middle, last), Address, Phone # (Mom and Dad), Drawing a person (body parts), Letters (recognize and write/upper and lowercase), Letter Sounds, Numbers (recognize to 30/write to 120), Shapes (draw and recognize), Counts (1s, 2s, 5s, 10s to 120)
- Gavin - Gross Motor skills, Drawing a person (body parts), Name (say and write/first, middle, last), Address, Phone # (Mom and Dad), Letter Sounds, Letters (recognize and write/upper and lowercase), Numbers (recognize and write to 20), Colors, Shapes (draw and recognize), Counts (1s, 2s, 5s, 10s to 100)
- Lilah - Name (say and write/first, middle, last), Address, Phone # (Mom and Dad), Drawing a person (body parts), Gross Motor skills, Shapes (recognize and draw), Counts (1s to 20), Colors
Since we decided to embark on this Homeschooling journey, I've been doing a lot of research! I've met, talked to, and watched other homeschool moms at work, I went to a Homeschool Conference back in March, and I've been working hard to plan what will work best for us. Most homeschool moms I've talked to have given the advice of taking things one year at a time. I've done that and this is what I've come up with so far:
- We will do more of a year round schooling and go 4 days a week. This will give us more flexibility to have time off when Brian's off, birthdays, and when Gavin has Riley appointments. We will typically take the month of July off and have 2 weeks off at Christmas, a week long Spring Break, and a break at Thanksgiving.
- Our first day of school this year will be July 29th. We will only go two days the first week of school. Having taught for years, I realize this is the perfect amount of time to go over rules, procedures, etc before starting a fresh week.
- While I am the primary teacher, we want to include Brian in our schooling as much as possible. One night each week, we are going to do a science lesson as a family that helps illustrate parts of the Bible. We are also going to take a little bit of time each week for the kids to show Brian what we've been doing at school. We have a lot of bigger field trips we are hoping to do and those will be planned when Brian can go with us. Once we get into our routine, I want to have a random Saturday school so that Brian can see what our day is like.
- I've decided not to make a set time schedule of when we do school. Instead, we are going to have a schedule each day. It won't matter when we start, we will complete the schedule. Each child is going to have a folder with their daily schedule in it. Each page will have a different routine: morning (breakfast, meds, brush teeth, get dressed, straighten bed/room), School (morning work, calendar, language arts, break, math, religion, science/social studies, break, specials, centers, finish work, done!), and evening (clean up, bath, meds, pjs, teeth).
- Each child has their own crate and color: Macie pink, Gavin blue, Lilah orange. All of their supplies and books are labeled to make it easier for planning and for them to find stuff. I'm working on giving each child a separate place to work.
- I've decided to do Language Arts and Math at their levels and then do all other subjects together. I've created rotating stations during this time so I will have some one on one time with each child. That will be nice to have and focus some time on each one.
- I often get asked what curriculum I'm using and I would call it "hodge podge". Because I'm an Early Childhood major and I've taught first grade for the last 10+ years, I've kind of pieced together what I like. I know that they are supposed to learn at this age and will make sure they learn it. I also know that in a year or two, I will have to do a lot more research and figure out various curriculums I want to use. Thankfully, I can take things one at a time!
- We've added a homeschooling budget to our finances so that I can buy supplies, go on field trips, sign kids up for extras, etc. This will really come in handy!
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