Skip to main content

Curriculum Ideas

I know this is not the most interesting post, but I am writing it for my own reference more than anything else.

Here are my curriculum ideas as of right now:

Anthony needs/enjoys being challenged in math and reading. So, I want to make sure our curriculum has strong math and gives him lots of reading practice.

Math U See - after some research, I think this program will be perfect for my smart and wiggly worms. I really like how the guy on the video explains the concepts, and I know that Anthony will too. I also believe Luke will do well with this program as well, when his time comes :)

Five In A Row I also want to make sure that our curriculum can easily be adjusted to include my younger 2 children. This curriculum seems PERFECT for that purpose. Also, it has tons of reading (of GOOD children's literature) and seems easy on me as far as prep time/materials/ etc. goes. At the same time though, there seems to be a lot of room to create fun activities and be inspired by the books themselves. I need that freedom and flexibility to do as much or as little as I want, without compromising the quality of the curriculum... if that makes sense. I have been looking through the teacher's manual, and am loving what I am seeing so far.

As I have been researching, and really thinking about my own philosophy of teaching, and our purpose behind homeschooling, I have really come to identify with the Charlotte Mason Method. Read more about it, here: What is the Charlotte Mason Method?

I also want to do some Bible every day as well, but am not sure if I will get something structured like the Bible Notebook and Reader from My Father's World or if something more relaxed would fit the bill nicely as well.  I have a feeling the latter may be true. We could do a story weekly, and can work on writing through that. Who knows. I really don't want to over-think this.

Anyway, those are my thoughts so far. I do know that I do not want my children to be sitting doing busywork for hours a day. I want them to get outside and learn by living. I want to teach them how to observe their environment, and draw conclusions. I want to teach them to think critically, and how to find (and enjoy the process of finding) the answers to their questions. I also want them to continue to love books, and being transported to the world the author writes about.

I know that this upcoming year is going to be far from perfect, and am trying not to put too much pressure on myself. But I also know that it takes way more effort for me to plan something than it takes other people. So while it may seem like I am over-thinking, I need to do this so I can be prepared somewhat. I am so excited to start this!!!

 I am also thankful to have some good friends who are going on this homeschooling journey with me. One of my best friends is starting this year as well!


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Dinner time???

So for once in my life, I was so excited to have a nice dinner ready by the time Ian got home. He told me he would be home at 5pm. I called him at 5:30 and found out he stopped somewhere to pick something up that he was looking for on craigslist. The following conversation happened: "Where are you?"  "Picking up that vcr/dvd player we talked about." "What?!?! WHY!!! DINNER HAS BEEN READY SINCE 5!" "Well, it is 5 mins away from work so I figured it would -make sense to just get it now."  "Ugh , well now dinner is cold"  "You guys can eat without me if you want"  "No. Are you kidding me? I did this for you! We aren't eating without you!" "Ok, so what do you want to do?" "What do you mean 'what do I want to do?' I JUST WANNA BE MAD ABOUT IT!!!" *I laugh because as I yelled that last part, I caught wind of my complete irrationality.*  "hahahaha, ok well you can do that. OR...

Losing Weight In Real Life

Ya'll I need to lose weight. I feel awful. I am currently sitting at a weight that I have only been while pregnant. And no, I am definitely not pregnant. See, I have been battling to manage my anxiety. Unfortunately one of the side effects of my medication is weight gain. I am also attempting to wean my daughter, which is also contributing to things. Between those 2 things and my love of junk food, I have gained 30lbs. In the last 3-4 months.  30. pounds. I never understood why women are so weird about sharing their ages or weights, so for good measure and the sake of transparency here it is. I am 32 years old and weigh 194lbs. To be clear, this is not about how I look. It really isn't. I don't love how my clothes (don't really) fit, but this is more about how I feel than anything else. Here was the last straw: 2 days ago, I sprained my neck carrying laundry up the stairs.  Yep! Injured myself while doing housework. My body is freaking ...

Tough day... sweet moment.

I have figured out the pattern. 3 weeks out of the month Anthony listens relatively well. Then there is the 1 week where he decides to test everything he has ever been told. I actually questioned if he had some kind of hearing impairment because I have been talking to the air. Nothing registers in his mind unless I throw in the word 'popsicle' or mention watching the movie "Cars". Needless to say, this week has been one of those weeks. With the Lord's help I have had a grip on my patience and tone of voice - although I have screamed in a pillow more than once. Tonight, at the suggestion of a seasoned mommy-friend, I decided to put the boys to bed a half hour earlier than usual. This of course did not go over too smoothly and I ended up laying in bed with my 2 year old, rubbing his back and watching his little eyes grow heavy. (While silently hoping the giggles and squeals from my almost-one year old did not keep him from dreamland for too much longer.) As I ...