Prepositions, subjects, helping verbs...Oh My

What is a mother to do?

A home educating mother at that...

when a child needs that extra intruction on

GRAMMAR

This mother used a bit of her own past to help.



Grammar Rock,

rocks!

Learning Year beginnings :: Part I

The new learning year is upon on, yet again!  How does that happen?  One minute I'm finishing up the folders, gathering grades, cleaning out the books, looking forward to camping, fun, and relaxation then...

BAM

it's

home school conferences

daily scans through CathSwap,

new files,

new books,

anticipated visits from the brown truck,

new lessons being planned;

it's

September

and

the first day of school is just around the corner....

again!

But I love it.

I love new notebooks and the ideas of a fresh start.

This year I have 4 kiddos getting into the 'learning' thing.

A freshman in high school

(did you hear me gulp?)

A 5th grader

A 2nd grader

and the

kindergartner

It's a lovely year planned for us

(we hope)

yet we expect the unexpected, the forks in the road, the hills and mountains that will undoubtedly need to be climbed.

And here it is.

Our 2011-2012 year at a glance.

Did I mention there is a 9th grader lurking in my house?  I've been reading and searching the many ways I can make high school work for Lucy. From the organized and packaged plans of Seton or MODG, CHC's version of a High School of Your Dreams, running with a state run program or the on your own paths of the many unschoolers; the list is endless. 

But, after weeks of this, our plan developed. It's a mix bag of stuff really.  A bit from Seton, tips from 4real learning forums, points from CHC's high school and Charlotte Mason's philosophy of what learning should look like.

Anyhow, Lucy took full part in this too. Adding her input and suggestions for readings.  She wants to consider her options after high school and her terms plans will reflect that.  She also has a love for the viola and is currently playing and mastering the instrument with an orchestra.  Thus, she added this 'extra focus' in her planning. 

She is going to be one busy girl.

But isn't this what high school should be like?  A period of time to test the waters.  Where will her interest finally lead her too?  Only God knows, and I bet He's nudging her bit by bit here.

~ For Lucy:: The Beginning ~

Grammar: 

Winston Grammar (1 year)

Readings from Eats, Shoots & Leaves

Copy work:

Calligraphy

Poetry selections

Composition:

Jensen's Format Writing

Entries into her own journal

Credit for projects she has set up for journalism

Literature (for the year):

Emma

Jane Eyre

The Rose Round by Merioil Trevor

The Screwtape Letters

To Kill a Mockingbird

Shakespeare Studies:

I. Romeo & Juliet

II. Gentleman of Vienna

III. Julius Cesar

Math

Algebra I

(2 days a week class taken outside of the home for this one)

Assorted reading: Algebra Unplugged by Jim Loats.  This looks interesting so we'll see how it goes. 

History

RC History Vol 2

Text: Land to the Nations

Assorted Readings, though not all books will be assigned to be read in full:  Famous Men of Rome, Ides of April, For the Temple, The Silver Branch, The Eagle of the Ninth, The Lantern Bearers, Word to Caesar, The King's Thane, Beowulf the Warrior, King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table,

Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc

Geography

Ultimate Geography And Timeline Guide

loosely following MODG syllabus for 9th grade

assorted reading:: Why Greenland Is An Island, Australia Is Not-And Japan Is Up for Grabs: A Simple Primer For Becoming A Geographical Know-It-All

Science

Exploring Creation with Physical Science

Assorted readings: 

The mysteries of the periodic table by Benjamin Wiker

Mad About Physics: Brain twisters, Paradoxes, and Curiosities by Christopher Jargodzki

The Cartoon Guide to Physics by Larry Gonick

Journalism

Currclick online class (newsletter)

I.  Our Community report

Fine Arts & Logic

Viola with Kadima Conservatory

Art:: Home School in the wood's Studying the greats

I. Iconography, Monet, Raphael, Renoir

Music Study:: The Great Composers

I. Georgian Chants, Guido of Arezzo, Hildegard of Bingen

Logic::

The Art of Argument

Whatever Happened to Justice? (An Uncle Eric Book)

Foreign Language

Rosetta Stone's Spanish level 1

practice and speaking with me

Religion

- The Sacrament of Confirmation

(either CHC's or Seton's...haven't decided yet)

- Baltimore Catechism No. 3

- weekly formation classes with our parish followed by benediction

- Bi-weekly CAST meetings

(a friend host these apologetics classes for the youth of our community...very well done)

I. Book of Virtues

II. How to Become a Saint

At a glance this looks like a lot.  But Lucy is a strong reader and can handle this load.  Keeping that in mind, this is set up to fit her and the year at a glance we hope to complete.

I don't know how to link to my pdf file....something else to learn.

5th grade is next

Lap Books for Catholics

FAITH FOLDERS FOR CATHOLICS

I ran across a little note that the web site Lap Books for Catholics will be celebrating it's 2 year anniversary of service.  Lindy Meyer is the creator of these awesome templates and has generously shared her gifts with many families for a really great LOW COST.

What are lapbooks?  Well for a home schooling family it's a series of templates showcasing topics that are either being studied or in need of review.  These "folders" are a gold mine.  Fun, easy to use, and the kids love them.

Faith Folders work the same way but, are used for faith formation and these are Catholic.  I can't say enough good things about Lindy Meyer's Lap Books (with a Catholic twist).  She has made these so affordable.  We have used them for Holy Communion preparation and to celebrate the year of our priest.

Currently, Lindy is donating 50% of the proceeds from the faith folder "Year of the Priest" to charities chosen by the Barrett Family.  In honor of their son, Ryan Barrett.  This particular folder is wonderful...truly a great project for the whole family.

Please visit her site and take a look. 

Children's Book Mondays

Every Monday there is a lovely treat waiting for you here.  Her name is Elise, a wife, mother, and loves books.  Children's Book Mondays are glimpses into the world of children's literature with summaries and reviews. 
I know I have less time than I like to read and find books from the library.  As it is our collection of library books takes up several shelves...this just for what is read for school.  So, thanks to sites like this I can choose good quality books for the kids to enjoy. 

Daily Goals for 2009-2010 Learning Year

Our Daily Plans

 

6:00am - 8:00am 

• wake up, Mass or visit, chores and breakfast

Morning Baskets

8:00am - 9:00am

 

(all kids will spend time with our Saint of the Day) 

•  Isabella   ~ grammar (Mon, Wed, Fri), vocab (Tues &-Thur), spelling, Latin, copywork, poetry
• Victor Mario (ID) ~ grammar (Mon, Wed, Fri), vocab (Tues & Thur), spelling, copywork, poetry, calendar time
• Carolina  ~ calendar time, 100 easy lessons (20 min), reading time

 Math Block

9:00am - 10:00am 

• All kids  ~ Math (10 min w/ Victor then 1-1 with Carolina) 

           Older girl: 1-2 lessons on Teaching Texbooks a day

*update:  OG moved from TT 7 into Aleks Math (7th grage).  We started having negative results in what she was learning.  She was into chapter 5 when we both realized it was too much review for her.  I was really disappointed because I SO LOVED this math program when we first started.  Oh well...she likes Aleks better and feels more challenged. 

           Only boy:   1 daily lesson using HSP, computer game 1x a week, math game on Fri

*update:  OB is also doing more Aleks than HSP.  Though, he is still doing both programs.  He is working 3x a week in Aleks and 2x a week in the HSP book.  The reason here is that he needed a visual break and more hands on math.  Since first posting this OB is being helped by a math/reading tutor.  He has come a long way but i needed to break up the math more.

           Carolina 1 daily lesson using HSP, computer game 1x a week, math game on Fri  

* Wednesday math gets moved up to the morning basket

 

Language Arts Block

10:00am - 11:00am 

(Wednesdays & Thurdays are blocked off for out of home activities)  

• Only Boy ~ reading and phonics practice using McRuffy, Language of God, and flash cards

*update:  We have cut out McRuffy and Language of God.  This learning block for OB is self created sentences, reading on the couch w/ momma.  We have altared most of OB's curricula to better fit his learning style...workbooks wasn't it.

• Rosa ~ Alphabet Path and Handwriting w/o Tears program

 Sunflower Basket

Older Girl

(Using Literature for the Young Lady found here ) 

•  Literature  ~ using the following books; "Anne of Green Gables" & "Jo's Boys"
• Writing      ~ begining a notebook; writing narrations, critiques, short essays
• History      ~ study the Victorian History era with timeline, notebooking
• Botany       ~ study of herbs and plants; observations, research, experiments
• Poetry        ~ using R is for Rhyme for the study of poetry and Lucy Maud Montgomery
• Art                  ~ using various artist from the Victorian Era

*update:  A great success!!  We were so happy with this and OG really got into poetry, Monte, and Queen Victoria.

Lunch

12:00pm - 1:00pm

  

History/Geography Block

1:00pm -2:00pm

  

(Mondays & Tuedays possbily adding a day)

• all kids

         Monday:     American History & Government
                        ~ Following Serendipity's American Trail (First Stop)
                           1.  Colonial Life  lapbook pages and projects
                              ~ State by State study using the following resources:
                           1.  US mint 
                           2.  enchanted learning   
                           3.  kidzone geography
                           4.  A map I found in the homeschool share web site (sorry I can't find the direct link)
                        ~ Map workbooks

* Older Girl does an extra ID assignement in economics using this

                    
         Tuesday:     World History Studies using:
                         ~ Story of the World vol 1
                         ~ RC history guidelines vol 1
                            1.  lapbooks (when time allows)
                                      2.  notebooking

*update: 

We are doing a mix of SOTW and reading from RC Hx.  Only Boy also started a history class at a Co-op group for homeschool kids on Wednesday.  Really really cool!

Older girl is now reading A Little History of the World by G. H Gombrich as her text

                         ~ Timelines (on wall or in notebook..haven't decided which will work best)

*update:  ON THE WALL

                         ~ And lots tons of reading through history books

 

Our Faith & Language

2pm - 3:00pm

(while one child is on computer the other will recieve tutor time) 

• Spanish   ~ Older Girl 1st half hour then Image of God
• Spanish   ~ Only Boy 2nd half hour then Image of God

What's Left

after 3pm 

• tutoring time (if needed)
• make up work
• finish uncompleted project (that can't wait and they r excited to complete)
• cooking
• cleaning up
• play play play....relax relax relax....or....sleep sleep sleep

Fridays

@ 4pm

(when not at Little Flowers forBlue Knights)

 

Faith Tea Chat

 

This will hopefully be a cherished and anticipated time for us (it'll be new). I would like it to include a bit of what we have tried learned that week (cooking like the colonies, cooking for our alphabet) but we'll see.  

• little ones: time of manners and reading Leading Little Ones to Mary 
• big ones: time of chatting and catching up plus reading The Secrets of Mary Explained to Children

I Hope This Works...

Wow! Just looking at this is giving me a headache. It looks like a mess but I do have it set to make changes as needed. I have to adjust it as I go.

Note to self....don't look at it as a monthly calendar. View it daily or weekly instead, it'll make a more sense.




Okay...I think it's working.