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Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Whatevah Wednesday: Homeschool Planning!

First, a disclaimer: If your kids are in public school, don't let the above cartoon offend you. Two of my kids are still in public school, too. But even so, I agree with the statement above! LOL


Next month begins my second year as a homeschooling mom. My family is spread out all over the place actually. I've got a Junior in public high school, a 6th grader in public elementary, an 8th grader at home, and a 2 year old who is learning and growing all the time. It's challenging--to say the least--teaching one child, while driving the other kids to and from school, and entertaining a toddler. But it's also a blessing.

Since Kait might be going to public high school, this may be our last year together, so I want to make sure we do all the things I dreamed of doing when we started our adventure. In addition to the three R's, I want her to be well-prepared for the world spiritually speaking.This means more discipline, less breaks, and a tighter schedule. And it means picking curriculum! Fun! (but arduous.)

After hours (and I mean HOURS) of research. . .

. . .I'm still not done with my list. :-)  

But, here's what I've picked so far:

* Typing: Mavis Beacon (covered by state funds)
* Math U See Geometry (covered by state funds)
* Apologia Physical Science (FREE from a friend!)
* gym: Wii Fit or similar (haven't confirmed coverage yet, crossing fingers!)
* A Beka History of the World ($10 on Craigslist)
(I also want to get several TruthQuest guides and merge those with A Beka)

Life Skills reading:

* How To Win Friends And Influence People (already own)
*Thinking Like A Christian (about $15 on Amazon for book and journal)

I still need to choose a Bible curriculum and Language Arts but those decisions will likely come quickly. History was the toughest--the one that took the hours of research and review to settle on. That and math are the toughest choices to make. We have a lot of history to cover this year, and a lot of extras I want to squeeze in, so next on my list is come up with some sort of schedule--though it will likely get tweaked many times.

For those of you who homeschool, have you picked out your curriculum? Are you excited? If you don't homeschool, what are you looking forward to the most about sending the kids back to school?

Last, let me leave you with a little humor to carry into the rest of your Wednesday!


8 comments:

Jessica R. Patch said...

Funny video! I love Tim Hawkins. I'm looking forward to a quieter house during the day. ;)

Joanne Sher said...

Funny video - and I LOVE the cartoon! My kids are in charter school (a wonderful one with a moral focus and incredible teachers and all). I guess I'm most looking forward to more quiet as well. OH - and helping in class. I SO enjoyed that last year - mroe than I ever have! I think it's wonderful that you're doing what is best for each of your children. Hope you can find the curriculums you need.

Lacie Nezbeth said...

Hi Michelle! That video was great! Too cute! I'm not a homeschooler but I wish I was. Still praying about that one.

Oh, and thanks for stopping by my blog! I love meeting new people! ;)

Erica Vetsch said...

I am a homeschool mom, and I love it...even though there are days...:)

I've used mostly ABEKA both when I taught in a private high school and when I brought my kids home for school. My elder child is a senior in college now, and I have a high school sophomore at home.

The curriculum I'm most excited about this year is called Movies as Literature, and we're going to deconstruct some old movies like Shane, The Quiet Man, 12 Angry Men, etc. and learn about story, pace, theme, characterization, and how to discern truth from lies in media. :)

Michelle Massaro said...

Jessica: I hear ya! I miss those days. But with a toddler, it'll be awhile till I'm not tethered to one kid or another all day, lol.

Joanne: I enjoyed helping in class but always felt a bit out of my comfort zone. So glad you found a school option you are comfortable with--enjoy it!

Lacie: Welcome! I love meeting new people too. =) Keep praying and God will give you the answers. How old are your kids?

Erica: How exciting! Did you homeschool your oldest up through high school graduation? We'll have to talk curriculums--that Movies as Lit course sounds intriguing! Thanks for coming by. =)

Raquel Byrnes said...

Oh, don't get me started! I homeschool four of my six kids...the younger two are only 3 yrs.

Curriculum for my High Schooler is actually easy to pick compared to my fourth graders!

Still have some time before we start in August. Enjoying the summer.

Michelle Massaro said...

Raquel, I didn't realize you had so many kids, or that you were a homeschooler. I'm still a newbie so I'd love to pick your brain about curriculum. What's your favorite LA curric for Jr High? Do you use a charter or umbrella school or file your own PSA?

Tammy Barley said...

I'm also a homeschool mom and love it! The three kiddos will soon begin their sophomore year in high school. Funny to see you and I pick such similar curriculum.

Also we do a daily class in Career Development. They've already begun getting knowledge and experience in their future fields of work--couldn't get that kind of experience in any other school! =)