Back to School ~ Part II

This post lists the plans for my three little ones.  We start school officially on Monday!


Double aack!!  My baby is a kindergartner this year!  So according to the government, my littles ones are in 2nd, 1st, and K this year.  However, as all of us who homeschool know, that doesn't mean that the grade level is the same as the kid's level.  In our case. the 2nd grader is on PreK/K level, depending on the topic; the brand new 1st grader is a very solid middle to late year 1st grader; and the kindergartner is a kindergartner.  I will be teaching them separately in the 3 R's and keeping them together for history, literature, Spanish, art, circle time and Five in a Row (FIAR) activities.  I really wanted to use Winter Promise this year but decided that it was cost prohibitive.  I already had a lot of great stuff and just needed to add a history program. 


We decided to go with The Story of the World, starting with Volume I.  I am  so excited about this program.  The activity book that you can buy with the book is just great.  I look forward to making the history very hands on for my kiddos.





For the 3 R's, I will be using Teach your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons for the kindergartner; Museum Phonics for the 1st grader; and many, many games, Explode the Code, etc. for the 2nd grader, with 100 Easy Lessons being the backbone.  With her brain damage issues, she needs heavy repetition but in a unique way.  Everything must be kept fresh, new and exciting.  For math, we will continue with Miquon Math, which they are all enjoying.  I hope to add in more living math books this year, as well.





For literature, we will continue with FIAR.  I have about 12 books lined up already.  They are all organized in their large zip locked bags complete with lap booking material, instructions, shopping lists, worksheets and anything else that relates to the book.  I plan on taking a break from our history program every few weeks and doing some FIAR books.  In this way, we can go back and forth and not overwhelm Mommy!  When we are not doing FIAR, we will be reading chapter books together each afternoon.  I have lined up What Would Jesus Do?, Five Little Peppers and How they Grew, and Charlotte's Web.  (The photos show what my FIAR packs look like.)








I also bought some big workbooks for those days that are just too crazy for anything else.  We do indeed have those days with our many, many doctor/therapy appointments.  My kids enjoy workbooks a lot, as long as they are not an everyday thing.  I find workbooks good for review and reinforcement.




We will be covering Spanish (word of the day), calendar skills, character training, sensory activity, and family prayer in circle time each morning.  Art, music, and science will be covered when they come up in the Story of the World and FIAR books.  Also, those of you who follow this blog know that my Tom Sawyer won't let a day go by without art or science happening! 


 


I plan on breaking up the day with morning circle time and the 3 R's.  After lunch, we'll have "fun school" ~ special activity, FIAR, Story of the World, or other events.  The big teen will work near/with me in the morning after the kids are done with the 3 R's and again in late afternoon/evenings.  Later next week, I will post a part III, which will be about our outside activities, special plans, and special things that help my special kids cope better.


Blessings, Dawn