Our Homeschool for 2011-2012

Yes, it's that time of the year! As we homeschool year round, today is the first day of our new school year! I'm so excited!

See, during June, we were kind of easing into a homeschool schedule so my girls would get used to having school every day. We really only worked on Math and Phonics, with some devotions and manners lessons thrown in. This week, though, we rock on with a full schedule.

Both of our girls are in Kindergarten. Here's a peek at our homeschool day!

7 a.m.--Rise and Shine, followed by breakfast and some free time

8:30--Morning chore time

9:00--School bell rings (I'm considering a real bell...what do you think? hehehe...). We begin with group time (well, right now it's all group time, but this is in prep for the baby to join us in a year or so. Group time includes: Devo and prayer, Calendar time, and Sing and Rhyme time (we try to memorize a new song and rhyme each week).

9:20--Bible and Character Study time. We're starting the ABC Bible Memory Verses book, with one verse/week, corresponding with the letters. Yay! It's in prep for next year when we start the Charlotte Mason Bible Memory Verse schedule (I think). Character study for the first 8 weeks is the remaining lessons from Etiquette Factory.

9:40--Phonics: All About Spelling

10:00--Snack

10:10--Math: Math-U-See Primer (will be in Alpha in November)

10:30--Social Studies/Science: I bought 41 weeks of unit studies by Amanda Bennett about a week ago when they had this super sale on them. We'll be picking through those, as well as using some of the basics from Lesson Pathways.

11:00--Lunch and free time

1:00--Baby goes down for nap, we read for 30 mins. Some books will be based on our unit studies, others are chosen by interests, and then we have one big book that we read from

1:30--Rest time

3:00--Snack time/free play

4:00--Art/gym activities

5:00--Dinner prep/Dinner

6:30--Family time

7:00--My writing time begins

8:15--Bedtime routine for kids (including reading time)

Oh, and Saturdays are Fun Science Experiments with Daddy!

So, that's what a day in our life looks like. Or should look like. Or I want to look like. A distant dream?

Creating a Learning Environment For Young Children

There are many ways to ensure success when educating your child in your home. One of those ways is to create a learning environment. Children are like sponges, absorbing everything they come in contact with, so create a place that will help them learn naturally. Decide what you want them to learn and then plan accordingly.

When creating a learning environment you can do five things:

1.) Make sure there are materials accessible for learning.
Those materials might include books, blocks, videos, paper and crayons, markers, pencils etc. You might have to monitor use of some of the writing materials with young children lest you have colored walls! If finances are an issue check out the local library for books and go to yard sales to find new toys.

2.) Make everyday activities a learning experience.
When cooking breakfast you might have your child count with you as you crack open the eggs. One egg, two eggs, and so forth. Read the cereal box to your children pointing out letters and spelling some of the words. Buy paper plates with the alphabet on them. Get creative!


3.) As a parent, become an avid learner yourself.
One thing we have done in my home is to learn American Sign Language together. I use the video series Signing Time with my children on a daily basis. I have gone on to take further sign language classes online to facilitate my own knowledge, and have even gotten my certification as a Signing Time Instructor. I am so thankful for Signing Time because the videos have been an invaluable resource for our family in developing communication and increasing speech.


4.) Play with your kids.
When you as a parent interact with your child, you make connections with them, and that can facilitate your role as educator. I have often heard people say that they have to send their children to school because they will learn better from somebody else and that is just not true. God gave your children to you and told you to train them up (See Proverbs 22:6). You don’t send them to someone else to train them, so it is also possible for you be their teacher for educational purposes.

5.) Model
Model whatever you want your kids to imitate. One good example of something you can model for your children is reading. If you want them to develop a passion for reading, then you read too. Read in front of them. Read to them and with them, everyday.

This list is by no means all-inclusive. There are many more creative ideas you can come up with. I just wanted to encourage you today that you can create a successful learning environment in your home and daily lives. Remember to think of the needs of the whole child, spirit, soul, and body when you are planning. I believe you can become a confident educator of your children and have a successful school from home.



Giveaway-Today I am giving away a copy of the Signing Time DVD The Zoo Train! Simply comment below to be entered to win. The giveaway will end at 12:00 a.m. EST on July 7th. A winner will be drawn and announced on July 8th. Please check back to see if you are the winner! If I am unable to connect with the winner, a new winner will be drawn and announced on July 11th. Many blessings to you as you continue to teach your children!

Seeds of Wisdom--Struggles

Welcome to another edition of Seeds of Wisdom! 

This weeks question is: What is your biggest struggle when it comes to homeschooling?

Ralene: My biggest struggle is having the discipline to homeschool every day. I'm tempted (and often give in) to throw the towel in when I'm tired or sick (which happens quite often...low immune system) or if the girls are having a particularly hard day. I know, though, that it is in all of our best interest if we can stick to the routine.

Aurie: My biggest struggle is being flexible! We learn towards the unschooling method, which works well for my girls, but I still struggle with the need to "teach" things in "order". I'm working on it!

Heather: I have two issues that I struggle with equally.
1.- Staying on schedule. Some days I just really don't feel like teaching. Ugh- did I just really just type that?!
2.- Remembering that we are homeschooling- not schooling at home. There is a difference!

Jessica: My biggest homeschool struggle is pacing. I am a very "ALL IN" kind of girl, so I always want to fit too much into a day or more into a lesson than my kids can handle. My goal oriented nature can make it difficult not to try to overachieve - I do well with a schedule that someone else wrote! I learned in our first year of homeschooling how important it was for me to be able to let go of my plans if things were falling apart. It is more important how my children feel than how quickly we get through lessons. I've also learned a lot from talking with and watching other homeschooling mothers or teachers of children with similar ages. It helps me to remember that slow, patient steps go much farther than a sprint. I work on keeping my focus away from "what's next?" and steady with "right now."

Marla: My biggest problem is finding a balance for myself and the girls. Abigail and I both love preschool and we could be happy "doing school" all day every day and I would love to spend hours planning/creating activities each night. However, we also need to find time for sport and fine art activities, playdates/time with friends, free play, housework, errands, family outings, and rest.

Tracy: My biggest struggle is not the homeschooling as much as trying to balance the rest of my life while we homeschool--the meals, the cleaning, even my marriage! It's so easy to let homeschool crowd into everything else. Keeping it boxed into its own time and space is my most important battle.

Sam: Leaving my public school background behind. I want to be the person who makes learning fun, and I still struggle with the only thing I know, which is the institutional education style. I want to leave all of that behind, and trust my instincts about learning.

What about you? What do you struggle with?

If you have any questions you would like us to answer, please send an email to raleneburke at yahoo dot com with the subject "Seeds of Wisdom". First in, first out!