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Maria B.
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Location: Virginia
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| Posted: June 21 2008 at 8:42pm | IP Logged
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Marilyn, if it helps I have revised my big picture plans several times! No one suffered because of it. With each year we become more and more experienced and confident. We learn from our mistakes. We learn from our older children. We learn what works and doesn't ork. The beauty of all this is that the kids still are learning. As they learn, we learn. Homeschooling truly is a journey. I will pray for you!
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Maria in VA
Proud Mom to 10 Great kids!
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TracyQ
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| Posted: June 23 2008 at 9:07am | IP Logged
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We're going to be using Simply Charlotte Mason as our guide for the rest of Sarah's hsing years (at least that's the overall plan to this point).
I'm using their 6 year module for history studies, and their guides as guides, adding and detracting from it what works for us. I just ordered the two history guides for the first two modules which we'll do this year so we end on module 6 in her 12th grade year. And I ordered Sonya's planning guide with DVD (because I'm extremely visual, and think it'll be a blessing to me). We began Spelling Wisdom last year, and it was working GREAT for Sarah! She and I both loved it! She loved doing the dictation for spelling and language arts, and I'm SO glad I listened to the discernment of the Holy Spirit for her!
The curriculum guide at SCM will work great, and we'll tweak it. For example, we don't use Apologia science, so we'll change that part to work for us.
ALL curriculum is a tool, and our plans are always subject to change according to God's will, as I often take our homeschooling decisions to the Lord, and try my best to work together with Him, but it does feel good to have an overall plan, something I try to have going into their Jr. High years (7th-8th grade). Until then, we mostly have a general plan per year.
This will be our 14th year, and we're into the overall plan now. Jake just graduated, and his overall plan seemed to work well. Zach is entering 11th grade, and his overall plan is different than his brother's was, he's using Trisms, which is working GREAT for him, and we're VERY happy with his overall plan.
Sarah will be entering 8th grade, and I have Simply Charlotte Mason as the guide for her overall plan, using CM methods as much as possible, but tweaking HOW she learns to her EXTREMELY right brain.  I'm learning SO much about that now, and praying about how to work with that now. It's a huge challenge, but God seems to always gives me a challenge or two each year. 
Going back to their elementary years, there are a few things I'd have changed, but overall, we've done very well, they've learned a TON, and even if we weren't consistant in our curriculum (because I believe it's a tool anyway, not the be all and end all of our hsing), we HAVE stuck to our philosophy of learning of a literature based education, with an ecletic component. 
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Blessings and Peace,
Tracy Q.
wife of Marty for 20 years, mom of 3 wonderful children (1 homeschool graduate, 1 12th grader, and a 9th grader),
 homeschooling in 15th year in Buffalo, NY
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Mackfam
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| Posted: June 25 2008 at 9:04am | IP Logged
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JennGM wrote:
Would Sonya's planner help a first time planner?
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I waffled back and forth in trying to decide to buy the planner or not. I had my own style of planning. I wanted to be thorough as S. approaches high school courses - I really wanted to see that big picture more and pull things together from something consistent like that. I finally did buy it. I certainly think you could plan just fine without it. It isn't necessary, and Sonya's blog posts give you the general theme to go from - moving from big picture to daily plans. Also, you have such a wealth of people up there in NoVa to bounce ideas off of.
I have found the planner to be helpful to me as a tool, and I'm glad I got it. Tools I found helpful in the book:
1. She outlines very clearly in each chapter what to do to accomplish the planning goals of that chapter. There is a lot of hand holding and good use of examples.
2. The masters/worksheets she provides for planning I am finding to be very helpful. I created a folder for each child for next year (well...ok...I have lots of folders, not just these three) and copied the planning worksheets for each of their folders so that I can pull from there while planning and it will live there after planning for a reference.
3. I'm a fan of writing in books. So I love having those nice margins set aside to scribble my notes in - sort of a geeky thing, but it was a plus to me.
Anyway, overall I am finding it a very useful tool for me, but is it necessary? Nope.
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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Natalia
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| Posted: June 25 2008 at 10:04am | IP Logged
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I bought the Planning ebook and have really liked it. I love planning but I am not naturally gifted at it. I tend to get sidetracked easily. I also have difficulty knowing how much to plan ( how many books to expect my dc to read, how many books I can get read aloud, how many pages to have them do, etc).
I have found the book very helpful. It is not necessarily that she have told me anything I didn't know but, she does break the process down in clear steps. She has those wonderful planning worksheets and most that anything for me, it is easy to retake my train of thought when I get sidetracked.
Natalia
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Natalia
http://pannuestrodecadadia.blogspot.com
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4Real Forums : Planning and Ordering our Days
Topic: CM Planning Resources
