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MichelleM
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| Posted: April 22 2006 at 1:23am | IP Logged
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Well, this year I think I've finally come to terms with the idea that I am an unschooling, very relaxed, unit study, literature centered, "better late than early", Catholic homeschooling mom!
So rather than committing to more planning and activities away from home, which I always seem to do every year, I am going to try to be available to read more with the children especially the littles. I would like to play Patty Cake & Peek-a-Boo more, as well as just for fun games like Uno! I want to truly listen when my oldest is sharing all the new facts she has gained from a book & enjoy our endless discussions about what all my favorites things are. I want to push the children on the swings more!
I would like to learn to make my own bread & use the sewing machine I received for Christmas. I would like to start each morning with prayer & scripture rather than checking e-mail. I would also like to keep a journal with scriptures that speak to my heart.
Our family will continue to develop life skills such cooking & doing laundry, washing dishes, and making beds. These skills of course require habits & virtues, which will be a primary focus for me as well as the children!
We most likely will be moving to the mountains.(Thanks Theresa for the encouragement!) We will want to explore our new surroundings so we will have lots of nature study! I also look forward to sitting on a deck and enjoy God's creation with my husband & children. (I imagine drinking lemonade in teacups while singing hymns together!  )
Along with the new home will come remodeling, painting and interior design. I really had enough of that this year with finishing our basement! 
We will hold off with formal lessons for the most part for those under eight unless they show a desire and readiness for such things. (I do find that the older children enjoy teaching the younger children their numbers, letters, sounds, & prayers, which I think is quite cute!)
For formal lessons for the oldest we will continue with English for a Thoughtful Child & Italic Handwriting. She really enjoys these.
I would like to engage my children in more "relational" narrations. For some reason up to this point in homeschooling I've made narration very formal; something Mommy requires of you rather than a dialog. I think I will try a new approach this year so one dd will eagerly share without seeing it as a chore. 
Something else new that we are trying is a reading journal. When dd comes across a passage or a poem that strikes her fancy she copies it in her journal. IMO, it's a very unschooling way to accomplish copy work. 
I’m going to encourage this dd to go through her sister's Phonics Pathways book to learn her spelling rules. She “taught” herself how to read with only a little phonics instruction so as a result her spelling has suffered. (I really recommend Phonics Pathways for a straightforward, easy to use, thorough & complete phonics text. It takes about ten minutes a day and includes dictation exercises as well as a spelling program. We have been using it with our 2nd dd but are taking a break to let her eyes mature. PP does have eye tracking exercises & decoding games that we may try if she is interested.)
For math with the oldest, I'm considering using Developmental Math starting from the beginning with addition and allowing her to work at her own pace using the AL Abacus for a manipulative. (I love Right Start’s theory and the AL Abacus, but the parent involvement is too time consuming for me.) I'm thinking about purchasing Math Chef & Math-It as well. I would love to join Gwen for Family Math but unfortunately we will probably be too far away!
Other purchases we are contemplating; Making Books with Children by Valerie Bendt, Creation Astronomy: A Study Guide to Creation!, History Links (Catholic unit study guides), & Math U See for my 7 year old who is eager to start "formal" math. (I would love to hear any ones opinions on any of these materials. I have appreciated all the past few threads on MUS.)
I didn’t really think that I had a “plan” for next year but now I can see that I do. The difference though between this year and years past is that this year I’m going to focus on being more than doing! 
__________________
~Michelle
Mommy to 5 Blessings
Visit my blog: House of Grace
Our nature blog: All of Creation
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Mary G
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| Posted: April 22 2006 at 7:28am | IP Logged
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Well, next year has been fun and tough to plan. We'll be in a small village in Austria so we have to bring much of the homeschooling stuff with us.
For my highschoolers (drum roll please)I'm pulling them off traditional, textbook based coursework and hs'ing them using living books and lots of online texts....they'll also be able to take some classes at the FUS program and the ITI (where dh will be struggling thru Greek and Latin, bless him!)
My little ones will be immersed in lots and lots of classic literature. it's going to be extremely hard for me without the public library 5 minutes away (mine here has a shelf just for my "holds") so we'll have to shift to longer, heavier reads rather than the fun little picture books (although I am sneaking some of those along). Also, thanks to Lissa's suggestion, I've gotten the Schoolhouse Rock DVD to help them learn all these various things in a fun way. I'll do FHC sac prep with both Thomas (7) and Maggie(6) using the CHC stuff -- I love her holy card book idea,etc.
We'll also use the Internet much more and (hopefully) we'll be setting up Austrian blog journals for each of the kids.
long story short  , I'll change by not having a library to use and having to rely on the books we bring and the Internet. We'll also bring only DVDs.
[Just so you don't feel too bad for me, there are two huge homeschool-veteran families in the village who will gladly share with me. One is CGS-trained and has been training the EasterEuropean students in this also -- so we may "fall" into a perfect Atrium setup! ]
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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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Genevieve
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| Posted: April 22 2006 at 7:36am | IP Logged
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Mary,
Have you checked out Old Fashioned Education If you haven't, you are in for a treat! BUy lots and lots of ink refills!
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Genevieve
The Good Within
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Mary G
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| Posted: April 22 2006 at 1:21pm | IP Logged
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Genevieve wrote:
Mary,
Have you checked out Old Fashioned Education If you haven't, you are in for a treat! BUy lots and lots of ink refills! |
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Genevieve!
THANKS (think emoticon with me jumping up and down with glee!) -- this site is awesome and just what this itinerant hs'er needed!
Blessings,
__________________
MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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Genevieve
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| Posted: April 22 2006 at 2:15pm | IP Logged
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You are most welcome! Don't forget the to check out the Rosetta Project under links of OFE. 
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Genevieve
The Good Within
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stacykay
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| Posted: April 22 2006 at 5:51pm | IP Logged
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Our biggest addition to our school year will be more adherence to a schedule. I simply don't get enough accomplished if I don't follow one. (I am the distractable one in our house! )
Other additions will be MUS for my 8yo ds (who is a more tactile learner than my others were,) more focus on writing narrations, and more time outdoors- walking/hiking/exploring.
I need to also start my day with a prayer-focus; and concentrate on having more fun with my boys.
Stacy in MI
mum to 6 ds
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ALmom
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| Posted: April 23 2006 at 7:28pm | IP Logged
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Well, I'm mostly undecided as to what. Probably a Kolbe flex our own program for the two older still at home, more of the same with the 2 younger (mostly CHC and real books) but have switched to Singapore math for the younger set and want to do more science experiments, nature walks and reading aloud together.
For the oldest at home, we are still toying around with how to do a foreign language (Latin) and have had some discussions with another family about forming a coop of sorts. Don't know where that will lead.
I will sign oldest at home up for extended program with Kolbe (to get their comments on essays even if we don't do anything as written in the plans).
Honestly, I haven't thought a whole lot about it yet. We're in the midst of planning graduation for our oldest and getting scholarship and other stuff in order for college (there are a thousand times we have to visit the campus for the same set of intro from different departments - honors forum, music school and the regular orientation). I want to have a chance to discuss and lay out things with the next oldest but I cannot focus on more than one thing at a time.
I do know we need a better schedule. I like what someone said about anchors in the day - wake up time, meal times, chore time. I KNOW whatever form of school we end up with, will go better with this. So far this is as far as I've gotten and I'm still mostly undecided.
Janet
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rose gardens
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| Posted: April 24 2006 at 4:06pm | IP Logged
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teachingmom wrote:
| As of a few days ago, I am looking at Lingua Mater for grammar. (Have any of you used it as a one year course? Will it be an enthusiasm killer to do so?) |
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We currently use it as about a 1 1/2 year course. (We began this year with a unit study from Total Language Plus, then moved onto Lingua Mater which we are about 1/3 through.) Lingua Mater probably wouldn't "kill enthusiasm" if used as a one year course as it's designed to be completed in one year with a 4 day school week. We like the program very much--it's one thing we won't change next year. I recommend it.
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rose gardens
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| Posted: April 24 2006 at 5:05pm | IP Logged
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My twins begin kindergarten next year.
In anticipation of our home school enrollment doubling, we move to a larger classroom next Fall. Well okay, we're just finishing our basement, but I'm excited to set up homeschooling down there. It's a walk out, and I look forward to being on ground level with a closer view of our yard and gardens.
Regarding the books, we'll be back to Singapore math for everyone. I plan to use a variety of "real books" for K & 2nd grade science, teaching three children together. Otherwise we'll continue much the same with mostly CHC materials, advancing to the next grade level and supplementing in a few areas. But I'm scanning through this thread for other people's ideas--like MichelleM's reading journal to keep favorite quotes and poems--might try that too! 
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Diane
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| Posted: April 24 2006 at 11:23pm | IP Logged
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Next year?! I'm still trying to figure out what I'm doing this year...it's not almost May, is it? 
I've enjoyed reading all of the great ideas on this thread. I think the main change I hope to accomplish is to be more structured with our time so that we can be more relaxed with our learning. Does that make sense? Too many days seem so chaotic, and I just move from one crisis to another, and nothing much seems to get accomplished. I'm hoping that if I can organize our time and home better, we will make more time for the really good stuff---read alouds, nature study, art and music. Is this just wishful thinking on my part? Life with lots of kids doesn't have to mean chaos, does it? Will being more structured help me be more relaxed? I hope so.
I am really drawn to unschooling and, even more, tidal homeschooling (thanks, Lissa) as a philosophy, but I find it very hard to feel comfortable living it. I really appreciate all of your writing on this, Willa---you always give me much to ponder. I've got some de-schooling to do myself. And yet I can't let go of the notions that certain things must be taught/learned and that I want my kids to have a "balanced" education, whatever that means. 
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Peace,
Diane
Mom to five fair lasses and one bonny prince
The Journey of a Mother's Heart
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stacykay
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| Posted: April 25 2006 at 2:51pm | IP Logged
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Diane wrote:
| I am really drawn to unschooling and, even more, tidal homeschooling (thanks, Lissa) as a philosophy, |
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I must have missed this- what is tidal homeschooling?
Thanks,
Stacy in MI
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Diane
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| Posted: April 25 2006 at 3:33pm | IP Logged
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stacykay wrote:
| I must have missed this- what is tidal homeschooling? |
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Sorry, Stacy, I should have provided a link to Lissa's description of Tidal Homeschooling, but I've never done it before and wasn't sure I could figure it out quickly. Here goes...
I love this analogy and long to model it more in my own home. It feels so right, how life and learning should be, the balance I'm searching for.
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Peace,
Diane
Mom to five fair lasses and one bonny prince
The Journey of a Mother's Heart
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MichelleM
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| Posted: April 25 2006 at 10:27pm | IP Logged
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Diane wrote:
| [QUOTE=stacykay]I must have missed this- what is tidal homeschooling? |
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Sorry, Stacy, I should have provided a link to Lissa's description of Tidal HomeschoolingQUOTE]
Beautiful Lissa! What a wonderful analogy. My husband and I were nodding our heads in agreement as we read. He even suggested we send it to our parents to give them some insight into our homeschooling! Thank you! 
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~Michelle
Mommy to 5 Blessings
Visit my blog: House of Grace
Our nature blog: All of Creation
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stacykay
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| Posted: April 26 2006 at 3:00pm | IP Logged
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Diane,
thank you for the link! I have been perusing Lissa's off and on last night and today. It even prompted me to pack up my boys and head to the park. We were able to take a beautiful walk, spotting swans sitting on their nests, turtles swimming and sunning, a lonely and persistant Canada goose who insisted on following us all over, many fish and birds, and the boys biggest thrill, a muskrat, swimming along. We had a wonderful time!
I waver between inspiration at the wisdom and beauty you ladies possess, and self-incrimination for not coming close to giving my boys more. 
I will keep plodding along, and working to incorporate more of the joy which homeschooling affords us, into our day. I am not giving up, just getting some insight, which I keenly need.
Thank you!!!
God Bless,
Stacy in MI
mum to 6 ds's (18- on Sunday!, 15, 11, 8- in 10 days!, 4, and 1) and 2 saints in heaven (Patrick David and Irene Rose)
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Willa
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| Posted: April 26 2006 at 3:14pm | IP Logged
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Diane wrote:
| I think the main change I hope to accomplish is to be more structured with our time so that we can be more relaxed with our learning. Does that make sense? Too many days seem so chaotic, and I just move from one crisis to another, and nothing much seems to get accomplished. |
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Makes sense to me, Diane. I am a bit like that too.
About unschooling and balance, I honestly hope to have both. It helps me a bit to look back at my homeschool from the "tip of the iceberg" point of view. I can see that 90% of the effective learning that took place was the informal stuff and that the formal 10% was just as often ineffective or even a bit damaging as effective and beneficial. Anyway, deep breath emoticon, we'll see! (pretend this one is a deep breath)
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AMDG
Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: What will you change next year?
