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kbfsc
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| Posted: July 02 2010 at 7:08pm | IP Logged
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about my plans for next year! I have been offline for a while, in part because I have been busy planning a two-morning-a-week curricular co-op for the fall. It's been a real blessing, and something I think God is calling us to. The emphasis is going to be history and science, with the idea being that we will only need to cover the core subjects at home - catechism, math, reading, grammar...
Good. The place I'm freaking out about is wondering what to do with those days home. How to structure that "core" stuff. I'm still very new to home schooling (we just finished our second year) and my kids are young - they will be third and first grades next year.
We had our end of year evaluation a few weeks ago, and the kids evaluated very well. I have spent a lot of time talking with our evaluator (who is also a part of our home school community)about Ruth Beechick and Charlotte Mason, and she was very complimentary in terms of how we have tried to implement those philosophies and find curricula that works for us.
So, I guess the heart of my question is how do I maintain this good thing we've got going? If you were going to be co-oping with other families two days a week, what would your other three look like at home? And, what would you really consider "core" for first and third grade. I guess I'm most interested in discussing third, really. (The first grader is so easy, and she'll be determined to learn whatever big brother is.)
Everyone else in this curricular co-op was so excited to "check history and science off their lists at home"... honestly, we've never done a formal study of either! My son is a WWII buff, so I've counted his obsession with library books on that topic as his history. And science... lots of time at the park and the beach. I realize that all we've done, really, is "core," and I've been thinking that was ok for kids as young as mine.
Ahh! This is where the freaking out begins!
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Kiera
happy mama of ds '02, dd '03, ds '06, dd '09 and little ones in heaven
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saigemom
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| Posted: July 02 2010 at 8:34pm | IP Logged
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You can pm me or give me a call, but here is myho.
Third Grade:
Math
and Spelling- I like Seton here (sometimes a wkbk is not a bad thing)
CHC grammar books are gentle and get the job done- I have used them with 2 of mine and will start with my '02 this coming year
Some chapter book and picture book read alouds. Make sure he's reading
After that read, have outings to museums and parks, add some CM style nature study
Mainly, I would make sure that on those days home, there was plenty of time for the history buff to follow his passion. He will teach himself more than you ever thought possible if you let him. Other mama's would pay for that type of passion and self directed learning style.
Mostly, have confidence in yourself. You are doing a great job. What you do does not need to look like your neighbor's homeschool.
Jess
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guitarnan
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| Posted: July 02 2010 at 9:07pm | IP Logged
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Your co-op sounds great! So many families are intimidated by history and science, so this is a great solution.
Were I you, I'd do the core subjects on non-co-op days and do active things like PE and art on the co-op days.
Or, if I had time and energy to get out of the house regularly, I'd do M-W core, T-Th co-op, and Friday field trips and/or art/music/PE/volunteering/extension of subjects that interest your son.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: July 03 2010 at 7:12am | IP Logged
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guitarnan wrote:
Were I you, I'd do the core subjects on non-co-op days and do active things like PE and art on the co-op days.
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I agree with this! My kids really need to de-compress after a morning of coop activities. Physical activity, art, music and read alouds are what I would plan for those days. I would also make sure they have some quiet time just to themselves for reading or working on their own individual projects. (I have some introverted kids who really need that down time after being with a group for a while.)
The other days I would cover the basics which I consider to be Catechism, math, spelling, handwriting, grammar (for the older kids), latin, and phonics/reading instruction (for the younger kids).
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Becky
Wife to Wes, Mom to 6 wonderful kids on Earth and 4 in Heaven!
Academy Of The Good Shepherd
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Sarah M
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| Posted: July 03 2010 at 12:09pm | IP Logged
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What a great plan, Kiera! This looks fantastic!
We're Ruth Beechick/CM fans as well, and I have a first and third grader (and kindergartener) this next fall and we're co-oping as well! Not two days a week (just once-- we're covering Social Studies/Geography there a la Five in a Row), so... we're actually in a very similar boat as you are!
I'll just share what we're doing-- maybe that will help some? We co-op on Fridays, so I plan *nothing* for those days. We are all pooped by the time we get home from co-op, so I'm just planning 4 days of school at home.
On those days, my first and third graders will both do phonics, handwriting, and math. My 3rd grader will also do some gentle grammar (English for the Thoughtful Child) and spelling (Spelling Wisdom). We do this in a chunk of time from 10:30-12:00 every day. I'll spend 30 minutes of one-on-one with each child while the others are working independently (and the kinderboy is doing playdough or whatever). I've made them independent work folders and checklists to keep track of what they re to do while they wait for their one-on-one time with me- I'm happy to email those to you if you'd like to see them.
We're also going to do some other things, but mostly for the benefit of the kindergartener (finger paint, etc, that seems to get lost in the shuffle if I don't plan it out ahead of time), and I probably wouldn't do those other things if we were at co-op twice a week, as you will be.
Give yourself full permission to focus on the skill subjects on those three days at home, Kiera. I think that's a fabulous plan! And really, if you do it Ruth Beechick/CM stle (as you mentioned in your post) that won't take more than a chunk of time each morning...
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kbfsc
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| Posted: July 05 2010 at 8:57am | IP Logged
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I'm grateful for the encouragement and suggestions! Thank you!
I think planning on nothing extra for those co-op days is wise. Time outside, with a little nature study, and some quiet activities or outings is probably just right.
And keeping things simple for the "core" subjects feels right, too. I needed to hear you all say that! I'm going to get my Ruth Beechick book out, re-read some sections, and spend some time praying about how to structure our days. What a concept! 
Interesting, isn't it, that the *freedom* we have as home educators is the very thing that is both our joy and the place where we compare and fret? "Am I doing it right? Am I doing it like so-and-so?"
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Kiera
happy mama of ds '02, dd '03, ds '06, dd '09 and little ones in heaven
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: freaking out a bit...
