| Author | |
Meredith
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 08 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2355
|
| Posted: July 24 2007 at 9:28am | IP Logged
|
 |
|
This is always a fun topic and I wanted to get the ball rolling for those who may be starting back up in August or perhaps may have already begun and want to share 
When do you plan to start back?
How will you *set-up* for your first day(s)?
What are you favorite "back-to-school" traditions?
Looking forward to hearing ladies!!
Blessings!
__________________
Meredith
Mom of 4 Sweeties
Sweetness and Light
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
hobbitmom
Forum Rookie
Joined: March 29 2007
Location: Maryland
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 58
|
| Posted: July 24 2007 at 12:44pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Ooh, great topic, Meredith! Can't wait to see the replies!
Amy
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Angel
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 22 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2293
|
| Posted: July 24 2007 at 2:45pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Great topic! I'm looking forward to hearing what everyone else is doing. Right now we're in "doing things by halves" mode, since it looks like I will be having a scheduled C-section the last week in August. I can't really say that we've already started our year in the way I *want* to get things started... but we are definitely doing *something* right now. It's just that I don't have everything set up yet, and I haven't instituted a regular work period. So I am presenting activities to the little ones on a relaxed basis, and the big kids are keeping up with the basics. My 8 yo dd is doing Montessori math... sort of... lately we've been having problems with her taking SO LONG to do her chores that school gets scrunched. I still want them to have a lot of time outside, considering that it is summer.
I wrote more and then deleted it... considering that it hardly made sense!  Honestly, I can't even answer the question "have we started yet?" Or, "If not, when will we start?" or, "If we have, why am I doing things this way???" I'm not sure I've been terribly satisfied with the way things have been going, and am wondering if I just should have gritted my teeth and let the kids run wild and gotten our environment and materials absolutely ready before starting anything... or if doing things by halves is okay, even though it may mean that I don't have things straight for a more Montessori approach until January.
Looking forward to what everyone else has to say!
--Angela
Three Plus Two
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Meredith
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 08 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2355
|
| Posted: July 24 2007 at 3:00pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Oh Angela, I think you are doing great! Consider what you're up against...two toddlers, and being pregnant, plus a house to run, and then there's the older three. I think doing it by halves sounds pretty good to me  Thanks for checking in here, I'm looking forward to more!!
__________________
Meredith
Mom of 4 Sweeties
Sweetness and Light
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
lapazfarm
Forum All-Star
Joined: July 21 2005
Location: Alaska
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6082
|
| Posted: July 24 2007 at 7:45pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I have not started anything yet. Summer time is fun time here! My tentative plan is to start after the 4Real conference, with a target start date of right after Labor day weekend. That should give me enough time to get back home, prepare for the conference, do the conference, go back home again, set up materials (and make lots of materials) and come up with some sort of plan.
I hope.
__________________
Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
ozlouise
Forum Rookie
Joined: July 06 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 51
|
| Posted: July 26 2007 at 8:18pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Well we are starting back today (term three). I had three small shelves for `independent work' and rotating books for the first half of the year. So I have cleaned these off (toys seemed to have migrated there). We are starting the term with:
for 4yo dd - a shape sorter, a book with numbers to trace with your finger and a booklet to write these in.
for 6yo ds - a multiplication board we just made with booklet to write answers in, bead chains up to 5x5.
for both - the beginnings of our Africa box, 3 craft cards to choose from.
I think I will make some labels for the shape sorter for ds because he needs to learn more 3D shape names.
We are studying a continent per half term mainly focusing on animals. This term is Africe. We will start back with all of our other things today (maths, reading etc) as well.
We are half way through the school year so no `back to school' here. Although we have had a slow start to the term so ds is delighting in telling anyone that will listen that he did `no school' yesterday - accompanied by a very cheeky grin.
Louise
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
acystay
Forum Pro
Joined: May 31 2007
Location: California
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 99
|
| Posted: July 26 2007 at 10:43pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Well, I did take some summer time off although I see us as always learning, but this summer was full! I see us now slowing down and want to get going again; however, I'm trying to get things ready for it you know?
Anyway, I plan on starting sometime next month offically as a FIRST DAY. I have our state homeschool conference first and then will probably begin a couple weeks after that. I plan on stealing an idea from Meredith! I'm starting our year off with tea time with http://happyheartsmom.typepad.com/sweetness_and_light/monday s_with_mary_a_devot.html]the Blessed Mother. I so loved your idea Meredith!
They got backpacks to the other day so I will put some surprises in there (new art supplies, sketch pads, and a book). We'll be focusing on learning more French this year, the demostic Church, and art and form. I'll still be doing FAIR and HWT. Beyond that I don't know!?
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
KackyK
Forum All-Star
Joined: May 22 2007
Location: Virginia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1811
|
| Posted: July 27 2007 at 8:14am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Our first day I hope...you know how that is...will be August 27th...and short of knowing that...I'm not really prepared  ...getting to be crunch time really.
But you asked about traditions for starting back...the week before our "official" first day, we do orientation week. I sit with each child and we slowly go through all of their new books (I realized I needed to do this when before without it, they spent the whole first week just flipping through their books and I constantly was reminding to stay on task!). I let them flip through, finger them (you know how nice smooth clean pages feel ) and just get a good feel for them. Then we go over what sort of things will be expected, we go over their "new" agendas (I make up a template agenda that I fill out for each child and they just use that to figure out what to do each day) and we go over when we will be doing various "out-of-the-home" activities during our days (ie taekwondo, book club, 4H etc) and how best we will accomodate them. We don't do any school work during this time.
Then comes the official first day and to help them to really "look forward" to it...we order in pizza for lunch! A real treat! And to top off the day, and when dad is home...we have dessert for dinner (we don't usually have desserts).
I really like the idea of putting surprises in their backpacks...maybe some decorative pencils!
__________________
KackyK
Mom to 8 - 3 dd, 5ds & 4 babes in heaven
Beginning With the Assumption
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Angel
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 22 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2293
|
| Posted: July 27 2007 at 8:26am | IP Logged
|
|
|
KackyK wrote:
But you asked about traditions for starting back...the week before our "official" first day, we do orientation week. I sit with each child and we slowly go through all of their new books (I realized I needed to do this when before without it, they spent the whole first week just flipping through their books and I constantly was reminding to stay on task!). I let them flip through, finger them (you know how nice smooth clean pages feel ) and just get a good feel for them. Then we go over what sort of things will be expected, we go over their "new" agendas (I make up a template agenda that I fill out for each child and they just use that to figure out what to do each day) and we go over when we will be doing various "out-of-the-home" activities during our days (ie taekwondo, book club, 4H etc) and how best we will accomodate them. We don't do any school work during this time.
|
|
|
This is a really good idea! I think I might try that after we break for the baby! Especially since I have been talking it up to my 4 yo that this year he'll have his own special work to choose from when the bigger kids do their work...
--Angela
Three Plus Two
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Meredith
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 08 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2355
|
| Posted: July 27 2007 at 9:41am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Thank you so much! My dc are VERY fond of this as well and we will continue with it in the new year! We have a tradition of starting on August 15th which is the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary  and this year it falls on the Wednesday after I have just returned from the 4Real Confernece so...we'll probably have our Tea and do the rest of the week as a *break-in* period as well. It usually takes us a good month to settle in to any kind of a routine.
I like to give my older dc some flexibility as to how they go about their mornings, but it's usually Latin, Math, and Grammar, then the rest of their day is gravy, plus a WHOLE LOT of new Montessori items to explore And lots of piano for my ds 8.
Keep sharing, this is great!
__________________
Meredith
Mom of 4 Sweeties
Sweetness and Light
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Donna Marie
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 07 2005
Location: New Jersey
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2530
|
| Posted: July 27 2007 at 10:01am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Great idea for orientation week!
We start out very slowly...like 3 subjects per day at first tops. Then we slowly add in more. That way my wanderers learn that there is a specific beginning and end to their work and efforts...which translates to the fact that if they apply themselves, there is an end in sight and they can feel good about the work accomplished. They will often do more once their confidence goes up. My son is especially guilty of wandering away. I discovered last year that it was the fact that he lacked confidence for anything new. In response to that, we started out small and gradually increased his attention time.
I still have so much work to accomplish before we start school...officially. I am organizing our files and pre-printed papers in 2 drawer filing cabinets so we don't stumble at the beginning of the day with lack of a piece of the puzzle...it will be all laid out and ready to go so we can just jump in.
...and I am waiting for it to be cooler... If we ever get that new AC installed I may start sooner!
God love you!
Donna Marie from NJ
hs momma to 7dc 
__________________
God love you!
Donna Marie from NJ
hs momma to 9dc!!
Finding Elegant Simplicity
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
marianne
Forum Pro
Joined: Feb 22 2006
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 300
|
| Posted: July 28 2007 at 8:33am | IP Logged
|
|
|
I like the orientation idea. I was thinking of doing something similar, based on the ideas in our book, Montessori in the Classroom (can't get that underlined for some reason). I liked how she emphasized that the room was THEIRS, and that they had to take care of it and keep things in the right places. I might start a day or two early, and use that time to play the games that she mentioned she used in the first week. I loved the secret walk, and closing her eyes and having children go to a spot. We also have some new learning materials, and I want to make sure they understand where everything goes. I don't think we'll start with bare shelves though - most of the stuff they are familiar with. We'll get into the proper use of things later.
I think for my olders, I want to have a spot where they are required to put their written work after they finish, so I need to prepare that and show it to them.
We'll also have to do something fun, whether it is eat in the backyard or go to a park in the afternoon or something. We don't have a tradition, really, other than to do *something* kind of special on the first day.
We'll probably start on August 16, when the schools start. That will give us 2 days to get warmed up, and then on Monday we'll do a full day.
__________________
\
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Meredith
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 08 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2355
|
| Posted: July 28 2007 at 9:50am | IP Logged
|
|
|
There's a great thread somewhere on the board about first day traditions, Cay??? She has this lovely idea of giving her dc a special (German) cone filled with back to school goodies, I think they have them at Magic Cabin, sorry can't link right now, I'll try later I know Alice does this too...We have done it with various containers, but I LOVE the special cone, it's kind of Victorian in essence.
__________________
Meredith
Mom of 4 Sweeties
Sweetness and Light
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
montessori_lori
Forum Pro
Joined: June 06 2007
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 322
|
| Posted: July 31 2007 at 6:03pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
I laughed when I saw this topic, because I've had "suggestions for 1st week of school" on my list of blog topics for months. I was just waiting until the time was right!
In honor of all of you:
Starting the School Year Successfully - You Can Do It!
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Meredith
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 08 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2355
|
| Posted: July 31 2007 at 6:32pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Wonderful Lori, so timely and appreciated!!
__________________
Meredith
Mom of 4 Sweeties
Sweetness and Light
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: First Day, How Are You Starting??
