So begins our journey into our first year of home schooling. Ezra will be beginning first grade on Monday. Good thing about homeschool, since he is ahead, he can begin further into the curriculum! So we will be starting at about lesson 20 in math and in our second reader for reading.
This year we have chosen to use Saxon Math, Abeka Reading, Science, Social Studies and Bible. We will also be doing Art lessons (taught by me) once a week, library visits weekly, and self directed project learning. Right now Ezra is really interested in fossils, so I believe we will begin there with the self directed projects. I've been able to find a ton of helpful websites to help with math practice, handwriting, spelling practice and phonics/reading games. I've even found games/websites that are appropriate for Elize, Pre K.
Elize will be doing "Letter of the Week" which I found on Confessions of a Homeschooler. It is a FREE....YES FREE...curriculum or you can download the entire document for $10 or have a CD sent to your home for $16! It is chock full of fabulous math, fine motor, and pre reading/pre writing activities! Best of all they are already made! I just have to print them!
So do you have a Tiny Tot?? Confessions of a Homeschooler also has Tot School! So if you are looking for activities for your toddler, check her out.
My dining room has been converted to our home school area. I always have enjoyed teaching at tables instead of desks anyway. I have a bookshelf with our books, art supplies, chore packs, and teacher supplies. I also have a white dry erase board that I can pull out and use, but I can hide away behind the shelf when not in use. I'm very excited to get started. I'd like to get a bulletin board to stick some things up on like the kids' work, a map, things like that. But for now, we will start with what we have.
For planning/organizing lessons I am using two things. I have a simple Monthly Planner that I use for writing down events (play dates, ballet, cheerleading, football, doctor appointments, etc) and for lesson planning I am using a Word document using "tables".
I'm excited to report back and let you know how our first week has gone!
you are UNBELIEVEABLE and the kids are going to do just fine with you as the TEACHER. You are a great teacher and I am very blessed that you got to teach one of my children. That way you are doing what you love to do and your with your children. Take care and good luck and I will say a prayer for all of you! Miss seeing you. Take care Dale and family(Draven in the 8th and twins in 5th) where has the time gone??
ReplyDeleteI LOVE tot school. We have used a lot of their stuff and visited lots of the sites that are linked back to them. Great resources. We love starfall.com for learning too. We are using Heart of Dakota Little hands to heaven but its too easy for Azilee. She already knows letters, numbers, sounds, etc. So i think I am going to sell it and do my own Prek units until K next year.
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