Winds of Change Blowing from Schooling to more Unschooling

After taking a long winter break, we started homeschooling again this January.  I had not planned on taking a long break. We moved in October, took 2 weeks off to get unpacked and settled in, and began school again.  After 3 weeks of struggling through our days, my hubby and I made the executive decision to stop, regroup and try something different.  

We have been using Heart Of Dakota for most of our schooling.  I enjoy it and so does my 4 year old, working on Pre-K and K.  My 6 year old in 1st grade is not enjoying it as much.  He is a high-energy kid, who likes to move.  Any type of learning that doesn't have him moving or playing is boring and not fun.  I have made up lots of games for him along the way.

This began my look into child-led learning and unschooling.  Such terms were foreign to me.  So let me explain them as I understand them: child-led learning is more like unit studies, but you let the child decide what they want to learn about.  Let's say they show an interest in sharks.  As the educator, I start them on a quest for books about sharks, find educational shows to watch, and visit an aquarium, the ocean or an online live feed of a shark tank.  Then, you incorporate creative writing, which can cover grammar and spelling, geography (map of the oceans), science (life cycle, how gills work, what is cartilage), history (were sharks hunted by people groups, shark attacks), art, math, etc.  If the child shows an interest in the oceans, or say a group of people that hunted the sharks, you start moving in that direction.  I see it as possibly becoming labor intensive since you can't really plan ahead and you would have to make up the curriculum as you go.  But the positive side is that your child would really enjoy learning, since he is interested in every topic you are studying.  

Unschooling is very similar to child-led learning, but I think of it as I have a plan of topics to cover and teach through learning by play, projects, cooking, games, etc.  There are many different ways of looking at the two terms, so please do not take my thoughts as the final say in how to do either of them!  

I have started to move towards unschooling.  Pictured below is my schedule from the beginning of the year, before our move (Monday's column) and after moving (Tuesday's column).  The scheduled times had flown out the window. I just used the order of subjects to keep me on track.  

I was using read-aloud History books for history, science and geography, with the science and geography relating to the history topic.  I changed copy work from poetry lines, which we used in the fall, to sentences from our Bible story.  Jman's (1st grade) reading was a book that I was picking out for him, as well as BG's (pre-k/k) phonics lessons.  Math for both were out of workbooks.  First grade language arts was spelling flashcards and one grammar lesson per week, while pre-k/k was workbooks.  Lots of sitting.

Flash forward to my new schedule, which I started this week.  I threw out the times and strictly went by subjects for the week.  We are doing a lot more together while we figure things out.  I am sticking with the read aloud history, but tweaking the lessons a little to incorporate play while they listen.  For example, today we learned how the pilgrims built board houses.  Why not let them build their own houses with legos while I read?  Or make "logs" out of playdoh? It keeps their hands busy and out of most trouble.  Granted, their little imaginations get going and we have ninja towers, playdoh ice cream cones, but they listened!  

I decided to pick my own science topics and make my own plans, as well as incorporate a few of the fun activities already in my teacher manual.  This week, to go along with building board houses, we are studying beavers.  I tried to keep the two related.  I found books about beavers with pictures and stories and a Wild Kratts episode to watch.  I am keeping the oiled windows activity and build your own wall project.  I'm adding my own art projects to match our science topics.  My goal is to keep things moving and fun.

I'm adjusting math to workbooks and math games every other day for both boys.  I decided to let Jman pick his own books to read to me.  Of course, they are off of a "Special Shelf" that I filled with appropriate leveled books.  Giving him that little bit of executive power makes it exciting for him.  I am sticking with the spelling flashcards and one day of grammar, because I want to have him do a little bit of sitting each day.  It is good to have him be sit and be still for a few minutes.  I kept Jman's copy work to the Bible story.  God has given him a heart for His word and reading and copying it is enjoyable!  

As for BG, I am adding more play activities in his handwriting, like writing letters in bubbles and playdoh.  He is my mellow, sit down and focus child.  So I am keeping it light to keep school fun.

My stack of books and materials hasn't changed much, but the attitudes and levels of excitement have definitely changed for the better! 

I'll let you follow along as we continue to tweak our homeschool unschooling.  Look for more updates to come!

Our Classroom has a New Member!

Now before you go getting any crazy ideas, let me just say that our "newest member" has been needed for a long time and was store bought.  (That should curb any wild imaginations running away!)

We have been plugging away this year at kindergarten and preschool.  It has been going really well.  Don't get me wrong, we usually fight over who is going to go first (seriously, it hasn't changed since we started), for many months I heard "I don't want to do reading!", and my kids have so many wiggles, it's a miracle the chairs haven't broken yet.  Despite these normal occurances, we have fun and I can see improvements in my boys that keep me encouraged.  Well, we had been conducting our business on a little table from IKEA, about 18" x 24".  In reality, we had school time on the floor.  It was not very convenient, but we made it work.

School used to be all over the place and you can see the little table in this picture.

So now can you guess who our new member is?  Yep, a table!  (It's the little things in life.)  I just set it up this past week, and it is SO much better.  I can honestly say that the boys are able to concentrate better and can see and complete workbook pages much easier.  There is less fighting over who is taking up too much room on the table and cleaning up is a lot easier.  The crayons, markers and paper are mostly on the table, rather than sprawled all over the carpet.  If I would have known a table would make the day go this much smoother, it would have been a necessity from day 1! 

 

Doesn't it look awesome?!?  I'm super excited!!  (It is only a 6' plastic folding table we bought at Walmart, but still.)  No more fighting over who gets to use the table.  Now it's fighting over who gets to sit in which seat...there is always something.

 

Also, I have rearranged and reorganized my school shelves.  I tried to put as much in fabric bins and plastic totes as I could.  I needed things to look and be organized or I wouldn't be able to function.  (I'll just say that this day of rearranging and organizing was amazing.  My type A side was on cloud 9!) 

 

What does your classroom look like?  Have any must-haves you want to share??

 

Blessings,

Garage Mayhem

Weekend Project #4: Organize the Garage

Nate was in charge of this one.  I get stressed out looking at "the corner."  It is mayhem.  We have tried finding things in the mountains of boxes and bins, but it is nearly impossible to find anything.  It was time to start the task.

Lulu had to, of course, be right in the thicket of the work.  She can be quite the "helper."  (I use the term "helper" VERY loosely!)

Nate started by assembling the shelving system we bought (ON SALE!).  It was super easy to put together.  

He also used an app on his phone to make an inventory list of everything he was putting away.  I was impressed!  He always does a good job, but he really hit it out of the park on this one.  He labeled the boxes to correspond with the lists on his phone.  Next time we're looking for something, we can track it down by his phone.  Awesome!

 Nate did get it organized and everything put away that would fit, but decided he wanted to get a workbench as well, so it isn't completely finished.  Once we get the workbench fit in, we'll be able to get it done!  

Blessings,

Amanda

Backyard Storage

Weekend Project #3: Backyard Clean Up

Our backyard has been kind of a mess.  The patio area isn't huge and we've managed to fit our large patio table, 6 chairs, a zero gravity lounger, a water table, 3 hoses, a slide, grill, miscellaneous yard tools and toys all in the small area.  It hasn't been pleasant.  When Nate's parents came to visit, they brought an outdoor storage chest they bought at Menard's per Nate's request.  You can see how small the patio area is below.  It was a bit crowded!

We put the kids in charge of filling it up with their toys.  It also helped clear out a few boxes from the garage too!  It worked out great!  And we know that it is waterproof.  We have had a ton of rain and it has been dry inside.  Perfect!

To take care of the hoses, I screwed some yellow hooks into the fence and hung two of them up.  Now we don't have to move them when Nate mows either!  

We cleaned up our outdoor living space with just a little organizing, storage, and handy work.  Now we can enjoy God's creation without tripping over toys to get to our chairs!  

Blessings,

My Homeschool Planner

I have big news.  We have bought a new printer!  I'm pretty excited.  We have been out of ink for over a month and my husband didn't want to buy ink when we could get a new printer that was faster and better for a little more money.  I agreed, but it wasn't happening.  I finally told him we needed one.  How was I going to make decorations for BG's Golden Birthday party?  So now we have one and I'm printing and planning up a storm!

I finally compiled my entire planner.  I have all the pages I know I will need.  I'm sure more will pop up, but for now, this is what I have:

While our printer was out of commission, I designed my own cover.  I drew this picture and colored it in with pastels.  It was really fun to make.  I hadn't drawn in quite a while!

My first page is my 2012-2013 calendar year.  I outlined holidays and other important days in red.  I got this calendar from www.calendarlabs.com.

I bought these dividers at Walmart.  I like that they have pockets for my brainstormed ideas.  :)

The first section is a year around schedule with the number of weeks and days in each month I'm schooling and my weekly schedule.  I haven't filled in the weekly schedule, as I'm still working out details.  I don't like being confined to an hourly schedule, but it's good for me to have a general guideline of what is the usual schedule for the week.  I know my kids need routine.  

The second section is an attendance record as well as a Teacher and Student schedules.  Again, I'm not sure if I will use it, but I do know I will need to set aside time for each child as well as teach them together.  It may help to know what needs to be done together and separately.  

My third section is the monthly calendars and my meal planners.  I got the monthly calendar from www.FreeHomeschoolDeals.com (pictured above on the bottom page) and my meal planner from www.NoOrdinaryMomentsblog.com (pictured above on the top page).  I have my year planned out for school, just need to get the details written down.  Menu planning will get done next.  

The fourth section is the actual weekly plans.  I have a plan for my kindergartner (pictured above, printed from www.donnayoung.org) and a plan for my preschooler (pictured below, printed from www.1plus1plus1equals1.blogspot.com).  I have started to fill it in; just need to finish it all up!

In the fifth section, I placed preschool and kindergarten standards, just as reference guides for me.

The sixth section is random print offs I have yet to laminate or place in a clear pouch.  

The last 2 sections are empty for now!

It is a lot of work, but it is fun to get everything printed, planned, organized and ready.  I'll follow up with the unit plans once I get them completed!  

Blessings,

Amanda

Chores Galore!

I have been tripping over toys, shoes, books, papers, you name it, I've seen it on my floor.  If we clean up the house, it takes about 20 minutes before it is a disaster again.  I finally had had enough and decided to get some sort of order.  I'm not saying my kids don't clean up, they do a great job when they stay focused, but if there are other things on their minds, picking up does not get done.  It was time to get our chores organized. (YIPPIE!! Organization!!!!)

I first saw this chore chart on Homeschool Creations blog.  I looked at it and looked at it, and finally decided to print it off.  I am glad I did.  My boys want to do chores now.  They love being able to take off their picture tags when they've completed a chore. 

I attached the tags with Velcro Sticky-Back Hook and Loop Fasteners, 0.625 Inches Diameter Coins, Clear, 75 per Pack (91302) .  They are super easy to use and I don't have to cut them this time!!  :)

  

I taped the boys' charts onto the side of their bed.  I also taped an envelope below it for their completed chore cards.

  

I knew my 5 year old could water the plants if I helped him a little.  I took a plastic cup and marked a fill line with a Sharpie inside of the cup.  I labeled the outside as well and drew a picture of a spider plant.  (Each child has one that was started from my parent's spider plant.)  Jman gets really excited when this tag comes up!  

One of BG's chores was to pick up books.  The majority of the books were under his bed. 

I needed a few extra tags, so I made my own in the above table.  I added a picture for putting books away, wiping off the kitchen chairs, and 2 pictures of a boy reading devotions.  If you want to print these off, right click the image and choose 'Save Image As'.  Then print away!

It eases my stress (and foot pain) to have these chores in place.  I am thrilled that my kids enjoy doing their chores.  This is instilling values of good work ethics, responsibility, and helping them stay out of trouble!  It's a win-win for mom and kids.  :)

Blessings,

Plan into Action...Homeschooling Preparation

My brainstorming for lesson plans...not done nor in order.

I am really getting excited about next year.  Jman will be in Kindergarten and BG will be doing preschool again and little Miss Lulu will be along for the ride!  Brainstorming, online searching, printing, laminating, it's all happening.  I have finally decided to do my own curriculum for K, but I do think I will be doing My Father's World for 1st grade and on.  I had originally decided to go with the K curriculum from My Father's World, but felt that saving some money and making my own units was what I needed to do.  Panic hit me at first, but now that I'm into the swing of things, it is coming together!

Laminating and printing fun

I've had lots of fun planning out units.  I had saved a bunch from last year when I made my own lessons with Jman, so I am going to reuse them and just add in some extra materials for kindergarten.  I still have some work to do...lots more printing, laminating, cutting and organizing!  A few of the websites I've gotten unit ideas and packs from are Homeschool Creations, Totally Tots, and 1+1+1=1.

I am also making a calendar board like the one I found on Homeschool Creations and 1+1+1=1.  My boys have been peeking in on all my printing and laminating and keep asking "What is that for?!?!", "Can we play with that?".  It makes me smile knowing they already like it and haven't seen it in its entirety yet!  (And I'll say that I have already started looking for Velcro coins, laminating pouches,   hooks and rings!)

I'm still coming up with ideas for BG and Lulu to stay busy while I'm helping Jman.  I've come up with a few ideas: sensory boxes to go along with our themes, our Vtech Computer, and workboxes that have coloring books, learning games, puzzles, our Leap Frog Scribble and Write (my preschooler loves this), books and any other fun ideas/trinkets I find to throw in for a particular theme.

I really feel God's hand on me as everything comes together.  His plan does prevail and I know I'm just along for the ride.  I need to keep my ears open so I can hear Him.  I want to be an active participant in this ride of life.  It does make things easier and much more enjoyable!!!

Blessings!

Homeschool Planning

Getting Organized: BEFORE

AFTER

Ok, I'll admit it, I am an organizer.  I plan ahead.  I color coordinate my closet (and my husbands!).  But having 3 kids puts a damper on many of my organizing endeavors.  I have accepted that I will always be living in some sort of chaos and that my plans will often get altered.  It's the life of a mom!

With our homeschool year coming to a close, I have started thinking about planning.  I've been reading homeschool blogs and following more homeschooling moms on Twitter.  It has given me a lot of new ideas.

The first of which, is that I'm thinking about making my own curriculum for K.  Scary?  Yes, a little, but I have found a lot of online websites and printables that have given me a pretty good feel for what I will need.  It is going to be work, but planning and organizing get me excited!

Here are a few websites I've found:

The Homeschool Classroom: http://www.hsclassroom.net/2012/02/top-ten-free-online-phonics-resources-for-preschool-kindergarten-and-beyond/

Homeschool Creations: http://www.homeschoolcreations.com/

3 Dinosars: http://3dinosaurs.com/wordpress/index.php/free-dinosaur-pack/

Walking by the Way: http://www.walkingbytheway.com/blog/?p=716736

The Better Mom: http://www.thebettermom.com/2012/06/helping-your-child-become-a-better-reader/

Mama Jenn: http://www.mamajennblogs.com

CENTSible Homeschooling: http://www.blessedbeyondadoubt.com

Our Goodwin Journey: http://www.ourgoodwinjourney.com/search/label/homeschooling

There are so many more out there!  I've only touched the tip of the iceberg.  Regardless, you catch my drift that making your own curriculum is possible.

Secondly, I've come to the conclusion that I would love a Homeschool Planner.  The thought of one makes me smile.  The actual process of planning an entire school year is daunting.  My online searching has eased my anxiety.  There are a lot of free planners and women who share their secrets of what what worked for them, how they planned their school year, how far in advance they planned, etc.  It has been reassuring and uplifting.  I know I'm not the only one out there!

Some websites to check out as well:

Homeschool Creations:  http://homeschoolcreations.com/Homeschool-Planner.html  (You will have to purchase this planner, but there are great ideas and lots of free printables to add to your planner!)

Mama Jenn: http://www.mamajennblogs.com/2010/08/my-homeschool-planning-docs.html

CENTSible Homeschooling: http://www.blessedbeyondadoubt.com/2012/04/20/free-homeschool-plannersgeneral-homeschooling-centsible-homeschooling/  (Lots of websites to search from here!)

Money Saving Mom: http://moneysavingmom.com/2012/05/free-printable-and-customizable-homeschool-planners.html

Free Homeschool Deals.com: http://www.freehomeschooldeals.com/free-monthly-homeschool-planner/

I did not print worksheets/forms off of all of these websites, but I did get valuable information from looking at them.

What a whirlwind!  It is an exciting journey.  I'll be keeping you up to date as I get more and more accomplished.

My next goal: finding ways to keep a 3 yr old and a 1 yr old engaged while teaching my kindergartner.  Oh boy!  :)  But I have a few ideas and have seen some great ones.  More to come!

Blessings,

We Have Been Busy!

I moved the lazy-boy up from the basement and put our old computer chair downstairs.  It looks nice in the sun room, but the basement looks a bit bare without it!  

Nate finished up the trim  in the basement hallway.

We got a panel painted to cover the water meter.

Lulu's first tree trimming!

   

     We have accomplished a lot in the past 2 weeks.  The sun room got a little cozier.  It was the worst idea to bring up the lazy-boy by myself, but I did it and will never do it again!  I really wanted to rearrange the room the way I wanted to, so I decided to do it when Nate wasn't home!  HA!  Sore legs and arms is what I got for being impatient.  

     The basement trim got a little more complete.  The only rooms not trimmed out downstairs are the bedroom and the bathroom.  

     The bathroom panel is going to get mounted so we can access the water meter easily.  Once that gets done, the trim will go in.  I really enjoy completing projects!

     Lulu's first Christmas will be great.  The boys are enjoying the ornaments on and OFF the tree.  We'll see how many are still in one piece when we take down the tree!  

     Phew!  There's the quick update.  Until next time!!