Saturday, May 2, 2009

Musings for next year

I feel like I'm in a holding pattern right now for a few reasons.
Most annoying is that I made a huge amazon.com order 4 weeks ago and a lot of it still hasn't shipped. I want the books so I can start planning more for next year! I'm currently eagerly awaiting Story of the World Volume 1, the SOTW activity guide, the McGuffey readers, and a new copy of the Well Trained Mind. I just received the McGuffey speller.
We're also in limbo because it's coming up on summer. I don't want to do as much schooling over the summer- I want to take advantage of the all too brief warm season and let the kids out to play. I also don't want to completely jettison all bookwork, especially at the stage Sweet Pea is at. She's still so new to reading, especially, that we're going to keep gently working on it, I think.
I remember when I was in school the beginning of every year was always a lot of review to refresh everything that had been forgotten while we frolicked outside. I'd prefer to do things often enough that there isn't a huge gap and that need to revisit.
I'm also trying to figure out exactly what I want to do this fall. And when. I'm a planned- I love to have things laid out in a pretty, color coordinated schedule that I can refer back to. I'm itching to start mapping things out but I'm having a hard time deciding exactly what we're going to fit in, why and how.
I know that we need the basics- the reading, writing, and math. And recicitation- that's the 4th "R", right? What else should come in for Kindergarten, though? Should we start SOTW? Should we start science? What about formal art, music, a PE program? Latin?
What should be daily work, what should rotate through the week? It seems like a lot of the homeschoolers I talk to online are on the relaxed side and many people don't do any Kindergarten curriculum, but at this point in time I think that would drive me absolutely bonkers. Realistically it would drive Sweet Pea bonkers, as well. I know Little Bird is still fully flexible- she's still so little (turning 2 in a matter of days!). And that's not what I want for us, either. I don't understand the arguements about young kids needing lots and lots of play time and curriculum being stifling- we spend an hour or so a day on book work- and all the rest is unstructured free play time. How does that curb creativity and learning opportunities for motor skills?

2 comments:

  1. yea, I need to do a major mama brain picking here. I want to start "formal" preschool in the fall with ds 1 and will probably do the "about 3" workbooks, but I want to talk to you about beginning to practice record keeping and other such things. I'll call you soon!

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  2. Do! I'd like to talk to you. :)

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