Planning

...is going well in a slow, indecisive sort of way.  There are so many things to study!  And so little time (oh, except that my children are only 6, 2 and <1 so, um, there IS time)!  But there are so many different ways to study these so many things.  And there is also play and play and nature and quiet times and play and play to fit in (most importantly! one of my main reasons for homeschooling...of the many other hundreds I could mention).  But I really enjoy planning and scheming and thinking about what fun we'll have in the year (s) to come. 

So far I'm (as usual) swinging back and forth between how structured I want our learning to be.  I see both sides of the "argument" (for lack of a better word)---I believe kids do very well with structure for their days and I think structure/schedule (I'm talking "blocks of time" here, not down-to-the-minute, don't worry) helps us to get done what we wish to.  But open time is important, too.  I believe that good things come from "boredom" and that TIME for imagination to blossom in is so important.  So:  some structure and some open-ness. 

We're going to start Story of the World this fall and I am SOOO excited.  The concept of studying history from the beginning to the end over four years...with fun activities and supplemental reading and doing it LIKE IT IS:  a STORY, that is exciting to me.  I am excited for Wendy and also for myself.  Because I certainly didn't learn history like this and generally have no concept of the way things truly fit together.   I will be reading Bauer's book for adults along with our SOTW studies, too. 

We'll be continuing in our phonics studies.  Wendy took off in reading in the last month or two but I want to continue to build her skills...gradually everyday.  We've been using the K12 program but now that she's got the swing of it I think this program is a little too slow.  We'll move to The Ordinary Parent's Guide.  We'll also be doing journalling and narration, copywork and spelling, poem memorization and lots of free reading and read-alouds. 

Math is giving me some frustration.  I ended up liking math in college...once I got to calculus (wasn't even offered in my high school...gasp!).  And I don't remember math in elementary.  But I do remember just not getting it for years beginning in middle school and going through two years of algebra.  My Dad is a mathematical thinker and I was lucky that he was willing to help me everynight---help me to see the math problems as real-life examples.  But the actual math-in-school thing was a big disappointment.  I want my kids to love math the way my Dad does.  Which means to GET math the way my Dad does.  And maybe math won't be their thing...and maybe it will. But I want the way we study it to hold their interest and to make sense.  And there seems to be quite a few great programs out there.  And I wish we could do them all !  I'm having a hard time narrowing it down.  Leaning toward a combination of Saxon (using the workbooks and meeting book but NOT the scripted lesson plan...ugh, too much talk not enough DO) and Miquon (Saxon to make sure we're covering the bases and Miquon to supplement the dry-ness of the Saxon program with some good think-mathematically learning).  Plus lots of games and play. 

I'm considering The Young Scientist Club.  But will possibly hold off a year on this.  

And we'll be making nature notebooks a big part of our weeks a la Charlotte Mason.  Considering doing the Ambleside Online reading list but here is where the not-enough-time comes into play.  Many of our read-alouds will probably come from here, though.

Wendy will be starting violin and piano, both Wendy and John will be in gymnastics.  We'll do our co-op group once a week. 

Ahhhh...the details, the details!