Having a great day!

We are so excited to be learning today! We have a fun-filled and a few challenges along the way. 

Tot School: "Chipmunk"

We are following the LOTW Curriculum from Confession of a Homeschooler. Erica is wonderful and her lesson plans are easy to follow. My son is quickly picking up his letter, sounds, and how to write them. 

We are on letter "A" this week and I pleased with his progress and eagerness to learn. We will be implementing "Tot Trays" next week. A super neat engagement activity for toddlers. We got this idea from Carisa on 1+1+1=1. 

1st Grade: "Peanut"

Since we started homeschooling in the middle of the year, I have been waiting for Peanut's ccurriculum to arrive. I just checked the tracking and it should be here today, hopefully. In the meantime, I am just following the unit lesson from school/state/standards for 2nd 9 weeks. 

Bible: "Garden of Eden" (I even learned something!)

Math:  I introduced fractions today! Now, you have some of those "challenges" that I wrote of earlier! :-)

Spelling/Handwriting: What a breeze! (If only it was this way in ALL subjects!)

Typing: We started on HOME keys today! It was quite interesting to see my six year old explore the keyboard! My youngest was pleading to type like his older brother, but I do not think I was ready for that yet!

Grammar: Declarative Sentences. I am waiting on the day when he doesn't say "Discover" sentences anymore.

History: We learned about the timeline today and then I had Peanut create one for himself. I taught him that major events are typically in a timeline, so choose wisely. He choose birth, walked, and climbed a tree. Not too bad! 

Writing:  Peanut had to write 3 things he's glad God gave him and write God a note about how he will obey Him. His very first one was "thank you for a good, loving mom." Most kids write 1 adjective to describe their moms (or anything)...I GOT TWO! 

PE: We're hitting the playground today!

Check out some pics from today 

Peanut is reading the Bible learning about Creation and the Garden of Eden!

My Chipmunk has a sad face because he has to clean up his paper shavings from cutting practice. (Sorry kid, no maids here!)

Chipmunk enjoys his educational video on letters and sounds. Check out LeapFrog Letter Factory!

Peanut is in deep concentration on his fractions, proving that kids do not have to be in a classroom to learn (or think!)

Oh yea, he thinks he can read and I cannot tell him any different. (We are working on it!)

Yes, he changes his "setting" based on what subjects he's on. He loves to move around! Tackling Declarative Sentences here!

 

Our First "Official Day"

Today was the first day we started with our classroom officially together, a guided schedule, and prepared plans! We have an awesome morning and the boys seemed to flow right into the routine. I did notice a few things that I would been to tweak as well. Take a look at what we accomplished this morning. 

My "Class"

 

My oldest son, Peanut, reciting the Christian & American Pledge

A quick snapshot of the Pledges.

My youngest, Chimpmunk, completing his "Calendar Notebook"

Peanut is writing his date!

Looking up the weather to assess his weather prediction and record in his weather journal.

We are working on correct color choice and staying inside the lines.

Homeschool Transition

MEET ME:

I'm Joyice, also known as "Miss Mom." I married with two boys ages 6 &3 and I am new to homeschooling. I am not a traditional homeschool mom. While I have been at home with them, I never once considered homeschool. I have taught and subbed in public schools, so naturally I sent my oldest to school last year for his Kindergarten year. We had a wonderful experience. His teacher really cared about him and his learning. She catered her teaching to all the children in the classroom, but of course I saw this most in my own child. As the year progressed, my son showed signed of "giftedness", but it was too early to test him. We moved on. I always "homeschooled" both of my boys heavily in the summer, as we had more time, all three of us, at least. 

THE PROBLEM: 

As the 2012-2013 school year approached, we enrolled our son in school for his 1st grade year, hoping for the same experience as last year. First grade consistently and frequently failed to meet out expectations. My son suddenly began to claim he "hated" school, his was overwhelmingly bored because he was not being challenged enough. The boredom then resulted in behavior issues (that my son never had before) and ultimately he did not want to be there. On top of that, his awareness (and introduction) to certain topics and issues were too mature for a six year old. When I asked him, "what did you learn that?" or "who told you that?", my son often replied "school" or "my teacher".

 Needless to say, I was becoming more and more irritated with public school. In turn, I realized, with the help of the Lord and some others, that I was in fact more irritated with OUR decision to enroll him in public school. Public school was failing my child and I was allowing it to happen! Who knew?!?! When I had that epiphany, I realized, I have a CHOICE! If that was not enough, a lady at my church reached out to me and mentioned that in children's church my son had admitted to being bullied at school. I quickly began "to see" that we could could not continue down this path, and this was just the first nine weeks of school. 

More and more, I was being led by God to seek an alternative educational route for my son. At first, I thought the issue was mainstream education, so, I had him tested for giftedness believing that if his results favored my desire I can withdraw him and enroll in a magnet school. However, I learned the results were not due back until December, and at this point I could not wait that long. 

THE SOLUTION:

 As I sat in church one day, my pastor said these exact words, "some of y'all aren't going to like what I have to say, but some of you need to take your kids out of public schools." My first thought was, well them, where do they go? And please, do not mention private school because many claim private school as if its affordable--it's not! Obviously, he mentioned homeschool. If I never heard the Lord speak, I did then. Public schools do not believe what I believe. I wanted my child to be someplace where the same beliefs, traditions, faiths, and practices were being upheld. Not a place where they were draining out the very substance I worked SO hard to instill.

THE TASKS/GOALS MET:
Within a week, I had researched homeschool, contacted by county office, meet with a homeschool mom guru, studied curriculum, paid for curriculum, visited Christian homeschool blogs/sites, withdrew my son, and began homeschooling him!

THE CONCLUSION:
I am so happy I did! My husband and I love it. My son is overjoyed that he can learn without having to wait for others or be told to stop because he wants to move ahead. He also enjoys sleeping in and having home-cooked lunches! ;-) We are enjoying being at home.

If you are a "transition" homeschool mom or at least thinking about it and you are of the Christian faith, here are a few scriptures that may help you along your journey. Seek God about what is best for you and your child. 

Psalm 1:1
Proverbs 1:7
Proverbs 22:6
Matthew 12:30

-Joyice