Where do you-all find the time?!

The time to homeschool and blog? 

We've been puttering along all fall, continuing to use Moving Beyond the Page as our main curriculum spine, and very much enjoying it!  We are almost finished with the 6-8 level and will move into 7-9 early in 2012.  We're also been spending our time working through Teaching Textbooks 3 and I will order the next level after the holiday rush is over.  Challenging Word Problems and Life of Fred - Elementary are also going well.  We've been using My Pals Are Here! 3/4 for science, as well as several Intellego Unit Studies for both science and social science.  We have workbooks for days when I'm not at my best, but both find that discussion centred around whatever we are reading suits us best.  Fine arts and physical education are mostly done out of house, and as for French - well, let's call it a 'curriculum in progress'...

Kind of like my blogging! 

CKW with his latest Lego 12 Days of Brickmas creation.  Day 2 - Gift Wrapped Present

Finally, An Update!

Things have been going very well, and I can't tell you how relieved I am to be able to write that... 

It took me over a year to decide exactly when would be the best time to remove CKW from public school and begin homeschooling.  For reasons having to due with my health, I knew that I would not be able to homeschool until he was old enough to work at least somewhat independently, and up until late last month I honestly wasn't sure if this year was going to be 'The Year of Independent Work' or 'The Year of Homeschool Hell'!

Finally we had a day where CKW finished up all his work before lunch.  I can remember the time as if it were yesterday; it was 11:47 and we called it a day.  When I congratulated him and told him that he was free to do as he pleased for the afternoon, the look on his face was priceless.  "Can I play lego?" he asked.  "Can I go outside and fly my kite?"...  "Can I ride my dirtbike?"...  After five or six anwers in the affirmative, I guess he realised that I was serious and he broke out into a huge smile.  Since then, we haven't had many days that extend beyond lunchtime and, thankfully, much less wasting time, fooling around, and general 'pain in the butt' behaviour.  He is learning, and I am able to rest as needed.  It's working for us!  It's really working!!

With respect to teaching/learning styles, I have found that 'flipping the classroom' is the way to go at our house.  At the end of each homeschool day, I have CKW watch BrainPop or Discovery Education (for example) videos that introduce and explain the topics we are going to be discussing the following day.  This often gets him interested enough to independently locate supplemental reading on a topic that afternoon/evening, and consequently our teaching discussions have been at a much higher and more in depth level.  His comprehension and retention have also improved.

Writing continues to be our bugaboo, but things are improving.  CKW is doing all the writing required, including making use of the more advanced options when offered, in the 6-8 level of Moving Beyond the Page.  We are also doing The Wand program from Bravewriter.  This program started out quite slowly (it is suggested for K-2 students) but it has been encouraging for my struggling writer since the writing demands are light and the spelling and phonics review is helpful.  I will wait until the program is finished to make a final decision, but I think this will be something that we continue with in future years.

All in all, it has been a successful first month (or so!) of homeschooling.  Hopefully I will be back next week with an update, but no promises!

I meant to write weekly updates... Honest!

I don't know how she does it... 

And no, I don't mean Kate Reddy or Sarah Jessica Parker.  I mean all the homeschool bloggers who manage to both homeschool their children and update their blogs! 

I meant to write weekly updates, so that I would have them to refer to in later years, but time seems to get away from me every single day.  Our days have been going well, we've just been super busy with at home lessons, out of home extras, and sports - oh my doG the sports!  Swimming, karate, riding, zumba, skating, and hockey, hockey, hockey.  Seems CKW has found his religion...

However I will be back - I promise!  With an actual homeschooling update...  Tomorrow?

Note To Self

Homeschool Day at the Science Centre

Our local science centre offers once monthly homeschool days, with activities based upon our provincial science curriculum.  Of course CKW was excited eager to attend, so I couldn't let a little thing like the fact that I felt like death warmed over keep us away...

The morning session included several laboratory demonstrations of Changes in Matter, followed by a self guided tour of the centre's current Biodiversity Exhibit.  This exhibit included a model veterinary clinic and I must admit that I was quite pleased to see CKW enjoying himself while viewing radiographs, auscultating hearts, and repeatedly watching several wildlife surgery films.  Perhaps I'll make a vet out of him yet!

The afternoon was a laboratory session for the students:  Measuring Air and Water.  Each student had their own computer and lab equipment, but CKW's age group did their experiments with lab partners.  They had to measure the weight of air in a balloon, test an hypothesis regarding the mixing of water at two different temperatures, and finally, test an hypothesis regarding the mixing of salt with ice water.

With his lab partner.

 

 

Trying to blow up the balloon!

 

 

Water at different temperatures.

 

 

CKW had a ball!  October Homeschool day cannot come soon enough for him!

Our First Day 'Not Back To School'

Our local homeschool group's  'Not Back To School' get-together at a local beach on the day the public school children, indeed, went back to school.  It started out chilly, but after playing on the jungle gym, eating lunch, making kites and generally hanging out together, the sun came out and we had a perfectly lovely day! 

 

The End of the World As We Know It...

That's great, it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes, an aeroplane...
Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn -
world serves its own needs, regardless of your own needs.
...listen to your heart bleed.

Lock him in uniform and book burning...
...this means no fear - cavalier. Renegade and steer clear!
A tournament, a tournament, a tournament of lies.
Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives and I decline.

It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine...

First official homeschool day tomorrow - the end of the world as we know it - and I feel fine!