Okay, this is actually what an ideal day looks like. Ideal days very seldom happen around here, but this is what we shoot for. We all have to have a goal, even if we fail miserably most times. I would list precise starting times for each subject, but honestly, the idea of us actually starting and finishing when we plan is pretty laughable. So I will just list them in the order we try to do them.
After we get up, we have breakfast and do our Bible reading together. The curriculum we use for Bible class on Sunday and Wednesday has daily Bible readings, so we follow that.
Next, we will usually move on to math. The Tweebs use Abeka Arithmetic 1. We like it okay, but it has a lot of repetition and busy work. I'm thinking next year I will either move them to Saxon or Singapore. Motormouth is using Saxon 6/5. We aim for one lesson per day. Motormouth will spend more time on math than the Tweebs. Their attention span just isn't as long.
Then I will move on to phonics and reading with the Tweebs, and two days a week, spelling. I also use Abeka for those subjects. Once again, next year we will be changing that. While I am working with them, I have Motormouth do his Literature reading. He has been working through the Mabinogion. Once he finished that I will be changing it up a little, because we're going a little different route with history than originally planned.
Speaking of history, that's next. A couple of days a week we work on history, and the other days science. History and science are both subjects that all three kids work on together, just at different levels. I had started working through A Child's History of the World with the Tweebs, and Famous Men of the Middle Ages with Motormouth, at the suggestion of The Latin-Centered Curriculum. I like both books, but I'm going to use them at a different time. After reading through The Well-Trained Mind, I decided on a little different approach. If we work through a four year rotation of history, starting with the Ancients and ending with modern times, that means that this year, with the Tweebs in 1st grade, they will be starting the Ancients. Motormouth is in 5th grade, meaning it's time for him to study the Ancients again....just more in depth. See why I like this plan? I can teach the same era of history to all the kids, instead of trying to teach the Ancients to the Tweebs, and the Middle Ages to Motormouth. Much easier to keep straight in my head. Starting tomorrow, we will begin working through The Story of the World Volume 1: Ancient Times. There is also map work included in SOTW, so that will take care of geography. Also, Motormouth is participating in the National Geographic Bee, so he has a two hour prep class once a week for that.
On the alternate days that we don't have history, we will be doing science. We've been working through Apologia's Exploring Creation Through Human Anatomy and Physiology. We all love it, and it works great because Motormouth uses the Apologia notebooking journal, and I have the Tweebs doing narration and drawings of what they've learned in binders I put together for them. Human anatomy is a great study to go along with the Ancients. We are really pleased with Apologia, and will continue to use it next year.
Once all of that is completed, the Tweebs day is pretty much done. I have been using Ambleside Online for art study, and I will some days have them color a copy of a painting while I finish working with Motormouth. The last picture they worked on was Starry Night by Van Gogh. They loved it, and it gave them some culture.
Now that the Tweebs have finished their day, I have time to complete the rest of Motormouth's subjects with him. Composition, grammar and Latin require a little more participation by me than the other subjects.
For composition, grammar, spelling and language, we use Classical Writing. We've started with the second half of Aesop. Technically at his age we could have begun with Homer, but since this is all a little different than we're used to, I decided not to feel rushed. I purchased the student workbook B that goes along with Aesop. It makes my life easier to already have things planned out. This is a subject we do every day.
We use Prima Latina for Latin. Technically this is for a little younger student, but since this is our first experience with Latin, I decided to start from the beginning, regardless of the grade level. We'll just work through it quickly and then move on to Latina Christiana 1. Since we are trying to follow a Latin centered, classical style of schooling, Latin is also taught daily. The Tweebs are still trying to get a solid grasp on phonics, so they will not be starting Latin until 3rd grade.
I also throw some memory work in there during the day sometime, to go along with Latin, Bible, history and science. Every other week we have Art at a friend's house, and the other weeks we have PE with the same friends at our house. Also, we have a nature class at my cousin's house every other Tuesday.
Whew! It makes me tired just typing all of this. I am blessed to be able to teach my children at home though, so it's all worth it.
Like I said in the beginning of my post, this is what we TRY to accomplish on a daily basis. That doesn't mean it always works out that way. That's the beauty of homeschooling....flexibility.
Well, that's all for now...have a great day!
UPDATE ON HISTORY: After really looking at Story of the World, Volume 1, I have decided to return it. I didn't at all like how Bible events were written....too much poetic license. Also, there were some minor discrepancies in some other parts that I just didn't want to mess with correcting. I have enough going on in my day to have to be correcting tons of stuff in the curriculum I buy! So, after MUCH research (my head hurts), I have decided to order Mystery of History, Volume 1. We'll see how it goes. After all the change we've done lately, we've got to get started with something, so I think we'll use it even if we hate it! (Just kidding.)
I also throw some memory work in there during the day sometime, to go along with Latin, Bible, history and science. Every other week we have Art at a friend's house, and the other weeks we have PE with the same friends at our house. Also, we have a nature class at my cousin's house every other Tuesday.
Whew! It makes me tired just typing all of this. I am blessed to be able to teach my children at home though, so it's all worth it.
Like I said in the beginning of my post, this is what we TRY to accomplish on a daily basis. That doesn't mean it always works out that way. That's the beauty of homeschooling....flexibility.
Well, that's all for now...have a great day!
UPDATE ON HISTORY: After really looking at Story of the World, Volume 1, I have decided to return it. I didn't at all like how Bible events were written....too much poetic license. Also, there were some minor discrepancies in some other parts that I just didn't want to mess with correcting. I have enough going on in my day to have to be correcting tons of stuff in the curriculum I buy! So, after MUCH research (my head hurts), I have decided to order Mystery of History, Volume 1. We'll see how it goes. After all the change we've done lately, we've got to get started with something, so I think we'll use it even if we hate it! (Just kidding.)
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