Planning, planning...planning
Over the past month as word has spread about the new upcoming year of adventure--homeschool, lots of people have asked what we are going to do, what we are going to use, and where I have found out about stuff...Here are some of the things that are in the works..
1. A basic understanding of creating---I'll be honest, one of my fears about JG going to kindergarten was that he was going to be made to color in the lines or always color the sun yellow, grass green, etc. I mean think about it--most people color the bark of trees brown--actually look at some trees outside--with the exception of cedar--most aren't brown! When I think of art, I think of expression, letting things be the way we want or imagine. Not a sheet with predefined instructions in which everyone completes. It is so sad, by the time kids are in upper elementary you can provide materials and say "create" and you know what comes next, "What do you want me to create?" They look at you clueless and just kind of sit there. What happened to the creation/imaginative process? For you DOK folks--isn't that what we want kids to be able to do? Create, envision, design...so we are going to create daily--without restriction or rules--mixing play doh, making new paint colors, mixing stuff together, using rocks/sticks/dirt--just create! I say all the time--The creator gets to decide what the creation will be. And just for the record, I do plan on sending Jackson to Kindergarten. I just want him to have the experience. I may change my mind, but that is the plan right now.
2. Problem solve--we will have a daily mission from the secret detective club...A logic problem to figure Out. These are going to be delivered in the stamped "Top Secret" envelopes. I bought these today. I can't wait for him to go to sleep so I can decorate them! These will be things likes analogies, what is missing, etc!
3. We are going to use Dibbels to progress monitor and do benchmark checks--I had no clue most of their stuff was free! It will make record keeping easy! I also plan on having him take a norm referenced achievement test every year to make sure we stay on track. This will also help if we every decide to re-enter public school or move to another state.
4. Thematic units--most of our rdg/Lang, math, social studies and science will all be integrated together. For example, we are going to have a pioneer/adventurer unit--we will read about people doing things for the first time--we will explore how they lived, sacrifices that were made, similarities/differences from the way we lived. In math, our problems will be related to problems these people could have faced--for example--on day one, a wagon traveled this many miles, day two this many miles...you get the idea...I found some figurines the other day of a horse, wagon, etc. we are going to paint them, name them, write a story about them, and create and iMovie with the characters. In science, we are going to make predictions about speed--modes of transportation, discover properties of resistance and motion and of course document and test out or predictions on our scientific discovery journal--I have got to find them a lab coat--they loves dressing up!
5. Yes I have some books and some curriculum I am using as a guide--but none of it by itself is complete.
6. Others' focused--one of my primary motivations for wanting to homeschool is because I want my boys to really care about others--I know it can be done without homeschooling--but for me-one of the things that stops me from doing many of the things I want for others is the commitment to my job. I am tired and have obligations when I get home and my good intentions--well, that is all they amount to. I just feel like this is an area of incongruence in my life. I tell my kids to do kind things for others, invest in relationships, but my actions don't model that. We have gotten really good at just giving money instead of time...I want them to get to be a part of giving more. I want them to shake a veteran's hand, sweep a senior citizen's porch as we talk, take a joy ride in a wheelchair with someone who has other abilities than most...
7. What do I still need--I would like to be a part of a group that gets together and does some project based learning and/or operates like a seminar type class where they have an assignment and they all come together to discuss, modify, create some type of response to the things they learned. If you know of something like that or want to be a part of starting one, let me know. I was thinking maybe
bi-weekly or monthly.
My fears...will they get behind--will they actually learn? Can I really do this? Are we really gonna be able to this financially? What if we all hate it? What if I get frustrated with them all the time and miss the beauty of our time together? So, yes--I have some fears, but when I hear those little things trying to steal my thoughts, I just remind myself that one day, my time to invest in my boys' lives will be gone and there is no one else on Earth that wants to help them more than myself and Johnny. So, we'll see how it all unfolds. Despite all the fears--I must say I am excited! Excited for this new adventure in my life!
1. A basic understanding of creating---I'll be honest, one of my fears about JG going to kindergarten was that he was going to be made to color in the lines or always color the sun yellow, grass green, etc. I mean think about it--most people color the bark of trees brown--actually look at some trees outside--with the exception of cedar--most aren't brown! When I think of art, I think of expression, letting things be the way we want or imagine. Not a sheet with predefined instructions in which everyone completes. It is so sad, by the time kids are in upper elementary you can provide materials and say "create" and you know what comes next, "What do you want me to create?" They look at you clueless and just kind of sit there. What happened to the creation/imaginative process? For you DOK folks--isn't that what we want kids to be able to do? Create, envision, design...so we are going to create daily--without restriction or rules--mixing play doh, making new paint colors, mixing stuff together, using rocks/sticks/dirt--just create! I say all the time--The creator gets to decide what the creation will be. And just for the record, I do plan on sending Jackson to Kindergarten. I just want him to have the experience. I may change my mind, but that is the plan right now.
2. Problem solve--we will have a daily mission from the secret detective club...A logic problem to figure Out. These are going to be delivered in the stamped "Top Secret" envelopes. I bought these today. I can't wait for him to go to sleep so I can decorate them! These will be things likes analogies, what is missing, etc!
3. We are going to use Dibbels to progress monitor and do benchmark checks--I had no clue most of their stuff was free! It will make record keeping easy! I also plan on having him take a norm referenced achievement test every year to make sure we stay on track. This will also help if we every decide to re-enter public school or move to another state.
4. Thematic units--most of our rdg/Lang, math, social studies and science will all be integrated together. For example, we are going to have a pioneer/adventurer unit--we will read about people doing things for the first time--we will explore how they lived, sacrifices that were made, similarities/differences from the way we lived. In math, our problems will be related to problems these people could have faced--for example--on day one, a wagon traveled this many miles, day two this many miles...you get the idea...I found some figurines the other day of a horse, wagon, etc. we are going to paint them, name them, write a story about them, and create and iMovie with the characters. In science, we are going to make predictions about speed--modes of transportation, discover properties of resistance and motion and of course document and test out or predictions on our scientific discovery journal--I have got to find them a lab coat--they loves dressing up!
5. Yes I have some books and some curriculum I am using as a guide--but none of it by itself is complete.
6. Others' focused--one of my primary motivations for wanting to homeschool is because I want my boys to really care about others--I know it can be done without homeschooling--but for me-one of the things that stops me from doing many of the things I want for others is the commitment to my job. I am tired and have obligations when I get home and my good intentions--well, that is all they amount to. I just feel like this is an area of incongruence in my life. I tell my kids to do kind things for others, invest in relationships, but my actions don't model that. We have gotten really good at just giving money instead of time...I want them to get to be a part of giving more. I want them to shake a veteran's hand, sweep a senior citizen's porch as we talk, take a joy ride in a wheelchair with someone who has other abilities than most...
7. What do I still need--I would like to be a part of a group that gets together and does some project based learning and/or operates like a seminar type class where they have an assignment and they all come together to discuss, modify, create some type of response to the things they learned. If you know of something like that or want to be a part of starting one, let me know. I was thinking maybe
bi-weekly or monthly.
My fears...will they get behind--will they actually learn? Can I really do this? Are we really gonna be able to this financially? What if we all hate it? What if I get frustrated with them all the time and miss the beauty of our time together? So, yes--I have some fears, but when I hear those little things trying to steal my thoughts, I just remind myself that one day, my time to invest in my boys' lives will be gone and there is no one else on Earth that wants to help them more than myself and Johnny. So, we'll see how it all unfolds. Despite all the fears--I must say I am excited! Excited for this new adventure in my life!
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