I have given myself and the kids plenty of time off this summer. We usually never take this much time off but this year I needed it. Needed it, like I would have burned out within the first week back with anything less than 6 weeks off. When it is all said and done we will have had 8 weeks of break. Blissful, beautiful time off. Our official first day back will be August 26.
I haven't been kickin' it by the pool all summer though. I have been planning and changing and re-working things to get us ready for this next year. And.... I am so excited. I feel thoroughly rested and prepared to begin again.
This year I will have a 4th grader, a 2nd grader, and a Pre-Schooler... not to mention a very mobile and busy little "B" who is 8 months old. We will be starting MFW Creation to the Greeks as our main curriculum. The moment my MFW box was delivered I was digging into those books like it was Christmas! I am so excited to learn right alongside my kids this year. One of my favorite things about home schooling is that I get to learn it all again.
Here are some other books/curriculum (outside of MFW) that we will be using:
*Apologia Flying Creatures
*Draw and Write Through History
*A Reason for Spelling
*Reach for the Stars - Writing
*Just Write
*Rosetta - Spanish
*Song School Spanish
*Rod and Staff English
*Math U See
*Pictures in Cursive
*Write through the Bible
*Explode the Code
*Dance Mat Typing
*Circle C series - A Long Ride Home and Badge of Honor
*Hymns for a Kids' Heart
*JOY Prayer Cards
*Object Bible Lessons
*Handwriting Without Tears
*Five in a Row
*Reading - 100 easy lessons
When I type it all out like that, I have a little mini panic attack. Sometimes I over plan. I have a lot of great ideas but struggle to implement them all. However, I am going to go into this new school year with high hopes and nothing less. It's going to be a great year!
Because I am incorporating Caleb into the school day with a more structured schedule, I have had to move things around a bit in our daily schedule. A typical day around here will look something like this...
8:00 - 9:00 Morning Meeting
We will all meet together for this. During this time we will do calendar activities and Bible lessons.
9:00 - 12:30 Isaac and Julia will go to their desks/work stations to complete independent work. They will be using my version of the work box system. I will share more about that in a different post. While the big kids are busy working independently, I will spend the morning teaching Caleb.
12:30 - 1:00 Lunch
1:00 - 4:30 Caleb will have quiet time in his room for part of this time while I work with Isaac and Julia on group work which includes all our MFW, Apologia, and other subject lessons/reviews.
At 4:30 the kids will do their chores, finish up any work not completed earlier, practice piano, and have free time until dinner. Makes for a very full and busy day.
Tuesdays and Fridays will be different. On Tuesday the big kids will have piano in the morning and P.E.in the afternoon. No regular school for them that day. While the big kids are at P.E., I will come home with Caleb and teach him. And Friday mornings we have our home school co-op. These different kind of days make it difficult to fit everything else in but somehow we always make it work.
Our lazy days of summer are slipping away. Ready or not... here comes fall!
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