Monday, fun day...what will it hold?

This coming Monday August 5 we begin our homeschool year with our oldest, J, in 1st grade, our second, X, in pre-school, and our third, M, in a toddler program. We chose last year to use My Father's World and have really enjoyed it so much! It is designed to be a complete curriculum meaning there's nothing to add. I found it lacking a tiny bit for our standards and our child's capabilities. Last year we added some readers and Singapore math at the first grade level. He did swimmingly and we were surprised that we finished kindergarten so quickly because we had planned to spread it out over two years, if need be since we started J a year earlier than he would be allowed in an institutional school environment. The first grade curriculum is suppose to be complete as well but again, since we were advanced last year, we decide to add some supplements to it. We will be using Horizon Math 1st grade to really reinforce all he learned with Singapore last year. We will also be using Spectrum Spelling since its important to us that our children have good spelling skills which enhance reading skills. We are also adding leveled readers in and some printables that I have been collecting through the summer and will continue through www.freehomeschooldeals.com. I also made my two "school age" boys binders for their daily tracking of their work, reward charts for reading an completion of their work, calendars, book reports, nature walk check lists and journal, and other daily review items like colors, shapes, letters, and numbers. 

With X in preschool, we are using Rod and Staff A-B-C, D-E,F and then if we get to it, G-H-I. If we don't, we'll save it for summer bridge work. We used Rod and Staff with J for preschool and feel it really set him up well with solid foundations. It is their kindergarten curriculum but because we feel more inclined to challenge our children than hold them back from greatness, we use it with the ability to modify as necessary. We are also using Handwriting Without Tears Pre-k for helping X to enjoy writing since he currently wants nothing to do with it or coloring. He loves worksheets and such but when it comes to writing and coloring, his laziness takes over! He will also complete a nature journal but in the form of a scavenger hunt. The great thing is he has learned so much passively absorbing all J has been taught so he is more advanced than J was at this age in some areas. The big task is overcoming personality clashes! 

With M, we use Abbeka's toddler program. I started using it when J was 2 and X also used it. We've enjoyed the simplicity yet fun crafts. It is intense with coloring but M loves to color and show me his completed school work. Just like a big boy! 

Why are we starting so early, you may ask? Several reasons: 

1) we never intended to take a summer break. We never really did because we still read and did some summer bridge work. However, I needed the semblance of a break from planned days to reorganize our school room so that it would be functional and easily mobile. I also needed the time to plan this year, having three and being largely pregnant, if I am not well planned, I will be lazy!

2) As our guess date for baby boy #4 approaches, we wanted to be sure that we had a good start on the school year but were able to take off for the birth and bonding time for our new baby. We believe school is learned best by living it out and what better way to learn life skills than have a home birth and help care for a new baby? So we'll take off mid-November and resume in January. This also gives us wonderful baking and Christmas craft time without the obligation of a school day. This is the true beauty of homeschool. We are able to fit it to work in our lives!

We ordered our curriculum from My Father's World directly and this year got the toddler and preschool package as well for the younger boys to have hands on learning fun while J and I finish up with our daily work. They always have great deals at the end of the previous school year so we use a portion of our tax return and order school stuff. This also gives me plenty of time to spread out our spending and find the best deals on supplies and such. It also gives me plenty of time to plan! I love that just a tiny drive to Raleigh opens our homeschool world up to The Homeschool Gathering Place where they have tons and tons of consignment materials, books, new materials, and manipulatives. It's like a dream for me every time I step in there and every day the items change! You should visit if you have never been. 

I am a serious planner and need to have everything in order. We don't have to register our homeschool with the state until next year but this year I have everything in order as if we were registered. I have our attendance records, field trip records, grade book, assignment list, health records and vaccine exemptions. I keep all of these things in what I call, "the master home book." I also keep our budget, grocery list, coupons, contact lists, etc... in there. It's easy to tote along and keeps us all organized. As a mother, it is my desire to provide the absolute best for my children. In my efforts to do that, being organized gives me the peace of mind knowing that if something were to happen to me husband will have a central place to find all of our plans, how our days run, and keep a sense of normal for our children in case of upheaval. That sounds morbid but I feel it's my responsibility as a wife and mother to my family to make sure they are taken care of. This also give husband a place to prove their school progress and records in the event no one is able to homeschool them. 

 

Each year I am sure our homeschool philosophies will change and our approach will surely change with each child. Here at Raising Arrows Academy, we are working to educate our children to a high standard of academics while instilling real and true life lesson applications into them and giving them a complete sense of who God is. Helping them discover their ministry while cultivating their ability to think for themselves in discovering who they are is our main mission. 

The room is organized, flash cards made, items laminated, student notebooks created, student id's generated, work boxes done, backpacks and pencil bags packed and ready...IT'S ALMOST THE START OF SCHOOL at Raising Arrows Academy! Can you tell we are excited???