Back to School

We started back to school last week and it was such a good feeling to get back to some routine. I have enjoyed our summer, but I crave routine and schedules. Our first week was full of lots of extras and we were only able to squeeze 4 days of school in (that extra day was spent helping my friend organize her school room).

This year we are entering our 5 year of home education and we are trying a few new things. I thought I might post some of our curriculum and goals for the year so we can look back at it and see if we are on track.

Regular curriculum:

• Spelling - Sequential Spelling

• Reading - Pathway readers (including workbooks)
  

• Grammar - Easy Grammar (new for us this year)

• Math - Math U See (finishing Delta and beginning Epsilon)

• History - Story of the World

• Science - Apologia (finishing Flying Creatures of the 5th day and starting Botany)

• Bible - Precepts (kids book about the names of God)

• Handwriting - Handwriting Without Tears (Can Do Print)

Extras:

• working on "thinking skills"
• trying to tackle Spanish (the learnables)
• phonics for Tristen (a little more Explode the Code)
• paragraph editing
• learning keyboard (typing)
  
• lapbooks (probably and Egyptian one)
• artist study - Mary Cassatt (and making lapbook)
• Jr. Naturalist Club (studying reptiles)
• swimming club (one a week)
• working on money and time (mostly Tristen)
  

I am still very encouraged after that great homeschooling expo I just went to. I am beginning to see that educating my kids is a full time job and it's no wonder our calendar fills up fast. It is going to be important for me to decide what we are able to spend our time on for extra activities. I desire to be more purposeful in what we carve time out for. Hoping and praying this is a great school year for us (and you too).