Dwelling in the Land: First Day

Monday, August 5, 2013

First Day

Our first full week back went pretty smooth , despite Tyler having a broken collarbone and having to be constantly monitored to make sure he doesn't do anything too brave! I realize not everyday will be smooth, but I'll certainly take the ones I can get.

This year I decided we would NOTEBOOK, NOTEBOOK, NOTEBOOK....every subject we could. Math, History, Science, Geography, Nature Study, Bible...we're doing it and it's a great idea! I used to lapbook alot but found it was too much work for me to do on my own. But I wanted something fun, engaging, and most importantly something they could look back on. Enter Notebooking...the perfect marriage of lapbooking and journaling. AND it works in every subject imaginable. Jimmie Lanley, the Notebooking Fairy has been such a HUGE help, her blog Jimmie's Collage has helped me through the years as well!

Curriculum: I found some really good curriculum that I believe will work well, FINALLY. I'm excited this year, and that's in part because of the resources and ideas I have found. In the past I have always gone NO packaged curriculum, mostly because the money wasn't there. And this year was no exception...we've just come off another long unemployment stint so money is still tight, but I have been blessed. I've been given, gifted, and offered lots of things...homeschoolers are good to help one another out, and I've been fortunate to have friends in homeschool places.

This year I was excited to be able to use Math U See for the first time...Lillie is using the Gamma program and , though only two lessons in, she really seems to like the format, the video lessons, and the blocks.
She has been working through Math Mammoth Geometry 1 over the summer and here's an example of how math notebooking looks to us....

Jack and Chloe will be using Math Mammoth, which I have had FOREVER and really love for the early years. We will also be using Math IT for addition facts and subtraction...

For history we are using Story of the World , and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Lots of map work, engaging stories, projects etc...we are notebooking and making an index card timeline. More on that another time.

I am using Trail Guide to World Geography the teacher's manual as a guide for geography. Lots of Notebooking, games, mapwork and MAP DRILLS!!!! I really like this idea and have seen several ways to do it on Pinterest, but came up with using stickers on a map that is INSIDE a page protector...they peel right off and each kid can use them over and over.

Here's what our first Mapwork of the year looked like....Chloe uses stickers because she doesn't write well at all yet and I don't want her to get so frustrated she misses out on the fun of geography. I think it's important to do History, Science, and Geography together as a family and they are easy to adapt to differing levels and ages.

I really like to use the GeoScribe packet from History Scribe for my blank maps...you MUST check them out, I love their products and own EVERY one. They are instant download as well, which I LOVE. I just store them on flash drives and use them over and over and over.

Lillie is using Winston Grammar, the program the Moore's recommend in their books. IF you have never read any of Dr. Raymond Moore and his wife Dortothy's books, you should...no homeschooler should be without them!!!!!

For the first semester we are using Classic Science Curriculum Life Science...it is FREE online. I supplement the worksheets with activities and MORE NOTEBOOKING!

For Bible, Lillie is using the Christian Liberty Press Studying God's word series. Jack and Chloe are drawing and notebooking the bible stories from Catherine Voss's Story Bible as well as working on the First Catechism. I have had this little book since Lillie was in Kindergarten and LOVE it. Scripture memorization on a rewards system is also on the agenda this year.

Over the summer we have kept up our Math and Jack has been working through the McGuffey's primer and is almost finished with it. Lots of games and fun stuff as well. Here is an interactive poster I made for working out fact families. It's velcro and the kids really like being able to test one another and manipulate it.