discovering joy in the journey

Joy to the Heart

I’m hesitant to post this, especially after my last entry on The Joy Stealer.   If you are another homeschooling mom, please don’t let this post steal your joy!  Either skip it all together or read with a heart full of grace (towards me and yourself) and follow Christ’s leading for your own family.

During this school year, our class/school/family consists of a 4th grader, 2nd grader, kindergartener, 3 year old preschooler, and a toddler.  We have a wide range of needs to meet this year!  So, in God’s strength, we embark on another homeschooling year.  This post is about what we hope to accomplish.  Although, as we walk with Him, I am sure God will have us all learn so much more (including mommy)!

History / Geography
This year, we will be continuing the second half of Exploring Countries and Cultures from My Father’s World Curriculum.  Our main geography will be focused on learning about various countries around the world – learning about the cultures, and experiencing music, food, and art from each country.  We will also continue to pray for unreached people groups using Window on the World. We are ready to get on our travel gear and continue our journey around the world!

Science
As we learn about different countries and cultures, we will also be learning about the animals that live in those environments.   We plan to continue to use the resources suggested in the MFW ECC curriculum – The Living World Encyclopedia, Properties of Ecosystems, The Big Book of Animals, The Great Animal Search, and the Encyclopedia of Animals.  The older girls will also be drawing animals to coordinate with the different continents and regions/habitats of the world using Draw Write Now.

Bible and Devotions

• Daily Proverbs
• MFW study of the book of Matthew
  (including copywork for the oldest two girls  ~ You can find free printables to coordinate with the verses from Matthew here.)
• We plan to finish up Proverbs Family Night Tool Chest by Jim Weidmann and then move into 10 Commandments Family Night Tool Chest, also by Jim Weidmann– one night a week with Daddy!  (Updated:  We, somehow, got away from doing the family nights and, sadly, neither of these actually happened this school year.)

Read Alouds

• MFW Exploring Countries and Cultures incorporates the reading aloud of YWAM missionary stories.  Our family LOVES these books.  Since we have already read the books mentioned in the curriculum, we chose three others to correspond with our study of particular countries – Ida Scudder (India), Hudson Taylor (China), and David Bussau (New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia).
• Read Aloud Passages & Strategies to Model Fluency by Rachel Mann  (Updated:  This did not work for our homeschool.)

Art

• The Usborne Art Treasury by Rosie Dickins– learning about an artist and making a corresponding piece of artwork
• Art Appreciation: Child Sized Masterpieces Steps 1,2,3 Intermediate and Advanced by Ailne Wolf  (Updated:  Ha!  We never even took these apart to use them.  Oh my….I completely forgot to incorporate them.)

Foreign Language
Last year, our oldest two children began using Rosetta Stone.  I noticed that they enjoyed doing the lessons, but the rest of the family had no idea what they were doing!  So, the additional resources reflect a desire for all of us (preschooler–adult) to be able to start learning some Spanish!

• Rosetta Stone Latin American Spanish (oldest two girls)
• De Colores and Other Latin American Folk Songs for Children (book and CD) by Jose-Luis Orozco
• Hop, Skip, and Sing Spanish for Kids by Ana Lomba
  (Updated:  The kids really enjoyed this!)

Reading / Language Arts /Math
our 4th grader…

• Readers:  Sonlight readers, free choice reading on her own
• Spectrum Reading
• Spectrum Word Study and Phonics
• Joyful Heart Spelling Skills
• Copywork – Bible verses from MFW Matthew study
• Writing and Grammar:  Writing Tales Level 1
• Partner Poems for Building Fluency by Bobbi Katz
  (These look pretty easy, but it is to be used with her 2nd grade sister as well.) (Updated:  These were too easy and we ended up discontinuing spending the time on them.)
• Writing With Ease (finishing level 2 and moving into level 3)
• Horizons Math (completing Level 3 and heading into 4)
• Mental Math and Math Drills
  (Updated: We started this and it went well, but then I discovered Xtra Math and we love it!)
• Heroes of Faith: The Hidden Treasures in Hebrews by Evelyn Wheeler (an inductive Bible study)  (Updated:  Our 4th grader started this, but then she had the opportunity to join a Bright Lights group.  She has learned so much!)

our 2nd Grader…

• Readers: Sonlight readers, free choice reading on her own
• Explode the Code books 7 and 8 for phonics
• Joyful Heart Spelling Skills
• Copywork – Bible verses from MFW Matthew study
• Paragraph Writing from Evan-Moor
• A Reason for Handwriting Transition Book (1st half only)
• Partner Poems for Building Fluency by Bobbi Katz
  (to be used with her 4th grade sister as well)  (Updated:  These were too easy and we ended up discontinuing spending the time on them.)
• Writing With Ease (finishing level 1 and moving into level 2)
• Horizons Math 2
• Mental Math and Math Drills
  (Updated: We started this and it went well, but then I discovered Xtra Math and we love it!)

our kindergartener…

• Readers: ABeka 1st grade readers, MFW Bible Reader
  (Updated:  He zoomed into the Abeka 2nd grade readers as well.)
• The Bible and Reading portions from MFW 1st Grade, including the Proverbs verses
• Explode the Code (Complete book 1 and then do 2, and 3)
• Portions of Word Family Stories and Activities D from Evan-Moor
• A Reason for Handwriting A
• Horizons Math K (continuation from last year)  (Updated:  He began Level 1 before the end of the year.)
• Read and Understand Science 1-2 (comprehension, vocabulary, and simple experiments)

our preschooler…

• Catechism questions and answers
• My ABC Bible Verses
• Joyful Heart Bible and Rhyme for 3’s (Bible story, letter song, letter art, sorts, and name binder portions only)
• Letter formation activities from 1+1+1 = 1
• Kumon My First Book of Cutting

our toddler…

• playing and exploring!
• learning to sit still for a book with mommy or a big sibling

Lifeskills and Extracurricular Activities

• Sewing –I think we will try to make the switch from hand to beginner machine sewing!
  (Updated:  We successfully completed two machine sewing projects.  Does that count?) 
• Gymnastics (oldest four kids)
• Ballet 101 & 201, Combinations 1 DVD course (4th grader)
  (Updated:  She worked on this faithfully throughout 1st semester.)
• AWANA – We have a 2nd year T&T, a 3rd year Spark, a first year Spark, and a Cubbie!
• Family Chore Time
• Some homeschool outings/ field trips  (Updated:  Well, this was not what we envisioned at the start of the school year, but we went to the Children’s Museum several times, an outdoor living history museum, to Florida for training in missions (and first time experiences at the ocean for the kids), and our 4th grader traveled to Thailand on a Vision Trip for two weeks.)

Some of the above will change during the course of the school year as we finish our study of MFW Exploring Countries and Cultures.  We are still praying about what will replace the Bible, geography/history, and science once MFW is completed in order to round out our school year.

(Please note: This post was updated – the portions in italicized parenthesis- towards the end of the 2011-2012 school year to reflect curriculum changes that we made during the course of the year.)

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Are you curious what our planning looked like in previous year’s?
2010-2011 (3rd, 1st, PreK, 2 year old, 4 mo old baby)
2009-2010 (2nd, K, 3’s preschool, toddler, baby arrived end of year)
2008-2009 (1st, PreK, 2 year old, 6 mo old baby)
2007-2008 (K, 3’s preschool, toddler, baby arrived mid year)
2006-2007 (PreK, 2 year old, 7 mo old baby)
Joyful Heart Character
2005-2006 (3’s preschool, toddler, baby arrived mid year)
Joyful Heart Bible and Rhyme
2004-2005 (2 year old, 6 mo old baby)
Joyful Heart Learning

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It is the 3rd annual ’Not’ Back to School Blog Hop hosted by Heart of the Matter Online!  This week’s focus is on curriculum.  In the following weeks, they will also share ‘school’ rooms, student photos, and a day in the life.  If you choose to hop, guard your heart and mind, give yourself grace, and encourage others as you take a peek at what fellow homeschoolers are preparing for in this coming school year!  (Yes, I am reminding myself as well =) )

…from the comfort of our own home!

(Our 3rd grader, 1st grader, 3 year old, and preK kids with their
‘passports’ and ‘airline tickets’ – ready to travel!)

In my post about our curriculum choices for the 2010-2011 school year, I mentioned that it was difficult for us to set aside My Father’s World Exploring Countries and Cultures until our family was more ready.  My husband and I purchased MFW ECC at the homeschool conference last year (a month or so before I gave birth to our 5th little one).  In August, at the start of our school year, our infant was still not sleeping through the night and his daytime schedule was off (compared to the predictable pattern our other children got into at the same age).  So, I held off on starting ECC.  We began our school year with math, language arts, daily Proverbs reading, chores, a simple introduction to the orchestra, and review of previous memory verses.  It was just the right amount most days and too much on other days, depending on how the toddler and baby were doing (and how much sleep I had been able to get the night before =)  )

By October, I became impatient and forced myself to start ECC.  I spread out the first two weeks over the entire month (about 5 total weeks).  Those first two scheduled weeks have SOOO much to cover anyway and I KNEW that I would need a slower pace with a preschooler, toddler, and baby in tow!  The kids LOVED the curriculum and I knew that ECC was a good choice for us.  However, I was in tears and overwhelmed.  I tearfully shelved MFW ECC through November and December, returning to what we had started the year doing – in addition to a few Thanksgiving and Christmas activities. 

I am pleased to say, that at the start of second semester, we finally began using this wonderful curriculum!  By January, our baby was still not sleeping through the night, but at least his daytime routine was on track.  Giving our family some additional time with the baby was exactly what we needed.  Things are going much more smoothly now, but I have to admit that we still don’t complete all of the science and art activities each week.  This is difficult for a ‘box-checker’ like myself.  So, I can either stress over it OR…

1. realize that this is a short season of having several precious little ones around.
2. remember that ECC is the start of a 5 year cycle and that we will, most likely, repeat this.  We don’t have to do everything the first time around!
3. tell myself over and over that curriculum is only a tool – I am not to be a slave to the curriculum!  I need to pray about what is listed in the curriculum and choose carefully what pieces to use or exclude from week to week for our family.
4. remind myself that Christ has gone before me.  He created each child in our family and knows exactly what each one needs –and when.  I can do my best to train them spiritually and teach them academically, but I have to leave the results up to God.

As for the actual ECC curriculum – We are enjoying every minute of it.  Our family is especially loving the missionary focus – Hero Tales, Window on the World, YWAM missionary biographies, etc. –all excellent materials.  The Matthew Bible study and memory verses are going well also.  

My 3rd and 1st grader are also having fun learning geography with the game that is included in the student sheets.  They also both look forward to locating the countries within each continent and placing the flag stickers in their Flags of the World sticker booklets.  The geography readings are, honestly, not MY favorite, but the kids like to hear them and my oldest is starting to want to read them aloud to the younger kids.

For each science reading, the older two children are to narrate to me what they learned and then they copy it into their science journals.  This has proved more difficult for my 1st grader, but my 3rd grader is doing well with it.  For any hands on experiments, everyone likes to participate!

Also, to save time during the actual school day, and since my kids like to set up airport security and an ‘airplane’ each time we travel to a new country, we have been traveling to our new destinations on Sunday evenings.  That just seems to work better for us =)  We also have been able to view the Schlesinger videos that are available for each country for when they ‘arrive’ to the new country.

Here are some of the ECC activities that we have been able to do with our family (and the ones for which I actually remembered to grab the camera =) ).

Navajo sand artour homemade pinata sugar cube igloos our backyard igloo experimenting with Impressionismour Lego Eiffel Tower

We are only about half way through the curriculum at this point, but plan to either continue our exploration through the summer or pick it up in the fall.  Either way, we’re off to explore more of God’s wonderful world!