I quit, this week I'm having a freak out moment..

Confession:  I'm feeling panicky about starting school this year. Yep, digging my feet in, not sure when I'm going to begin..panic!  What the what? I've been doing this home school thing for years and usually about now I'm ready to start up and use all my cool new curriculum. After some soul searching and achingly hard days, I've come to the following conclusions:

1. I have a 4th child entering my classroom this year. Cozette, begins Kindergarten.

2. Dyslexia..just this one word sends apprehension and feelings of self-doubt running up my spine. 

So, it may seem like small things to another mother, but this one is just having a freak out moment. 

I think it's funny how God can calm a fear we struggle with in the most unexpected ways. My week from you know where, was winding down and I had one last obligation to attend Friday night. Don't get me wrong most of my obligations are self imposed and although overwhelming, enjoyable. But as I was headed out the door with my five beautiful mess makers and my overly tired husband who had just worked two double shifts with very little sleep, I was beginning to wish for a house in the mountains far far away from obligations and my propensity to over-plan. Well, wouldn't you know I was introduced to and ended up sitting next to at dinner, a teacher of ten years with a masters in reading intervention. So back story, I have been working with the principle down the street to get special help with their reading specialist. I was just told that unless I enroll him for 7 hours a day he cannot see the reading specialist for an hour. Yep, I told them I pay taxes and their school gets paid extra money for my son being in their specials classes and that I would bring him on their schedule...it's been a long arduous journey through the joys of public vs home school. Anyways, I had been feeling rejected and overwhelmed that I needed to make sure Graham had what he needed this year to progress. Ok, back to the dinner with the teacher. There we were talking about schooling kids and I'm telling her my story and what I've been doing with Graham and how I work with him, what his lesson plans are. And without even realizing it she says the best thing I could have heard all week. Ready? Summary is, basically what I've learned over the years specializing in my son's dyslexia is more than she's learned with her masters degree in that specific reading disability. So bottom line, unless a reading specialist has studied only dyslexia and worked with children in that capacity, its possible that I know more about how to help my son than a reading intervention teacher at the local school. Add to the fact that he's my son so I know him better than anyone else. It suddenly becomes clear to me that, I CAN DO IT! Sorry, it took me a while to get there, but God knew that. He knew I needed some validation and some encouragement. Last night it came from a complete stranger, who was sweet enough and confident enough to tell me what I was doing was the right thing for my son. I have a lot of respect for teachers and specialists in schools, I just needed to know that although I don't have a teacher's certificate or a Master's in reading intervention, that I have ability to give my child the very thing he needs. Now, adding a Cozette to the mix of my school day, that's a whole other thing. But like all the others, she will find her groove and open up to learning new things this year. 

Websites I currently find the coolest stuff on!

Keys for Kids - an old fashioned daily devotionals intended for children to listen to
http://www.keysforkids.org/ForKids/KeysforKids/ReadListen.aspx

Best deals on the planet for homeschooling curriculum
Home School Buyers Co-op

Brave Writer - I love her blog, her daily writing tips and overall writing philosophy. I'm sure we will do her on-line writing classes for high school.
http://blog.bravewriter.com/

Click Schooling - Virtual field trips and fun printables!
http://clickschooling.com/

Fun videos made by homeschoolers for homeschoolers 
Messy Mondays - 

Here we go! 

Wait..school time? I dont think I had a summer vacation yet

Yep, Summer is almost over. I have mixed emotions on this one. I LOVE to have fun, but I also like my kids on a routine. It helps with the loooong hot days in the desert.

We tend to vacation in the fall, so summer is pretty long and I start back to school before vacations have even happened. This year we are camping and then heading to California in a two week time period. The beauty of it, we go in September and we have the beach and forests practically to ourselves!

I just purchased this book on Amazon $.99 for my Kindle. Sounds encouraging!

http://www.amazon.com/Simply-Homeschool-Having-Less-Clutter-ebook/dp/B006GIHQBQ/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1WCEKHH8XQSAH45GKZ6E

So I'm sitting in my school room and I'm motivated to organize the upcoming year. My new purchase, a 10 drawer organizer. Each child has a couple of drawers to hold their daily work. There is a checklist in their top drawer and they check each item off as they go. Creating independent learners is this year's goal. My 6th grader has a weekly syllabus and he can choose to do small amounts each day or get it done in just a few days. This will hopefully prepare him for a college schedule. Well I'm being optimistic in July, aren't I?

 My school room is changed this year. I change it every year to keep us from getting bored. The Tepee was built this summer. I've decided to use it as a reading room.

This picture reminds me that I've decided to drop history this year. I know, GASP! I have the coolest curriculum for it too. Story of the World Vol. 1, some Abeka Old World History readers and even a time line. It was hard for me to put it back in the cabinet. But as I was going over my schedule I was already feeling the weight of adding it into our school day. Who knows I may pull it out second semester. It's one of those subjects I know we will repeat in Jr. High and then again in High School. I mean how many times can you possibly teach about the American Revolution and the Rise of Rome? With five children, you can teach it A LOT...so I'm doing it next year.

This picture also reminds me of the library reading program this year..LAME! It was difficult to sign up for with multiple children and they lacked the little $1 toys that my children loved to fight over. Last year we received free Chipotle kids meals. And where are the Diamond back tickets? ? So, if I could have ever signed up for Fizz Bang Read, or whatever they called it, I would have been greatly disappointed with my free book. Last Spring their reading program deleted our library fines, I am really hoping for that program this year. Although after deleting mine, someone probably lost their job. I'm sure we're supporting someone's take home salary.

Coffee is ready and I must feed the masses..

My 2 cents on Homeschooling

How to begin Homeschooling?

It's a long answer coming from me. I don't take this decision lightly and its been a long, difficult, beautiful road.  I spend the majority of my days thinking about my children's education probably more than on anything else I do. And it has been the most rewarding job I will ever do. Ever heard the phrase, "These are the longest days of the shortest years"? Well that phrase pretty much sums up my homeschooling experience so far.


I began with my oldest son in Kindergarten, and now he's entering the 6th grade. I have a pre-schooler, a kinder, a 3rd grader and a 4th grader coming up behind him! It doesn't seem possible to have come this far. I am so very thankful to have had the opportunity to watch them learn right in front of my eyes! The joys, the triumphs, even the frustration and tears shed have been the driving force behind our journey. Every home school mom I talk to says the same thing, we love to plan and buy curriculum and start the year. The new construction paper, freshly sharpened pencils, new novels to read, new concepts to discover and then... half way through the year, we are done and threatening to run away. The beauty is, you call your other homeschool friends and you take all your grumbling, foot stomping children to the park and let them climb and scream and play and swing. And you and your friends sit on the park bench and commiserate on how your children threw a paper off the desk and stomped away and how your two year old drew all over the walls in her room while you were teaching long division, and you get to laugh together. Because your not alone and there's always tomorrow, and magic erasers, and many more days to try again. So if your thinking of taking this journey, I will step through what I'm doing and how I'm doing it. What I do will probably look nothing like what you will end up doing. That's ok! That's what makes it YOUR school.


So to begin:


Start with the 3R's Reading, Writing and Arithmetic and then find a support group. You will have to try a few groups, a few park days, a few field trips to find where your family fits. Don't give up!
There are many on-line groups. But the best way to find a group is to join an activity. We've met new people with Sports Kidz AZ and Moezart Productions. Both groups can be a little pricey, but they have been well worth the investment.


Curriculum:  Buy used as much as possible
www.homeschoolclassifieds.com
and Covenant resource center are my go to resources.


I would also encourage new home school parents to e-mail Carl Gary. She is a consultant to new homeschool families. She is incredibly helpful when it comes to starting up and if your family has any special needs regarding school.
carol.gary@cox.net 

Carol A. Gary                                                                                                        

AZ State Ambassador

Home School Foundation

"Many Hands Making a Difference in Your Homeschool Community"

www.homeschoolfoundation.org/volunteer

AZStateAmbsdr@cox.net             

I will start listing my personal homeschool resources in the following blog posts. But here are a few you can research!


Here is my list of curriculum that works for my kids. I've tried different things over the years and I continue to implement new things. I will start by listing what I'm doing for different grades this year: (This is just a basic outline, not a schedule to follow) * I have underlined actual curriculum I've purchased.


5-6th: Teaching Textbooks math, multiplication skill sheets, IEW writing class, Abeka reading comprehension skill sheets, Hand Writing Without Tears Typing program, Language Lessons for the Secondary Child, Grammar skills book, Cursive copy work (I find copy work everywhere! the bible, song lyrics, book passages), , Excel and Code writing for computer and  various novel studies.


3-4th: Teaching Textbooks math, multiplication skill sheets, IEW writing class, Phonemic awareness games and reading lessons (I'm creating this on my own), right brain phonics program (Dianne Craft for Dyslexia), HWWT typing program and cursive.Abeka math Various novel Studies


 Pre-school -Kindergarten: Five in A Row volume three, Spectrum kinder math and letter flash cards
various novel studies


We will do the following together as a group:


Apologia Science Swimming Creatures of the Firth Day
Bible
English from the Roots UP - Greek and Latin roots


I will list more curriculum favorites in later posts!