Friday, August 22, 2014

Starting school

Our morning paper was full of back-to-school sales flyers, so I really should get ready! Must buy my girls some leggings and tunics; they seem to be all the rage. And, I must stop at target for their 10 cent lined-paper deal; surely I will need a package or two.
Actually, not. Getting ready, for me, is mainly about taking about 20 minutes to reevaluate what we are doing now. So, let me see...
We already have a plan for our weeks that I have been loosely following. Maybe I could complicate things a little.
Drawing on Mondays. We could get some sketch books! The kind with black covers and thick white pages! That would be fun. I already have lots of step-by-step tutorials on my Pinterest to try with K.
Music on Tuesdays. Piano lessons for K and E; this is so enjoyable for me, and they love it. I'll just continue on with my Piano Adventures Series Primary lesson book, skipping when needed.  I had thought this book had too much busywork, but it is working well for us.i especially love hype pecking chicken song. Awesome.
Numbers on Wednesdays. Maybe I should get serious about this. I bet K would love a little bit of math. But first, we'll keep on learning to write the numbers. Every time she writes numbers, K ends up doing lots and lots of 10s, "because I like them. And they're easy." Yes, they are. But 5s are useful, too!
Letters on Thursdays. We've already learned all the letters, and most of the letter sounds, so we can go right into officially learning to read. My mom lent me her blue-backed speller, so I'll use that as a guide.  I really should add in a library visit, too. Maybe once a month? Once every 6 weeks might be better.
Baking on Fridays. For K, this is mostly about doing stuff with mom, and therefor enjoyable. E, on the other hand, has a passion for the dough; for tasting, rolling and squishing. For smelling the cinnamon before it goes in; for watching it disappear and make all the flour brown.
Nature study on Saturdays. I haven't done anything with this, yet, though I want to. Mainly because Nelleke is so inspiring, over at Education is a Life.  We do play outside, and that has been enough for now. I suppose planting and harvesting the garden, discussing and moving the worms, and the drainage project have been fairly educational.
Every day we read books and scripture, and sing, and memorize.  I have begun a binder of songs I want to sing in harmony with the girls, when they are old enough. Soon, I plan to start a binder to keep track of our memory work, both for review, and to give us direction.


And for keeping up appearance: I should make up a schedule and post it somewhere. Also, alphabets and number cards. I suggested that this would be a good time to get a printer; not because I need to print out curricula, but because I will be able to print out decorative stuff to make our house look really educational.
As if education was a place, rather than a life.