Preparing for the 2014/2015 Homeschool Year

Welcome!

I'm a homeschooling mom.  As a homeschooling mom, summer brings thoughts of a new school year, new books, new lessons......and I'm in charge of it all.  LOL  It can be overwhelming.  When I was homeschooling Lee and Greg, every June I would empty all my homeschooling "stuff" out of my homeschooling "closet" and decide what our focus for the year would be, what we would be using that we already had and what would need to be purchased.  I would organize the closet again according to those decisions and purchase what was needed.  We frequently started the year up in July.  Hopefully that will be the case this year as well.

The problem with this plan is that as the years went on all the "homeschooling stuff" aka BOOKS didn't fit in the homeschooling "closet". So I used bookshelves, then rubbermaid totes to contain our "learning materials"  aka BOOKS.  When we moved to town I was in heaven because there were built-in bookshelves in 2 of the downstairs rooms.  All of our "stuff" (aka BOOKS) had a home and I organized according to category (history, children's, science, art, etc).  It was wonderful.

Here, there are no built-in bookshelves.  Anywhere.  There isn't really room to put bookshelves except in a hallway upstairs outside of  Lee's bedroom.  Currently, that is where the boxes, and boxes, and boxes of school "stuff" aka BOOKS reside....also there are some in the upstairs linen closet, upstairs landing and one shelf of Abby's bookshelves and 2 shelves (and some creative stacking) of a downstairs bookcase I snuck into a dining room corner and on 2 shelves of the dining room hutch and a small stack of current stuff on the air conditioner.....there are also children's books in Abby's room, Bear's room and on the living room coffee table.  (((sigh)))  Did I mention that I have a stack (ok, 3 stacks) of books on the floor beside my bed?  And antique books in the china cabinet?  And cookbooks in the kitchen?  If there is a 12 step program for book hoarders, I don't want to know about it.  I. Just. Don't.

I went to a homeschooling convention in Cincinnati Ohio with a friend in April.  If you've never been to a homeschool convention, the seminars are wonderful but the reason everyone goes is for the vendor hall.  Think, shopping mall for book lovers.  Yep.  So I go and on the first pass through the vendor hall the first day I picked up all the free magazines and catalogs.  I went with very little shopping money and managed to come home with my free stuff and a very nice planner.  Hooray!

I also hashed out multiple ideas for how our upcoming school year would go.  I think I ended up with 3 different plans before the weekend was over.  I've since made up 2 more plans and then reverted back to one of the ones I made in Cincinnati.

Here is an overview of the plans:
Plan 1:  My Father's World.....1st grade stuff for Bear (would just need to buy worksheets from MFW, handwriting and Singapore 1) and then some cheap workbooky things for Abby.  Relatively in-expensive. (I haven't figured up exact cost of that yet, probably around $150.) Would require me to dig for the necessary books in the boxes upstairs.

Plan 2:  Sonlight.....I'm looking at P4/5 for both, adding in LA 1, Singapore 1 and handwriting for Bear.  Using as is with Abby.  Approximately $600.  Like I have that kind of money laying around (maybe I'll look under the chickens).

Plan 3: A compilation of various things including language arts from Queens homeschool, Singapore 1, unit studies/lapbooks for history and science, handwriting and workbooky stuff for Abby.  Cost around $100 but I would have to do all the legwork.

Plan 4: I briefly looked at Heart of Dakota.  I don't really think it is in the running.

I've been back to Sonlight twice.  I love Sonlight.  I used it some with Lee and Greg (core 3 and 4 - now labeled C and D spread over 3 years).  I think if we started with P4/5 that I would be able to keep the kids together, spreading each core over 1.5 years or so supplementing with free lapbooks to really dig in to the material.  The cost would be substantial over the next 3 years or so but then I would be using something that I already have.  I just don't have $600 and honestly, I don't have the bookcase space that Sonlight requires.

I like My Father's World.  I've used MFW Grade 1 and Adventures (2nd).  It is similar to Sonlight.  I like the Language arts.  The cost would be very small this year and next year.  I could roll Abby in with Bear whenever I want.  I already have MFW K (that is what Bear used over 2 years, when he was almost 5 and 6 - he has a late birthday).  I would need to dig for the books but the teacher's manual is right here next to me.  I don't know why I don't like it as much.  There is no logical reason as the programs are very, very similar.  We can supplement units with free lapbooks or could even buy lapbook kits because honestly I would have very little output of money.

I'm not very good at putting my own stuff together.  It never ends well.  I know that is a weakness I have so even though it might save a little money and it would be fun, I know that I just won't get it done.  And then there we are.  lol

Ok.  So, now that I've hashed that all out (wasn't it fun???) I think that we are looking at My Father's World first grade for Bear.  I will get Singapore math 1 and handwriting (either a Reason for Handwriting or Handwriting without Tears.....comments???).  I already have All About Spelling Level 1 and we will finish working through our Alphaphonics book.  Abby will continue doing the preschool workbooks that I already have her working through and I will get tot packs to supplement as she gets bored.  Maybe mid-year I will evaluate her and possibly begin MFW K with her....we will see how it is going.

I've written out plans to get us started in July working on some life skills.  We will start the actual curriculum in August.  Probably around the time the boys start public school.  We will see how the harvesting/preserving of the garden is going.

Ultimate Planners

What do you think about when you hear Apologia?

Science, right?

Well, not so much anymore.  Apologia, as a company, has started branching out into other areas.  There's a lot of good stuff over there if you haven't checked them out lately!

Anyway, as part of the Mosaic's Review Team I received some planners, The Ultimate Planners, from Apologia to review.

Created by Debra Bell, author of The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling, these planners are designed with maximum flexibility and usability for families of all sizes and homeschooling styles.

This planner is designed to be used at the very beginning of your planning for the homeschool year.  Not only that, but it gives instructions on how to plan your homeschool year.  Not rigid instructions, but goal setting guidance and various "how to use" instructions.  In all my years of planning homeschool, I've never been instructed on how to do it, and let me tell you, the advice is wonderful - even for a seasoned homeschooler like myself.  I felt like we were covering definate goals and then breaking them down into manageable pieces.
Since I'm working with 2 younger children (Bear is technically K4 and Abby is PreK2) I listed the various "working areas" at the top (numbers, letters, Bible, character, phonics, hands-on) and then their names on the side (they each got 2 boxes) and then there is a box that I have labeled Together for the activities that we do together. 

There are a myriad of ways you can use this planner - subjects at the top, subjects at the side, etc.  All the options are laid out at the beginning of the planner. 

After the grid page each week there is a 2-page spread that allows you to write in prayer requests, weekly goals, hospitality goals and a space to record those special little things you want to remember (or notes, I'm using it for lots of notes).

The main goal of this planner is that Mom will have the guidelines in her planner and the weekly work will be transfered to the student planner. 

My littles don't read so we aren't using it, but it is a very standard planner with lots of space to write daily work, chores, etc. 

There is also a teen planner if your children are that age and I gather that it works well if your children are in public school also (our school supplies planners).

The MOM planner is $28, the STUDENT planner is $19 and the TEEN planner is $19.  These are nice, spiral bound planners.  My planner has a pocket in the front and has already been very abused - still going strong!

There will be a facebook party if you are looking for more information on Friday April 12th.

***As always, this product was given to me for free in exchange for an honest review as part of the Mosaics Review team.***  You can read other reviews of this product HERE