School Year 2010-11: Term I Overview

We are mid-way through our month-long break from school. We are currently enjoying all of the wonders our Creator has given us to enjoy here in Florida. However, I did get our new year planned out.   I thought I'd share it with you here.

Our Homeschool Mission Statement:

Our mission is to develop a love of learning which leads to self-education. To create in the children the desire to seek knowledge for sake of knowledge itself.

• Year: April 1, 2010 thru March 31, 2011
• Term I: April 5 thru July 2, 2010.
• Oral Exams: June 28- July 2.

 

Term I Overview

Math:
Saxon Homeschool Math--Alexis and Lorelai will continue their math studies using Saxon. The goal is one lesson per day but with the understanding that sometimes it will take longer. Therefore I lay no hardfast rules other than to complete a section of the lesson in the given time of 15-20 minutes.

Literature

Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare for Children

• A Midsummer Night's Dream
• The Tempest
• As You Like It
• The Winter's Tales
• King Lear
• Twelfth Night

 The Blue Fairy Book

(For those unfamiliar, the series of Andrew Lang's Fairy Books is not your dumbed down versions of modern day. These are rich in their language and challenging even to older children. I will be previewing the individual stories as we come to them for acceptability in my Christian-based homeschool. I suggest everyone else do the same. If we find a story offensive, we'll simply replace with another story.) 

• The Bronze Ring
• Prince Hyacinth & the Dear Little Princess
• East of the Sun & West of the Moon
• The Yellow Dwarf
• Little Red Riding Hood
• The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood

Language Arts

• Copywork/Dictation: I decide these in my weekly lesson plans which I am going to begin posting on this site.
• Reading Goals: Continue working with Lorelai on reading skills with the goal being to learn 10 new words per day. Encourage the habit of reading with Lexi by setting a goal of reading 30 mins per day with 3 written narrations and 2 oral narrations per week.
• Grammar: Lexi will work in Simply Grammar this year.  Lorelai and I may dabble a little in English for the Thoughtful Child although grammar isn't recommended until approximately age 9 or 10.

Habit and Character Training
We will spend 3 weeks each on the following characteristics:

• Humility
• Obedience
• Gratefulness
• Attentiveness 

We will use scriptures and bible stories, of course. Using one of our bible-based books, we will learn about each quality; see how Christ exhibited them in his life and how we can implement them in our own lives.


Science
The Story Book of Science
On our science days, we will read and have the children narrate. Much science will be covered in our studies of the ancient world.

Foreign Language
Continue Spanish and begin Sign Language

Poetry and Recitation
Our focused poets will be Sara Teasdale and Hilda Conkling. We will read at least one poem per day. For recitation, we will focus 4 weeks on each:

• Spring Night by Sara Teasdale
• Stars by Sara Teasdale
• Spring Song by Hilda Conkling

Handicraft
Photography for 6 weeks
Latch hooking for 6 weeks

Music Memorization (some call this Hymn Memorization)
I haven't chosen the songs yet but I will be focusing in on songs which will be sang at our 2010 District Convention in August.

History
We will be studying the ancients using a combination of :

• Story of the World
• Greece and Rome: Builders of Our World
• Ancient Egyptians and their Neighbors
• Spend the Day in Ancient Egypt (hands on activities and crafts)

Typing
Alexis will continue learning this at her own pace

Geography
Geography will be continued as introductory in many ways for Lorelai using our walks and nature walks as learning opportunities. We also use nature studies a bit for this. Teaching geography by using the stars, moon and sun as guides is a start, but also using our natural environment (the ocean is to the east, for instance) works best for one as young as she.

Alexis will begin using Geography Skills Activity Kit and I'm certain Lorelai will pick up on some of this as well.

P.E.
Play, in itself, is exercise and we do follow the 4-6 hours of play per day rule. However, we also do a more focused 1/2 hour each day using The Ultimate Homeschool Physical Education Game Book which is great fun for all of us! Even Dad loves pitching in on this during vistation days!

Music, Art and Nature Study

For the following subjects, I have purchased a Spring Series Nature Study Ebook from Barb.

• Nature Studies--if I can use her studies, I will. If necessary, I will adapt them to Florida using The Young Naturalist's Guide to Florida as well as the Handbook of Nature Study.
• Artist Studies-- Berthe Morisot, Albert Bierstadt, and Georges Seurat
• Composer Studies: Schubert, Ravel, and Brahms

Bible Studies

This matter is very throughly-covered in our household.  In the morning, we cover a daily scripture (called Daily Text in our home). We have Scripture Memory as well. Usually there are scriptures related to our character/habit training and so those we memorize. We have a weekly assigned Bible reading which we cover in bits throughout the week. And we have bible-based literature which we also study. So there are many times throughout the day and evening when we are focused on this particular subject.

 My next post will be our new schedule.  In two weeks, we'll be moving into a new place which will present some challenges (we will be in an apartment rather than a house with a beautiful yard) as far as our dogs and having nature "right in the back yard". So I'm rearranging my work schedule to accommodate the dogs and the children. (LOL--did I just group dogs and kids together???)

 Happy Homeschooling!

Michelle