Week 1

Well, our first week is complete!  I have to say it feels like we ran a marathon!  Most of what we did last year fit the "Classical Education" model, but I read The Well Trained Mind over the summer and am following her suggestions fairly closely.

This year we have 3rd grade, 2nd grade, Kindergarten and Preschool (4).  I started out by trying to squeeze more school into the same amount of time we spent last year when I only schooled the 2 kids.  Not a good plan!  This week we will be resigned that school will take longer (no more finishing before lunch) and I think we'll all be better for it.

Jayden's (the oldest) comment after this week was that we need to take more breaks.  After pondering that, I agree!

We are using workboxes again this year.  We ended our year experimenting with them and they really work for us!  Now, with 4 kids, this is my main plan of organization.  I have a bin that has file folders in it.  4 weeks worth for each child.  I put any papers they will need in the folder for that day.  Then I just have to place whatever is in the folder in the workboxes.  The younger boys don't have as much "paper" so I put counting activities, books on cassette and mazes/dot to dots, play dough, water colors, etc. in their boxes.  We are only using about 5-7 boxes per child right now.  As the year goes on I'm sure we'll be able to up that, but right now our "basics" are enough!

So this is what workboxes look like right now:

Jayden and Kylie (grades 3 and 2):

1.  Math
2.  Reading (book of choice within history or science topics, reading for 20-30 minutes)
3.  Grammar
4.  Cursive

Rylan and Bryson (Kindergarten and Pre K)

1.  Book on cassette
2.  Mazes/dot to dots
3. Cutting exercises (both need fine motor work)
4. Counting activity or alphabet activity (Bryson)  easy reader for Rylan
5. Something fun (play dough, letter stamps, water color, etc.)

Our "work with mom" work includes reading, spelling, and writing for the older 2.  Reading, math and handwriting for the younger 2.  Jayden will start Latin as soon as his materials come.  I want to learn with him so that will be something extra he and I do.




Altogether we start our day with a Bible reading and history.  Part way through the morning we do science.  Then during lunch I read something to them from our history time period.  Right now we are reading Black Ships Before Troy a version of the Iliad.  The kids are loving it!

I'm looking to refine some things this next week.  We'll see how it goes!  I'm going to ditch the writing I planned until I get the WWE workbooks.  (We'll just focus on dictation, copywork and letter writing.)  I thought I could do it with just the teacher's book.  I was wrong!  I really need something all done for me... narration and dictation picked out.  Time is of essence and even though money doesn't grow on our trees... Mommy's sanity is worth it!