examples of our beginning schedule

I'll take a moment to describe what we've been doing in "school." There have been 6 days so far that the boys have heard me shake a tambourine - their signal that I'm ready - and have taken a seat on a rug in the classroom. We usually begin with the "silence game" to calm down. We close our eyes and listen. When I make a noise with a percussion instrument, they open their eyes and list all the things that they heard. Most of the time the main thing they hear is their little brother playing in the other room! They also hear things like traffic down the high way, geese flying over head, or perhaps the washing machine.

We review classroom rules and basic grace and courtesy items such as: sitting down & getting up from a chair at a desk; using and rolling up work rugs; saying "hello" and "goodbye" with eye contact; asking if you can watch someone else do their work. Then I do some presentations for the 3yo (always watched with interest by the 5yo,) then 1-2 presentations for the 5yo, and then I work on letter sounds (aka "pink reading activities") with the 3yo. I try to end with hugs! All in all, it's only about 10 minutes that I'm actually in the room with them. Of course it takes a lot more time than that to plan activities and get presentations set up!

Presentations so far for the 3yo:

using a hole punch
transferring water by sponge squeezing
putting clothes pins on a box (2 sizes to clarify "big", "small")
name tracing
transferring pom poms to an ice cube tray with tongs
putting rubber bands on a peg board (the 5yo loves this)
dry pouring beans
transferring colored water with a large baster
flipping lids with a pancake turner
hammering golf tees into clay
dusting
table setting and table matters, including rolling napkins & using napkin rings
passing sharp objects
transferring water with an eye dropper
brown stairs (5yo additionally measured them with a ruler)
sandpaper letters & numbers - reviewing 3 each day
red box of knobless cylinders ("narrow", "wide")
large button dressing frame
salt tray for tracing letters and numbers
pasting (I've tried school glue bottles & glue sticks without success. Eventually they are too tempting to misuse! So I got this bottle and it works great. Also got these for them to use as mosaics for patterning.)

Recent presentations for the 5yo:

shoe lacing (he learned to tie last month)
plant care including leaf washing
capitalization of proper nouns
stamp game
Hundred board review
grinding with a mortar & pestle (egg shells so far, though I'm looking for other things to use.)
pasting

Also, a typing program on the computer.

As soon as I get a chance, I have binders ready for him to begin narrating to me about books he has read as well as a Book of Centuries. Ahhh, if only there were more hours to each day!

a 3-year plan!

(sara:) Well, I know you aren't all planning on home schooling or even necessarily interested, but because of some circumstances going on in our life, I decided to go ahead and write down my "curriculum" plans for home schooling the next 3 years. (Go ahead, call me crazy!) I've been researching & thinking about our options for a long time, I just hadn't actually sat down, made some decisions, written it out, and looked at prices. Mostly so I'll have all the links in one place (for myself), I'll post my plans here. Need I say, we'll tweak as we go! [I'll asterisk the books I've already bought or read.] Because C. has already learned what they teach in kindergarten (except for how to tie his shoes,) I have decided to begin "First grade" in January and spend 1 1/2 years on the material, and follow that with 1 1/2 years of "second grade". I think our home schooling will follow the calendar year, rather than the school year.

My educational goals fall under 6 categories, and that's how I'm lesson planning. I'm listing several books below, but will be supplementing with a ton of library books and supplemental materials as needed.


1. Theology. Long term goals for the children: to hear about & experience God's love, to grow in faith, to experience communal worship & the liturgical seasons.

First grade - family prayer & Mass attendance, liturgical season activities, visits to church outside of Mass, CGS presentations, *St. Joseph Baltimore Catechism no. 0, *Faith & Life grade 1, daily quiet time.
Second grade - same except Faith & Life grade 2 and I'll consider Moira's CGS album for ages 6-9.


2. Character. Long term goals for the children: to form character, improve self-control, gain self awareness, and understand the virtues.

First grade: complete the sensorial album (which means - do as much as we want!) & read books about the saints and other heroes.
Second grade: continue saint and virtue study, in particular with these 3 books: *Devotional Stories for Little Folks, Once Upon a Time Saints, and *Little Acts of Grace.


3. Practical Life. Long term goals for the children: to learn what is needed for survival & independence, to learn to contribute to the good of our family and society. (everything from hunting to construction to investing!)

First grade: complete the practical life album
Second grade: follow interests and let dh plan the year.


4. Community. Long term goals: to learn to interact peaceably with others, to communicate well, and to understand other cultures both past & present.

First grade: Complete the Montessori language album, continue with *Phonics Pathways, memorize poetry, explore all 7 *continent kits and map puzzles, read many "living books" together and narrate 1/month. Listen to books on tape. Begin *Prima Latina together. Begin a history timeline and notebook and cover the years 5000BC - 400 AD using the Usbourne Book of History and supplemental library books following his interests.
Second grade: same, except cover years 400-1600 AD, read CHC Map skills Level B, narrate literature twice a month, and instead of Phonics Pathways use CHC Speller Grade A.


5. Creation. Long term goals: to appreciate and understand God's creation.

First grade: complete Montessori math album and begin using Right Start math program. Spend as much time outside as possible. Begin a nature binder and write once a month. Begin a science binder and spend 6 months reading each of these books: Usbourne Encyclopedia of the Natural World, the Human Body Discovery Book, and Extraordinary Plants.
Second grade: Same, except write in nature journal once/week and for science spend 9 months each on planet earth and outer space. (books still to be determined.)


6. Art and PE. Long term goals: to experience the beauty of art & music, to grow in physical strength and health, to learn good sportsmanship and healthy past times.

First & Second grades: Continue listening to classical music daily, study violin, piano, recorder & percussion, learn to swim & play soccer, lots of free outdoor play, use *Child-size Masterpieces and the *Catholic How-to-Draw.