It was like Christmas in March when the boxes and packages started appearing by the back door containing our school books for the next school year. I stayed on top of things this time and checked books off my list as they arrived. It's a bad day when you get down to lesson planning and discover you forgot to order a science book.
We now start school in less than 24 hours. The last two weeks have been a flurry of ripping out carpet, patching cracks in plaster, painting, hunting down books (and order forms to make sure I found them all!) and planning. (Not to mention flood clean-up, but that's a whole other post.) I'm relieved to say, I made it.
Many things aren't in the places they will stay, but are staying put until I decide where they should be.
The file cabinet will be painted black and distressed to match the desk and bookcase...someday.
This wardrobe was left behind by the former owner. I'm using it for a school cabinet now, though it's not organized as I'd like. It's simply keeping books, papers, and supplies from sitting out everywhere. The very top shelf is for my journals and reference books. I sanded the inside of the right door and will paint it with chalkboard paint. On the left door I hope to attach a bulletin board and some kind of file baskets for papers. The left side also needs a couple shelves. That roll of white paper on the inside left is paintable beadboard wallpaper for the exterior "wardrobe makeover" that I have brewing in my mind.
*This photo shows how far I got painting the floor!
Lesson planning actually gets easier each year. This year I bought two lesson planners from Michele Quigley's shop (link), one for Aidan's 4th grade material, and one to rewrite 1st grade lesson plans while the books and changes I want to make are still fresh in my mind. I prefer these planners to any others I've found because they're completely blank to organize according to our needs, with a simple grid,a place for notes, and inspirational quotes on the bottom of each page spread. Each page spread is meant for a week of planning according to a 36-week school year.
Kinder and 2nd grade lesson plans only needed modification this time to include the books we've substituted (which is why they were completed so quickly). I wish I had separate planners for these grades, but I bought them as two planners bound together the first year I wrote our own lesson plans. (Homeschooling is a learning experience for everyone around here.) This planner has been through the trenches, having accumulated a disturbing amount of coffee stains. Coffee is a magic liquid that has kept this crazy train on the tracks.
My guide for this upcoming school year is the book Teaching From Rest: A Homeschooler's Guide to Unshakable Peace (Amazon link) by Sarah Mackenzie. (She is also the author of the blog Amongst Lovely Things and the Read-Aloud Revival. ) This little book has been like an epiphany for my approach to our homeschool. While I will probably always struggle against my nature to strictly follow lesson plans and be a drill sergeant, I now have the confidence and peace of mind to change things up or let things go when I think it'll be for the greater good. Curriculum is a tool, not a dictator, and our jobs are to teach our children to appreciate truth, beauty, and goodness. Give them that and they'll have an infallible guide throughout life.These are our Kindergarten books, for Liam. (I'm feeling really old this year.)
Most are from Our Lady of Victory School, though I decided to switch out OLVS' math for the math from Seton Homeschool because it's more comprehensive. We limited coloring books, using the ones we have for the stories that are in them.
I found an unused Saxon (KG) meeting book that we will all use come September to make a calendar and keep track of weather and our schedule. I bought these weather stickers from Amazon (link) to use on the calendar.
Also, I will start OLV's 1st grade religion book for Liam in Kindergarten, hoping to at least cover the "Primer" section of the book through the upcoming year.
We started out strong with reading this summer for both Liam and Gavin, but faltered in July. Gavin still struggles with it, so I bought "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" to use with both boys. They thought it was a game, and loved that they got to do it together. The Little Angel Readers that OLV starts them off with seem to jump right into reading, so I had hoped to start school prepared this time. I guess we'll just proceed as slowly as we need to. I will also use "Little Stories for Little Folks" from CHC for Liam, a birthday gift from his godmother. (Thank you!!!)
2nd Grade Books
These are our 2nd grade books, for Gavin.
Again, most are from Our Lady of Victory school, though I switched their reading books out for the readers from Seton. As a lover of books, I enjoyed OLV's primers, but for a young boy who is not fond of reading, I needed something less archaic with more engaging illustrations.
The top example is a Seton 2nd grade reader, the bottom is OLV's.
And these are the 4th grade books, for Aidan. Oofda. They take up just about half of the shelf space, not for the number of books there are, but because of their thickness. There are nearly 400 pages in each reading book.
All but reading (again ordered from Seton) are from Our Lady of Victory School.
I got heart palpitations planning the math lessons. I mastered Saxon math in 4th grade, let's hope I can again as a 34 year old!
I've combined subjects where I can for the boys, both to reduce my workload, and because they enjoy things more when they do them together.
Gavin and Aidan will do Latin together this year. Aidan did half the book last year, so that part will be review for him. Once they complete Prima Latina we'll move on to Latina Christiana.
Aidan and Gavin will also be doing history together this year. Our Lady of Victory seems to have history only every other year, and 2nd and 4th grades are both off years. So I decided to try Connecting with History from RC History (Roman Catholic History) this year. I'll be the first to admit that figuring out how to use this program is a complex mystery, and ordering the right books without blowing a budget and spending a small fortune is tricky. It took me a week of studying what info I could find online about it to decide how to go about that, and then hunting down the cheapest places to buy each book. (Some were bought used or discounted because of dented spines or other flaws.)
Connecting with History designates books for several different grade levels, some of which overlap levels; some are optional and are intended to enhance the students' understanding of certain time periods. Gavin is at the Beginner Level and Aidan at the Grammar level, so I chose books that overlapped both levels. This year we will study Volume I, which is Ancient History. There are Core Books (in the row at the top of the photo) that act as the text books. The next two rows are Base Books that illustrate things mentioned in the Core Books. They will be used when referred to in a Core Book. The last two rows of books are supplemental reading. The program consists of ten units, and each unit has a list of recommended reading books as supplements. I chose one of the suggested books from each unit. Unit 5's book, "Hittite Warrior", is a Kindle book so isn't in the photo. A couple of the books have hands-on activities for the boys to try. We may be having a lunch of fish wrapped in grape leaves and feta stuffed spinach triangles this school year, while wearing our homemade togas and pallas.
This history program was compiled by Catholic homeschool moms who wanted a complex history that illustrated how Bible history confirms secular history, and how events in the secular timeline parallel the biblical timeline.
Gavin continues to plug away at his First Holy Communion Catechism. He has run into some difficulty memorizing some of the answers, and our crazy summer hasn't helped my involvement in his progression through the catechism.
And finally, an area I feel has been missing in the boys' education: knowledge of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In order to "attend" at Mass, you need to know what the parts of it are. It's even better if you understand the meaning behind the parts, the actions of the priest and altar boys, and the symbolism that is used. These are the tools we'll be using for that.
The Traditional Mass for Children DVD will give the boys the visual aspect of learning about the Low Mass (Latin). The books are both similar in explaining what is going on during Mass and why. The book Ever Ancient, Ever New: Traditional Latin Mass is unique in that it has a page with a picture cue describing all parts of the Mass and how they parallel the life, Passion, and Death of Christ. The original book was a children's First Communion book, out of print since 1925. It was found at a church sale, expanded, and reprinted thanks to the generosity of a M. Hernandez Aune.
And of course, we've been using the St. Edmund Campion Children's Missal that includes the book "Know Your Mass". This is the link to the book in PDF format. We have the paper version but it's softcover and it has taken a beating. The boys love the illustrations and comic book look of it.
We hope to fill our year again with field trips...something I need to get on top of now before it gets too late.
Praying for a successful year!
Blessings on your first week of school! :)
ReplyDeletePraying for a peaceful and fruitful school year. I've started a novena for that intention to St. Pius X.
That's a great idea, and thank you!
ReplyDelete