Curriculum Confession

I've been going in circles trying to decide on a curriculum plan. Since January, I had been planning to do-it-myself once we finished our grade one curriculum. I've been collecting books and formulating thoughts all year. All of a sudden, I got nervous. I had all of these books and ideas, but no idea how to organize them into a plan. I decided to begin looking for help.

I thought long and hard about following the free curriculum guide at Simply Charlotte Mason. It is a general guide with lots of room for change. I compiled a list of resources needed and figured out the cost. Still, I needed to plan out a few more details.

Then April came. April has been a reality call for me. I have been busy studying for two lessons I gave and a Bible bowl coming up next weekend. I've also been working on the week of camp Scott and I direct in August and a VBS to be held the week before. Finally, I've been seduced by the sunny weather. I can hardly get any housework done, much less thoughtfully plan out any homeschool lessons. We haven't been to the library since the middle of March. We finished most of our grade one curriculum from My Father's World in the beginning of April. Needless to say, homeschool has been done very half-hazardly lately.

This is my problem. My availability goes in spurts. I'm speaking of my attention span. I work hard to focus my ministry in my home. (With much criticism, I might add.) There are a few things outside the home, however, which I enjoy and even get passionate about. Camp being one of those things, public speaking another. Both require study time. If I'm going to be any good to my family and give the kids the consistent education they need, I can't stress myself out with the extra burden of planning my own curriculum. As much as I dislike being tied down by the structure, I've been reminded this month that my kids thrive in structure.

Therefore, I have searched far and wide for the curriculum package to suite our need for a plan, yet with the flexibility we also need. I think I've finally made a decision. Living Books Curriculum is based on Charlotte Mason's methods, which I love. It is a bit more expensive than My Father's World, but includes all the books you need for the lesson plans. It is similar to Sonlight, but less expensive. Unlike MFW and SL, LBC has a weekly plan. The other's have a daily plan. I enjoyed MFW for K and 1st, but hardly stuck with the daily plan. Some days we needed to focus on a specific subject. I really like the idea of having weekly goals set out for me. Even more so, I like the ability decide how and when we will meet those goals. I also like the fact that the books are sent with the complete package. Although MFW supplies many of the basic resources for the curriculum guide, the living books for individual lessons are not included. While living in a city, that was fine. Most of the books I needed were at the library. Now, in a small town, I find we go to the library less frequently and find what we need even less. Overall, LBC looks like it will be a good choice for us.

I've decided to wait until September to get started. Today, I quickly sketched out a summer plan for our studies. I'm continuing the year-round education because we all need it to stay motivated. Not to mention the review we'll avoid in the fall! It will be a light schedule, though. Math hasn't been our best subject grasped this year, so we need to include that, along with reading everyday. Poetry, Art, Music, and Nature Study are subjects we enjoy. They will be a part of our weekly schedule. Literature, of course, will be daily. I plan to get Canadian history and geography in through our literature. (LBC teaches American history, not Canadian.)

So there it is, my plan. What a relief!

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Spring Promo

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They are also giving away a $150 gift certificate to the Schoolhouse Store. All print subscribers (new or renewing) between April 3 - 30, 2008 will be automatically entered into a drawing. No purchase neccessary to win. To enter without subscribing, please send a postcard with your name, address, telephone number, and email address to:
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Ah, Spring!

Yesterday was the first warm day of the year (15 degrees C). We tossed the books aside and lived outdoors. When someone at the park questioned why my oldest son wasn't in school, I answered that he was in phys.ed. Tee-hee.

After lunch, I put the little ones down for a nap. Then Gabriel and I headed back outdoors for a nature study. We are blessed to have a pond right in our backyard. We sat quietly next to the water on a quilt, with our sketch pads and watercolor pencils. I also had a camera to catch any fleeting birds. (To my dismay the battery was dead. I missed the frolicking of a robin while waiting for it to recharge.) As we sat, I told my son about the things my dad taught me about nature photography. I told them that if we sat still and long enough, nature would come to us. Indeed, it did.

In the warmth of a glorious afternoon, we were visited by two geese, a robin and a mallard. All birds were elegant creatures, bringing glory to their creator. Perhaps the most magnificant sight of the day was the brilliant emerald head of the mallard. The sight nearly took our breath away as he glided into the water. His visit was short and we were sad to see him go.

We finished our afternoon of observation and art with a study of the bright green algea growing in our pond. Gabriel was fascinated by the texture of the slimy growth. I was happy enough to leave it in the pond. It was difficult to capture the color combination and depth of the bubbles with our watercolors. The photographs, however, will provide us with a beautiful reminder of the life in our water. (Gross)

It was my intent to spend time in the late afternoon investigating the facts regarding our subjects. We had a surprise visitor and ended up practicing the art of hospitality instead. Then, of course, the rest of the day was, once again, spent in the sun! We'll have to finish off our study this afternoon.

I really wanted to post the pictures I took yesterday, but it appears as though my Adobe program was lost during the great computer crash a couple weeks ago. Hopefully, it can be reinstalled so I can post pictures soon.