What I Learned Week 1

Reflection.  It's a good thing, necessary for growth, both personal and professional.  It's an indispensable tool for teachers of all types.  It comes naturally to me but I don't always remember to write it down, which isn't helpful.  This past week was our first week of homeschool for the 2015-2016 school year and I have learned (or was reminded) of SO many lessons from my children.

What Did I Learn?

• Spreadsheets are Helpful but Simple is Best - I had a huge spreadsheet for Week 1.  I mean HUGE, about three times what is shown below.  I had it divided up by day and subject, including page numbers and references.  It was super organized.  Did I use it?  Some, but I kept simplifying it to a little daily checklist.  
• Calendar Time is almost useless as long as it remains in their room (with all their toys nearby). Do the routine and picture books but notebooking is pointless.
• Quiet Boxes - It's pointless to plan what goes in them ahead of time.  
• Reading - Picture book reading works best as part of Calendar Time; Read Aloud time works best during afternoon snack time.
• Phonics - It either clicks for my girl or it doesn't.  If it doesn't then there's no use dwelling on it.  It will frustrate us both.  Keep practicing reading skills and eventually it will just click.
• Handwriting - My girl needs practice, practice, practice until all those old bad habits from public school are gone. My boy isn't ready - color and trace, color and trace.
• Fridays are for review.  No one feels like sitting and concentrating on something new by that point in the week.
• Feedback from the kids - Craft projects. More music time. Don't leave Science until last.

What Did We Do?

Week 1

Subject	Activity
Field Trips	Beach; Six Flags; Library
Routine	Bible Verse, 100 Days, Letter, Number, Pledge, Weather
Reading	Hot air : the (mostly) true story of the first hot-air balloon ride Marjorie Priceman. How do hot air balloons work? Buffy Silverman. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper The Cheese by Margie Palatini
Activities	A Year of Playing Skillfully
Sensory Box	Sand & Seashells
Literacy	Phonics - CH/SH; Phonics Review; Phonics Review; Writing - All About Me; Sight Words - First Grade
Math	Singapore Math - Go Fish, War card games
Science	Hot Air Experiment; Intro 5 Senses & Can You Hear It?; Intro Scientific Process for Journal Sound Garden Investigation; Waves of Sound
Bible	Bible Sketchbook - God made Heavens & Earth, Eve and the Serpent, Rules - Fruit of the Tree
Music & Art	Combined with Science and Writing
Spanish	Combined with Calendar time

Scope & Sequence (In Progress)

For this year we are preparing for First Grade (6 y/o girl - G) and Preschool (almost 4 y/o boy - J). We are now officially required by Texas to include Reading, Writing, Spelling, Math, and Civics lessons into our schoolwork, not that we weren't including this previously, but now we have to be able to prove it.

G is reading right at a Kindergarten level and loves the Hooked on Phonics program.  She is a Math whiz and Singapore Math works well for her.  She enjoys seat work that "feels like school".

J disagrees.  He's very active but has just recently taken an interest in his sister's seat work.  He plays well on his own, which is good because sister likes to have absolute silence when working on seat work, but unfortunately brother's independent play time does not always coordinate with her desire for silence.  Handwriting has also been a challenge so we took some time off and will be returning to letter formation this year.

In an effort to address both their needs and integrate programs I am working on a Scope and Sequence for our activities and lessons.  It also helps should I ever have to present our curriculum to the state. Brother wants to do anything that sister does, but sometimes that interferes with both of their learning.  I plan to use a Quiet Box to keep him learning in a separate space from his sister when she needs to focus.

We are using:

• A Year of Playing Skillfully (The Homegrown Preschooler)
• Hooked on Phonics
• Hooked on Spelling
• Singapore Math
• Handwriting Without Tears
• My Bible Story Sketch book

I supplement from a number of sources, such as Sid the Science Kid coordinated Science lessons and Doodles Ave Lonestar State coloring books for Civics lessons.

I split the organization into three pages:

• First Grade (items only G completes; J joins for Shared Reading)
• Preschool (items only J completes, G joins for Literacy at her choice)
• Combined

These are a work-in-progress that I will update with additional activities and links over the next week or two.  We intend to start after Labor Day with our new school year.

A few things to note - since we live in Texas certain activities are earlier/later than may be usual in other parts of the nation.  For example, we have to pick apples early, but our foliage won't change until very late.

Very shortly I will also post a weekly outline similar to what we used last semester: Week at a Glance