New Curriculum

While I adore the unit studies we did last year, we needed something that was a little more programmed this year to allow for stability with our crazy therapy schedules.  We're trying something new, My Father's World, and I'm loving it, well most of it.

We are using Kindergarten and First Grade this year. As the year has gone by though, we have changed up some things.

Kindergarten: The program is a bit weak in math, so we are supplementing with lots of games that require counting, ordering, patterning, et cetera. Some of our favorites are Monopoly Cars 2 Race Track Game, Disney Princess Enchanted Cupcake Party Game, Candy Land, coolmath.com, and abcmouse.com. We also purchased the Toddler and Preschool packs from MFW and are using them to work on fine motor skills and mathematical relationships.

We really haven't used the Say Hello to Classical Music CD in the  way it was intended. We find the music fun to listen to, but the activities really don't fit our schedule. Also, we have plenty of bugs in our backyard, so I didn't bother with the butterfly cage or ant farm.

First Grade:  Instead of The Complete Book of Math, Grades 1 - 2 that came with the first grade package, we have switched to using math books from Christian Light Education. It uses a spiral method, rather than an isolated skill method, which I prefer. I also love the family-centered approach to the word problems. (My son is advanced in math so the change allowed us to move him to a more appropriate level.)

We have also dropped the art program Drawing with Children in favor of a more relaxed art class based on the Enjoying Art Together photos that came with the curriculum. Each week after discussing the Master Work, my first grader creates an original piece using the methods of the artist.

We have also joined a field trip group this year and are now enjoying a new mix of friends with whom we can learn and play.

My plan is to use this blog to share some of the fun activities, new ideas, and even some of the difficulties we encounter as we continue to Holmes School.

Welcome

June 2013

We are finishing our first official year of homeschooling, or Holmes Schooling as I like to call it.

What does homeschooling look like in our home?

We mostly use Five in a Row (FIAR) curriculum. It is an interdisciplinary curriculum focused around one main piece of literature for the week while exploring the scientific, mathematical, and social studies topics associated with the book. We also use other children's books using the FIAR methods.

We also supplement with two popular websites, abcmouse.com and Reading Eggs, lots of documentaries of off Netflix, and animated picture books on You Tube.

Some of my favorite websites for printables include Homeschool Creations and Homeschool Share.

Each morning we start with reading together and then move on to our other activities. We usually have a break for playtime after each directed activity, and since my girls have in-home therapy three times a week, we also work around therapy time.

The goal of this blog is to share resources and ideas with other homeschoolers.