This Is How We Homeschool - Jan 19-23

MONDAY

9:30 - 3:00 Homeschool in the forest meets on MLK day.

Pack leader reports:

5yo: N/A

8yo: 

"We became true fox lizards last week as we focused on stealth walking, which we call fox walking. We practiced this through games and challenges during the day. We will slowly be learning some nature awareness tricks, like fox walking to enable us to get closer to animals and observe more in nature. 

Our adventures last week took us to a gnome home deep in the forest where we found iris and grass that we practiced making cordage out of. We saw so many newts in the forest. On the way back we did a solo walk, where each child gets to walk a safe section of trail alone observing sights and sounds, while the instructors wait at both ends of the trail to make sure everyone stays safe. The kids enjoyed that.

Next week we will be learning about using our peripheral vision and continuing our journey to make crafts out of just natural found items. For that goal, it would be great if everyone could get knife certified."

10yo: N/A

Came home and spend the night drumming, watching TV and playing a family game. 

TUESDAY

8:30 - 10:00 Math tutor for all kids. Beanie goes first while I work with the 10yo on good room-cleaning skills - how to vacuum effectively, where to put folded laundry, how to stack books at your bedside, etc., etc. I love that the morning is calm and I can take the time to cover these life skills with him, even if it is for the one-hundred and fifteenth time. 

Our math tutor is the queen of great games. She always comes with a bag full and leaves them for us to play with all week. 

Our language arts teacher told me to start Beanie on the Explode the Code workbook series, which she swears by. I've come full circle on the worksheets - first I swore them off, now I see their value. Beanie is great with the workbooks, the 10yo resists. But they make it easier on me, of course. So for the most part, no we don't use workbooks, but occasionally, we do (and when we do, I tend to like the results). 

10:30 - 12:00 Language arts for the big kids. Tiny Buns choses to continue working on his Pokemon project/game. 

Tutor works on various things for the kids. Here, Beanie starts by drawing a picture on the white board, and building out a story for there. Her enthusiasm continues long after the session is over and she continues working on her story while eating lunch. 

Tiny Buns is on a serious self-directed project. It's been so cool to watch him develop this idea all on his own. It's a Pokemon game. He designs and names the characters, and then he has me write down all their info on the card. Two players each draw cards and select an action for destruction. A third player serves as judge and decides who wins each round. Super cute. 

1:00 - 4:00 Tiny Buns to prek

2:15 - 3:15 10yo has music class, Beanie and I walk to the library. It's our second trip to the library today! First one was in the morning (we walked the dogs and checked-out chapter books), here I go crazy with Playaways and DVDs. 

4:00 Come home. Beanie plays in the yard, listening to her new audio book, Magic in the Mix. 10yo watches Everest, Beyond the Limit. I run errands while Tiny Buns plays board games with E. 

5:30 - 7:30 Parkour for 10yo and his buddy. Offered through our community center, it's $20 for two hours, instruction included. Lots of great boy energy going on in there. He comes home and throws-up after what he said was too many pull-ups and swears off Parkour. I tell him it's nothing we need to decide tonight and we'll trying one more time. Fingers crossed - I love the exercise he gets!

At bedtime I read Tiny Buns the cutest book I grabbed while at the library today - Queen Victoria's Bathing Machine. An adorable story that just happens to be true! 

WEDNDESDAY

Have I mentioned we don't do screen time on the weekdays? In our experience, iPads just generate stress and fighting between siblings. On weekend mornings, they get a couple hours of games if they want it, but they don't always. There isn't any content online I've seen that is better than what we find in books, educational programming, or using our own imaginations.  They've got the rest of their lives to be on the computer. Today I want them discover how to navigate all the other stuff. 

9:00 - 10:30 Classes: Art Appreciation for 1-3rd graders (there are two girls enrolled), and a Maker class for 4th-6th graders that only the 10yo was enrolled in. At the last minute, we decided to add Tiny Buns in with his brother and D. gave them special instruction to branch their five year age difference. They got into the shop and began making flashlights out of LEGOS. 

12:30 - 2:30 Shakespeare for homeschoolers, taught out of a neighbors house. Phenomenal instructor! They begin with Much Ado About Nothing, everyone is cast and gets their lines. The production has begun!

1:00 - 4:00 Tiny Buns does prek

2:25 - 4:15 Private art instruction for the 10yo with M. He was jealous of his sister's one-on-one so he asked for some too. He wants to love art, but get discouraged. I hope the hour-and-a-half with this sweet man helps open him up more to his creative side.

3:00 - 5:00 Beanie goes to my mom's house for a little home economics. 

Note - The 10yo is reading Madman of Piney Woods, I picked it up on Playaway for myself (so we can discuss). Anything by Christopher Paul Curtis is exceptional for all. Check him out!!

THURSDAY

9:00 - 10:30 Beanie takes one-on-one down the street with a local personality and artist. Today he had her work on "stretching the imagination" by drawing a monster. I love her style. 

10:30 - 11:00 Martial arts for Tiny Buns while Beanie and I run to the library to pick up some books. This class is ALSO just down the street from our new house. :)

9:30 - 3:00 The 10yo is doing his second day a week in nature, this one is all boys and they venture out to different areas of the county for hiking and games. Here is shot of his BFF and a giant mushroom he found, picked and brought home to his mama for dinner. I thought that was just the sweetest thing. 

1:00 - 4:00 Tiny Buns does prek

1:15 - 2:15 Beanie does French immersion with two other homeschool girls. They continue working on their 3D map of Paris today and then teacher A. takes them on a scented tour of the city!  Macaroons, the catacombs, the Champs Elysées, Montmartre, etc., there is a sent for all the famous spots!

FRIDAY

Early morning and I spot Beanie reading to Tiny Buns about the Industrial Revolution from her Appleseeds magazine. 

Everyone works on this week's math assignments which include A LOT of card games. :)

We found one our our eight hens had passed in the night and so we gave her a proper burial in the yard. Beanie decorated a rock with Carmel's name on it. The 10yo did all the heavy labor. 

1:00 - 4:00 Tiny Buns does prek

As I've said before - I am NOT above putting my kids in front of some educational TV for learning time. Friday afternoon gave them several Mythbuster episodes, which totally counts towards science in my book!