Homeschooling

It's going pretty well right now. We just discovered www.worldmathsday.com and Michael is suddenly liking math! Though he has informed me he can't wait till he's done with his writing lessons so he can rip up his writing book. Hmmm.

Remember though, Michael is very dramatic, so you can really just take that as his mild distaste for writing. He say he "hates" something, but if you or I had the same dislike for it we might say we "don't enjoy it very much". He still amazes me with his ability to soak in everything he's presented with for learning.

Gideon isn't as quick a reader as Michael has been, but he's already jumped ahead to 1st grade math! It seems to come pretty easy for him. The only thing I really have to help him with are the word problems, I read them out to him and he gives me the answer right away. He loves work books and could do them all day sometimes! Of course he also loves to be outside playing as well. He waits outside by the mailbox almost every day waiting for the mail carrier. Our mail carrier calls Gideon "Buddy" and always takes the time to step out of his truck and hand Gideon the mail over the fence.

We switched gears mid-year with Michael. I did have a lot of work book based curriculum for him and it just wasn't working, so now I am trying to do more videos, audio, and reading aloud with him. Since Gideon loves workbooks I can just saved Michael's unused workbooks for him.

I'm looking forward to next year as well. Gideon will be in 1st Grade and Michael will be in 3rd.

I'm going to go with Math-U-See for math. It uses video and manipulatives and I think it will work well for both boys.

I want to get A Reason for Handwriting for both boys, and am considering going with A Reason for Spelling for Michael.

Apologia sounds like the best choice for Science. I've heard many good reviews on it and am excited about trying it out.

I'm up in the air about History, I hear mixed reviews on all of the curriculum. I want something from a Christian World view. I do have Drive thru History, but I'm not sure thats enough. We'll see.

For Reading I will have Gideon finish "Teach Your child to read in 100 easy lessons". Both boys will be in Book-it again.

I've already got plenty of health and manners books to keep them busy for a few years.

I'm still looking for a Bible curriculum I like. This year we've learned about the books of the Bible and learned a few verses but not as many as I would like. I want a curriculum that will have them memorizing verses and learning about the Bible as well. Something that they can both do and I can include Jason in as well would be nice. AWANA is a posibility. We'll have to see whats available when we get to Georgia.

I want to have all of this sorted out before we move so that I don't have to think about it till School starts in the fall.

As for this year, we will be finished the last week of April. That will leave the whole month of May to get packed for the move.

Michael told me today that he's going to work really hard so he can be done with all of his school work early. I'll be very happy if he does that! I'll have to make up new school work for him to get in his 180 days but that's ok. I've been able to find ways for him to do school work without knowing its school work.

Now I'm off to write progress reports for them. I don't have to, but I like to for my own records.