Saturday, October 26, 2013

The PLAN (Home Learning - Grade 5)

A note before we begin. I've been working on this blog post for a couple of weeks. Not because it is so hard to get the information together, I have it in our planning journal. Not because I'm uninspired, I am. But because it seems so overwhelming to put it all out there. I feel like a pushy overachiever. The thing is, we're moving through somewhat according to the plan, and finding new things to add along the way. Nathan LOVES to learn. I asked him yesterday if he was having fun with our school year. Yes. I asked him if there was anything he just really didn't like. No. I asked if we work too long, too hard, not hard enough, etc. He said he is happy. He acts like he is challenged. He still prefers his home learning life to the idea of going to school. He said he likes the quiet and peacefulness. With that in mind ...



Wordle: The Plan  

  THE PLAN

Each year, I try to re-evaluate the prior year and outline a plan for the new year that not only addresses the basic academic goals of the year, but keeps in mind one of my favorite sayings:

You're not raising a boy, you're raising a man.

Homeschool isn't just about academics, but also about life. Living life. Learning in life. Becoming in life.


So ... the PLAN.

Overall, we have a few new goals, based on the need to begin to prepare for the pre-teen years, and all that means.

  • More independent study
  • Pursue interests as they come up, with a willingness to abandon "The PLAN"
  • Change from daily assignments to weekly assignments
  • Migrate our "Bible time" to a family devotional instead of a school assignment

And in the specific academic areas ...


Math
  • Continue with Singapore Math
  • Take breaks to reinforce multiplication facts, and anything else that needs a little extra time (We're using the multiplication Learning WrapUps as well.)
  • Math games on the iPad

In addition, there are a few things to think about as we plan for the future:

Language Arts
  • Daily independent reading
  • Read aloud based on current studies
  • Writing (fiction, poetry, essays)
  • Grammar (Simply Grammar by Charlotte Mason, and a short unit on capitalization rules)
  • Games (like Bananagrams and iPad games)

My "to do" list includes:
  • Look for new books for Nathan to love (Suggestions?)

Arts

Science
  • Unit Studies (Plants, Cells, Eagles, Foundations for Chemistry)
  • Nature Journal (with Parables From Nature by Kiley Queen for the cold, rainy weeks we are anticipating when the rains begin)
  • Weekly experiment (using great kits we received as a gift)

History
  • World History (Story of the World Vol. 2: The Middle Ages by Susan Wise Bauer)
  • U.S. History Unit Studies (American Frontier, Frontiersmen/Tracking/Trapping, Native Peoples, Oregon Trail, War of 1812, Civil War)
  • Virtual Field Trip to the Statue of Liberty
  • Geography (Africa Unit Study (physical geography), Islam Unit Study (human geography))
  • Canadian History (read living books to begin exposure to Canadian history)

Language Studies

Life Skills
  • Swimming Lessons
  • Kitchen Skills
  • Cub Scouts
  • Chess Club
  • Basketball

I could be stressed and exhausted just looking at this list. But the thing is, Nathan loves to learn. Everything on this list is something he has expressed an interest in, or has found interesting as we are going through it. It is all fluid, ever changing as his interests and needs change. He's like a sponge, and loves everything we learn together. I am most blessed.

One final note: I have included links to some of the items we are using just to give you a place to go if you want more information. None of the links are meant to be a recommendation for the place or means of purchasing your own copy. Do some research. You may be able to find items used or less expensive.

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