A few books we have finished lately:

A forgotten field trip: our visit to a local farm education area.

Showing off the candles they made.

Lately:

I'm keeping track of all the books we read on a word document on my computer, as I tend to forget to put them here lately!  However, one book we recently finished was this one.  We'll be watching the recent movie of it for Family Movie Night tonight! :)  My prediction is that the movie will be more fun than the book.  It was rather dry and boring to me, and I think the kids put up with it as well.  I should have quit and just picked up another one, but quitting is hard for me sometimes.  I'll get better at it soon, I promise!

One book they were very interested in, that we read in just one sitting, was this one:

In her phonics work, Layla continues to move along quite well and has now finished the next two books in Sing, Spell, Read and Write:

She has now finished the 3 books on the bottom left of this picture:  a, e, and i.

Apple Cider field trip to Tamarack Nature Center:

Quick updates:

1.  Today is a big day around our house because we officially have a reader now!  Layla read the first 22 pages of her Sing, Spell, Read and Write phonics book *a*.  She's super proud of herself, and so am I.  :)

2.  For my own use, really, here is our very basic schedule that we do daily:

4 days a week I try to have a normal morning schedule at home, and 1 day a week I keep available for field trips, fun outside learning experiences, etc.

Mornings =

Breakfast 8:30-9:00.  Clean rooms, make beds, etc.  I eat before or after the kids so that I can read to them the entire time they are eating.  We start out with the Doxology, then do 1 Bible story, then pray.  Then I read from a poetry book for the rest of the time.  In a month or so, once I feel like our routine is really solid, then we will also begin doing our memory work at this time (Scripture, short poems, Shakespeare bits).

9:00-12:00 = School time.  School does not go past 12:00 on the 4 normal days, no matter what.  There are many more important things to do in life than school work.  

School Time = 

9:00-10:00 is LOOP time.  I only have 2 subjects that we do every day:  Math and Reading/Phonics.  Everything else is included in my loop time, which we do 3X a week (M,W,F...and sometimes 1 other time in the week).  I loop things I think are very important, but I don't want to assign to a specific day of the week.  Every loop time starts by reading 1 book on history (American history).  Then we loop the following subjects/topics:

1.  Science (mostly nature this year...nothing crazy.  Books on animals, etc).

2.  Literature read-alouds

3.  A nature walk with drawing in our nature journal (learning to draw will be our "learned art" focus for the year).  This is the one thing I have let drop in September, because I feel like it disrupts our school day flow somewhat, but I really need to just let that go.  It's IMPORTANT.  So we will do it more for sure now that thing will slow down just a bit in October. We are going to start some formal drawing lessons on October 10th, so that will be great motivation for me.  

4.  Shakespeare plays

5.  Artist study:  Monet 

6.  Composer study:  Bach 

7.  Handwriting (using the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum)*

*I am not sure how much I will use this writing curriculum, as much as I think it is good and not very overwhelming at all.  I don't feel like I can let it go entirely yet, but I don't feel a need to do much more than 1X a week practice right now.  Research does not support pushing this skill in young children, even though our school system operates this way, so I'm more inclined to follow research than the norm at this point.  We shall see.

During LOOP time we move from the dining room table to the couch.  Layla need to sit by me, but she can be holding things/looking at stuff/playing quietly with something as long as she is listening and paying attention.  Finn often sits and listens with me, but sometimes he plays with Cora as well.  Cora is always with us, and she can mostly play with playdough or something else for a while before she interrupts...but this is still a challenge for her.  :)  We're working on it, though, and she clearly is learning the routine, so I have HIGH hopes for how things will be maybe after Christmas?  Haha.

10:00-12:00 = CORE subject time:  Math and Phonics/Reading

The most I do of each of these subjects is 30 minutes per subject at a time, but I need to plan that much buffer time for Cora, mostly, and also all of life's unplanned little things that can sidetrack us.  The amount of time I have planned so far, and how much I fill it up, is working really well so far, so I think it will only need a few tweaks from here on out.  

1.  Our Math is Right Start Mathematics.  It's going really well for Layla so far, so I'm pleased with her attitude towards math right now, as well as the way the curriculum works.  The only downside is that I need to be there with her, working on it.  There is no "do this on your own while I do X."  So it's teacher intensive right now, but should we continue, that will even out later on.

2.  For Phonics we are using Sing, Spell, Read and Write.  Except we really aren't doing much with the Spell and Write parts...haha.  Again, that goes back to my personal philosophy on education (should not take up more than 2-3 hours of a little kid's day, tops), and research, which shows that pushing writing and spelling young do not help, and can harm.  What makes a good reader and writer, according to research?  Fancy this...it's hearing lots of quality literature. Or, having lots of quality literature read out loud to you.  So, that is what we do!  We do 30 minutes of phonics instruction daily, and then try to read as much quality lit as we can.  It's VERY fun.  :)  (I also use audio books for pre-bed reading for the kids, when I need a break from talking/being around people...)

Afternoon time:

12:00-1:00 = Lunch time

During lunch I read out loud from all of the picture books we brought home from the library that week (usually 30-50 at a time).  I need things that keep Cora's interest as well, otherwise I'd read more chapter books at this time also.  However, I don't really mind reading the picture books...I think they are wonderful, and a far under-rater took for keeping older kids interested in reading as well.

1:00-2:00 = Mama exercises, kids each get to pick one show to watch (as most of them are about 22 minutes long, this works out perfectly).

2:00-5:00 = Free play time, hopefully outside much of it.  Some chores are done in here as well.

Evening

5:00-5:30 = Hopefully a violin lesson for Layla.  This varies in time some days...it just depends on when J gets home from work.

5:30-6:00 = Dinner as a family.

6:00 = Cora to bed.

7:00 = Reading with the older two, chapter books and literature that Cora can't be entertained by during the day.  This is always reading in person together for about 45 minutes, but it can also be listening to an audio book when they are in bed for a while.

8:00 = Bed for the older 2.  This will likely be earlier after daylight savings, but for now it is 8:00.

Lately:

This was a BIG hit with the kids!  I think we'll look at the movie for Family Move Night and see how good it is as well. :)

This is a very old, very simple, very sweet short chapters book...and at times I wonder if the kids are bored with it, but they seem to enjoy it.  There could never be anything of objection in it, so that's nice. 

Lately:

I'm far behind in recording the books we've read together, but a few of them are:

This year we'll be studying Monet in school, so we started early by reading this half true, half fiction story about Monet and his inspiration for painting.  

The kids LOVE animal stories, but I'm not sure that this one stuck with them as much as TumTum and Nutmeg, or others.  I have such fond memories of it as a child.  :)

This dress touched Layla's heart very deeply, and made her think of examples of being kind or mean to kinds in her own life.  A few tears were shed over the memories this book induced!  It's a perfect book to read to little kids, especially those in elementary school, about the power of words and the importance of courage over popularity.  

Recently:

We finished up the two books I mentioned in the last post a while back:

My Father' Dragon was a great starter chapter book.  It's the perfect bridge between picture books and chapter books.  I also got the audio book for $1 one day through amazon, I think, so that's fun.  Jonas read aloud the majority of this book after dinner.

This book has deep childhood memories associated with it for me.  :)  The kids were really into it and it produced all sorts of spin-off conversations about playing instruments, birds, camping, science, travel, etc.  

Most recently we've been reading this book.  It's actually a compilation of 3 books in one binding, so right now we are 1/2 way through book #3 in there, and we're on page 400 or so.  I asked the kids just today if they wanted to read something else (because I would rarely read 3 books in a series, or even by the same author, back to back), but they protested that they were loving it and didn't want to stop now.  I'm always a big fan of stopping if a book bores you...life is too short...there is so much good stuff out there!  Only read the good stuff!  :)

Anyway, I was not aware of these books until my friend Amanda recommended them for Layla and Finn's ages.  They are really perfect for the 4-7 age range.  Who doesn't love some wholesome animal character fantasy?  :)

I just unpacked all of my room books from teaching, so now we have shelves and shelves of books that are appropriate for the 5-6th grader to read independently.  However, several of them would be just fine for my kids if I read them out loud, so now I have a new source for read-alouds other than the library.  I had a heart-warming time of unpacking those books...good memories!  I loved reading out loud to my class, too.  Books designed for upper elementary/middle school are generally just fun to read!

Next up??  Maybe "A Cricket in Time Square."  Oh, be still my heart.  :)

Finished recently:

The kid listened to the Wonderful Wizard of Oz on audible, while coloring and writing at night.  Finn especially loved it, but Layla really enjoyed it as well.  I think it very much helps for them to listen to audio books that they already know the story line to, or the general plot.  We listened to the audio version narrated by Anne Hathaway, and she did a fantastic job with voices.  I'd recommend it for sure.  

After we finished the Wonderful Wizard of Oz on audio book, we started Peter Pan.  Again, both kids were highly invested in this book.  I'm so grateful for good audio books available to us, and for readers who do a far better job of reading some books than I ever would!  Thank you, professional readers and actors, for making my life so much easier right now.  :)

This is a book I wish I had maybe waited 1-2 years more before reading.  I have friends who swore their kids loved it, especially boys, when they were ages 4 and 6, so I thought it might work well for my kids.  I think they thought it was "fine," but it was LONG, and I think they checked out a bit somewhere in the 350+ pages.  It would have been wiser of me to stop and go on to another book, but it's hard for me to stop books that *I* am interested in right in the middle.  So, live and learn!  It's a good book, just maybe not right for my kids right now.  

I've also been trying to read a LOT more picture books lately.  I finally bit the bullet and am checking out lots of them from the library every week, to help balance out the annoying disney stuff that Layla and Finn like to bring home as well.  That's going splendid, and I read *my* books out loud to them during breakfast and lunch.  Picture books are so wonderful, and so I'm trying to keep the great ones coming through our house often as my kids are still so little, and it's one good way to entertain Cora during read-aloud time, rather than trying to find something for her to do.  

Two books we've started recently.

Jonas is reading a chapter of My Father's Dragon out loud after dinner most nights.   I really want the kids to hear HIS voice too, and see him valuing reading as much as I do.  :)

We've started this at bedtime and are just 6 chapters in now....it's a childhood favorite of mine for sure!  

Finished last night:

Well, we're done with Little House on the Prairie.

To say the book was disappointing to me would be an understatement.

The blatant, in-your-face racism in this book made me choke at least 30 times in the book, if not more.  I could barely stomach reading it to my kids, and we for sure are taking a break from the rest of the series until the kids are much older and we can have detailed talks about why the talk, attitudes, and behaviors shown in this book are so wrong.  

Sigh.  There were fun moments, but overall, I'm just glad to be DONE with it.  Bah.  

Trying to read out loud:

Oh goodness.  If there is just one thing that is hard about homeschooling, it's sweet little Cora.  :)  Since so much of our schooling is heavily linked to reading out loud (by me), and since Cora no longer takes a nap (reliably...maybe 2X a week, at most), I am having to be creative in what I DO with her while I try to get a few minutes of reading in!

Today, we tried all sitting at the dining room table while Layla and Finn did a big space puzzle, Cora played with playdough, and I (attempted to) read.  It worked long enough for me to read about 1 chapter in "Little House on the Prairie."  

Then I just put her in the toy room with my Kindle paying a movie and the door shut.  She tolerated that for about another half a chapter.  Sigh.  

If you have any good ideas for keeping a 2-year-old quiet, let me know!  I'm all ears!  :)

That face says "You think this thin strap is going to keep ME here??"

They are really into puzzle right now, and work very well together putting them together.  I love that.  

SQUISHING something.  

A new issue has come up, and I'm not quite sure what to do about it.

We are on page 150 (approx) of Little House on the Prairie, and man...I'm having a hard time with a few things:

1.  Ma Ingalls, and her attitudes/blatantly racist statements she says, and 

2.  The racist recollections of little Laura.

I mean, GEEZ guys.  I have no memories of this, from when I read the books, but I am so uncomfortable reading these thoughts and ideas out loud to my kids right now!  Maybe I should just read it all as it's written, then have some serious talks about how this was probably *accurate* for how settlers thought about Native Americans, but it is not a Christian way to look at another human being who has been created in the exact image of God, just like everyone else.  Sigh.  NOT sure what to do here, yet, but I am struggling with this.  I clearly can't just keep reading it and letting my kids think that is an okay way to think or talk, no matter how old you are.  Wish me luck!!

Finished today:

Today we finished the book Stuart Little, with illustrations by Garth Williams (the best, of course).  The kids liked it quite a bit and always asked for more chapters, so that's my measure of their enjoyment.  :)

After we finished The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe we watched the movie...BIG hit by the kids.  Even though they'll never quite measure up to the books, it's a fun way to celebrate the completion of a book.  Tonight they are eating a late dinner and watching the movie version of Stuart Little.  Hearing Finn laugh is one of my most favorite things in the world. 

Just finished:

We just finished this yesterday afternoon, during a rare nap for Cora:

It's such a delightful book to read out loud, and frankly tons easier than the Wind in the Willows...haha!  I only cried in one part, which surprised me:  it's was the part where the 4 children were crowned king and queens of Narnia, and they were describing how each of them was as a ruler.  The description of Edmund had me in tears..."Edmund the just."  Ah, redemption.  Layla wanted to know why I was crying, and all I told her was "because these are beautiful words to describe a beautiful change of heart."  *happy sigh*

Good literature is worth a mountain of gold.

Some reading for me:

http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/discussion/school-starting-age-the-evidence

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201505/early-academic-training-produces-long-term-harm

Interesting that the one below comes from the NEA:
http://neatoday.org/2015/06/19/the-reading-rush-what-educators-say-about-kindergarten-reading-expectations/

The beginning:

Today was our first official day of home school for Layla.  She will finish up the last 2.5 months of Kindergarten here at home, and then for sure do 1st grade at home next year.  After that, we don't have any official plans, but we're loving what we've done so far...haha!  Truly, though, it's been a great first day, which I appreciate so much.  Layla is happy, and all of the kids are playing peacefully together upstairs, which is why I'm able to blog right now.

The main emphasis of our education at home will be reading, and I'll be doing a ton of reading out loud to the kids in the early year(s).  So, I want to use this page to keep track of some of the book we read and possibly the kids reactions to them.

Our read-aloud books so far:

Charlotte's Web was a big hit.  Just the right level and interest point for ages 4 and 6.

I truly thought the Wind in the Willows was a bit above their heads, vocabulary wise, but when we stopped half way through to try a different book they begged to return to this one!

Little House in the Big Woods did not draw them in very fast in the beginning (I think they are more into fantasy type stories right now, less realistic fiction), but they ended up loving it in the end.  We'll return to this series later on for sure.

A childhood classic..who could not love it?  We finished it last night and Finn especially was very engaged.