Is it really time to think about school?

Man, this school year is fast approaching and I feel like I am still way behind in the planning stage.  I think I may push off our official start to later in the fall.  The boys start with Faith Academy on Monday, September 13th, but we may wait to officially start work here at home until a week or two later.  The house is in constant upheaval right now - consignments sale stuff, re-organizing church youth ministry supplies, new windows are coming soon, and painting the downstairs...yes, starting later may be a better idea for my nerves.  :)

Getting Ready...

So, I don't actually have a school room or an extra room or space to turn into a school room.  I'm not even sure I would want one if I had the space.  What I do want is a place to keep all my junk!  So, with some creative thinking, a trip or to to Ikea, and a handy husband's help, I am going to attempt to add a school corner into my kitchen.  I will post before/after pics as we move forward with my crazy plans. 

Kindergarten Curriculum

I am planning to continue using Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons as our reading curriculum; however, I read an interesting article recently that has made me re-evaluate if I should be concerned with teaching Asher to read right now.

I am considering using Math U See: Primer as our math curriculum for the year.  I'd love feedback if any of you have used it.  Did you like it?  Was the Primer a good entry-level math?   I tried using the Bob Jones K-5 math last year with Asher, but it is specifically written for use in a classroom and was not an effective choice for home schooling.  I am so glad we had a free copy of it since my husband was the illustrator - no money down the toilet on that choice. 

We received Asher's Unit 1 Reading List for Faith Academy.  From September - November we will be working our way through these books (all of them can be found at your local library or on Amazon: 

• Selected Biblical Passages in the Old Testament - especially from the books of Genesis and Exodus
• The Nile River by Allan Fowler
• Who Built the Pyramids? (Starting Point History)by Jane Chisholm
• Walk With Y'Shua Through the Jewish Year by Janie-Sue Wertheim and Kathy Shapiro
• The God Around Us by Mira Pollack Brichto
• On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur by Cathy Goldburg Fishman

Is it really time for kindergarden?

I thought it would be fun and challenging to create a blog for me to document our family's educational adventure - especially since our adventure with "school" is about to start.  

I first need to explain that I view "education" and "school(ing)" as two separate ideas although I do believe they are closely intertwined.  

To me, education is not something I can choose to do or not to do.  I am educating my children.  I educate them daily by example, by instruction, and by expectations.  Secondarily and like it or not, my kids are being educated by the world in which they live.  Right now their world is very small, but I am very aware that the size of their world, the things they are exposed to, the people the meet, the observations they make in a public setting, expands a little bit every day.  The main reason I have chosen to be a stay-at-home mom is so that I am the primary educator of my children.  I view school(ing) as something that is limited to a specific period of time (whether that be K-12th grade, college, grad school or beyond) and as a place where specific educational ideas are taught (reading, writing, math).

My oldest is about to start the adventures of kindergarten.  Last year for his "pre-school" we were involved in Classical Conversations and he did a fantastic job.  I enjoyed the year tremendously as I was able to tutor his abecedarian (meaning "student of the abc's) class.  This year he is enrolled to attend a supplemental school called Faith Academy.  He will attend this school once a week from 9-3 being taught history, geography, science, art and Bible.  This school exists to support home-schooling parents in schooling their children and was started by two home schooling moms we know.  The school uses Tapestry of Grace - a classically-based curriculum - as their curriculum.  This year we will be in Cycle 1 of Tapestry of Grace's 4-cycles which will cover Creation through the Fall of Rome.  We will work from home the rest of the week covering things he learned in school and working on math and reading.  I don't plan to make "school" the central purpose of our week.  I want my son to enjoy learning and will be looking for ways to feed his mind, his body, and his soul in creative ways.   

My middle child, also a boy, will be attending Faith Academy for pre-school.  He will go every Monday from 9:30-12.  At home I intend to let him enjoy his year as a 3- and 4-year-old (his birthday is in January), but I do plan to work with him on some basic life skills, to continue to instill in him a love reading by reading lots to him, and to let him explore his love of swords, knights, dragons, and castles.

My baby, a nearly two-year-old little girl, will also be learning.  Right now she's learning how to use the potty, how to clean-up her toys, how to hold crayons, how to speak to people, and how to share.

My job as teacher started the day my children were born.  My job just gets harder now that they need to learn specific things to help them excel in whatever God has created them to do as they grow.