I was just reading through my last few posts and realized that I didn't post about our Bible lessons that we do every day. This is only because I use a pre-packaged Bible curriculum (Alpha Omega LifePacs) and there's no lesson-writing, planning, etc. So it doesn't go in my Lesson Planner. And when I'm posting about my Learning Objectives, I am typing directly from my Lesson Planner. I apologize! I will try to remember to include them from now on!
I thought now would be a good time to also post our Daily Class Schedule. I welcome you all to share your Class Schedules with me as well! Whether you're a school teacher, or a homeschool teacher, I welcome any and all advice - as long as it's in the spirit of being helpful - not hurtful, of course! :)
Here's what our Daily Schedule looks like:
7:00am - 8:00am: Wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth/hair.
8:00am - 9:00am: MORNING CHORE HOUR!!
9:00am - 9:10am: Pledge of Allegiance / Music - Patriotic Songbook
9:10am - 9:30am: Bible Lesson
9:30am - 9:40am: Math Drills
9:40am - 10:10am: Math
10:10am - 10:30am: Snack Time
10:30am - 11:15am: Science
11:15am - 1200pm: Spelling
12:00pm - 1:00pm Lunch Time
1:00pm - 1:30pm Grammar / Usage / Mechanics
1:30pm - 2:15pm Social Studies
2:15pm - 3:00pm Reading / Quiet Time
3:00pm - 4:00pm Snack Time / Free Time
4:00pm - 5:00pm AFTERNOON CHORE HOUR
As you can see, we're done with school by 3pm every day. Please keep in mind though, that this schedule is a goal, but it's flexible goal. I find that by having a schedule posted on the wall in our school room, that Trey is better able to stay focused on his current lesson. He doesn't have to let his mind wander about - wondering what's coming next.
On the rare occassion that he doesn't get all his work completed in the specified time alottment, I do one of two things: I either 1) let him keep going if it looks like he just needs a little more time, or 2) if it looks like he's shutting down, I'll scratch the whole lesson and come back to it another day.
What's the point in homeschooling if he hates learning as much as he did in public school? The whole point of the decision to homeschool was to rekindle that love of learning that he started out with (as well as keeping him away from that negative socialization factor). So far, he still loves coming to our school room every morning, and he always eagerly asks, "So Mom, what are we going to learn today?!" That one little question alone, makes my heart sing!! :)
Friday, October 30, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Trey's Lesson Plans October 26 - 30
We were supposed to attend a play about the Jackie Robinson Story this morning, but I wasn't feeling well, so we ditched. I felt horrible all day about it, but thankfully Trey and Lindsay had forgotten about it and never mentioned it. I just hate to disappoint them on field trip days. :(
We also have a field trip planned at the Fire Station on Wednesday. We're really looking forward to that. It was a last minute decision to go, so I don't have any fun fire activities officially planned. But seeing as how October is Fire Safety Month, I'm sure I will be able to come up with some fun activities for our specials.
Our Learning Objectives for this week:
Math: Estimating Sums and Differences using 2 different techniques - Rounding, and Front End Estimation. Practice Multiplication Facts.
Science: The Digestive and Nervous Systems, and How Our Bodies Defend Themselves. Discuss the functions of each system, main parts of each system, why they are important and how they work together with all the other systems studied thus far. Discuss how microorganisms inside our bodies called pathogens cause disease and how our immune system defends us. Discuss various ways we can help our immune system by staying healthy and making good life and food choices. EXPERIMENT: How some diseases can spread. Using flour, dark paper and a hand lens. Dip hand in flour. Shake hands with someone else. Both people press hands to dark paper to show how pathogens (like flour particles) can transfer to others.
Spelling: Focus on spelling words in which the base word drops its final e to add ed, er, or ing.
Grammar: Adjectives and Adverbs
Social Studies: Focus - Northeast Region. Land and water in the NE; Niagra Falls - a place of beauty and power; St. Albans, VT - the NE produces many products, such as maple syrup; Chesapeake Bay - crabs and shellfish help support the economy of the NE region.
Reading Skill Lesson: Drawing Conclusions (Winter of the Snowshoe Hare by Gillian Richardson)
Reading Selection Focus: Marven of the Great North Woods by Kathryn Lasky
Specials: Health/PE (Sense of Smell, Touch), Creative Writing (write your own ghost story), Handwriting (cursive practice), Art (Free Art - Halloween Theme), Cooking (Catty Cupcakes - Halloween)
We also have a field trip planned at the Fire Station on Wednesday. We're really looking forward to that. It was a last minute decision to go, so I don't have any fun fire activities officially planned. But seeing as how October is Fire Safety Month, I'm sure I will be able to come up with some fun activities for our specials.
Our Learning Objectives for this week:
Math: Estimating Sums and Differences using 2 different techniques - Rounding, and Front End Estimation. Practice Multiplication Facts.
Science: The Digestive and Nervous Systems, and How Our Bodies Defend Themselves. Discuss the functions of each system, main parts of each system, why they are important and how they work together with all the other systems studied thus far. Discuss how microorganisms inside our bodies called pathogens cause disease and how our immune system defends us. Discuss various ways we can help our immune system by staying healthy and making good life and food choices. EXPERIMENT: How some diseases can spread. Using flour, dark paper and a hand lens. Dip hand in flour. Shake hands with someone else. Both people press hands to dark paper to show how pathogens (like flour particles) can transfer to others.
Spelling: Focus on spelling words in which the base word drops its final e to add ed, er, or ing.
Grammar: Adjectives and Adverbs
Social Studies: Focus - Northeast Region. Land and water in the NE; Niagra Falls - a place of beauty and power; St. Albans, VT - the NE produces many products, such as maple syrup; Chesapeake Bay - crabs and shellfish help support the economy of the NE region.
Reading Skill Lesson: Drawing Conclusions (Winter of the Snowshoe Hare by Gillian Richardson)
Reading Selection Focus: Marven of the Great North Woods by Kathryn Lasky
Specials: Health/PE (Sense of Smell, Touch), Creative Writing (write your own ghost story), Handwriting (cursive practice), Art (Free Art - Halloween Theme), Cooking (Catty Cupcakes - Halloween)
Lesson Plans Trey- October 12 - October 23
Wow! Have we ever been busy for the past 2 weeks!! Field trips, bowling days, holidays, you name it - it's probably found it's way on our calendar! And we're also still in the last stages of selling our house, so we've had inspectors, realtors, insurance guys, appraisers, and I'm pretty sure someone's grandma, show up unexpectedly for various house-selling-required visits.
October 12 - 16
Monday was Colombus Day, so since the public schools were out for the day, we also took the day off. We did discuss some of the facts that we learned during the prior week's Columbus Unit Study, but for the most part, it was a FREE DAY and we love those!!
Tuesday was our field trip to the Police Department. Unfortunately, it was raining cats and dogs, so we didn't get to do some of the things they had planned for us due to the department having to pull all boots to the streets to help fish people out of ditches.
Bowling Day was Thursday.
Our Learning Objectives for this week:
Math: Review Comparing Numbers, Order Numbers, Problem Solving, Rounding Numbers. Review Multiplication Facts, and Column Addition/Subtraction.
Science: Begin Study of Human Body Systems. Discuss the Skeletal and Muscular Systems, their functions, and how they work together. Identify the difference between organs, cells, organ systems, and tissues and how they work together. Identify18 different bones in the human body. Discuss the different types of joints and their functions. Review the difference between voluntary and involuntary muscles. Discuss different types of muscles and their functions: Skeletal Muscles, Smooth Muscles, and Cardiac Muscles.
Social Studies: GOOD CITIZENSHIP UNIT: Police and Our Community.
Reading: Discuss Different Poetry Selections
Grammar: Action and Linking Verbs
Spelling: Focus on words with silent letters.
Specials: Handwriting (cursive practice), Art (word line drawing), Map Skills (directions - N,S,E,W + NE, NW, SE, SW), Health/PE (Bowling, Fingerprinting Activity / Stranger Danger - Police Unit Tie-In).
October 19 - 23
We had a field trip to the Pumpkin Patch planned with our homeschool group, however we got rained out, so we were sad we didn't get to go. We are rescheduled for November 11, but that's the day before we close on our house. So we don't know how that will go yet.
Our Learning Objectives for this week:
Math: Mental Math Strategies (addition/subtraction), Review Multiplication Facts
Science: Continue Unit on Human Body Systems. Focus: Respiratory and Circulatory Systems. Discuss functions and how these systems work together to deliver oxygen and nutrients to cells throughout our bodies. Talk about the heart. Identify the 4 chambers of the heart and their functions. Identify the 3 main parts of the circulatory system, and explain why it is so important to move blood through the body.
Spelling: Review Lessons 7 - 11. Cumulative Test on 100 Review Words
Grammar: Main Verbs and Helping Verbs / Irregular Verbs - Present, Past, and Past Participles
Social Studies: Regions of the United States, Regional Resources, Climate
Reading Skill Lesson: Making Judgements
Reading Selection Focus: John Henryby Julius Lester
Specials: Creative Writing (If you could have any X-Men power, what would it be and why), Handwriting (cursive practice), Art (Paper Torn Pumpkins), Cooking (Making Play Dough), Map Skills (continue directional studies).
October 12 - 16
Monday was Colombus Day, so since the public schools were out for the day, we also took the day off. We did discuss some of the facts that we learned during the prior week's Columbus Unit Study, but for the most part, it was a FREE DAY and we love those!!
Tuesday was our field trip to the Police Department. Unfortunately, it was raining cats and dogs, so we didn't get to do some of the things they had planned for us due to the department having to pull all boots to the streets to help fish people out of ditches.
Bowling Day was Thursday.
Our Learning Objectives for this week:
Math: Review Comparing Numbers, Order Numbers, Problem Solving, Rounding Numbers. Review Multiplication Facts, and Column Addition/Subtraction.
Science: Begin Study of Human Body Systems. Discuss the Skeletal and Muscular Systems, their functions, and how they work together. Identify the difference between organs, cells, organ systems, and tissues and how they work together. Identify18 different bones in the human body. Discuss the different types of joints and their functions. Review the difference between voluntary and involuntary muscles. Discuss different types of muscles and their functions: Skeletal Muscles, Smooth Muscles, and Cardiac Muscles.
Social Studies: GOOD CITIZENSHIP UNIT: Police and Our Community.
Reading: Discuss Different Poetry Selections
Grammar: Action and Linking Verbs
Spelling: Focus on words with silent letters.
Specials: Handwriting (cursive practice), Art (word line drawing), Map Skills (directions - N,S,E,W + NE, NW, SE, SW), Health/PE (Bowling, Fingerprinting Activity / Stranger Danger - Police Unit Tie-In).
October 19 - 23
We had a field trip to the Pumpkin Patch planned with our homeschool group, however we got rained out, so we were sad we didn't get to go. We are rescheduled for November 11, but that's the day before we close on our house. So we don't know how that will go yet.
Our Learning Objectives for this week:
Math: Mental Math Strategies (addition/subtraction), Review Multiplication Facts
Science: Continue Unit on Human Body Systems. Focus: Respiratory and Circulatory Systems. Discuss functions and how these systems work together to deliver oxygen and nutrients to cells throughout our bodies. Talk about the heart. Identify the 4 chambers of the heart and their functions. Identify the 3 main parts of the circulatory system, and explain why it is so important to move blood through the body.
Spelling: Review Lessons 7 - 11. Cumulative Test on 100 Review Words
Grammar: Main Verbs and Helping Verbs / Irregular Verbs - Present, Past, and Past Participles
Social Studies: Regions of the United States, Regional Resources, Climate
Reading Skill Lesson: Making Judgements
Reading Selection Focus: John Henryby Julius Lester
Specials: Creative Writing (If you could have any X-Men power, what would it be and why), Handwriting (cursive practice), Art (Paper Torn Pumpkins), Cooking (Making Play Dough), Map Skills (continue directional studies).
Menu Plan Monday
Menu Planning...right. With all that's been going on lately, I haven't really been posting about our menu plans. I know, I know...I was a slacker before, so what else is new? MOVING! PACKING! SELLING OUR HOME, AND BUYING A NEW ONE!! All the truly "fun" things in life, designed to drive us crazy. Quite possibly designed specifically by God to test our faith, endurance, strength, and patience. I seriously hope it's the former and not the latter, because if it is...I'm failing miserably!
Here's what we had last week.
Monday: Chili / Frito Pie
Tuesday: Pot Roast / Potatoes, etc.
Wednesday: Chicken Enchiladas / Salad
Thursday: Lasagna / Salad
Friday: Pizza
Saturday: GAME DAY!!! Tailgating Food: Chips, Southern Queso, Cocktail Sausages, Wings
Sunday: Beef & Broccoli Stir-Fry / Rice
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Homeschool Lessons Revisited...
Well, we got off to a great start in September with home school! Trey resumed his 4th grade coursework that he began back in the Spring, after a short Summer break. We've spent the last few weeks reviewing everything that he had completed before the break.
We had planned on working throughout the summer, and ideally, that's the plan we coulda, shoulda, woulda stuck to if it hadn't been for the remodel. BUT...you do what you have to and move on, right? So far though, he's doing a great job of picking right back up where we left off.
I can see that he's forgotten a few things over the summer, like some of his multiplication tables and some much needed Spelling skills. But overall, I have to say, my little man is actually maturing and handling his ADD very well. He is really working hard to stay on task and get his work done, and I couldn't be prouder of him!!
I've also started Lindsay in Pre-K lessons. She's doing great! She loves painting, coloring, arts and crafts, and doing her worksheets! Addie also works with her after school on writing her name and other letters of the alphabet. I made a bunch of file folder games (some of them are quite difficult), for her to work on while I work with Trey one-on-one. I'm telling you...this little girl is a firecracker!!! She's sooooo smart!
Here's a look into our learning objectives for the past few weeks:
Trey:
Week 1 -
- Review all previous coursework in all subjects except Social Studies.
- Complete Unit Study on US Consititution. Choose one Founding Father, Research, and choose a method by which to make a presentation to the family. (Trey chose James Madison, and the method of dressing up as the character and acting out a first person narration of his life.)
Trey doing research on James Madison
Week 2 -
- Review all previous coursework in all subjects except Social Studies.
- Continue Unit Study on US Consititution - Focus on Bill of Rights.
- TEACH Field Trip to the Four States Fair : Discussion about animals, how to care for animals, the process by which milk gets from the cow to the grocery store.
Week 3 -
- Begin forward progression of coursework.
- Math: Ordering #'s, Problem Solving
- Spelling - Focus on Consonant Diagraphs
- Reading - Skill Lesson: Theme / Main Ideas
- Science - Changes in Ecosystems
- Social Studies - Wrap Up US Constitution Unit Study
- Bible Lesson - Jesus as a boy, and Jesus as a Man
- Grammar - Pronouns - Personal vs. Possessive
- Math - Rounding #'s, Critical Thinking
- Spelling - Focus on f sounds: "f, ff, gh, ph" spellings
- Reading - Skill Lesson: Context Clues
- Science - Changes in Ecosystems
- Social Studies - Unit Study on Christopher Columbus
- Bible Lesson - Jesus as our Savior, Plagues, Passover
- Grammar - Interrogative Pronouns (what, who, which)
- Cooking Class: Muffins
Trey's Yummy "Blueberry Blitz" Muffins!!
In addition to all of the schoolwork we've been working on, Trey was also eager to get started back into our TEACH Homeschool Group. We have several field trips planned, as well as Park Days and Bowling Days each once per month. We also have TEACH meetings on the 1st Thursday of every month, and while there, I get to chat with other homeschool moms, attend various workshops, and Trey gets to spend even more time with his friends.
For Lindsay...
Week 1 - we didn't do many structured activities because we were still trying to get used to the idea of how school worked. : ) We did review our Alphabet and Numbers, and worked on some painting and other crafts.
Week 2 - Lindsay still wasn't into the whole idea of going back to school just yet...but since she tagged along with us for our Field Trip to the Fair, she learned all about animals, etc. We completed a mini-book titled "At the Fair, At the Fair, What Will I See?"
Week 3 - I added her desk to our actual homeschooling area and we are learning school rules and etiquette such as raising hands, etc. I use Teachers Book Bag from Currclick for most of our activities.
- Language / Handwriting Practice: Letter A - "A is for Animals"
- Math: Animal Matching, Feeding Times, File Folder Games - Counting Bears
- Moving and Grooving: Animal Dance
- Creation Station: Animal Mix Up
Week 4 - We attended a play of Charlotte's Web at our local theater to wrap up our unit on animals. Lindsay also sat in on our Unit Study of Christopher Columbus. We have lots of Columbus crafts and activities planned, as well as the following:
- Math - Addition
- Language / Handwriting Practice : Letter C
- Moving and Grooving - Park Day, Buried Treasure Game - hide the treasure, use clues to find the "x" that marks the spot of the treasure!
- Cooking Class: Muffins
- Health/Manners: Healthy Eating Choices / Small Bites vs. Big Bites / Help plan snacks for the week.
So, as you can see, we've been very busy the last few weeks!! Thankfully, we've accepted another (really good) offer on our house, so hopefully the chaos will soon be over and I can again begin posting regularly on our homeschooling lessons. : )
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Menu Plan Monday - Can't we just switch it to Tuesday???
OMG, I am such a slacker! I have absolutely no excuse! I kept thinking there was something I needed to do yesterday, and I just plain forgot about it. UGH! Here we go again, a day late...
Sunday: Breakfast for Dinner!! Thanks to the hubs!
Monday: Burgers / Fries
Tuesday: Alice Springs Chicken (make extra chicken, cube)
Wednesday: Pizza at Church
Thursday: Chicken Spaghetti (using made ahead chicken)
Friday: Taco Salads
Saturday: BBQ Sandwiches / GAME DAY FOOD - GO HOGS!!!!!
And that's about it....I left out the lunches, breakfasts, and snacks this week because of my time restraints today...maybe one day I'll be able to get it together and actually post on Monday!!!
Please go by and check out other menu plans at I'm an Organizing Junkie!!!
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