Mid-Year Progress? Reporting

This is really the first year of full time homeschool in this household.  So mommy and Chirpee are venturing on the Great Homeschool Experiment Experience!  What an adventure.

It actually can be related to my sons' recent "adventure walk[s]" as Dimple termed their bright and early morning outings to take the dog potty (have I officially introduced him?).

Watch

Chirpee positions a chair under the coat pegs and shelf.  He grabs the dog leash and both of the boys' coats (leaving quite a few other items knocked onto the ground), he then dismounts and proceeds to help his brother with his coat.  He ties the dog to the stair railing, puts on his own coat and they both rifle through their hat and mitts drawer leaving a wake of fleece, nylon and wool in their stead.

The result is two boys in pajamas with winter gear on top, boots and ready to dress up the dog.  Since we don't officially own dog clothing, they wrap their neck warmers around his body to give him a pseudo-sweater.  Then happily they jaunt into the crisp, frigid morning air and snow to walk the shoveled walkways with the dog (occasionally dropping the leash with the dog bolting).

So this is akin to a mom who is already filled with self-doubt as a mother, delving into more unfamiliar territory as a teacher.  She grabs things out of order, leaves a path of unused, half used curriculum in her wake and boldly marches forward, then realizes she has to back up and take another path.  Well, she is going to try it anyway and see if it goes anywhere.  And then?

It really isn't as hopeless and chaotic as it sounds, but in some ways, it is a spot on description.  Go figure I would find my mother to be a big help in replacing my language arts curriculum.  That really has been the biggest difference for us.  I feel more confident that it is a good path to learn reading with.  I would give you (homeschool mamas) the name (ReadWell), but it is a public school curriculum and very expensive to buy the individual pieces.  It happens to be in a phase out process in one of the school districts my mom works with and it comes with her full support and evaluation.

And we read plenty of rich and full literature to supplement our lives with at the same time.  In fact, this evening the boys and I read for 45 minutes various Mother Goose rhymes and poetry from an amazing author.  My heart was singing as I tucked them into bed!

It is a great joy to me that Chirpee still loves to be read to.  I get to read so many good books this way - new and old to me.  I just wish Dimple would catch up a little and enjoy chapter books, but he is just at an age where that is far too long to be concentrating on a narrative.  So maybe in the next year or two...

On that subject may I heartily recommend these books:

Thornton Burgess - every little animal book he has written - vibrant, real, imaginary and teaches morals
James Harriot Treasury for Children
The Llama Who Had No Pajama - collection of poems from exceptional children's poet

For those who homeschool - we started with Sonlight curriculum and Horizons Math.  We have the multisubject package.  I currently have ditched Sonlight LA and science (why did I bother with K science?).  I use Read Well for teaching reading, use the Core read alouds from Sonlight and am greatly winging it with Horizons Math.  I have been dearly disappointed that my son rebels against writing and workbooks!  This cannot be my child (haha!).  I use Handwriting Without Tears now and then, supplemening with other handwriting exercises on occassion.  I love whiteboards.  Chirpee loves whiteboards.

I have a boy who is a very concrete thinker and likes to move.  So we also do our math while dancing and exercising and while he builds amazing structures with pattern blocks, Lego or Kinex.