Saturday, July 17, 2010

Homeschool Organization: Trying to Begin

Except for organizing my school supplies, I have not done anything to prepare for our upcoming school year which begins August 9th.

I am using a new curriculum for Julie (8th) and Clay (6th) this year, Sonlight. I used Sonlight for Leah last year, and I liked it so much that I ordered it for everyone but Olivia for this upcoming year. I am not sure where to begin to figure it all out! I joined the Sonlight forums and Yahoo group, but I am not sure what question to post! I realize that Sonlight recommends that you use one core for all of your children, but I didn't listen to that advice. I am using Core 5 for Julie and Clay, Core K for Leah, and Core Pre 3/4 for Sam.

Sam's Core is basically reading quality books to him. I have already been reading these books to him at naptime and bedtime throughout the summer, so I really don't have much planning to do for him. I will just check off each book as I read it, and do some of the suggested activities that go along with each book as we go through our school year. I do have one set of readiness workbooks that I want him to complete (drawing lines in mazes, circling which item doesn't belong, etc,), but again that will not require much planning. He will just do the next page each day. I have a few other goals for Sam for this year. I need to list them somewhere so I won't forget to complete them.

I felt like Leah (1st grade) and Clay and Julie were just too far apart in school to combine them in one Core. Plus I really want Leah to work through all of the Sonlight Cores in order. So I have them in two different Cores. I am not sure how this is going to work, time-wise.

Are any of you Sonlight users using two different cores at one time? Can you leave me a comment telling me how it works, or leave a link to some ideas?

I also am working (in my head) on our school schedule for next year. I am not sure how it is all going to work. I know that I will need time to do geometry with Olivia, plus she may need help in Chemistry too (good thing that Jimmy's college degree is in chemistry!). I plan to get out my Managers of Their Homes little colored squares and see what I can come up with.

So, now I am off to work on school organization and planning today....hopefully! It seems like every day after I do my regular housework, laundry, errands, and clean the kitchen 17 times, the day is gone, and I have done no schoolwork.

Maybe today will be different. Maybe I won't blog, read blogs, get on Facebook, or play Words With Friends until my school year is all planned and organized. Please still comment if you have any Sonlight advice or any scheduling advice in general.

4 comments:

  1. Sonlight sounds like a winner.
    I'm sure it will come together for you. & I really get the 17 times in the kitchen...
    :)

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  2. I know you will have it organized soon. I won't think about planning until we return from our trip. Can't wait to see your final product!

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  3. Although my 7 yr old is doing the same core as her older siblings, she won't be able to read all the readers so I'm supplementing from core 2 readers that have to do with American History. This way she gets to study the same topics and themes, but on her own level. I love that Sonlight is adaptable this way. Theoretically you could have high school kids in core 100, middle school kids in core 6/7 and younger elementary age kids in core 1/2.

    If I were you I would use your older kids' independent reading or math time to work with your K and p3/4 kids (2 hrs per day?). I would also encourage your younger ones (and maybe Julie, too) to join in your core 5 read aloud. I would read the readers to your K and p3/4, but pick a Bible curriculum to follow like the core 5 and just adapt it for your younger ones. That way the only really separate subject each day is the readers, but history, geography, Bible, and even Lit (read aloud) are taught together. This would probably save you an hour or so per day and make for less stress. Just a thought.

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  4. I hope that everything will fall in place for you. I think you've probably read my Sonlight posts. :) I agree with Celee, that maybe combining for most of the subjects, but using separate readers to supplement.

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