Homeschool Open House 2009

We all took a trip to the library this Monday, and I found a great book that I have been wanting to read. It is recommended by My Father's World, but didn't want to splurge and purchase the "deluxe" package which included this book. Glad I didn't now, because it was at the library for free!
The book is For the Children's Sake, by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
A classic on foundations of education for home and school, explaining the ideas of Charlotte Mason in a way that is easy to understand and implement. Macaulay’s book focuses on the best education can be, from a Christian understanding of what it means to be human - to be a child, a parent, a teacher - and on the Christian meaning of life.

I have really enjoyed reading this book, and would recommend it highly to anyone considering homeschooling. I have written down many quotes and ideas to come back to later, since the book is going back to the library soon.

All week long I have been earnestly awaiting for Mr. Postman to deliver our curriculum, and today was the day! I heard the knock on our door, and I RAN to answer it, and there was the glorious box on my doorstep. I shouted a thank you to the mailman walking back to the car...(well, more like a loud whisper, since I have laryngitis...but that's besides the point!) I think I was more excited than a kid on Christmas Day.I have finally learned how to take the pictures off of my cell phone and put them on the computer, Thank you Mark!!!

So here is our "Open House 2009":

Here is James' Desk.

• On top shelf: All our curriculum, workbooks, flashcards and educational videos.
• Middle Shelf (in 2 small wicker baskets lined with blue gingham) Coloring Books, Activity Books, Audio Tapes, Cds, and CDroms for computer games.On the Desk:
  
• Large basket has all our lapbooks, file folder games, and any other small educational games we print out from computer.
  
• On the other side is a two-tiered bin. The top has construction paper and colored cardstock. The bottom houses printer paper and his primary writing tablets. Over to the side of that bin are stickers and laminating sheets.
• In the drawer: All of his My Father's World Student Workbook Sheets, and other MFW student materials.
• Under the desk is my large file box, where I keep all file folder game components, lapbooks in progress, seasonal papers, and worksheets waiting to be done. The basket is a catch all right now. I am not sure what I will use it for yet. And next to the basket is a huge roll of newsprint for crafts.
  

Here is our "Circle Time" Tri Fold Board. It is to the left of James' Desk. It's pretty self explanatory... The bottom right is colors in Spanish, and on the back has days/months of the year in Spanish, also a picture of a body with all the parts labeled in Spanish. We will review these things throughout Circle Time. Also not shown is our number chart...I may switch out the colors and put that on the back too, and replace it with the 100 number chart.Above the Circle Time Trifold, is our whiteboard and alphabet cards. The schedule is listed on the left of the board...to remind ME of what we are supposed to be doing!!! The paper on the cabinet to the left of the board is our "Daily Heart CheckUp" found at 1+1+1=1 blog. I will check off each day with dry erase marker, and then just erase and start over again each new day.
Here is our craft storage closet. Top shelf has some puzzles, and things we will use for James' school year units, but the rest is craft supplies.
Here is a shot of our Workbox System. As of right now, it is on this big huge bookcase, but I may go to Target and get a smaller, shorter shelving unit. There is a timer that will be stored here as well, for the timed activities.
Here is the schedule chart...sorry so blurry. It's my only shot. This is where he will place the numbers from each bin when he's finished. It is on a clipboard that he can take with him to the desk, but store on the bookcase after school hours. We only have 12 boxes, but 15 slots to fill. I have lunch, snack, and other misc. cards. For example, I have a library card, museum card, Computer Games, TV, or Movie card...those usually go at the end of the day! The numbers are from a dollar tree find... they are calendar numbers. I laminated them and then cut them out. I can use the higher numbers for games later on.
Here is a picture of the index card filebox that I referred to in my last post. As soon as I got the MFW manual out, I read thru the whole thing...well... scanned! And have already begun planning out the first week. And this filebox was a lifesaver already!!!

Well, I hope you all enjoyed our open house! Now that I know how to download my Blackberry pics to the computer, I will be more faithful to post pictures and blog about our homeschool days! Can't wait til Monday!!!

Workbox Fever!

I can't wait to start school with James! Our first day will be next Monday, August 17th. I have cleaned out and organized our dining room and made it into our official schoolroom. Last year, I started out in the playroom but that never panned out...too many toys to distract...and we usually ended up on the living room couches or kitchen counter top. I pulled the desk into the corner of the dining room, which I will now call the school room during the day, and dining room at supper, hehe... and I set up all his supplies and books needed. I turned our "food pantry" cabinet into our "craft/school supplies" cabinet.

I ordered our curriculum, My Father's World and Hands on Character Building. I got a great deal on both on an Ebay auction and am waiting on it to arrive this week...hence the later school start date!

I have our new workbox system all set up. Click here to see a quick overview of what workboxes are all about from the creator Sue Patrick. Well, almost all set up. I am not doing it EXACTLY like the creator has it, but it is pretty close! I set up a lightweight plastic bookcase for the system, added all the plastic shoeboxes to the shelves, secured the numbers on them with velcro... but I still have to print out our schedule cards and schedule strips, then I will be done. I think I can finish those up tonight. Mark got a new (to us) printer that I can try out! Our current one is not cooperating with me, and we can't figure out what's wrong...so that has been holding me up!

Here's the TONS of great info I have found about workboxes on blogs and such. Wow, this site covers it all! And it gave me so many great ideas to go for! I am so glad I found this system before the school year started. I think that it really will be so good for James (and me!) as it says it does wonders for ADHD kids.

Now that I have this great system, I didn't want to go blank and have a "brain fart" each night and not be able to figure out what to put in each box. I am a forgetful person. (understatement of the year!) When I see an idea in a book or blog, I think to myself how great that would be to try with the kids, but then when it comes down to the ends and outs of the typical school day... I forget about them. Or if I remember an idea, I can't remember where I read it...so I can't go back there to look up all the details/directions/materials I need.

So, I have been setting up a mini file box (index cards) for all the ideas I come across to fill up the boxes. The file box is divided into different sections; Curriculum/Bible, Math, Science, Language Arts, Outside/PE, Art, Recipes, and Just for Fun. Each index card has a different idea that I can use in a workbox. I will keep this box on the workbox bookcase or on James' desk.

For instance, behind the curriculum section, I have cards that read: MFW (of course), Spanish videos/flashcard reviews, Character book activity, Music Theory Book...etc.
In Just for fun, I have playdoh, bubbles, Candyland, audiobooks, etc.
In Recipes, I have a combination of food recipes that James can help me whip up (for fun treats or a meal) and creation recipes (like playdoh, gook, silly putty, etc.)
I have tons of resource books for Phonics/language arts, Math, Science...all with tons of great ideas to supplement with the kids curriculum, but I never get them out regularly, so I devoured each book one sleepless night : -) and wrote out each of my fav. ideas onto index cards along with all the directions/materials needed, which workbook it came from if I needed patterns or copies made, etc. and then I filed it under the proper section.
So now when I go to fill workboxes each night I can whip out the filebox! My goal is to try doing at least one card from each section a day.

Can you tell that I am excited about the upcoming school year???!!!
Next post I will write out our Weekly School Schedule, and have a sort of Homeschool Open House with pictures!

Tomorrow (Lord willing...if everyone is feeling better-Bella's had croup and me with a cold). we will take a "field trip" to the library. They have been closed for a week putting in new carpet, and they will reopen tomorrow with a brand new updated children's section. I have been having library withdraws! I love free stuff, and there's nothing that beats free stuff like the library!