Diving Into a New Format....Finally!

When we started our homeschool journey, I had in mind a literature based, nature concentrated instruction that will encourage a love of learning to my girls instead of just learning for the sake of getting a grade.  I want them to see learning a lifelong process, one that can grow and thrive with them throughout their lives.

After being a part of a charter school for the first 3 years of homeschooling, I found myself still doing things for the sake of getting a grade and that quench for something better is still not satisfied.  When we finally went independent this fourth year of our homeschooling, I started with the same mindset as I did in the past 3 years.  Perhaps it was force of habit but I did finally realize that this is not how I originally intended our home learning environment to be. 

Before we went on break, I started digging and focusing.  I wanted to find my way back again to how I originally intended our home learning environment to be and I'm finally slowly but surely incorporating them to our homeschool day. 

Today, we got rid of worksheets (except for Math, of course) and started dictation instead of spelling worksheets and word lists.  The girls made a collage of their new Learning Notebooks which replace any Science, History and Geography busywork.  It will in turn become a keepsake that the girls will be proud to share with everyone and we will want to keep and show off.

I'm still figuring out the details but so far, this is how I'm planning to cover the subjects this term:

MATH - Math U See for Myka, Teaching Textbooks for Mer

SCIENCE - Still REAL Science Odyssey but we will be reading more books along with the experiments instead of filling up the worksheets. Then we will be narrating and notebooking what we learned and hopefully also have a chance to do some nature walks and journaling when the weather gets better.

HISTORY - Reading An Island Story, supplementing with other books and activities along the way. I'm also debating if I want to read other chapter books simultaneous to this but if I do it will be Little Duke and A Viking Story.  Narrating and notebooking as well.

ART - I wanted a full on drawing course so I picked Art for Kids Drawing

LANGUAGE ARTS - is still taking a back seat at the moment but I am planning on reviewing the basic with the use of Grammar Tales.

HEALTH - We still have The Body Book

GEOGRAPHY - I wanted to start A Child's Geography of the World but I'm debating if I just want to continue my US and World Map studies that we started already.

Overall, the goal is to not rush....take our time and enjoy each process. Hopefully, this will definitely limit the sighs and groans I get when each school day starts.  I hope in the end of this school year, the girls would say "that was fun Mom!  I can't wait till we start again!"