Our Homeschool

Well a couple of weeks ago we started our official second year of homeschooling. Of course we learn every day all year long, but in MO you have to have an official start date to track your year. Here is what we are doing this year:

For math all three kids use Horizons. Math and handwriting are all Ally really does as far as seatwork. Everywhere else she just jumps in wherever it tickles her fancy. :)

For spelling Aaron uses Spectrum Spelling and Mariah's lists come from this site.

We also use Spectrum Phonics and really love it! Ally will start her K phonics book when I feel like she can focus that long. :) She would not start ps K until next fall anyway, so I'm not in a hurry. Probably after Christmas. She just seems to take a big leap during January in what she wants to learn. It's her growth spurt time of year. :)

All three keep writing journals that we do about three times a week with a story starting sentence. The younger two can just write or draw, where Mariah always must write something. She also uses Spectrum writing and she is liking that.

All of the above we do during the morning while we are fresh as I think we should do whatever requires sitting first thing. :) After lunch we do Five In A Row which we are LOVING! So many fun, great books to explore and expand on using science, social studies, history, literature and literary devices, art and math. I love how with this we are not only learning, but creating so many wonderful memories together.

Also this year I joined a homeschool group with a couple of other moms that I knew and they took the reigns and planned some great field trips and a once a month park day that we are going to have to look forward to. We have so much to learn and do in this area, it's great! We also want to make to to Wilder Days to see our friends the Bettendorfs who moved from a few minutes away to a whole hour away so they could make me jealous by living my dream life. ;)

So between that and Aaron playing flag football and doing cub scouts, the girls doing dance, the Discovery Center, the Zoo, and Friday morning swim and gym I think we may have just filled up our days. :) And then some. Like teaching my kids to cook and my girls to sew, crochet and knit. It's a good life. I am abundantly blessed.