Archive for » June 20th, 2008«

Tentative curriculum

20 Jun 2008        By Laura

So, after all my changes and tweaking, what am I thinking about using for Connor?

Math – either Teaching Textbooks or Videotext Algebra. Posts are even on either side. Some love TT and hate VT, others love VT and didn’t like TT. I’ll probably buy the 1st unit of VT and let Connor check it out.

Science – Apologia. I will start with General Science this year, then Physical Science, Chemistry, Physics, and maybe end with Biology (I know he just took that last year so we can’t go back there too soon).

Language Arts – Vocabulary from Classical Roots A & B by EPS and Progressing with Courage for Grammar by Rod & Staff. Then literature/reading and writing will come with the history work.

Logic – MindBenders A1-A4 from Critical Thinking. The software version looks good.

History – I decided to just start at the beginning so we’ll be studying Ancient times (5000 B.C to A.D. 400). I picked up the Kingfisher History Encyclopedia for guiding his studies. Add to that the reading list from WTM for primary sources and literature, plus maybe some Jackdaw packets. I was looking at the Notgrass World History. I don’t think I want to use the textbook, but I think I’d like what’s in the primary sources text. But we can find a lot of what we need at the library or online. We will definitely had a timeline on the wall, a globe, a big world map, and a subscription to Encyclopedia Britannica which will include an atlas.

I also found a good Homeschool Tracker to keep up with the subjects and lesson plans and create a report card and transcript every year.

I’m going to a session at Growing Scholars on July 1 to talk about home schooling and curriculum so I won’t make any final decisions until then. I’m also going to get some information from a friend on Carol Joy Seid and see if that changes any of my plans.

So, there it is. For now. Subject to change ;-)

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Another week

20 Jun 2008        By Laura

Hard to believe a whole week has gone by. I’ve been busy perusing the home school curriculum websites and the Well Trained Mind forum. I’ve changed and tweaked my curriculum every day. On top of that, Rick calls me every day and brings up that Connor says today he’s on board with the home schooling. Since I’m about to start spending money on stuff, we better all be through with the debates. We’re all in now!

I drove down to Yoga One last night to take a yoga class that my sister Christine was teaching. We were talking about how all these years we’ve done yoga together and talked about yoga, but I’ve never taken a class from her before. She’s different as a teacher than one on one. And she’s good at it. Very similar to listening to her sing, she’s different when she’s performing. That was a tough 1.5 hours. I kept dripping sweat on myself and we spent way too much time in down dog (of course, I think anything beyond a few breaths is too long, especially when you keep going back). But I did really well and I can certainly feel it today.

After yoga we showered and then went to Lulu’s for dinner. I had the Lulu burger and frites. It was very yummy with the green fried tomatoes and jalapeno spread. Over dinner we caught up on all kinds of stuff. It’s been months since she and I got together. She’s started studying aikido and just got back from a yoga bootcamp in Helena, MT. I explained the classical education method I had found in Well Trained Mind (WTM) while considering ideas for home schooling Connor. I talked about the grammar, logic, and rhetoric stages and how the best part is the repetition so you learn something each time and it builds and you don’t have to learn everything all at once. But I’m starting with an 8th grader and I don’t know what all he’s even studied before (not to talk about what he’s actually learned).

I mentioned that it would be really nice to know what’s going to happen over the next 5 years so I could plan this all out. I was updating my development plan at work yesterday and realized last year I had mentioned I would like an opportunity at an international assignment down the road. Well, that won’t work anytime soon! And it isn’t just what may affect my immediate environment. There is another household involved. Rick moved his mother up here so I don’t see him moving anytime soon. It’s just all the uncertainty.

I told myself (most others aren’t hearing it yet) that this would be as much a growing experience for me as for Connor. I know that my faith walk will have to get deeper and more regular for this to work. I told the spiritual head of the household that I am going to have daily prayer needs so he better get ready. Part of that growth is stepping out in faith with what I’m feeling led to do, what looks right to me, knowing that it won’t be perfect and life may get in the way. I don’t know what’s coming, but He does and I can trust Him.

Christine helped reinforce that last night. I am devising a plan to fill the entire 5 years of home schooling. But if somewhere in there things change and he goes back to public school, he’ll manage just fine. If I do this right, he’ll learn how to keep on learning and that is a good gift!

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I have four sisters

20 Jun 2008        By Laura

God has blessed me with four sisters. I want to talk about them for a few minutes.

Nancy has been my sister since the day she was born. Like any good sister, she has known me better than anyone else. (Anthony knows me pretty well, and Nancy has missed some of the last few years, but deep down she still knows me best in some ways.) And she has always loved me, even knowing me that well. We all have things about us that we know make us unloveable and it’s a wonderful surprise to realize someone loves us anyway. I think that’s one of the most wonderful things about marriage, realizing someone else loves you and wants to live with you even after they learn the unloveable things about you.

Nancy was always brave, outgoing, easy at being with people, didn’t hold a grudge, and did a lot of things really well (singing, sports, dancing, acting…). I wanted to be like her growing up. After our parents divorce, she went in different directions and life wasn’t easy for her. She has given me two wonderful nephews that teach me new things all the time. She’s moved out to Portland, Oregon, and I just think that’s too far away.

When I married Anthony I got a new sister, Christine. She’s actually a lot like Nancy – outgoing, brave, and good with people. She’s taught me some good things over the years. She’s right down in Charlotte and we should see each other more often than we do. We have good times when we are together, we share good authors/books and she’s got the physical flexibility that I wish I had.

Then Anthony’s brother got married and I got another sister, Alison. She is really wonderful. We have some things in common (in addition to being married to Navarro men), but she also does some things that I wish I could do. For one, she can come into my kitchen with nothing in it and whip up a meal to feed five. She is also a patient mother of three boys. I spent one year taking classes each month in Raleigh and I would stay with them for a night or two. I had so much fun hanging out with them and watching the boys grow that year.

My fourth sister is my nephews’ mother. Nancy’s ex-husband remarried and brought Tracy into my life. We are pretty different and that’s pretty nice. She’s been a nurse so she can be very practical, which is handy with three boys. She took a huge step marrying a man with two sons. She’s been a steady presence for those two and they quickly began to call her mom. It’s enough when you marry someone and have to accept his parents and siblings. But Tracy took it in stride that she also got an ex-sister-in-law as part of the package.

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