Planning and Record Keeping

One question I'm often asked is 'What do you use for Planning and Record Keeping'? 

For many years I made up my own Record Books, which I would type up, print out, and bind.  The books would contain planning pages, my timetables, a space to record each child's daily work, as well as pages in the back for recording such things as reading logs, field trips, and testing / evaluation.  I developed my own Record Book over the course of about ten years, and was finally satistied that I had created a resource that suited our needs.

Then, Apologia kindly sent me a free sample of a new resource in their catalogue:  'The Ultimate Homeschool Planner".  Being a little stressed and short on time, I decided to try it out for our 2012 year.  The result - I LOVE IT!   It contains, essentially, everything I was putting together myself, along with lovely Bible verses, teaching tips and a place each week to record those 'memorable moments'.  And all wonderfully put together in one, spiral-bound book!  Although each week is meant to be used as 'planning pages', I simply use them to record the work completed, and have our plan for the year tucked into the front pocket.  Each week has space to record the work for six children - while that would not have suited me a few years ago, with two of my children now living away from home, it now suits me perfectly!

Here's the Blurb:

"Designed for the busy homeschooling mother, help bring order---and less frustration---into your life. A user's guide will help you set everything up; a one-year planning grid, student goal setter, pre-planning guide, monthly planners, weekly planner, records, teaching tips, and a high school planning guide are all provided. Yearly planning pages provide room for vision-casting with your family priorities, a review of the previous school year, a goal-setter for character and academics, and timing grids. Weekly plans provide room to write in your Bible plan, battle plan, prayers, hospitality/outreach efforts, memorable moments, achievements, and evidences of grace. Schedule pages may be filled in as you see fit-both the vertical and horizontal axes are blank for you to fill in days and subjects as you prefer. Boxes along the facing page include room for notes, supplies, and appointments. The plastic covers include folder pockets on the inside for handy storage. Spiral bound."

The Ultimate Homeschool Planner, published by Apologia, is available through Christian Book .  

I hope it saves you heaps of time and energy, and you'll find it as worthwhile as I have!

May God bless your day with smiles and happiness,

Linda.

A Slight Change of Plans – Excellence in Writing

As you may have seen on my previous post, this year I had planned to use IEW’s ‘Ancient History-Based Writing Lessons’ with my three youngest girls.  We’ve had a change of plans.  Last year, the girls completed SWI (Student Writing Intensive) Level A, but unfortunately, with travelling, moving, the fire, and all the other ‘minor’ things we went through, I wasn’t exactly able to supervise as well as I’d like, so a few things were… shall we say….  not exactly completed to their fullest potential. 

So, instead of moving onto a theme-based book, we’ve decided this year to begin with SWI B, which will cover the basics again, but at a higher level.  Another advantage with using SWI B is that the girls will watch Andrew himself on the DVDs, which as many of you will appreciate, is always a hit!  We organised the new folders and pulled our DVDs from  the depths of the yet-to-be-unpacked boxes, and soon we were ready to begin.

Last Wednesday was ‘the day’.  After presenting the girls with their new folders, we settled down in front of the television for their first session.  As always, there were smiles and chuckles as Andrew ‘did his thing’ and taught them all about key word outlines and how to re-write a paragraph.  The source text was a paragraph on ‘Sea Wasps’, which are found in the oceans off the coast of Australia.  I’m always very appreciative of this particular lesson; it’s lovely to begin the year with some Australian content, and to know that Australia has some of the coolest and most deadly creatures in the world! 

As is typically the case, we soon found that we ‘were not alone’.  There’s something special about Andrew Pudewa, and he manages to grab the attention of whoever is about.  Even though our Daniel has finished his homeschooling, once he saw what we were watching, he happily settled himself of the couch to enjoy the lesson as well.  It’s wonderful to have such a programme; one that the older children can simply watch and enjoy, and yet, they are therefore having a review lessons themselves.

Once the DVD reached a certain point, it was time to press ‘stop’ and have the girls re-write their paragraph.  I was pleased to discover that they tackled the task easily, and remembered several things from the lessons of last year.  It was good to know they had retained some information, despite my failings!  The next day involved writing up another paragraph before moving on to the next section of the DVD.  Although the course was originally an intensive, 4-day presentation, IEW now offer lesson plans for 15-30 weeks, meaning we can take our time and allow plenty of opportunities for practicing the various skills learned along the way.

It’s wonderful again to be working through SWI B – I think this is my favourite one of the series.  Next year, we’ll use the Continuation Course, but we will probably use Speech Boot Camp first – another one of my favourites.  For now though, I’m looking forward to using these DVDs again and enjoying the giggles as Andrew takes the girls through their lessons.  We’re off to a good start – just the thing to keep a busy homeschooling mum happy!

Linda.

Our Lady of Lourdes

So I thought I’d write a post on our homeschooling day – because y’know – that’s what we supposedly ‘do’.

Yesterday was February 11.  As my Catholic friends would know, that means it is the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes.  We really do love the story of St Bernadette, and several times now, we’ve completed an activity from Seton’s ‘Art For Young Catholics’, Grade 1. 

I love this book!  Sure, it’s grade 1, and my girls are a bit beyond that now, however, it offers such lovely art projects that we do them anyway.  And I figure if I can get away with a Grade 1 project rather than a complicated Grade 6 or 7 project with lots of materials and complicated instructions, it’s all good!

We set ourselves up outside on the patio.  It’s such a lovely spot for art projects, and of course, tackling art projects outside certainly saves the carpets and other floor coverings.  I photocopied the necessary pages, and we were ready to go.  It was a lovely afternoon sitting there with my girls as they coloured, cut, and glued.  The project was to make an ‘Our Lady of Lourdes’ picture, complete with tissue roses and vines.  The idea is so simple – the roses look wonderful, and yet, to make them, all you do is cut a small square of red tissue paper, crumple it up, and ta-da!  One rose, ready to be glued onto your picture.

I was so excited that this was all going so well, that I just had to take some pics:

 

I even called Bill away from his work to witness it!  He just smiled and gave me ‘that look’ as if to say, ‘Wow!  You guys are actually doing schoolwork today – how about that?’  And then wandered happily back to the office.

One thing about working outside is the animals.  During the day, one of our cats turned up with a lizard in her mouth.  We’ve been told that the cats should not eat these particular kind of lizards, as it can do something strange to their eyes, so I stamped my foot, startling her and making her drop it   The lizard took off as fast as it could go – right in the direction of the doghouse.  At this, the dog, spying a free snack, flew into action, and sprinted after it.  The lizard reached the doghouse and scurried straight underneath, but as for the dog….

Well, let’s just say that if it were possible for a dog to have a massive headache, she’s got one!

Anyways, back to the school work…

After a little while, the projects were completed, and the girls proudly displayed their masterpieces:

 

 

They then headed inside to watch the CCC video, ‘Bernadette’, to finish off the afternoon.  This is another series I highly recommend for young children:  we’ve had the videos for years, and I think they are the most commonly played videos in our home.  Other titles include St Francis Xavier, The Day the Sun Danced, and even The Odyssey.

Our check list for the day:

Art and Craft – tick!

Religion – tick!

History – tick!

Hands-on activity – tick!

Quick, simple and effective – just the way I like it!

Linda.

Campion Summer School - Sydney

Last week, our son attended Summer School at Campion College in Sydney.

Well, he had an absolute ball!  He hasn't stopped talking about it since his return, and it's been wonderful to hear so much about his time away, and about Campion.

There were many activities during the week, including a game of soccer on the beach, a walk through the blue mountains, and a ballroom evening.  There were also training sessions in trust, group activities, and of course, time spent in the classroom with lectures on Latin, Leadership, and Essay Writing.

 

 

 

 

 

I have heard a little rumour that our Daniel went to great lengths to dress up for Ballroom Night, inspiring his mates to do the same.  He headed off to his room wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and emerged a little while later in black pants and a white shirt.  He even asked one of the lecturers if he could borrow a tie!  When the guys asked why, he replied simply, 'Well, it IS Ballroom Night!'  I tell you, that boy is sooo much like his father, it's scary!

He has also been busy telling us many of the 'funny moments' during the camp, such as the several times when someone would walk past him and look at his name tag (which of course said 'Daniel').  Daniel would smile and say something like, 'Yes, my name is Daniel, not Frank'.  And the person would look very confused, nod, and keep walking.....   And of course, Daniel made great use of the opportunity to show off his voice, singing every song that was suggested to him, including Whitney Houston's, 'I will always love you' - IN his high voice, of course.  I hear they were quite impressed with his versatility!

From a homeschool mum's point of view, probably the most exciting part was hearing about the classroom lessons.  What thrilled me most was hearing about Latin, Leadership, and, of course, Essay Writing.

Firstly, Latin.  Daniel was keen to let me know that all those Latin lessons would certainly not be wasted at Campion.  We had covered most of what was put up on the board, however, there is a point to hearing these things explained a different way, and from a different person.  Several concepts that Daniel never quite grasped suddenly became clear, and things clicked into place.  Although it was the same material, it suddenly all made sense, and Daniel came away from Campion with a much greater understanding of the Latin Language.

Next, Leadership Presentation.  Some of the time at Campion was devoted to the students preparing and presenting a speech to the class.  Daniel, because he had completed Speech Boot Camp, found himself very well prepared, and more than ready to tackle the task.  I guess he always was confident in front of a group, but he commented to me that Speech Boot Camp was certainly a great preparation for this activity.  And I hear that several of the presentations were most entertaining!

And finally, my favourite, Essay Writing.  I was absolutely delighted to hear all about this session!  The lecturer explained to the students how to write an essay, and it turns out that their suggestions allign very well with the 'Institute for Excellence in Writing' programme.  The 5-paragraph essay was discussed, which included three topics, and an introduction and a conclusion - exactly what we teach with IEW. The big difference Daniel noticed was the length of the paragraphs - the lecturer in charge suggested that all paragraphs be about a page long.  Too long, in my opinion, but a big part of the IEW course as taught in our 'Advanced Communication Series' , is how to write in accordance with the requirements of a particular college or lecturer. Once again, Daniel found himself very well prepared, and ready to research and write whatever essays were expected of him.

It's amazing how many hours we homeschool mums spend researching and preparing curricula, and hoping that we have made the right choices for our children.  I simply cannot put into words how absolutely thrilled I am to learn that in these three areas our choices have well prepared our son (and any daughters who may wish to attend in the future) for Campion.

Daniel returned home excited, full of life, and of course, in touch with a bunch of new friends.  He seriously considered signing up and heading off to Sydney this year, however, he is also very much looking forward to his TAFE course and singing lessons, both of which he had already committed to for 2013.  So, he's decided to stay here for the time, and make the most of the opportunities that are right here at home.  Campion, though, will be something he will most certainly think about for next year.

Considering that our son wasn't even that interested in Summer School, I'm so glad we made the decision to send him along - it's given him much food for thought, and I feel it will open many doors for him in the years to come.  I'd highly recommend it to anyone!

Linda.

Curriculum Planning = DONE (We hope)!

So, I think have the whole 'planning' thing under control! 

Here's our plans for the four children who will be homeschooling full-time.  Our 18 year old and 17 year old will be attending TAFE, but still have a few things to finish up here as well - such as our 'Lord of the Rings' literacy curriculum and the Apologetics Course.

For the rest, though, here is 'The Plan':

COURSE OF STUDY

Name of Student:  Margaret Maher_(Aged 15)

Year:  ___2013_____

Subject	Books and Materials
English*	English for Australian Schools Book 1 Essential Spelling List Australian History-Based Writing Lessons Literacy Lessons with Lord of the Rings Drama Group  --   Reading List DLP Through Poetry Memorization + My Country
Mathematics*	Life of Fred:  Beginning Algebra
Science*	Apologia Physical Science
Human Society and It’s Environment*	Weather and Climate Australia, Land of the Rainbow Gold Australian History in Films
Languages*	Latina Christiana Book 1
Technical and Applied Studies*	Pure and Simple Sewing Digital Art
Creative Arts*	Piano Lessons,  Sewing, Digital Art The Wonderful Art of Drawing Horses How Great Thou Art Book 1 Drama Group,  Sing Australia
Personal Development, Health, and Physical Education*	Home Economics Course (Alpha-Omega) Youth Group, Homeschool  Group Sports Days, Trampoline, Swimming
Logic	The Fallacy Detective The Thinking Toolbox
Religion	Introduction to Catholicism Beginning Apologetics

COURSE OF STUDY

Name of Student:  Emily Maher  (Aged 14)_

Year:  ___2013_____

Subject	Books and Materials
English*	Growing with Grammar 5 SPA Spelling, then The Phonetic Zoo Ancient History-Based Writing Lessons Drama Group  --   Reading List Read Aloud – Wide Range Readers DLP Through Poetry Memorization + My Country
Mathematics*	Signpost 6 /  Teaching Textbooks Pre-Algebra Calculadder Drill
Science*	Apologia General Science
Human Society and It’s Environment*	Famous Men of Rome / Greece + Greek Myths Australia, The Wide Brown Land for Me! Australian Geography, Mapping Skills
Languages*	Latina Christiana Book 1
Technical and Applied Studies*	Logo Adventures Typing Tutor Deluxe
Creative Arts*	Flute Lessons, Sing Australia, Drama Group The Wonderful Art of Drawing Horses Lamb’s Book of Art Stories of the Great Composers
Personal Development, Health, and Physical Education*	Youth Group, Homeschool Group, Incl. Sports Days, Trampoline, Swimming
Logic	Building Thinking Skills
Religion	Golden Children’s Bible Faith Folders:  Apostles Creed,  Gifts of the Holy Spirit

COURSE OF STUDY

Name of Student:  _Lizzie Maher _(Aged 12)__

Year:  _2013___________

Subject	Books and Materials
English*	Growing with Grammar SPA Spelling then The Phonetic Zoo Ancient History-Based Writing Lessons Reading / Novels (see List) Read Aloud – Wide Range Readers DLP Through Poetry Memorization + My Country
Mathematics*	Signpost Maths 5 / 6 Calculadder
Science and Technology*	Science in the Creation Week NOEO Science – Chemistry
Human Society and It’s Environment*	Famous Men of Rome and Greece + Greek Myths Australia, The Wide Brown Land for Me! Australian Geography and Map Skills
Languages	Latina Christiana 1
Technical and Applied Studies*	Logo Adventures Typing Tutor Deluxe
Creative and Practical Arts*	Trumpet Lessons, Sing Australia, Drama Group Artistic Pursuits Book 1, Lamb’s Book of Art Stories of the Great Composers Child-Size Masterpieces
Personal Development, Health, and Physical Education*	Youth Group, Homeschool Group,  incl.  Sports Days Swimming, Trampoline, Fishing
Logic	Building Thinking Skills
Religion	Golden Children’s Bible Faith Folders:  Apostles Creed,  Gifts of the Holy Spirit

COURSE OF STUDY

Name of Student:  _Aimee Maher  (Aged 10)_

Year:  ___2013____

Subject	Books and Materials
English*	Growing with Grammar SPA Spelling then The Phonetic Zoo Ancient History-Based Writing Lessons Reading / Novels (see List) Read Aloud – Endeavour Readers DLP  Through Poetry Memorization + My Country
Mathematics*	Signpost Maths 4 Calculadder
Science and Technology*	Science in the Creation Week NOEO Science – Chemistry
Human Society and It’s Environment*	Famous Men of Rome and Greece + Greek Myths Australia, The Wide Brown Land for Me! Australian Geography and Map Skills
Languages	Latina Christiana 1
Technical and Applied Studies*	Logo Adventures Typing Tutor Deluxe
Creative and Practical Arts*	Piano Lessons, Sing Australia, Drama Group Artistic Pursuits Book 1, Lamb’s Book of Art Stories of the Great Composers Child-Size Masterpieces
Personal Development, Health, and Physical Education*	Youth Group, Homeschool Group,  incl.  Sports Days Swimming, Trampoline, Fishing
Logic	Building Thinking Skills
Religion	Golden Children’s Bible Faith Folders:  Apostles Creed,  Gifts of the Holy Spirit

As always, it's flexible, and there will be things we plan to do that we don't, and other things that we will add that aren't on my original list - but, we have a plan!

God bless,

Linda.

Here's One for all the Writers Out There.....

OK Homeschool Mums.  Tell me if these make you cringe......

Have a great day!

Linda.

Planning for 2013

Well, since this blog is supposed to be about our 'Homeschooling Journey', I thought it might just be a good idea to begin sharing our homeschool plans!

This year, I'm down to homeschooling only four children.  FOUR!  That'll be half of my children - with my oldest four either moved out of home, or studying at TAFE.  Well, technically, my 18yo and 17yo aren't 'quite' finished - we still have a few things to complete, but for the most part, they'll be focussing on their TAFE studies.

So what will they be completing?

Daniel (18) willl finishing up the following:

Literacy Lessons from Lord of the Rings, and
Catholic Morality, and
Beginning Apologetics.

For Helena (17), the same, but we'll also be completing her Home Economics course as well.   However, her main focus will be on music - besides a music course at TAFE, she will also be spending much of her time at the conservatorium with private lessons and her various ensembles.

As to the rest - it's time to begin re-assessing our goals, and putting together our plans. There is much we will continue to use, such as:

Maths  - Life of Fred and / or Teaching Textbooks

Writing - IEW (probably a theme-based writing book this year)

Spelling - The Phonetic Zoo

Grammar - Growing with Grammar

Science - Apologia Science and Science in the Creation Week (Dr Jay Wile)

Australian History - Australia, The Wide Brown Land for Me!  and Australian History-Based Writing Lessons

Latin - Latina Christiana 


The rest needs a little more planning!  These are just my initial thoughts at this stage - and I'm just now beginning to put it all down into a workable plan.  I'll put up our timetables as I work it all out.

How about you?  Are you ready for the new schooling year?

Linda.