The Basics of Schooling at the Kitchen Table

Well I started out this post with grand plans of pictures we had taken last week and a long discussion of our curriculum choices. I walked away and thought about and realized that I can't get pictures onto my laptop yet soooooo I put all my previous "stuff" away to start with the basics. (That is what I get for walking away and letting myself think.) First off... yes we do school at the kitchen table.. and the floor... and the couch... and pappa's desk... and hopefully the park this year. Going outside to do school during the winter months is a goal for me this year. That's why we live in the desert right???

Now to the nitty gritty The one bit of information you are always asked for as a homeschool mom- drum roll please - What is our curriculum. Ok so it isn't that exciting but it is the spine to which we use to learn. It is also the cause of many a time on our knees in prayer, fists full of hair, and grotesque faces in frustration on what do we use. I am happy to announce that most of our choices this coming year are returning choices we made last year.

For 7 year old Princess K
1. Bible: We plan to start Bible Study Guide for All Ages in September when we finish with our Bible studies from last year. I LOVE the idea of this curriculum and I hope it turns out as great as I hope it will.

2. History/Reading/Language Arts: These will all come from Sonlight. Again we are finishing up last years work (Core 1) and will go on to Core 2 with Advanced Readers in September. We will also be adding to our history studies Mystery of History Volume 2 (because I just can't leave well enough alone).

3 Spelling: Returning from last year is Spell to Write and Read. It provided us with a good solid foundation for spelling and reading, and I can use it for all three kids.

4. Math: Another Returning Champion is Right Start Math. I am blessed to have a math genius for a husband and he takes over math instruction so this is more his neck of the woods. We are using Right Start Level C once we finish Level B in September.

5. Science: I found a curriculum that completely fits us. It is NOEO Science and I absolutely love it. It is literature based and just slips in so nicely with Sonlight. Right now we are working through the Biology I curriculum, and we will switch to Chemistry I thereafter.

6. Spanish: We are blessed to have someone providing this for us. Every Thursday we pop on over to this wonderful lady's house for 1 hour of Spanish instruction. Then throughout the week we work on the words and phrases we were taught.

7. Latin: Yes we are starting Latin. Call me crazy but I think it will be good as long as we take it slow. It might even aid in our Spanish studies. We will be using Prima Latina very slowly throughout the year.

8. Art: I found this wonderful gem at our homeschool group used curriculum sale. It is Artistic Pursuits and looks to be gentle, easy, so much fun. I can't wait to start it (again in September).

9. Those things with out a curriculum are Memory and handwriting. Along with scripture memory we are memorizing various poems from the Book of Virtues by William J Bennet. We are grouping them based on how they are grouped in the book. I am using all memory items for handwriting practice. Nothing builds handwriting skills better than practice. I just have Princess K put all her writing in a pretty composition book.

Well that is the basics for our 3rd grade year. We will be including various projects and lapbooks to enhance our studies. What these are I will have to go into those another time as well as what I am doing with our preschool and our ever roaming 2 year old. But for tonight I am going to bid a farwell.

Have a Blessed evening!