It’s my favorite time of the year. August gives me a chance to reflect on what worked and what didn’t, and build a plan suited to my family’s current season. This year we’ll have a 5th grader, K/1st grader, and a preschooler making up our homeschool while the baby wreaks havoc.

I always hesitate to share my plans as they often don’t end up looking anything like they do when I type them out here. But I know how helpful it is to check out what others are doing, so here we go… Just what will 5th, K/1st, Preschool, and babyhood look like around here this year?

 

 

Circle Time

We incorporated Circle Time into our day when we first began homeschooling, and plan to reinstate it now that we’re relatively settled for the present. Drawing inspiration from the amazing Kendra Fletcher’s eBook, Circle Time: Plan the Best Time of Your Homeschool Day, we’ll all join together {even Trevor} for prayer, a short game or brainteaser, and some calendar work for the littles. We’ll end with a read aloud before Trevor goes on to his independent work.

 

Together Work

When we work together, the kids work on the same subjects and topics, but at each child’s individual levels. This year we’ll be finishing up a few things that have lasted way longer than they are meant to, because my children tend to get into the subject and want to keep learning about it, never moving on. While there are benefits to this type of immersion learning, I’m planning to be more purposeful about letting them continue learning on their own when they’re interested and moving on when we meet together.

Bible Study – the kids love “stick-figuring” through the Bible with our favorite Grapevine Bible Studies, so we’ll be better about doing those every day. Logan will even get more involved this year with Grapevine’s new traceables.

History – we’ll finish Mystery of History Volume One and move onto to Volume Two. 

Science – between a tough pregnancy, moving, and then caring for a new baby, we didn’t get outside as much as I would have liked over the past year, so we’ll be incorporating several NaturExplorers studies from Shining Dawn Books. They’re amazing and the kids love them.

We’ll also be working on topics based on the kids’ interests using lapbook and unit studies from Currclick.

One day we might try a formal science curriculum, but for now we seem to cover more science than anything else, and getting a well-rounded background just by going off of their interests.

Geography – hopefully we’ll finally finish Galloping the Globe and be able to move on. This curriculum was supposed to take 1-2 years by spending 1-2 weeks on each country. We’re going into our 4th year of it and have only studied 2 1/2 continents!

 

5th Grade

• Math – Singapore Math
• Language Arts – Jacob’s Ladder, Vocabulary Cartoons,  and great literature
• Writing – journaling and writing workshop
• Latin – Prima Latina
• Religion – Call to Faith and saints studies
• Logic – Clip Clue Puzzles, NIM, and One-Hour Mysteries

 

K/1st Grade

• Math – Singapore Math
• Phonics & Spelling – Explode the Code and All About Spelling
• Reading – Hooked on Phonics, Sight Word Readers, and games…lots of games
• Writing – journaling and writing workshop
• Latin – Song School Latin
• Religion – Call to Faith and saints studies
• Logic – Lollipop Logic

 

Preschool

I have lots of games that teach basic number sense, letter sounds, patterning and more. I also have many workbooks, coloring books, and videos that all teach various preschool skills. Logan will be alternating between the different activities with lot of play time an done-on-one time with each of her siblings.

 

We’re looking forward to a great year! What about you? Have you figured out what curriculum you’re using? Or, are you still searching? Have you found anything you absolutely love?

I’m linking up with the iHN Not Back to School Blog Hop. Check out some of the other things homeschoolers are doing and link your own curriculum post.