Since Little T is now almost-five and Little Sir just turned two, I figured it would do me some good to be a bit organdized, as Winnie-the-Pooh says. Here’s how I went about my homeschool planning for the first quarter of 2013.
I Decided to Plan by Quarter
Sometimes though, I wouldn’t even have an hour or two on a Sunday afternoon. I would then pick a book on Monday morning, read and cuddle with my children, talk about whatever comes to mind, and call it a homeschooling day. I believe in the general capability of children to learn something despite the (haphazard) methods of their teacher!
Well, this year is going to be different – I hope! Planning for the quarter allows me to map special occasions in advance, such as Valentine’s Day in February, and Easter Sunday in March. Once I’ve identified those and chosen our main books, I then work in our lessons for specific goals (next item on this list) that we have set.
I initially wanted to have a bit of academic goals for my almost-kindergartener. Formal math, maybe? But my wistfulness during New Year’s Eve made me change my mind. I decided to focus on equally, if not more, important matters such as character formation, art, music, and religious celebrations.
- Help improve morning mood
- Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Day
- Another Celebrated Dancing Bear
- Owl Moon
- Sometimes I Feel Awful
- Practice “stop, take a deep breath and relax”
- Help warm up to people faster and lessen apparent shyness
- Halibut Jackson
- The Story of Ferdinand
- Work as greeter at The Learning Basket events
- Help with sensitivity to sound
- MaestroClassics’ study on Swan Lake
For my baby boy, I’m happy to focus on his gross motor and fine motor skills. The little guy will definitely be pouring water, climbing, and running around to his heart’s content!
I plan to be flexible and change any book according to what’s going on with us. We will be guided, but not be ruled by a general plan that helps us work towards specific goals.