It's August 1st, the time of year when homeschooling mothers such as myself are finishing up plans for the next school year, and getting excited about diving into new adventures, meeting a host of fascinating new companions alongside our children, and just plain starting fresh after a summer breather. At least, that's how I feel!
After a year of homeschooling my oldest son, who recently turned 8, I'm getting ready to add another student. My 6 year old son will be joining the pursuit with us this year. My class size has doubled! Slightly intimidated at the thought of stretching myself between two students who depend on me for most of their learning, I am relived to have the great support of
Ambleside Online for help in making my curriculum choices much more simple.
So, if you could go back and be a first or second grade student, how would a day like this sound?
9:00 - Listen to the latest adventure of the apostle Peter from the book of Acts, and then act out the story with your two siblings. Ask questions about the difference between a vision and a dream.
9:20 - Recite aloud 4 Scripture verses or passages that you work on learning from memory as a family. Take turns with your siblings begging to be the one to lead the recitation time.
9:25 - Hear a new poem from this term's poet read aloud, and then choose a favorite poem by this poet to hear again.
9:30 - Give your attention to a short yet interesting passage from your readings lately that you are to copy in your best handwriting. Something like, "To whom much is given, much is required."
9:40 - Flop on the couch and listen to a story about Paddy the Beaver, who is a lumberjack, engineer, and builder. Tell back the tale in your own words.
9:55 - While going through some actions for getting ready in the morning, practice describing in Spanish the actions you are taking by repeating phrases you've been learning. All your siblings take turns acting out brushing teeth, putting on clothes, eating breakfast.
10:05 - Sit at the kitchen table with watercolor paints and paper, and paint a scene alongside everyone else in the family. Admire your beach scene and set the painting to dry on the counter.
10:20 - Settle in to hear an episode from an adventure about a young duke, about your age, who is learning how to be a duke while still being a young boy. Set up a Lego re-enactment of today's adventure, complete with horses and carriages and swords and traitorous villains.
10:40 - Take a 15 minute break to play outside or continue playing with Legos or some other pursuit of choice.
10:55 - Create some multiplication rectangles using buttons, your manipulative of choice. Notice the patterns you see as you build the rectangles. Drill some simple multiplication facts that you've learned recently that relate to the birthday party you had over the weekend. (e.g If three families came to your birthday party on Saturday and four people came from each family, how many guests were at your party?)
11:05 - Read aloud to your mother from a book about a family that lives on a farm. Today's chapter is about a scrape the children got into and how it all turned out.
11:15 - Take a 10 minute break.
11:25 - Enjoy hearing the next part of the story of Robin Hood, when he sneaks in for a last minute rescue of one of his merry men, to keep him from being executed by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Retell the story in your own words and decide to practice shooting your wooden bow and arrows later that day.
11:45 - Eat lunch. Sing a hymn you are learning with your family. Listen to your mother read the next chapter of a tale about a boy, originally destined to be a knight, but who now can't walk and must find a way to adapt to his new life.
12:45 - Work with mom to find the dates when the duke from the first story lived. Help add that name and date to the family history timeline. Also add in the name and dates of the new artist you are studying this term.
12:55 - Spend an hour in quiet play or reading or drawing or doing word finds (or insert quiet alone time activity here).
1:55 - Work on the weaving project you started last week and have been plugging away at. You're working on making coasters and place mats for your family for Christmas gifts later this year.
2:30 - Have snack with the family.
2:45 - Go outside and run and have adventures and get dirty and catch bugs and create a play acting game with your siblings and neighbors - oh, and shoot your wooden bow and arrows. Spend a good two hours just being a kid!
How does that kind of school day sound to you? Full? Yes. Interesting? I hope so! Rigorous? Hopefully just enough to fill your mind with all kinds of interesting thoughts and ideas.
These are the kinds of days we are aiming to have this coming school year. And yes, this is the ideal. The real, the ugly, and unavoidable interruptions will alter the reality of implementing this ideal, but it's worth shooting for! Maybe I'll be brave and share a real "day-in-the-life" experience in our little homeschool this fall :)
Until then, happy planning!
