About 2 weeks before I had planned to start "officially" schooling the kids at home, I ran across a flyer about a new weekly homeschool family meeting called "Classical Conversations." It really sparked my interest, so I called the number and spoke with Kristea, who was starting the meetings in our area. She was very informative and inspired me to do some research on what this would look like for our family.
It was a BIG decision, because I had already formulated a plan for what our week would look like. This would shake things up a bit for what I had assumed our routine would be. I really felt like the Lord was putting this on my heart though, and while I struggled up until the minute I signed up, I felt like it would be really good for our family. And it has been!!
Classical Conversations is an avenue to pursue a classical method of educating our children(and I am also being re-schooled!). I honestly thought implementing the classical style would be WAY too challenging for us the first year, even though I had been reading about it and comtemplating trying some of the methods in our day. Classical Conversations basically sets up a weekly routine of memory work that the kids and I review each day. We memorize facts about history, science, math, English, Latin, historical period timeline, and geography. Each week, there is a new set of facts to learn. Before we started, I was nervous that this would be too challenging! I didn't know most of these facts myself, and thought "how will this keep their interest?" But I have been so surprised at how well they have responded, it's truly amazing. The history sentence is set to a song and we use hand motions to help them memorize. There are all sorts of awesome learning tools that help them memorize these facts that probably most of the American culture has no clue about! I know I am being educated myself and learning facts I have always been curious about.
We are also memorizing Ephesians 6. When I say I am not very good at memorizing scripture, it is no lie. But so far, we, including yours truly, have memorized verses 1-7! We are also learning a song and hand motions for these verses, and it works to help it stick in the brain!
Even Ava has been memorizing most of the facts, it is amazing really. She sings the songs, spouts out the Latin conjugations, and helps the boys out quite often. She is getting an amazing head start!
We have been doing CC for nine weeks and they still don't complain when we do memory work. I honestly could not have imagined how much their minds could remember, even though I knew they were like sponges!
It has helped me to develop some structure in our day, without feeling overwhelmed about teaching all the subjects. I also am doing a language arts and math curriculum for the boys each day. I am learning what is working and what is not with those, but one thing I know is working very well, our Classical Conversations memory work. I have been implementing more additional work into their day based around what they are memorizing that week. When we go to the library, we find books about what we are memorizing as well.
We meet every Wednesday with three other CC families for a few hours of instruction for the upcoming week's memory work. A tutor goes over all the subjects for the week's memory work with the kids, as well as doing a science and art project! We have also been practicing Music Theory the past three weeks on a tin whistle, and they are loving learning to play an instrument!
I am very thankful to have noticed that flyer, and know the Lord was looking out for me. It has been a huge blessing to have a program that has done the work that I wouldn't even know where to begin with. I am learning so much alongside my little bears, and I feel like God has totally honored my obedience in homeschooling His children. It has been so peaceful around our little home, and I can see that this is definitely the right fit for us.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Monday, September 2, 2013
Step 2: Get to Work Little Bears!
After spending the summer getting used to being with each other most all of the time, I decided we needed to establish some family routines. I am a lover of routine, not too much routine, but enough to keep life running smoothly so we can enjoy it! I will be honest again and say we have not been so efficient at adopting basic household routines. Like many Moms, I often put the stress upon myself to do everything. Well, I now know these children are old enough to take on a few more responsibilities!
I decided that for my second goal, I wanted to bring in some sort of chore routine for the kids. In my early days of trying to figure out how the heck to homeschool, I was listening to some podcasts. One suggestion I heard was to set up a chore reward system called Choreganizers.. Common sense to reward for doing your chores, but this particular system that was recommended just seemed like a great idea for our family.
Basically, there are chore cards and charts for each child. The parent determines the cards for each child and puts them in their chart to be done each day. As the child finishes each card, they put it in a holder at the bottom of their chart. At the end of each day, each child earns "Mom Money" or "Dad Dollars" for completing all their chores. At the end of the week, a Chore Store is set up for the kids and they use their money to purchase items.
After I told the bear cubs about this, they were super excited! I showed them their charts and the cards they had to complete each day. I also mentioned that having a good attitude while doing them was part of the deal. No excessive whining or complaining.
Some of the cards are very basic, like personal grooming(brushing teeth, hair, bath, etc.), making the bed, picking up toys, etc. There are good conduct cards like helping younger siblings and being a helping hand without being asked. For a few weeks, I kept the same cards in the chart. They did really well. In fact, the very first day, Noah woke up, brushed his teeth, and made his bed immediately. This past week, I switched it up a bit and added a few more cards.
Like I mentioned, sometimes I find myself just doing things instead of teaching the kids how to do it themselves. I guess part of it is a learning process as a parent, you just go for it and see if they are ready to take it on. It takes time for children to learn certain tasks, but practicing is the only way they can learn. We just have to be patient and give lots of praise, even if we often do most of the work while we are teaching them something new. For example, Eli had trouble making up his bed for the first couple of weeks. He was really frustrated because it seemed hard. So each day, I gave him a few tips, but let him do most of it himself. I made sure to make a BIG deal and praise him for doing such a good job. So with a little direction and confidence, he now does a pretty good job of making his bed.
We have been doing the Choreganizers system for about 4 weeks now. The Chore Store is a highlight of their week. It is SO MUCH FUN when Sunday rolls around and the store is opened!! They usually are done within 5 minutes, and they are content with what they choose, even knowing things they want are going back in until next week. I honestly worried that they might want the items that go back in the storage bin after they spend or save their money, but they haven't once whined about that. Even Ava picks her choices and is happy even though other things she wants are in front of her eyes. It's awesome!
Another thing I love about it is that I get to go shopping for the store!! I can pick quality items, along with things I know they have been wanting, but we don't end up with a bunch of cheap toys that break in a day. It's like being a kid in a toy shop for me and for them!
It is also a great way to teach your kids about saving money. I have bought a couple of items for the boys that they had to save for. Noah is saving for a $25 Mario Kinnex set. I do ask them to spend at least $1 each week so they have a reward. Eli saved up his money to buy a Superman cape. Another perk I have witnessed is that they are starting to understand the concept of how money works. When they want to buy something or go somewhere that costs money, which is about every day, lol, I think they understand the concept that money isn't unlimited now that they have their own "money."
I really love this system. You wouldn't have to buy the book to implement this into your family, but for me it saved me the time of putting it all together. It's around $15 for the book which contains the charts, cards, and a store sign. My only complaint is that the charts do not hold up well. I think I am going to come up with something different to keep the cards in, but I haven't determined how just yet. I did laminate the chore cards and Mom Money and Dad Dollars and they are holding up well.
We are still in the beginning phases of developing our chore routine, but so far I have seen good things from putting a fun rewards system into place. I have been more motivated to teach the little bears new jobs around the house. They have been learning to vacuum, sweep, help in the kitchen, etc. It has been good for them and for me! It takes patience to teach young children new skills, but I often think of children who have no other option but to start working really hard at a young age. I am thankful that my children do not have to slave away to survive, but I know that in teaching them daily and being patient with them, that I'm raising them to be productive members of our society and to understand that when we work together as a family, there is much more time for FUN!!
Chore Routine in place. Goal 2. Check.
I decided that for my second goal, I wanted to bring in some sort of chore routine for the kids. In my early days of trying to figure out how the heck to homeschool, I was listening to some podcasts. One suggestion I heard was to set up a chore reward system called Choreganizers.. Common sense to reward for doing your chores, but this particular system that was recommended just seemed like a great idea for our family.
Basically, there are chore cards and charts for each child. The parent determines the cards for each child and puts them in their chart to be done each day. As the child finishes each card, they put it in a holder at the bottom of their chart. At the end of each day, each child earns "Mom Money" or "Dad Dollars" for completing all their chores. At the end of the week, a Chore Store is set up for the kids and they use their money to purchase items.
After I told the bear cubs about this, they were super excited! I showed them their charts and the cards they had to complete each day. I also mentioned that having a good attitude while doing them was part of the deal. No excessive whining or complaining.
Some of the cards are very basic, like personal grooming(brushing teeth, hair, bath, etc.), making the bed, picking up toys, etc. There are good conduct cards like helping younger siblings and being a helping hand without being asked. For a few weeks, I kept the same cards in the chart. They did really well. In fact, the very first day, Noah woke up, brushed his teeth, and made his bed immediately. This past week, I switched it up a bit and added a few more cards.
Like I mentioned, sometimes I find myself just doing things instead of teaching the kids how to do it themselves. I guess part of it is a learning process as a parent, you just go for it and see if they are ready to take it on. It takes time for children to learn certain tasks, but practicing is the only way they can learn. We just have to be patient and give lots of praise, even if we often do most of the work while we are teaching them something new. For example, Eli had trouble making up his bed for the first couple of weeks. He was really frustrated because it seemed hard. So each day, I gave him a few tips, but let him do most of it himself. I made sure to make a BIG deal and praise him for doing such a good job. So with a little direction and confidence, he now does a pretty good job of making his bed.
We have been doing the Choreganizers system for about 4 weeks now. The Chore Store is a highlight of their week. It is SO MUCH FUN when Sunday rolls around and the store is opened!! They usually are done within 5 minutes, and they are content with what they choose, even knowing things they want are going back in until next week. I honestly worried that they might want the items that go back in the storage bin after they spend or save their money, but they haven't once whined about that. Even Ava picks her choices and is happy even though other things she wants are in front of her eyes. It's awesome!
Another thing I love about it is that I get to go shopping for the store!! I can pick quality items, along with things I know they have been wanting, but we don't end up with a bunch of cheap toys that break in a day. It's like being a kid in a toy shop for me and for them!
It is also a great way to teach your kids about saving money. I have bought a couple of items for the boys that they had to save for. Noah is saving for a $25 Mario Kinnex set. I do ask them to spend at least $1 each week so they have a reward. Eli saved up his money to buy a Superman cape. Another perk I have witnessed is that they are starting to understand the concept of how money works. When they want to buy something or go somewhere that costs money, which is about every day, lol, I think they understand the concept that money isn't unlimited now that they have their own "money."
I really love this system. You wouldn't have to buy the book to implement this into your family, but for me it saved me the time of putting it all together. It's around $15 for the book which contains the charts, cards, and a store sign. My only complaint is that the charts do not hold up well. I think I am going to come up with something different to keep the cards in, but I haven't determined how just yet. I did laminate the chore cards and Mom Money and Dad Dollars and they are holding up well.
We are still in the beginning phases of developing our chore routine, but so far I have seen good things from putting a fun rewards system into place. I have been more motivated to teach the little bears new jobs around the house. They have been learning to vacuum, sweep, help in the kitchen, etc. It has been good for them and for me! It takes patience to teach young children new skills, but I often think of children who have no other option but to start working really hard at a young age. I am thankful that my children do not have to slave away to survive, but I know that in teaching them daily and being patient with them, that I'm raising them to be productive members of our society and to understand that when we work together as a family, there is much more time for FUN!!
Chore Routine in place. Goal 2. Check.
Here We Go! First Things First!
Since the beginning of the year, I prayed and prayed and prayed about the decision to homeschool our children. As of right now, I have been at it for 3 weeks!! So, I'm about as GREEN as you get! As of now, I'm not the blog to offer veteran homeschool advice. However, I have a passion, and am willing to share what I am doing as we go.
My first goal was to get our kids used to routine life at home over the summer. Due to Noah's ear surgery, we were home for a few weeks right after school ended in May. We had our summer fun, mostly at home, but we made the best of it!
Our school routine the past two years went something like this: get up early(drag the boy cubs out of bed), Papa Bear irons their uniforms, I make breakfast and they eat a few bites, brush hair, find shoes, grab backpacks, lunch boxes, and water bottles, wake up a cranky baby bear, load the vehicle, and head down the hills. If I was prepared the night before, this routine went a little smoother. Most days, I really wished the boys were staying home with me. I REALLY missed them. A LOT!
So after realizing that all signs point to YES! HOMESCHOOL ALREADY!, I made a plan. I'm a planner. However, I am determined not to OVERPLAN, like I sometimes want to do. I am keeping it real, keeping it simple.
One thing I found myself in the middle of was sibling rivalry. Ava had a lot of alone time with Mama Bear and wasn't too sure about these boys being in the den ALL OF THE TIME. So I began by teaching my children how to treat one another. I will just be honest and say that we started out doing great at this, but the stress of taking on too many responsibilities had caught up with us and we let bad attitudes slide a little too often. If I am going to be at home with these sweet littles most of the time, they WILL learn how to treat one another with kindness. And over the last 3 months, I have to say, it is working. They aren't perfect and still have the occasional dispute, but they aren't yelling as much, hitting as much, or seeing discipline as much.
Consistency, praise, and love. I'm convinced those are the keys to success in parenting.
So we are all getting along most of the time now. Yes. Check.
My first goal was to get our kids used to routine life at home over the summer. Due to Noah's ear surgery, we were home for a few weeks right after school ended in May. We had our summer fun, mostly at home, but we made the best of it!
Our school routine the past two years went something like this: get up early(drag the boy cubs out of bed), Papa Bear irons their uniforms, I make breakfast and they eat a few bites, brush hair, find shoes, grab backpacks, lunch boxes, and water bottles, wake up a cranky baby bear, load the vehicle, and head down the hills. If I was prepared the night before, this routine went a little smoother. Most days, I really wished the boys were staying home with me. I REALLY missed them. A LOT!
So after realizing that all signs point to YES! HOMESCHOOL ALREADY!, I made a plan. I'm a planner. However, I am determined not to OVERPLAN, like I sometimes want to do. I am keeping it real, keeping it simple.
One thing I found myself in the middle of was sibling rivalry. Ava had a lot of alone time with Mama Bear and wasn't too sure about these boys being in the den ALL OF THE TIME. So I began by teaching my children how to treat one another. I will just be honest and say that we started out doing great at this, but the stress of taking on too many responsibilities had caught up with us and we let bad attitudes slide a little too often. If I am going to be at home with these sweet littles most of the time, they WILL learn how to treat one another with kindness. And over the last 3 months, I have to say, it is working. They aren't perfect and still have the occasional dispute, but they aren't yelling as much, hitting as much, or seeing discipline as much.
Consistency, praise, and love. I'm convinced those are the keys to success in parenting.
So we are all getting along most of the time now. Yes. Check.
Welcome!
Hello friends and Welcome to my new blog!
This school year, me and my three little bears are adventuring into homeschooling! There are many reasons why we chose homeschooling as the best fit for our family and I will be blogging about that in the future. But for now, I wanted to introduce my little bears if you don't know them already. And if you do, just enjoy seeing more sweetness.
Noah Bear
Noah is 7 years old and will be conquering 2nd grade!! Noah LOVES school. He is a super fast learner, so he will be keeping me on my toes! His favorite subject is Math.
Eli Bear
Eli is 5 years old and is taking on Kindergarten. Last year he attended Pre-K, which taught him many things a typical Kindergartner already knows. He is already reading very well. He doesn't want to sit still for very long! He isn't as "into school" as his older brother, but as the old saying goes, "he is as sharp as a tack." He remembers details very well and reminds me often when I do something out of order.
Ava Bear
Sweet Ava Mae is 3 years old. She comes and goes during the times we do school. I will be teaching her letters, phonics, and numbers this year. She LOVES LOVES LOVES to color, cut, and glue things. Sometimes she glues things to the table on accident. She is very smart as well, and is a great listener. She remembers facts very easily.
And I am Mama Bear. I love my baby bears with all of my heart. I am excited about learning so many new things myself! I am a nerd and proud of it!
I started this blog as a way to journal my homeschool days with my sweet children. The overachieving part of me wanted to go all out, buy my own domain, and get blog intense. But I'm discovering that I am actually a very simple gal and want to spend my time being with my family. I want to keep my blog simple and BE true to this season in life.
My goals are to keep it real, share the fun, and preserve the memories.
This school year, me and my three little bears are adventuring into homeschooling! There are many reasons why we chose homeschooling as the best fit for our family and I will be blogging about that in the future. But for now, I wanted to introduce my little bears if you don't know them already. And if you do, just enjoy seeing more sweetness.
Noah Bear
Noah is 7 years old and will be conquering 2nd grade!! Noah LOVES school. He is a super fast learner, so he will be keeping me on my toes! His favorite subject is Math.
Eli Bear
Eli is 5 years old and is taking on Kindergarten. Last year he attended Pre-K, which taught him many things a typical Kindergartner already knows. He is already reading very well. He doesn't want to sit still for very long! He isn't as "into school" as his older brother, but as the old saying goes, "he is as sharp as a tack." He remembers details very well and reminds me often when I do something out of order.
Ava Bear
Sweet Ava Mae is 3 years old. She comes and goes during the times we do school. I will be teaching her letters, phonics, and numbers this year. She LOVES LOVES LOVES to color, cut, and glue things. Sometimes she glues things to the table on accident. She is very smart as well, and is a great listener. She remembers facts very easily.
And I am Mama Bear. I love my baby bears with all of my heart. I am excited about learning so many new things myself! I am a nerd and proud of it!
I started this blog as a way to journal my homeschool days with my sweet children. The overachieving part of me wanted to go all out, buy my own domain, and get blog intense. But I'm discovering that I am actually a very simple gal and want to spend my time being with my family. I want to keep my blog simple and BE true to this season in life.
My goals are to keep it real, share the fun, and preserve the memories.
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