How to Create a Homeschool Curriculum in 10 Minutes for Your Child

Abigail Ninth Grade Freshman--here we go!!

Yea!  It's a new year!  Welcome to your first year of highschool!! 

Rosebud

Freshman 

2016-2017

Arbor Academy
"I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward."  Edison

Here are some links you will need:

Literature: Long's History of English Literature

                  Oxford Book of Poetry

Current Events: Christianity today; Crosswalk Magazine on Culture  and World Magazine

Listening 101

Clep study helps

Khan academy Biology Crash course videos


Photography Blogs:

Nicolesy:  tutorials
Lightroom Queen: series
Lynda: Lightroom Essentials
Photo taco podcasts

Photo taco, "Ok, I bought Lightroom, now what?"



Science:
Master Gardening

Tomatoes

Letter N

I love personalizing the kids school. Tom lined up his cars on letter N. I was thinking about having Bethan spell a word, get one nail painted, spell a word, another painted...maybe Friday. This is all new for me and the possibilities for making things fun and tailored keep opening up as I go. These days Abi is blogging as I mentioned before 18inchdolls.net. She loves the conversational aspect...she's way into the comments section. She is also learning Amharic with me. This afternoon she quizzed me as I deboned chicken. While we were shopping for a birthday gift yesterday, she kept seeing "Disney". I told them 1 penny for every Disney word they find IN THE HOUSE. There's no way I would do that in Target--I'd be broke. What struck me was the ramble of facts about Walt Disney that came following her discovery...things she had learned because I grabbed a stack of books on cartooning and Disney at the library. He is our "modern art" focus for the term. It has been really fun and has encouraged the kids to get back into drawing. Bethan surprised me by reading one book instead of watching a movie. Its called "Adventures in Cartooning"

The Big Mistake I made teaching First Grade

Last weekend Amy visited with her three kids for a few days...we had a 1,2,3,4,5 and 7 year old between the two of us. With all that distraction, a heart to heart is usually hurried. But over the course of a leisurely weekend, we enjoyed getting through not one but a few conversations.

As I listened to her share about her homeschooling and as she answered my questions...a new vision for my homeschooling came into view--one that would allow for me to be more connected to my kids and to my friends.

I realized that I covered probably two years worth with the intensity of my curriculum for Abigail's first grade. The cost was high. I ended up feeling like I had been cut off from a social life and she did, too. The little ones suffered from lack of attention and a mom who was trying to do too much. It wasn't my intention; I just followed the plan outlined in my book. 

Amy helped me see that schools are trying to account for every variation of child, and I don't have to--I don't have to follow the plan. I also realized that I had doubled up alot of my skills, removed the personal element, and done work ahead of time that we could do together. Since my revelation, Abi has had a half day of "official" school; but in our free time, she spontaneously learned to string and sew beads on her purse and make a working weather vane. I am more relaxed and enjoying my freedom...to call my friends and family and connect. AHHHHH... She really was an answer to my prayer.