Curriculum, curriculum, and more curriculum!

Wow, I have done a lot of shopping in the past few weeks.  Mainly online, though I have picked up a few workbooks at a local book store, and some Mozart and Beethoven CD's at Goodwill! I think I  have finally (one week before we start school) got my curriculum. So here is a quick list of some of the fun and amazing things we we are going to learn this year!

• Math- This is the subject we struggle with the most. I admit  that math is not my favorite subject, so I do stress about it. I have changed curricula multiple times, searching for the right  math for "A". He likes structure, and is a hands on learner.  I have researched and read, and I have finally decided to use Singapore Math- Primary Math. We will be using the teacher's manual, workbooks, and manipulatives with this curriculum. 
• Reading- One of our favorite subjects! I am sticking with the Pecci Reading Method, "A" made such wonderful progress in reading last year and I feel that he is currently performing above grade level. I also plan to add in spelling and basic grammar. 
• Science- For science I will be creating our curriculum using, library books, the internet, and I will probably order kits from the Young Scientists Club. I also plan to continue using  Moving Beyond the Page, and of course simply getting outside to learn about nature through experience!
• Social Studies/History- I am so excited about this! We will be using Beautiful Feet Early American History- History Through Literature. 
• Art- For art we will do creative activities, and read about famous artists and view their works. 
• Music- For music we will start the year off with The Story of the Orchestra, book and CD. We will also discuss and listen to the works of famous composers, and will use the Classic for Kids web page.  We hope to start piano lessons this year! 

I plan on lots of learning and fun. We love field trips and hope to visit the zoo, the park, the theater, and some museums! I really want to take A to see a performance by the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, if they offer performances for children that is!

Finally planning!

I am finally starting to get some planning done for the upcoming school year. I am finding it easier to plan each unit/subject one at a time and am planning for the first month right now.  I just finished planning our first Science unit. I decided to (loosely) follow the Virginia standards to give me a starting point, and I would like A to  learn things that are similar to what his peers are learning, but I am skipping around. I am also going above and beyond the state standards, simply to keep A from becoming bored! That doesn't mean I'm tying myself to standards, if there is something A wants to learn that isn't in the standards, well then we'll do it (like dinosaurs, monster trucks,  or Spanish)!

I wanted to share our first Science unit with you. I have decided to do Science on Tuesdays and Thursdays and alternate with History/Social Studies on Mondays and Wednesdays, I may change my mind though and do one week of Science and one week of Social studies to keep things consistent.  I'm just not sure how that will work yet! If you homeschool your elementary aged children, how do you schedule units like Social Studies and Science?

Our first Science unit for first grade will be "All About Animals"!

Materials
"Animals" published by  American Education Publishing. 
Large folding project board to use for charts 
Two smaller poster boards( also for charts)
Glue and scissors  
Poster Paint or Markers
Various books about animals, habitats, etc. 
Pictures of different animals cut from a magazine or printed from Internet, or you could even use pictures that  you take at the zoo! 
Computer or IPAD with Internet access- for related videos and websites 


Day one

• Discuss animal safety and how we stay safe around animals. 
• Discuss life needs of animals and humans 
• Read "All about Penguins" in "Animals"/grades 2-3
• Discuss Penguins, discuss their needs and their habitats. 
• Introduce descriptive word chart, paste a picture of a penguin on the chart 
• using descriptive words describe penguins, write the words under the penguin picture on chart 
• Color penguin activity page

Day Two

• Animal Habitats- discuss and review what he learned in Kindergarten ( we did a whole unit on habitats in K, complete with a field trip to the State Park) 
• Start our Habitat Chart- Chart will have the following pictures, Forest, pond, desert, ocean, arctic, and a house (for our tame animals/pets). 
• Discuss animal adaptations and defenses using pages 228 "Animals"/grade 2-3.
• Watch a video or read a book about Penguins (habitats and adaptations).

Day three

If weather permits we will take this lesson outside, to enjoy with our pets!

• Read about Gray Wolves (p32) in "Animals", Bald Eagle(p30), and Giraffes(p99), add each of these animals to descriptive word chart, and habitat chart. 
• Talk about animals we have around our home (pets), discuss the difference between tame and wild animals. 
• Read page 176 Cats, page 187 dogs, and page. 190 Guinea Pigs ( all pets we have). 
• Add Cats, Dog, and Guinea pig to habitat page (lives with people as pets), and descriptive word chart. 

Day four

• Read pull out story about frogs in "Animals" p193. 
• Compare and Contrast frogs and toads using Venn diagram 
• discuss the life cycle of a frog. 
• Make life cycle of frog book found a Enchanted Learning

Day five

• In "Animals" read about: Jellyfish, Lobster, Octopus ,Sea Horse, Shark, Starfish, and Whales 
• Add these animals to habitat chart and descriptive word chart, discuss adaptations. 
• Go to National Geographic Kids and learn about ocean animals. 
• Go online and find pictures of favorite animals and finish chart, make sure each habitat has at least one animal under it!

Field trip to zoo!! 

A not so relaxed stay at home mom!

I don't know how many times I have heard "you are so lucky to be able to stay at home with your kids", and I know I am. I am very thankful that I am able to be here for my boy's, I am thankful that I am able to home-school "A". I am thankful that I am able to meet his unique needs, and help him learn and grow, he is after all a very intelligent little boy! I am not a stay at home mom by choice, but I am not complaining.

When my youngest son Elijah was born at 24 weeks, we brought home a very sick four month old. "A" was diagnosed with High Functioning Autism about a year later. It didn't take me long to figure out that life was going to change drastically! I know that many of you special needs mommies know how it is. The appointments, often traveling hundreds of miles to get the medical care your child needs.  Dealing with the schools, which is often a major heartache and headache, and the way it feels to hand your home over to strangers. Early intervention, therapists, social workers, nurses, aides, all of the people who spend hours a day in your home, to help with your child. I have almost forgot what it is like to just kick back on the couch while the kids take a nap.

So when I say I am a stay at home mom I am sure some people think that I do my housework, put the kids down for a nap and then turn on my favorite television show or soap. Or maybe I kick back and read for a couple of hours. That isn't how it is, at least not for me.

Housework, well that is something that I do in between appointments, sometimes I reserve housework for after the kids go to bed. Needless to say, I will not be winning any awards for the cleanest, best decorated home. The wallpaper is still half off the walls in the kitchen where I have been meaning to repaint, it has been that way for a long time! You won't find flowers in my flower bed, but you may find a few weeds! If you stop by without calling first there may even be a few dishes in the sink and my living room will probably look like a preschool! I don't even want to talk about the basement area!

Television, well what few shows I do watch I DVR, and I try not to fall asleep as I am watching at midnight or possibly later.  Most days I enjoy bits of Nick Jr. and Mario jumping across the screen. I love to read, but that is something I don't do near as much as I used to.

During the school year our day is a blur of lessons, appointments, and running errands. Some days I catch myself in "survival mode", where it feels like I am just doing what I need to do to get through the day. I really try not to do that . I try every day to recognize my blessings, I realize there are others who are so much worse off. I get to wake up every morning to my boys sweet voices, many never hear their child speak. I am able to teach A at home. Many parents have no choice but go work, send their child to school, often not knowing for sure if their child's needs are really being met. I see Elijah improving every day, far past the doctors expectations. I have a wonderful 17 year old son who makes me so proud!

 I know how fast things can change. I know, because I've been there. So my plan is to strive to find a blessing in each and every day, because the blessings are always there!

 A and his newest pet

A and baby brother

A and big brother

Loving summer, but looking ahead!

I am sorry I haven't posted in a while. I must be the worlds worst blogger! Hopefully my posts will pick back up when school starts in August and we have more going on. Yes, that is right. We haven't done school at all this summer, and I am accepting that this is okay! We are still learning, but just doing some old fashioned learning with play and looking at books! I think that a little down time will help "A". Especially after our leap into homeschooling after a difficult start to Kindergarten in public school. 

I am starting to plan some for the fall though. I have been shopping around a little for workbooks and books to read. I will begin planning lessons soon! I plan on sharing my lessons on here, maybe someone else will use them and benefit from them. I am constantly borrowing ideas, it is amazing how creative people are! I am so glad that I am homeschooling in today's world of internet! 

The last time I posted I told you about A's stomach problems. I am pleased to report we are doing much better, and we have a appointment in the Fall with a specialist. I am considering starting a Gluten free diet with A, but the idea scares me, so I am still in the thinking about it stage.

We are having a blast this summer, I hope you are having a great summer as well! 

Summer Fun! 

Playing the sensory box! 

Tummy problems and summer plans!

So far our summer is not going as planned.  It started out good, with a planned break from lessons and some visits to a local swimming pool and some backyard fun.  About a week ago A became ill with typical tummy virus symptoms, but, even after a night in the hospital for dehydration his fever would not go away. We finally visited a children's ER to have his tummy x-rayed and found out that A is extremely constipated, to the point that it was making him ill. We are working on getting that taken care of without going back to the hospital but A still doesn't feel well. Prayers are appreciated!  This has been a ongoing problem and is getting worse, so it looks like we get to add another doctor to A and his brother's busy schedule.
So, we haven't even got around to school this summer, not even the fun field trips I had planned, but we will get there! Speaking of busy, I am having such a hard time keeping up with two blogs and I am trying to figure out a creative way to combine A's blog with his brother's so I can update on them both in one blog! Both boy's are in therapy this summer and are doing great! I am extremely pleased with baby brothers progress!

I am hoping to get back to some fun learning activities with the boy's soon, I hope everyone is having a great summer!

 Backyard fun! 

 Spending time at the Ronald McDonald House. 

Baby Brother! 

Summer school....or not?

I have really been debating on what to do this summer. Should I continue to do lessons or take a break like the public school does? I have decided that we will do some academics this summer, maybe two times a week and then we will do fun learning activities during the rest of the week. My thoughts are reading and math two days a week and then fill the rest of the week with music, art, and nature studies, and pretty much anything the boy's want to do. I also want to fit one of our "Moving Beyond the Page" units in.

We will have a pretty busy summer, with therapy for both boy's, some pool time, and some field trips thrown in. I really want to take A to the theater and a couple of museums this summer. We will probably take a few weeks off in July just to relax (and so mommy can finally take a class she has been putting off for months).

I'm looking forward to a busy summer, and hopefully some relaxation thrown in there somewhere! I'll leave you with a picture of A, making dinosaur tracks in clay during our dinosaur unit! A loves learning about dinosaurs and he had actually already taught himself about these giant creatures, thanks to Netflix and dinosaur documentaries!

Happy Birthday A

I can't believe that A is six years old! We celebrated with a party at Chuck E Cheese! It was a spectacular day!

 Hanging out with the mouse! 

 We had the best hostess, she made A feel very important! 

Ticket Blaster Fun.