The Man Crew 2012-2013 Homeschooling Update

Homeschooling Overview for 2012-2013 School Year

Hi friends! Just a little update now that school is in full swing this year. While we continue to home school, we remember it's a journey, not a destination so we revise our plans a bit each year depending on work circumstances, the boys' ability to work alone or in pairs, where we need to work harder, whether a particular curriculum is meeting our needs, etc. Plus, we pray like crazy over it and ask the Lord to fill the gaps, as there are sure to be some along the way.
So let's cover a few things that are the same as last year, then we will mention a few new things for this school year.
SAME~
*Same curriculum for all. D is using Blessed is the Man, an independent unit study approach that allows him much freedom in choosing his own assignments, but that keeps him focused on the Lord and his education. P is working through what will be his last year in MFW and is using the Creation to the Greeks set. DT is enjoying MFW as well and even though he's officially in second grade, we're re-doing last years 1st grade to reinforce some concepts that he's still struggling with in phonics.
*Same scheduling time blocks as last year. D and P work independently in the mornings while I work one on one with DT. Then in the afternoon, DT rests/plays quietly and I work with D and P.
*We have the same goals as well. We want our boys to have a firm foundation not only in the basics of education but to be well grounded in the Bible, character traits and loving their neighbors.
A few things that are NOT the SAME~
*We are not following the same pattern of working like crazy forever and a day, and then taking a super long break during the holidays. While we've enjoyed this routine and it was most definitely a must while I was working nights at Kohl's, I don't work at night anymore and the break was too long and allowed us to get too far off track in our studies and out of the good study habits we'd been working on so long. So this year, we are following a 6 weeks on/1 week off routine that allows us plenty of wiggle room when we need it, keeps us from getting burnt out on school before having a break, and doesn't let our good habits slip during the breaks.
*We've also returned to a 5 day school week, whether Dan is working 4 day weeks or not. The boys are old enough now to focus on school even when Dan is home :) And it gives us a little wiggle room for when we want to join our friends at the park for a picnic and some free time. DT's curriculum calls for one day of exploring nature, so he takes along his microscope and digs for bugs, leaves and such while he's playing.
*My parents will be joining us for the winter months. From early December until late April/early May, so we are really looking forward to that. My mom is already chomping at the bit to dig in and do school with the boys and has spent hours scouring books and Internet sites looking for fun learning activities. It will be such a treat for us to have them with us!
*D and P have added Apologia Science to their studies and are enjoying the experiments already. They are also working on their cooperative skills since I am asking them to work through everything together.
*DT has added tutoring to his repertoire of activities and enjoys his few hours with Aunt Jodi's office each week.
*We enjoyed our first ever home school Co-Op this fall and while P balked at the change in routine (he's such a homebody at times) I think P and DT enjoyed it. D opted out for the fall session. I have already signed up for the spring session and am looking forward to it very much.
*Last but decidedly NOT least in the new category is an actual HOME SCHOOL section in the monthly budget. Since we are nearly done buying curriculum forever (hurray for re-using curriculum) we can afford to spend a little bit each month on a new lapbook, a field trip, some new books, new manipulatives or a day of fun that's home school related instead of using a large chunk of the tax refund to buy new curriculum for all the boys. I'm pretty excited about this! This month's addition was D and P's Apologia curriculum. Next month's purchases will probably be some crafting supplies to make holiday gifts. :)
I think that sums up our school year pretty well. Things are rolling along smoothly most days and we are getting much done. Good stuff!
Blessings, ~K~

Back to School, Back to Posting, Back to Something....or at least I Hope!

Hi everyone. It's been a long break, a long winter, and a long travelling season for gymnastics. Add in a last minute move (so that my parents can live with us) and it's no wonder I've lost my mind, my computer's flash drive, and my lesson planner. HA! At any rate, all is not lost. David (the gymnast has been kicking some heiny at the competitions) Patrick is finding his groove again after the move (this normally takes MUCH longer then 2 weeks) and I think I found my lesson planner today. I do, however, make no promises about ever finding my sanity again ; )
As for school, we managed to get several weeks worth of school done between the middle of January and mid-March. Then we did 2 weeks of inde schooling while I packed like crazy and then got a week of almost spring break the week of the move while David's best friend spent the week with us while he was on spring break. In case you are wondering, inde school is what I call all lessons/activities that do not need adult help. So, things like CD Rom math lessons with the lectures pre-recorded, online videos about the Constitution, quiet reading time each day, educational videos, lots of games and lots of outdoor play. Also things like "how many boxes fit in the truck?" - "Where did Mama put her purse?" - "If I fill this box to the top, can I still pick it up?" These all count as life skills, quite useful in the 'real' world after school. ; )
We are now back to school, David is REALLY loving his math studies this year and is doing quite well in his pre-algebra class and has even already asked if he finishes it early, would I order him another. Why YES, yes I will! Patrick still struggles with 'wanting' to do school, but is putting forth a good effort most days. I do still need to find his math disc, and then get back to curriculum studies. We've been doing some random worksheets I've found in the move, so all is not lost : ) Derek is getting back to his studies as well, although he's got Grma snowed into believing that if he says he doesn't want to do school, he doesn't have to do anything. Oops. I haven't brought his curriculum back out yet either, just so he and Patrick can stay together in their lessons, but I have enough K-1st grade workbooks, manipulatives, games and such to fill at least one whole 5 shelf bookshelf, so he is moving right along. I'm almost worried that he will be ahead once we get back to actual My Father's World studies. But a nice little repeat never hurt anyone anyway, right?
Over all, all is well again in the MeYeR Man Crew Homeschool. I love, love, love homeschooling, even on the tough days. And hopefully, those are over for this year. Travelling is nearly over for the year, the move is over, and we are settled. Life is good.

How's YOUR School Year Going?

Hi everyone! Just popping through here to say hey and give a quick update about school so far this year.
~Overall, couldn't be happier. It's probably our best school year ever. Everyone is content, there is little complaint about starting school each day, there is not tons of busywork and everyone is enjoying learning.
~David~ He's enjoying his Blessed is the Man curriculum. He likes being able to make so many of his own choices, even on the days that he doesn't like any of the options. This month he's been doing some heavy reading, memorizing the entire first chapter of Genesis and starting his study of Spanish. He's enjoying that so much. He's got it downloaded to his MP3 and he keeps popping in and out of his room to tell me what new word he's learning and how to use it. GOOD STUFF! His practical arts hours and PE hours are already worth a semester of credit each, so he will have no problem fulfilling the requirements there. He's liking it a lot and I am super pleased.
~Patrick~ is going strong with his 2nd year of MFW. There's not much busy work, so he is glad about that. We're doing the teaching textbooks on the computer again and he's thrilled with the short lessons and no paperwork. We added in art and music this year. He's not sure how he feels about the music yet since we are studying Vivaldi right now, but he is excited about the art part. He's busy reading "Swiss Family Robinson" reading through Genesis and getting his time line going. He still enjoys our map above the dining room table so he can locate things while doing schooling or eating a meal. His new fave place on the map is the "Drake Passage" south of South America since Drake is the name he's chosen for himself since he wants a "D" name, like everyone else. : )
~Derek~ Is enjoying his first year with official curriculum. We're digging into his My Father's World 1st grade set. We've made pottery jars and will be finishing our 'scrolls' tomorrow. He is sounding out short vowel words and starting to recognize some words on his own. He likes Exploration Day, library trips and art. His book basket by his bed is full of 'topic' books or seasonal books and he falls asleep every night while looking at them. It's good. I add a fun game or activity as it applies or sometimes, just for fun. Like today, we found a alphabet game printed on paper leaves, so we played 'leaf gathering' for a while and identified the letters. He is participating in some of Pat's lessons since some of the topics overlap, and that makes him feel BIG.

I guess that's all for now. Just really enjoying this year and glad it's going so well this far. In a few weeks, we'll be taking our break from Thanksgiving until after the new year, but I'm not worried about losing momentum this year. The older 2 are capable of doing so much on their own, Derek's lessons only take about an hour a day and if we add in some reading and educational videos or links on the days that we don't do school, I think all will be well.
So, how is your school year going? Are you loving new curriculum, enjoying an old favorite, still looking for that special set, or making it up as you go along? Share your homeschooling adventures with us!

Turtle Week

This week it's all turtles. Here's our cute little craft. Please excuse my underwear boy, he decided it was Naked Tuesday. lol

Just Some Goings On Around Here

Not much exciting happening the past few weeks. Trying to fit in the 3Rs around Dan's comings and goings. We LOVE having Dan home during the days, but it's hard to keep with our 'normal' routine with him in and out all the time. SO, we've focused on reading LOTS of great books, keeping up with our math and language studies and watching an educational video here and there. It's frustrating to me since I am list/goal oriented and I can see the days passing with no "boxes" being checked off, but in reality, I know that it's more important for the boys to be spending time with Dan while they can. I know that the lessons they learn about family are more lasting than a lecture plus a worksheet about decimals. I just worry about trying to explain that to 'the powers that be' should they ever demand an account of what I'm doing with the boys at home. In my heart, I know I'm doing the right things and my priorities are in the right order, but what I think and what the state thinks may be 2 very different things. Anywho, I've given that to God and am resolving to not obsess over it. They are learning, they are growing, they are happy and healthy. That is more important to me than if they can recite the Presidents in chronological order or alphabetical order, be the next Einstein, or write the great American Novel. So, we'll just keep doing what we've been doing and that's enough for right now. Pat did request a certain copy work book the other day and I am waiting anxiously to get that for him. David is still really enjoying the MFW curriculum although I don't think it's challenging enough for him. I'll need to start adding some of the 'extra projects' to keep him engaged for the rest of the year...but I'm fine with that. He needs to start REACHING for things in school instead of waiting for them to be handed to him. It's time to teach him how to do Internet research for school projects, how to master the outlining process and how to write a 'proper' essay. More things to put on my to do list, I suppose. As of tomorrow, we are back to our original schedule for school, now that Dan is working once again (thank you JESUS) so these things will hopefully fall back into place. The 3Rs and MFW are on the agenda for tomorrow, plus some quiet reading. Chores will be done BEFORE school so we can focus, plus no TV before school either, as an enticing reward after school is done. I need to print out the Free St Patrick's Day activities ( http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=28526(1)1&it=1 ) so I don't forget about them until too late, like I always do....LOL!
I am just re-reading this...sorry if it seems a bit random and all over the place. : ) Guess I just needed to work out some of my thoughts on paper. Time to dig out my lesson planner and my homemakers binder, I suppose. And with that thought...I'm off to find them! Thanks for listening, ladies!!
Blessings,
~K~

What's Going on in YOUR School This Week?

We have had some ups and downs this past week. I'm really enjoying the new copy work study of patience the boys are working on, except that I've very nearly lost mine while getting them to work on it...oops : ) David is flying through is section on decimals which is a welcome relief after fractions. Pat is doing well on his linear and volumetric measures after we decided to take a break from long division. Both are doing very well in their language arts sections and are still loving geography. We got our HUGE world map laminated this week and back up on the wall. We all were missing our geography game so that's great news. My Father's World continues to be the favorite for the boys and I'm so glad they are enjoying it. Our arts and craft class with Miss Tracy was a huge hit yesterday as the boys learned about cultural diversity, the 'melting pot' of America and why prejudice is wrong. They made a 'children around the world' poster back dropped by an American flag and they turned out very well!
On another note, as to my schedule adaptations from my last post...Dan has started taking one of those weekend days off each weekend, which is wonderful. So, I'll have to just keep preparing myself for those joyful days when we get a surprise day off of school : ) Reminds me that life doesn't always fit into the neat little boxes that I would like...LOL!
So, for next week, we have GOT to get to the library for some new books, spend some serious time reading those books, David needs to start his literary guide about Holes, Pat needs to continue working on nouns and cursive, Derek needs to play letter and number flashcards with Mama, plus practice writing his name, and I need to write a review of the patience copy work we are using. Another busy week in a homeschoolers haven!
Blessings and Homeschooling Happiness,
~K~

Homeschooling Tidbits

Another week of school is wrapped up at the MeYeR house and as they say, "All's well that ends well" Right? This week was a tiny bit Topsy Turvy, but we managed to get a good amount of work done, have some fun and still get our other things done. In our MFW curriculum, we are focusing on geography all year, with this month focusing on North America and this week and last focusing even more on Mexico. We've learned songs they like to sing, food they like to eat, the capital city, the agricultural aspects, the major religion and language, how to color the flag and what the colors of the flag stand for and many other interesting tidbits about Mexico...many of which, I'm humbled to say, I didn't know before...oops! (Education is SO wasted on the young) We've added a new starting and ending tradition to school. Every day we take turns finding things on our world map that hangs at the back of the classroom...everything for the obvious like the Pacific Ocean, to tiny little things that I've never even noticed before (geography is NOT my forte) The boys really love it. Even Derek tries to get in on the fun, I give him something obvious and then give him hints like what the first letter is and what direction to look, etc. It's fun...and a great way to learn the map. The older boys can hunt if given a certain line of longitude or latitude, or even just what hemisphere or continent to look in and such. I'm really pleased that they are enjoying it so much...they cheer when I say it's time for MFW...WOW! Even for book basket time, Pat will sit and pore over the atlas that I checked out from the library for hours at a time. And this is my child that several people have insisted has ADD or ADHD and needs to be medicated. NO, he needs to be interested! : ) The blessings of homeschooling...they are numerous!

On the flip side, our 'core' subjects of math and language arts aren't going quite as well, and I still get a BOO HISS now and then...but we are slowly working our way through it and are making progress. I'm trying not to think about how long this school 'year' will take at the rate we are going, but for now, I'm happy with any type of progress. David will be having some extra study time now that I'm working on Saturdays at the gym...so after he is done working out his muscles, he can exercise his brain while I work. Still pondering where to squeeze in a few extra hours for Pat without him noticing that much...LOL! David seems to be catching on in the Language area, but Pat is still struggling with long division. He understands the concept, but the amount of time it takes to solve one is frustrating for him. We will get there, it's just taking a tad longer than either of us expected. But, we are plugging away at it. As my good friend Rose told me once, "If you sling mud up against a wall for long enough, eventually it will stick." So, in other words, if I keep teaching it and working with him, eventually he will get it. So we may skip ahead in the book to something else and come back to it later...and I'm OK with that these days. Anywho, I'm rambling on and on...suffice it to say that we accomplished 'enough' to make us all happy this week and the boys are looking forward to a short week next week since Pat's birthday is Monday and we don't do school lessons on Fridays. Have a great week everyone, I don't know about you all, but I'm really enjoying this!
Blessings,
Kristy