Plans for new homeschool year

Homeschool Plans for 2007-2008
for kids ages 6, 5, 3, 2 and 9 mos.

Bible Time/ Family Worship:  Bible Time daily 9:00-9:30 a.m.
Bible Time with Mom:  Read a chapter each day from “Leading Little Ones to God.”  Read through a whole book of the Bible, (one chapter or just a few verses a day), then move onto another book (finish Luke, then Daniel, Proverbs, James, Psalms).  Act out the story if it fits with the reading.  Work on Scripture memory (also books of the Bible, Ten Commandments, Lord’s Prayer).  Pray daily with ACTS (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication).  Sing hymns and praise songs. 
Oldest son does his Bible Study Fellowship lesson daily (studying Matthew this year) during naptime break, and goes with Dad to BSF on Monday nights.
Dad does Bible reading and singing with older 2 kids in evenings before bed.

Memorization:  During daily Bible Time 9:00-9:30 a.m.
Continue memorizing one verse/passage from every book of the Bible.  Try to finish Old Testament by December and New Testament by May.

Handwriting and Copywork:  Older kids 9:30-9:45 a.m. daily, younger kids 9:45-10:00 daily
Use Handwriting Without Tears workbooks for 4 older kids.  Do copy work of Scripture we’ve memorized, as well as poetry and quotes of others we’re studying for the 2 older kids.

Phonics:  Daily 1:15-1:30 for 2 oldest kids, at 2:00 p.m. for 3rd child
Continue TATRAS (Teach America to Read and Spell) with 3 older kids at their pace.  Read aloud practice for 2 older kids everyday using McGuffey readers and Rod & Staff readers.  Oral spelling practice. 

History:  Read daily 1:30 p.m.
August-December:  Read about Kings of Israel/Judah, exile of Israelites, and prophets (finish up Old Testament study) using Egermeier’s Story Bible pp.189-308.  Read God King (Williamson).
Read about Ancient Greeks and up to Rome using Story of the World, vol. 1, pp.123-207; Famous Men of Greece; and Aesop’s Fables.  Also read Theras and His Town (Snedeker).  Do Knowledge Box lapbook of Ancient Greece. 
Then Egermeier’s pp.309-351.
January-May:  Read about Roman Empire using Story of the World, volume 1, chapters 27-36 and Famous Men of Rome.  Get lapbook of Roman Empire.
Read about New Testament stories (finish Egermeier’s Story Bible pp.355-568).   Read “The Bronze Bow“.  
Finish Story of the World, vol. 1, chapters 37-42. 
Need to read 17 pages/week.  Do narration with 3 older kids during history readings.  Put things on timeline which is hanging in our hallway.
Watch Ancient Civilizations Video Series:
Ancient Mesopotamia (3500-539 BC), Ancient Aegean (3500-1140 BC), Ancient Greece (1050-31 BC), and Ancient Rome (753 BC-476 AD).  Also The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (Questar Video).

Poetry:  Daily reading of one poem at 1:30 p.m.
Poetry of Edward Lear, T.S. Eliot, Lewis Carroll, and Shel Silverstein

Novels:  Mom reads 10:30-11:00 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  Dad reads nightly with older kids.
Summer With the Moody’s, Robinson Crusoe, Five Little Peppers, The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle, The 21 Balloons (DuBois), Rascal, Stories of the Pilgrims, The Jungle Book, The Call of the Wild, Pinocchio (Collodi), Johnny Tremain, Pagoo, The Secret Garden, A Wrinkle in Time, Little House Series, God King (Joanne Williamson), Theras and His Town (Caroline Dale Snedeker), The Bronze Bow.

Listen aloud (on iPod or CD) in car or while folding clothes:  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Pilgrim’s Progress, other books from freeclassicaudiobooks.com, stories from “You Need a Story” and “Homeschool Radio Shows”, Spanish Cds, Jonathan Park.

Unit Studies:  Work on hands-on projects Tuesdays from 10-10:30 a.m., library books at 1:45 p.m.
August--Ten Commandments (Hands of a Child lapbook, memorize Ten Commandments, listen to “Sir Oliver‘s Song“)
September–Weather (downloads from and video on internet, books and resource kit from library, field trip to Weather center, measure and record temperature and make graph, copy work of weather sayings, listen to Beethoven‘s “The Storm“)
October–Money (learn about how money is made, who is on each coin and bill, read and study God’s plan for money with Burkett’s book, make own lapbook or notebook, books from library, field trip to bank, copy work of Scripture that deals with money)
November–Pilgrims and Indians (have lots of resources on Pilgrims; Indian paper dolls; do crafts of pinecone turkeys, Mayflower model, costumes, corn husk dolls; copy work of Pilgrim’s quotes and poems; read “Stories of the Pilgrims“, field trip to Indian Museum in Wisconsin in October)
December–Polar Regions and Sled Dogs (Hands of a Child lapbook, have other materials, learn about Iditarod on internet, watch “Balto” and “March of the Penguins“, read “The Call of the Wild”)
January–Rain Forest (Hands of a Child lapbook, visit Shedd Aquarium to see Rain Forest animals, read “The Jungle Book”, do paint by number kit of rain forest pictures)
February–Presidents  (make own lapbook or notebook of all the presidents, get info off internet and from library books, copy work of their quotes, field trip to Lincoln Museum in Springfield, read “Johnny Tremain“)
March–Human Body (Hands of a Child lapbook, make life-size body chart of each of the kids, find models of body and certain organs such as the eye and ear, field trip to Museum of Science and Industry or other museum with a body exhibit, read biography of missionary doctor)
April–Astronomy (have lots of resources from online, get more from Planetarium website, books from library, visit Adler Planetarium, make model of the solar system, use telescope outside, read “A Wrinkle in Time”, listen to Gustav‘s “The Planets“, do sand art kit of galaxy pictures)
May–Botany (have lots of resources, more from library, make own lapbook or notebook; crafts from flowers/seeds/pinecones/etc.; visit Botanic Gardens; read “The Secret Garden“)

Math Activities:  10:00-10:30 Wednesdays
Choose from games (Dominoes, Uno, Monopoly Jr., dice games); clock; money; calendar; charts/graphs; fractions with food; measuring; cooking; probability; counting by 2s, 5s, 10s, etc..  Get resources and ideas from Family Math, Beechick’s math book and internet.

Music:
Violin lessons for 2 older boys Monday mornings (10:00-12:00), family Musikgarten class on Tuesday evenings, baby/toddler class on Thursday morning for 2 youngest kids, older kid class on Thursday morning for 3 oldest kids, sing hymns/ praise songs in morning during Bible Time and evening with Dad before bed.

Art projects:  10:00-10:30  Fridays
Once a month–painting day, and once a month–play-dough day.
August–Fish stained glass with clear contact paper and tissue paper.
August–Press wildflower petals in heavy book, put in clear contact paper for bookmarks.
September–Paper bag puppets (Little Hand Art Book p.20, Celebrating Art p.35)
September–Weaving paper (LH p.40)
October–Leaf prints (LH p. 18) and/or leaf rubbings with crayons
November–corn husk dolls
November–pinecone turkeys
December–clay ornaments  (CA p.38)
December–bird feeders with pinecones and bread (CA p.47)
January–paper snowflakes
January–button pictures
January–rain forest paint by number kit
February–Valentines to send
February–paper mosaic (LH p.53)
March–Hand print paper weight (LH p.90)
March–seed/bean wreath (Appreciating Art p.51)
April–Sand Art galaxy kit
April–paint rocks
May–make mobiles using nature items (flowers, leaves, seeds, etc.) (CA p.49)
May–collages using nature items

Nature Study/Journal:  4:00-4:30 p.m.
Once a week (at least) go for a nature walk (backyard, in the neighborhood or drive somewhere).  Take paper to draw something and then put it in their nature journal.  Older kids write something about it.

Preschool Activities:  11:00-11:15 Tuesdays-Fridays
puzzles, paper activity from internet, paper dolls, lacing beads and cards, Letter of the Week activity, games, blocks, Legos, etc.

Science experiments and Building projects (like models):  weekends
Do on weekends with Dad.

Field Trips:  Several in August, once a month Sept.-May
Art Institute of Chicago, Arboretum, Naper Settlement, weather center, bank, Kohl Children’s Museum, Indian museum in Wisconsin, Nutcracker (ballet), Shedd Aquarium, Lincoln Museum in Springfield, Museum of Science and Industry, Adler Planetarium, Botanic Gardens

Chores:
Initiate chore pack system for morning and afternoon chores.  Have daily chore training from 3:30-4:00 p.m. to learn new chores.