Learning Logistics: 2011-2012

Learning Logistics...
... the planning, implementation, and cooridination
of the details of... our learning at home.
----------------------------------------

Each year I try to share
what our intended resources are for our homeschool.
Somehow I skipped last year (oops)
but this past week, I was able to sit down
and plan a rough draft of our intended curriculum.

I say intended because, many times,
we follow rabbit trails in our learning...
sometimes we add resources...
sometimes we decide not to use certain resources...
it just depends on our school year.

And though I like to have a plan,
I, also, like to be flexible with it
and follow where YHVH leads. :)
Below, is our list of our learning logistics
for this upcoming year of learning at home.

Scripture Study

This is THE MOST IMPORTANT part
and focal point of our educating our children at home.
It is through Scripture that
knowledge, understanding, and wisdom are gained...
which are of far greater eternal value than any academics.

Not all resources are listed here, but these are some
that we either have used, currently use, or will use.


Daily Torah portion readings
currently using schedule found here
considering this schedule

Five Book Walk! Series
{not adhering to some of the rabbinical teachings therein}

Messianic Family Fellowship Parsha Printouts

One Torah for All Parsha Printouts

possible various other Torah/Scripture
printouts and copywork


(additional for 13 year old)
Classbook to go along with Torah portions
Torah Explorers




Character Study

For Instruction in Righteousness

Character Sketches

Character Cards

Polite Moments


(additional for 13 year old son)

Anecdotes for Boys by Harvey Newcomb

How to Be a Man by Harvey Newcomb

copywork pertaining to set-apart men for Yah


(for 7 and 8 year old girls)

Little Lady Series by Sandi Queen

copywork pertaining to set-apart ladies for Yah



History/Geography

Book of Centuries

Ancient History study with Torah portions

A WIDE variety of living books from our shelves

various U.S. history/geography workbooks from store

Classical Kids and Old Testament Days activity guides

possible notebooking

Victor's Journey Through the Bible

A Child's Geography: Explore the Holy Land

Blackline Maps of World History

Charlotte Mason's Elementary Geography




Language/Grammar

Language Lessons by Queen Homeschool

copywork for all

spelling and vocab from Torah portions

various Abeka readers from our shelves

McGuffey Readers from our shelves - oral reading


(additional for 13 year old)

Grammar Land

written narrations
{via notebook, Word, or blog}




Science/Creation Study

Nature/Creation journaling

Handbook of Nature Study
by Anna Botsford Comstock
(also available online)

Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady
by Edith Holden

Variety of Burgess Books for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess

WIDE variety of living books from our shelves

Considering God's Creation CD
(and possibly book with 7 and 8 year olds)

Kent Hovind Creation Series videos

Nature Readers
by Christian Liberty Press

Wildcraft: An Herbal Adventure Game


{additional for 13 year old}

Land Animals of the Sixth Day:
Exploring Creation with Zoology 3
by Jeannie Fulbright



Mathematics

Ray's Arithmetic Series
{oral and copywork}

Math Facts to Classical Music

Life of Fred Math
{used by 13 year old
but possible for younger ones}

Living books from shelves
{Equal Smequel; A Place for Zero;
Tell Time with Thomas; Multiplying Menace;
Sir Cumference Series}


Music/Composer study

family singing
violin/piano practice/lessons
music flashcards

Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers

Living books from our shelves
to accompany above book

various videos and cds
to accompany above book



Art/Artist Study

Nature/creation sketches

Various "how to draw" books
from our shelves

Various living books about various artists
{Mary Cassatt; Edgar Degas; Monet;
Jean Francois Millet; Benjamin West,
and possibly others}

Various coloring books
to accompany artist study
from dover publications



Poetry

Various poems by various poets
{including Robert Louis Stevenson/Emily Dickinson}

Poems for Memorization book

Linguistic Development Through Poetry Memorization
{we just LOVE to listen to the cd of poems read}



Literature

We will aim to keep a list of all the books read...
we go through lots!
Here are a few books I hope to cover this year
but am not limited to these.

A Girl of Limberlost

Swiss Family Robinson

Various Lamplighter books

More to be added and assigned :)


Life Skills

Prepare and Pray!

Keepers/Contenders of the Faith projects

videos from YouTube

attempt to begin a small garden



Hebrew

Holy Language online

Hebrew Homeschool printouts
at Hebrew4Christians



-------------------------------------------

Again, this is not an all inclusive list.
Some things we may not get to,
some things we may add.

Not all of these resources will be used on a daily basis
and some of them will be.


May YHVH guide us and bless us
as we train them up in the way they should go...
and may they not part from it.


Shalom!

Learning Logistics 2009-2010

Every year I love to sit at my dining room table
with my books, notebooks, and pens (...oh, the pens!)
spread out before me to compile a 'master list' of the resources
that we use or intend to use during our year of learning.
I posted our 2008-2009 plan back in January,
in my Learning Logistics post,
and the time has rolled around, again,
to be thinking of and planning the new school year. *Ü*
I just love planning a new school year!

I usually post our resources each year, too,
and what fun it would be if you shared, as well!
It can be a real delight to read others' ideas,
discover new resources, or be reminded of ones
that, perhaps, we had considered before.
It's always so fun to share!

Learning Logistics...
... the planning, implementation, and cooridination
of the details of... our learning at home.

Below, is our list of our learning logistics
for this upcoming year of learning at home.

If you'd like to share your's,
please feel free to grab the graphic below,
post about your homeschool plans for the upcoming year,
link back to this post (so others can join),
and sign the Mr. Linky at the bottom. *Ü*
I look forward to this time of sharing!





Bible/Character:
(family)
Daily OT Bible reading and discussion
Scripture memory work
Missionary biographies
Lessons from Nature by John Bunyan
Character Sketches Volume 1 and 2

(for 11 year old/6th grade)
Personal Help for Boys by Pearables
or Increasing in Wisdom by Michelle Zoppa
Anecdotes for Boys by Harvey Newcomb

(for 16 year old/Daughter at Home University)
daily, personal Bible reading and prayer journal
Discovering Doctrine by Sonya Shafer


Language Arts:

(5yrs/1st grade)
Language Lessons for Little Ones 2
Phonics (Rod & Staff We Learn Letter Sounds)
Noah Webster's Handbook for Reading
miscellaneous 'readers'
copywork/narration

(6yrs/2nd grade)
Language Lessons for Little Ones 3
Language Lessons for the Very Young 1
reading aloud
copywork/narration

(11yrs/6th grade)
Character Quality Language Arts: Red Series Level A
Linguistic Development Through Poetry Memorization cd (I.E.W)
Pictures in Cursive: Book B (Queen HS)
reading aloud
narration in all subjects
living books list

(16yrs/Daughter at Home University)
Vocabulary Cartoons
Literature and living books list
Greek 1 (Rosetta Stone)


Science/Nature Study:
(family)
birdwatching
nature journal
miscellaneous living books
Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock
Birds and Blooms magazine
Kent Hovind seminars dvds
Considering God's Creation music cd
Character Sketches Volume 1 and 2
The Burgess Seashore Book for Children by Thornton W. Burgess

(5/6yrs/ 1/2 grades)
Caterpillar Green by Marla Martin
Little Jewel Bird by Lucy Ann Conley
Christian Liberty Nature Readers K and 1

(11yrs/6th grade)
Exploring Creation with Zoology 2: Swimming Creatures...
Under the Sea Dot-to-Dot
Creation or Evolution by Mike Snavely
notebook

(16yrs/Daughter at Home Universtity)
midwifery books
herbal medicine and healthy lifestyle books


History:
(family)
Joshua through Malachi & Ancient Greece (Simply CM)
Streams of History: Ancient Greece by Ellwood W. Kemp
Classical Kids: Activity Guide by Laurie Carlson
Ancient Greece notebooking by Night Owl Creations
Science in Ancient Greece by Kathlyn Gay
Aesop's Fables
The Trojan Horse: How the Greeks Won the War by Emily Little
The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky
Archimedes and the Door to Science by Jeanne Bendick
Learning Through History magazine
miscellaneous living books from all eras

(11yrs/6th grade)
Hittite Warrior by Joanne Williamson
Theras and His Town by Caroline Dale Snedekar
Adara by Beatrice Gormley
Charlotte Mason's Elementary Geography (Queen HS)
historical and missionary biographies

(16yrs/Daughter at Home University)
missionary biographies
Baptist history books


Math:
(family)
living math (trips to store, kitchen work, etc...)
living books (M&M Math; Equal Shmequal; A Place for Zero, etc...)

(5/6yrs 1/2 grades)
manipulatives
Right Start Level B

(11yrs/5th grade)
Teaching Textbooks: Math 6
Multiplication & Division: Classical Math to Classical Music

(16yrs/Daughter at Home University)
checkbook keeping


Music:
(family)
singing

(5 yrs/1st grade)
intro to piano lessons
children's choir at church

(6yrs/2nd grade)
violin lessons
children's choir at church

(11yrs/6th grade)
piano lessons
harmonica learning/practice
children's choir at church

(16yrs/Daughter at Home University)
continue advancement in
piano, violin, guitar, banjo, mandollin
extend knowledge in theory
piano teaching
choir and orchestra at church
composing own hymn arrangements

Composer Study:
(family)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Ludwig van Beethoven
Antonio Vivaldi
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
George Frideric Handel
Frederic Chopin


Picture/Artist Study:
Mary Cassatt
Leonardo DiVinci
Michelangelo
Edgar Degas
Claude Monet
Jean Francois Millet
Benjamin West


Hymn Study:
Silent Night
It is Well
Amazing Grace
How Firm a Foundation
This Is My Father's World
What Can Wash Away My Sins?
(more to be decided)


Poetry:
Lessons from the Clock by Miriam Zook
Poems for Memorization
selections from
Emily Dickinson
Robert Frost
(more to be decided)

Literature Read Alouds:
Heidi by Johanna Spyri
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss
A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter
Stick to the Raft by Mrs. George Gladstone
Saved by Love by Emma Leslie
Christie's Old Organ by Mrs. O.F. Walton
As You Like It from Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare

Foreign Language:
French cd-rom


Miscellaneous/Electives:
Life skills (ongoing list)
Handicrafts (ongoing list)


That is our list of resources that I hope to use throughout the year.
It may seem a bit intense but it helps me to have them listed
so I can stay focused on what my goal's are for this year
(and it helps those books to not collect dust on the bookshelves!).
It helps me to remember that all of them are NOT used every day.
Some of them are not long in content and will not be used long.
Others are used for a length of time but only in "small bites".
Being a visual person, this keeps my ideas afresh!
I tried to link to all of the resources that we'll be using
and pray it is a help and blessing to some.


If you'd like to participate in sharing
your upcoming homeschool plans,
please leave a link to your Learning Logistics post
in the Mr. Linky below (comments are great, too *Ü*):

Learning Logistics 2008-2009

Every year I like to compile a 'master list'
of the curriculum, tools, and resources
that we use or intend to use during our year of learning.
It took me a little longer than usual this year
but I did, finally, get around to putting it together. Ü

I, usually, post this list on my blog
(mostly for past and future reference)
and thought it would be a lot of fun to have others share.
It can be a real delight to see other's ideas,
discovering new resources, or being reminded of ones
that, perhaps, we considered before.
I just thought it would be fun, all the way around!
So, I bring you Learning Logistics...
the planning, implementation, and cooridination
of the details of... our learning at home.

Below is a list (though not exhaustive/detailed)
of our learning logistics
for this year of learning in our home.


If you'd like to share
your learning logistics for the year,
please grab the graphic below,
provide a link to this post (so others can join),
and sign the Mr. Linky at the bottom. Ü
I look forward to this time of sharing!
Lord willing, we'll share each fall in the future. ;o)






Bible/Character:
(all)
Proverbs study/illustrations
SOW (roughly 1 semester)

(for 10 year old/5th grade)
Honorable Boy Bible study (Queen Homeschool)
miscellaneous books and missionary biographies

(for 15 year old/12th grade)
daily, personal Bible reading
Wisdom for Life notebook (Simply Charlotte Mason)
miscellaneous books and missionary biographies


Language Arts:
(all)
Bible reading (oral) and memorization

(5ys/pre&K)
Language Lessons for Little Ones (Queen HS)
informal phonics
copywork

(6yrs/K-1)
Language Lessons for Little Ones 2 (Queen HS)
reading aloud/informal phonics
Noah Websters Reading Handbook
miscellaneous 'readers'
copywork

(10yrs/5th grade)
Language Lessons for the Elementary Child 2 (Queen HS)
Writing Trails in American History (I.E.W)
Copywork for Boys (Queen HS)
Pictures in Cursive: Primer (Queen HS)
narration in all subjects
living books list

(15yrs/12th grade)
Windows to the World: Literary Analysis (I.E.W)
creative writing (newsletters)
living books list
Greek 1 (Rosetta Stone)


Science:
(all)
birdwatching
creation/nature study
miscellaneous living books
Birds and Blooms magazine
Kent Hovind seminars dvds

(10yrs/5th grade)
Exploring Creation with Zoology 1: Flying Creatures... (Apologia)
notebook

(15yrs/12th grade)
Advanced Biology: The Human Body (Apologia)


History:
(all)
Learning Through History magazine
miscellaneous living books

(10yrs/5th grade)
Genesis Through Exodus and Ancient Egypt (Simply CM)
(all participating)
ongoing list of living books
Charlotte Mason's Elementary Geography (Queen HS)
Galloping the Globe
(one country and a missionary per week... longer, if needed)

(15yrs/12th grade)
Exploring Government (Notgrass)


Math:
(all)
living math (trips to store, kitchen work, etc...)

(5&6yrs)
miscellaneous workbooks (casually)
living books (M&M Math; Equal Shmequal; A Place for Zero, etc..)

(10yrs/5th grade)
Teaching Textbooks 5 (Teaching Textbooks)
Multiplication: Classical Math to Classical Music

(15yrs/12th grade)
Economics and Activities (BJU)
Economics in One Lesson (Henry Hazlitt)


Music/Art:
(all)
classical music listening and discussion
hymn singing and discussion
singing
living books on composers/artists

(5yrs/pre&K)
casual piano playing and exposure
children's church choir
picture studies

(6yrs/K-1st)
casual violin playing, practice, and exposure
children's church choir
picture studies

(10yrs/5th grade)
piano lessons and practice
children's church choir
picture studies

(15yrs/12th)
daily piano, violin, guitar, banjo playing and progression
piano teaching
church singing and orchestra


Miscellaneous/Electives:
Life skills (ongoing list)
Handicrafts (ongoing list)


If you'd like to participate in sharing,
please leave a link to your Learning Logistics post
in the Mr. Linky below:

Homeschool Open House 2007...

Tiany is hosting a Homeschool Open House
and I thought it would fun to participate.
Plus, she has some wonderful possible prizes. ;o)
If you'd like to participate, be sure to visit her post.


Welcome to our Haven at Home!

Who We Are:
For those that do not know us,
we are a Christian, homeschooling,
active duty military family.
We have been blessed with four precious children,
ages 3(dd), 4(dd), 9(ds), and 14(dd).

We are about to enter our 9th year of home education.
We LOVE having our children home with us
and would never want it any other way. ;o)

Our Approach ...
We enjoy a relaxed, mostly living books approach
in our home education endeavors.
We have a 'skeleton' of a routine
but take full advantage of impromtu learning moments
and adapt to anything else that arises.

I like to begin our day together
with Bible and breakfast,
a little house blessing (picking up),
and then proceed to our learning moments.
My goal is to keep our 'official' learning moments
during the morning hours
with having nature study
and 'enrichment' times in the afternoon.
However, I am quite flexible
and we adjust where needed. ;o)
I often reevaluate our 'skeleton of a routine'
and rearrange when necessary.


Where We Learn...
Our learning is never limited to one room,
nor limited to indoors. ;o)
We tend to be in different rooms at different times.
There is no pattern in where we choose to learn.
We simply learn where we feel like learning at that time.

Many times, we use our dining room table...




Or we'll spend time in the room
that we fondly call our Reading Room...

Or in a bedroom...





Or outside...



Even in the van...



I would have to say, though, that our favorite place
would be the living room couch...







Those are really precious times!



What We Use...

I'll begin with what we do not use...
We do not use a set curriculum.
We piece together our own, personal 'curriculum'.
Each year is different.
We evaluate what we accomplished the year before,
what our interests are, what our goals are,
what we have available, etc...
Sometimes we change gears during the year
and decide to do something different
than originally planned.
This may not work for all but it works for us. ;o)

This year, we will be using much of the same plan
that we drew up for last year
with a few adjustments.
I am still in the planning stages
but below is a bit of a rough draft of our
upcoming intended 'curriculum'...


Science:
(with all)
Handbook of Nature Study
"The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady", Edith Holden
"Birds and Blooms" magazine
Nature Study/Journals

(for 9 year old/4th grade)
Burgess' Nature Books for Children,
by Thorton W. Burgess
The Holling C. Holling Series


(for 14 year old/11th grade)
Apologia's Advanced Chemistry in Creation




Math:
(9 yrs/4th grade)
Math Facts for Copywork
Ray's Primary Arithmetic
Multiplication to Classical Music
Misc. Math Games
Online drills

(14yrs/11th grade)
likely, Teaching Textbook's Pre-Calculus



History:
(all)
Learning Through History magazines

(9yo/4th grade)
Finish current Beautiful Feet Books
American History living books list (still compiling)
Ancient history- History Pockets and living books
Modern Rhymes for Ancient Times series
Galloping the Globe
Book of Centuries/timeline
History/Geography Games

(14yo/11th grade)
Finish Starting Points, David Quine
(will give American History credit)
Worldview course (mid-year)
finish Mystery Of History 2
Living Books


Language Arts:
(all)
possibly Teaching Writing: Structure and Style, I.E.W.
Bible study/memorization
Poetry study/memorization

(9yo/4th grade)
copywork/narration
Language Lessons for the Elementary Child
possibly Phonetic Zoo

(14yo/11th grade)
continuing in Starting Points
focusing on Literature


Music Study:
(all)
"Battle Hyme of the Republic" (Color the Classics)
John Newton (Color the Classics)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Ludwig van Beethoven
possible composers to be decided
Learn a hymn a week
Hymn history

(9yo/4th grade)
Beginner piano lessons at home

(14yo/11th grade)
Daily piano playing and progression
Violin lessons via video and daily practice
Guitar lessons via cd continued
Singing lessons/practice with Mom and via video


Artist Study:
(all)
Mary Cassatt
Leonardo DiVinci
more to be decided
personal painting/drawing


Bible/Character Study:
(all)
Proverbs Time
Family Bible Reading

(9yo/4th grade)
Daily personal Bible reading/prayer time
The Squire and the Scroll
Life Lessons from the Squire and the Scroll
"Anecdotes for Boys"

(14yo/11th grade)
Daily personal Bible reading/prayer time
"A Practical Directory", Harvey Newcomb
"Anecdotes for Girls", Harvey Newcomb
"How to Be a Lady", Harvey Newcomb
Miscellaneous, chosen by child/parents


Personal Reading/Addition Literature:
(Read alouds for all)
"The Little Preacher", Elizabeth Prentiss
"The White Knights", W.E. Cule (Lamplighter)
"A Girl of Limberlost", Gene Stratton-Porter
"Twelve Youthful Martyrs", Esther E. Enock
"Her Mother's Bible", Isabella Alden
"Hedge Fence", Isabella Alden
"Autumn with the Moody's", Sara Maxwell

Individual reading list to be decided



We, also, plan to begin a few informal
learning times with the lil' girls.
We are still, somewhat, in our planning stage
but this has been a rough draft of our plans.
We will sometimes make changes in the year
to better suit our needs and such
or if I find a resource on our bookshelf.


Tips and Tidbits:

*Approach and continue in fervent prayer.
We desperately need God's guidance and help.

* Keep our focus on why we have our children at home
and keep an eternal perspective,
not allowing academic pressures to distract our main goal
of raising our children for Christ.

* Begin/continue to read books on home education.
(I have a few recommendations in my sidebar)
There are many books available that can be a great help
in encouarging us, motivating us, teaching us, etc...
It is worth the time to sit, read, and be refreshed.

*Learn with them.
Home education is a way of life.
What a joy it can be to learn right along with
our precious ones as they are learning.
They, after all, learn by example.
And we are never too old to learn a thing or two. ;o)

*Enjoy the moments with our precious ones! ;o)
Though it may not seem like it somedays,
our time with our precious blessings is quite brief.
May we enjoy them as the Lord intended.


Thank you for visiting our Haven at Home with us!
I look forward to visiting and meeting
other families that home educate!