Planning, Planning, and More Planning

 The preamble...

Some people have very content-focused, topical blogs... cooking, faith, kids, political, disability, etc.  

Not so much, me.

It's a hodge-podge here, like my life.

And sometimes I post things more so that I'll remember, than for anyone else's benefit.  So feel free to skip right over the ones that don't interest you. 

You're welcome.

While most folks are gearing up to send their kids back to school, some of us are just transitioning from the looseness of summer to a more structured existence.  Actually, I've been planning our school year for months.    Because, let's face it, I function much better with order and so does my family, though some may be loathe to admit it.  Hey, what one man calls OCD his wife another calls organizational heaven.

1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not a God of disorder, but a God of peace.

And James 3:16, For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you will have disorder (unrest, disharmony, rebellion) and every evil practice.

So there ya go.

But as I look at the materials I have on hand for this year... it's all too much.  There is no way we're going to sit at desks and work through every single thing on this list.  Some of these resources we'll be doing cover to cover, and other things we'll dip in and out of.  Because we need us some 'free-range' time.

That said, here's the menu.


All three boys together:

* Praying and Bible Study - because this is how we start our day.   I think we'll do a quick run through Rules for Young Friends, because the boys could use a refresher, and then I think we'll study a catechism... more on that later.

* History - Story of the World, #4, supplemented with books from the Sonlight reading list.

* Science - Janice VanCleaves' Physics for Every Kid: 101 Experiments, using Eyewitness Books to expand on several areas (their Visual Dictionary of Physics, Electricity, and Force and Motion.)  We'll divide our studies into Inertia, Motion, Gravity, Simple Machines, Buoyancy, Balance, Flight, Electricity, Magnetism, Heat, Light, and Sound.  If we get through all of that we'll do some bigger projects out of 100 Amazing Award-Winning Science Fair Projects, because it's fun.  Have I mentioned how much the boys love science?

*  Journaling - which is semi-regular, and at my discretion.

*  Mavis Beacon - I'm hoping to get the boys all started key-boarding properly, rather than hunt-and-peck, if I can download the program.

*  We may get back to some of the projects from How to Teach Art to Children later in the year.

*  All playing fall soccer :D


Wyatt - Grade 8

* Math - in the interest of reviewing what he already knows and working more independently, he's starting with Lial's Basic College Math.  When he finishes that we'll move into Jacob's Algebra.

* Handwriting - Italic D (finishing this from last year)

* Grammar/Writing - A Beka's Grammar and Composition 1, along with Wordly Wise 3 (grade 8), Vocabulary from Classical Roots B, Words on the Vine, and Editor in Chief A2.


Tate - Grade 6

* Math - Saxon 7/6

* Handwriting - Italic D

*  Grammar/Writing - A Beka's Language B, Wordly Wise (grade 4), Words on the Vine, and Analyzing Non-Fiction Writing.

*  Spelling - Sequential Spelling (continued from last year).

*  Art/Handwriting - Draw, Write, Now.


Gunnar - Grade 3

*  Math - finishing Saxon 3 and moving into Saxon 5/4.

*  Handwriting - Italic C

*  Grammar/Writing - Daily Grams 2nd/3rd,  introducing paragraph writing and book reports.

*  Spelling - Sequential Spelling (continued from last year), and Spelling Workout C.

*  Art/Handwriting - Draw, Write, Now.


There.  Doesn't that look like a LOAD?  We'll see :D