Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Have I mentioned needing some accountability in my life?

We are so close to "finishing" school for the season, even though I don't school to a calender really.  We school year-round here, changing grade levels as the time comes, in various subjects.

However, calender schooling or not, I can always use accountability to keep me spurred along.  As I mentioned, we now have Prepare and Pray and Blessed Assurance to start delving into, and by the week's end we will have Paths of Exploration, the first of the Learning Adventures series, as well as Light for The Trail Bible study.  I hopped onto Amazon and found hardcover unabridged copies of The Swiss Family Robinson, Robinson Crusoe, The Sign of The Beaver...and added in the Nourishing Traditions and the Traditional Foods cookbooks for good measure.  Can't always fit things into the budget, but when I can without stress and strain, it's time to go for it.

So, I've looked over Prepare and Pray/Blessed Assurance....and I'm leaning toward starting backwards.  yeah, don't I always go against the flow? We are wanting a bit of a lighter reading as we get our feet wet this summer.  The Sign of The Beaver, moving off into Robinson Crusoe, sounds like something more doable at this point.  Then we can shift gears again and go for The Swiss Family Robinson.  Am I wrong in thinking that way?  Should I just buckle up and go along with the designed flow?

Then again...I do have the Paths coming....maybe we should just start there.

LOL...I'm nothing but indecision.  I think too much for everyone's good I believe.

The general days will play out like this...
Rod & Staff math lessons, flashcards, review sheets, etc.
Rod & Staff English lessons, Working with Words
Our Bible will flow mainly from the lessons of the unit studies...there are memorization passages, Scriptural notes, character traits, and with Paths, we have Light for the Trail.
There are all manner of trails to follow on both unit studies...
under Science you have animal studies, clouds, weather patterns, levers and simple machines, outdoor activities (building shelters, rafts, camp items, etc)
and History is covered, obviously...
The olders have the CLE Home Ec series to finish through as well...

That gives us a rounded program I believe.  I can easily work the youngers in with alternate stories and coloring pages, and we like reading aloud, and narration times.  I think we can easily work the olders in, focusing more along the history sides and science trails with a bit more indepth work on their part.  I don't believe for one minute that being written for "grade such and such thru such and such" locks me in in any way, shape or form.  Adjustments are always there if you want them.  I have ages 3 1/2 on up to 17...I always make adjustments to include everyone in as many areas as I can.  I have to.  There's only one of me and 8 of them.  I'm out-numbered!

So...what do you think?  On top of all this, I have a 17 yo not the least interested in finishing her assigned graduate work, and a 14 year old determined to graduate by years' end.  Always something tossing rocks in my road I guess.

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