Homeschooling Days

I realized recently that I haven't blogged anything about homeschooling. It's not because we aren't do it, we most certainly are. So here is a peek into a typical week...

We start out with seat work: Bible, English, Math, Handwriting. Everyone knows what is expected of them because their daily schedule is written right inside their little cubby boxes. It's working out pretty well so far. Hope wants to be right there with the rest of us so I usually draw a picture for her that she colors, and I show her the letter it starts with. Sometimes she tries to copy the letter. It's pretty cute. I think she's playing with silly putty in this picture. And I am LOVING LOVING LOVING the built-in bookshelves in the office/ homeschool room. Up until now I had books scattered throughout the house in drawers.
We are using a homeschooling method called Charlotte Mason. She was a teacher who lived in the 1800s and she was big on natural learning, lots of good literature, short lessons, and plenty of outside time, or nature walks. So we go for walks and collect or take pictures of things that are interesting with the intent of learning more about it when we get home. (key word there being "intent"). We never did get around to looking these items up, so I thought I'd share them with my dear blog readers instead.












The kids have all found their cozy reading spots. I am sure Charlotte Mason would not have approved of "Captain Underpants". We are working on that.....


Jude's daily reading assignment is to read to his sister. I think he kind of enjoys it. I know for sure she does!

We're studying composers and artists this year. After we study a historical figure, we paste their pictures on our timelines (in a notebook) and pit their names on a map to indicate what country they're from. We are studying the Vikings as well, and we all laughed when Hope pinned King Harald of Norway on the continent of Africa, then in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

We are also learning about Shakespeare. Each kid picked a scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream to draw and write about. It was no surprise, the boys picked the character named "Bottom" who was turned into a donkey-head......But of course Shakespeare doesn't use the word "donkey". He uses another choice word throughout the play. HA HA, so funny. Boys.

And of course Liesel picked Queen Titania, the fairy queen of the forest, who falls in love with the donkey-head. She was really hard on herself but I think she did a really great job! :)

And then, finally there is recess....Never mind that the go-cart is missing a part and has no gas. Who needs gas when there are big brothers and yellow rope?




It is really cool to have a skate park just a couple of miles down the road. It is so fun to know everyone else is still at school while we get to enjoy it all to ourselves.
Ava is thoroughly entertained watching the kids go by fast on their bikes. I wonder why she loves it so much. I keep thinking maybe she is dreaming of doing the same thing one day.....
I put her in this position to watch the kids because it's good for her hip sockets to bear weight like this. She really doesn't like it, but again, I try to utilize good entertainment to help her endure the positions she dislikes. This picture made me laugh when I uploaded it, because it looks like Hope is skateboarding by. She is NOT on a skateboard, just so you know. She is "doing ballet" for Ava's entertainment.....wearing a bike helmet.