Cotton ISD 2013-14

Last year I swore up and down that I would NOT start school this early ever again.  Never say never!  I'm up early, can't sleep.  Funny how that doesn't change from when I was a student, when I taught in school and now while I'm schooling my children at home.  With Witten coming on or around November 18, we had to get a head start.  The beautiful thing about homeschooling is that we can stop for a good while and enjoy family life/take time to adjust.  Unlike other years, I have our lessons planned through his potential c-section date.  I remain incredibly thankful for the simplicity of Classical Conversations and how easy it makes our "everything else" of science and social studies.  Here's a quick glimpse into our year.  My goal is to make it as simple as possible.  

One thing I feel that I have not done well is incorporating scripture into our school day.  I want to start by focusing on 2 Peter 1:5-8. 

"Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Pastor Danny preached on it and I felt it was really appropriate in this aspect of our lives. While it deals with spiritual maturity, I believe that their education is part of that growth process.  I want them to apply excellence in everything, school time is just practice for what they will eventually do/be later in life. 

Coralee - 3rd grade

Coralee will continue with Saxon Math.  This year is 5/4 for her and I am SO excited!  It feels like real math.  Even in the first few lessons we use the CC memory work about the commutative law.  Yay for that application and more to come.  She has started to love to read (and get in trouble for reading when she's supposed to be asleep).  The Greek Mythology book (how I love the D'Auelieres) and a Little House book are up on a shelf she can't reach because of the not going to sleep issue.  We'll continue to listen to books as we commute.  We started The Hobbit in June but our vacation interrupted that and after a library trip, we're listening to Hank the Cow Dog.  The idea is to have her read a lot of books and listen to things that are above her level.  She will start Essentials at CC this year.  That will take care of our English Grammar/Writing curriculum and hopefully help with some multiplication facts motivation.  I'm really looking forward to our parent orientation in a few weeks to see how to use all these wonderful resources.  We'll be using the same Spelling curriculum as last year but the name has escaped me.  It really is her most difficult subject which baffles me.  Spelling was so easy for me; she takes after her Daddy in this!  We'll also be using English from the Roots Up for vocabulary. I'm excited about it but I'm not sure she is.  Gotta work on those skills for the PSAT.  ;-) Joking although it will be here before I know it!  We'll look at 2 words a week which won't quite get us through the first book this year.  She also has a French book that will be absolute last priority.

Lincoln - Kindergarten

Lincoln, oh my boy!  Last year I let him coast.  He no doubt knows way more than I think he does.  Like his Uncle Keegan, everything is on a need to know basis and I don't need to know.  I didn't push him last year because he's a boy and it was a bigger fight than it should have been.  He is so cute and giggles when he is learning new things and I really think he's ready now.  His behavior and attitude (with the exception of last week - what on earth was that?) has taken a huge turn for the better in the past few months.  We had a coffee date last week and talked about how he wanted to learn to read.  We're going to try Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading.  I'm still a little scarred by how Coralee hated it so much but I think that the not a workbook aspect will work well for him.  I'd like to believe that feeling like he had a choice will be a good thing, too.  He'll continue with Horizons K for Math.  As much as I love Saxon, I can't stand the K book.  This is prettier and covers much of the same information.  

Lauramae - Pre-Kindergarten

It remains to be seen how this will go this year but Little Miss has been my most eager student.  Unfortunately, her fine motor skills didn't match up with her desire.  She will be using some workbooks from the dollar spot while I figure out where she is and we'll be attempting Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading as well.  I honestly don't think it will take long for her and Lincoln to be at the same point academically.  She'll start CC this year, which is very exciting for her!  Her tutor is in for a treat!

So, there we are!  I am armed with prayer & scripture this morning and a plan!  May our day be sweet! Oh, and this will be our trial week.  God willing, we will be in Houston next week for our annual trip to the zoo and Shakespeare in the park..... Also known as getting out of dodge during NI week.