Lesson Plans- Getting ready for the week

I thought I'd show how we get ready for the next upcoming week.
I pull out my Lesson Plan binder. Right now I have 5 weeks in it, but I need to print off more pages. I like to plan ahead in advance. You never know what will happen. I look at what Candice is suppose to learn about.

Then i pull out all of the workboxes and empty them from the last weeks things. I am still working on a portfolio to put her things in, but I think i will just use a Manilla folder for now
Then looking at my binder I put new things in each box.

Then put the boxes back on the shelves and Im all ready :)

Thats all there is to it. Look up workboxes if you havent. They can be a great help! There are a few things we need to re-do this week that I will add on to this weeks lesson, The Little "e", finish our Science Lesson, and then finish our Firestation Poster.

Encyclopedias and ABCs

Today on Freecycle I picked up a 1977 full set of World Encyclopedias. How awesome?! This will greatly help in homeschooling! We can now add another resource other than the internet!

Then today for school, we didn't do much, Lance was sick and I just wanted a day off. We did work on magnet letters. We took the fridge letters and made simple words in the pan. Then we matched up the letters. A to A, etc since I bought 2 sets of letters.We also did basic review over everything. Today is friday so Candice got a sticker (for every 4, she gets $1). Then she got a Free Card - "Special Outting". I am thinking maybe we can go somewhere tomorrow, not sure where.
We also re-vamped our set up. We have had several. I still have the workboxes but we re-did how its all set up. I moved the bookshelf from the girls room and put it next to the computer, I put the encyclopedias on top, the basket of extras on the 1st shelf, then workboxes 1-3 on the next shelf and baskets 4-5 on the bottom. Works MUCH better! I still need to get a few more supplies (craft things mostly) and then I still really want to find Candice a small desk.

Fire....Whooo Whooo

Thank you to the firefighters at Station 3 near Liberty Street downtown Cincinnati! 

Today we were downtown and on the way to an appointment saw there was a Firestation. We didnt intend on going today actually. Our appointment ran short and so we decided to pop in. Lance knocked on the door and we asked if they could show us around, being that we homeschool. Since we have been teaching Candice about Community Helpers this week, we thought this was a perfect opportunity. The woman who showed us around was SUPER sweet, Cami, thank you! She has little ones, so she explained everything to Candice in a way a 4 year old could understand. We saw the ladder truck, pumper truck, the tools they use, the hoses, the poles they slide down, their kitchen, their ambulance, even their fire BOAT! Who knew we had a fire boat?! Candice sat in the drivers seat and saw the lights, she stood next to their tires and saw their boots they wear. She tried on a firehat and even heard a real 911 call! She was excited! Lana really wasnt into it, but she had fun. Lance and I learned things we didnt know. There were 11 firefighters there and they work all day and all night then off, then on again. Candice really had a blast!

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I think because of this, Lance finally understood what Homeschooling is about, really about. He saw the way Candice was learning and he was about to learn along side her. I asked him if in public school, he ever went to a firestation and of course the answer was no. This is why we homeschool. This is REAL learning at its best. 

Another good day

Today we did lessons outside! Part of it was because of Science, but it was also a nice day. History, we talked "Community" again. Asking Candice what "community" we live in, where certain places are in our town and why youd go there. Hospital, youd go if hurt, etc. Language Arts consisted of more spelling, writing the letter Ee and then more in her Alphabet Journal. I also got the pan and rice for her to write Ee tomorrow and I need to get the magnetic letters tonight.

Her "extra" was learning to dial 911. She is 4.5 and we feel she should be able to know what to do in the case of an emergency. We found an old phone and taped off the TALK button and 911. We told her why you dial 911 and what happens when you call. Then we acted it out
" 911, what is your emergency?"
" my mommy is hurt, can you help her?"
" yes, we will send an ambulance right away"

Science, was walking to grandpas pond and "observing" what we saw and writing it down in her Science Journal. She saw footprints, mud, waves (ripples), a splash, and that a rock sinks when thrown in.

Finally, for Math we did more number matching, which she is having some trouble with #3 and 5. She does really well with the dot cards, but not so much the number cards. I think even next week, we will work on it some more. She needs to be able to recognize the numbers and that sometimes the numbers dont look like 1,2,3,4, 5..they can look like other things but still be the numbers. Overall, she did good. She had a bit of trouble with Math when Lance tried to teach her but she did good. No FREE card, but no BAD card either.

Ideas and Things I learned

I picked up 2 books from the library about Homeschooling. I learned some neat things. I learned I am no different than anyone else on this journey. We all struggle, we all have high hopes, we all have this dream we want. Yet in the real world of Homeschooling, it doesnt always work that way. Thats OK! I had this idea that Homeschooling would be me sitting with Candice and shes just do a worksheet, not realizing I would be the one reading the directions to her and showing her how to hold a pencil, draw the letter, explaining letters and words. I think i thought " I graduated, im older, I dont remember this stuff, how can i teach her?" I still struggle with some things and teaching, but I realized that my initial "expectations" of my child were FAR beyond her. I was getting mad at her when she wasnt doing something not seeing, she cant do it. It is not a task she has learned. How can I get mad at her? Then I learned Adaptation. Homeschoolers need to adapt. I thought I needed to buy everything and every book out there and it would all just come into play, not so.
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• instead of saving links/books online- write them on an idex card and keep them in a box. All your resources on hard- no worry of your computer crashing!
• Pocket Alphabet- take an old sheet/curtain and sew old pockets and place letters/items in pockets.
• tape paper to wall and have child write standing up- teaches how to hold pencil right. 
• Craft boxes- instead of watching TV, have them make a craft. Have LOTS of them!
• Use a Bookshelf with school items.
• have a basket for only library books
• Put rice in a pan and teach spelling/writing
• keep a portfolio of childs school work or blog
• Start the day similar to Public school- talk about what youre going to talk about, start the lesson, do a project about it, then wrap up. 
• A poor mans chalkboard is better than buying chalkboard paint. - blank construction paper
• take an old cookie sheet and buy the magnetic letters- perfect way to learn! 

I REALLY like the idea for craft boxes, the problem with little ones is that they get into it non-stop. We have to go out Tuesday it will be interesting to see how to Homeschool out of the house. I think I am going to put a few key things in Candices backpack and let her go at it while we are waiting. So tomorrow is essentially another day off, but we'll see.
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School today was working out of a workbook since we were out and about. She actually did really well matching the big letters with the little and then finding the like objects and pointing out whats different. She also read her Halloween book.

A first WHOLE day!

Today is the first time Candice has completed all subjects and all of her work. She did it with a FREE card and NO bad cards! She will even get a special sticker later!

History- (community)

L.Arts-
We practiced writing the letter Ee

She used a "poor mans chalkboard" and did Spelling

Then we did her Alphabet Book with the letter Ee

Free time was "Go Fish"

Math- (matching) Id draw numbers and she had to match up her number cards to the right numbers

Science is talking about observation and we went outside to the pond we have in the front yard. We talked about what animals are around the pond: bugs, plants, water. Then we talked about whats in the pond: Water, dogs (the dogs like to go swimming in it, ha!), fish. We didnt write it down in her science journal so i didnt take a picture, but tomorrow we will talk about changes to the pond- how the water rises and falls, how plants grow, etc.

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Look at this AWESOME, completed chart!!

We went to the library tonight and I got 2 books, Homeschooling Take a Deep Breath- You can do this! and then a great book about resources... I have learned so much and I havent even had the books an hour, ha! Some thing in the activities book, i should of came up on my own but instead I have been focusing on "i have to buy this"... instead of buying beads and string to learn patterns-- use Fruit Loops and a shoe string or skewer. Ill write a post when i finish the books. :)

I like this quote from the Homeschooling TADB book:

Homeschooling parents need the ability to learn, not the ability to teach or even the ability to do the subject matter. 

Free cards and bad cards, how they work for us

We use the workbox system for Candice's schooling. Its hard to sort of explain what it is suppose to be but in a nuthsell, you put a subject in a box and everything needed to do that subject for the day in there. Number the box and then as each box is completed, you put the number on a Schedule Strip.

Ours is a bit different. We have the boxes and numbers but we dont have "free time" boxes and extra things. Just the core subjects and an extra box for field trips. We do have a change though- FREE and BAD cards. I am asked a lot about them on THL so Ill explain them here for anyone who reads this from there (hey if you do, leave a comment please!)

There are 3 FREE cards, 3 BAD cards and about 14 Popsicle sticks with consequences on them in 2 cups.

FC are for when she does something really well or has a good day. I know she has trouble writing so she may get a FC if that day she does really well with writing. A FC will then get her to pick a stick from the cup that has "good" things in it. Extra TV time, Stay up 30mins.

BC are for the days when she is simply a 4yr old. She refuses to write when i know she can, she doesnt want to listen to the lesson, etc. A BC will get a stick from the cup that has "bad" things in it. No dessert, No computer time.

and so far this is actually working. She did really well with it last week. She realized when she got a BC, she wasnt getting any sympathy from me about her behavior. A FC meant she got to play her new Vsmile game, which she loves. I encourage anyone to try my method. Maybe it will work. A mom on THL does a similar thing when her son is out and about. She has a BC for when they are out, which she said I can steal that idea. I plan to use it. :) Thanks Heather from THL.