Preparation for 2016/2017 school year

It's only June but I've already started planing and organizing next year's homeschool activities and curriculum.  There really is no off season. 

Work boxes

     Last year Caiden used a work box and we both loved it so we're using them again this year.  Each day I load up his box with everything that needed to be accomplished for that day.  Caiden's box from last year was short and long and we couldn't fit 2 boxes of that size in the homeschool closet.  Since Maddy will be homeschooling with us I bought 2 of these at a garage sale for a few bucks.  They were pretty beat up so I let the kids choose paint for their box to make it there own.  The 3 shelf unit works in the following way:

Shelf 1- things you can do on your own

Shelf 2- things you need moms help with 

Shelf3- things we do together

Before picture

Caiden helping paint his shelves.

Caiden's work box

Maddy's box.

History

     My sister-in-law lent me the most amazing history curriculum for next year.  There are tons of wonderful hands on projects; 3D maps, time line cards, building projects, games and dioramas.  It's also a literature based program so there are lots of reading books for each week.  The kids are going to love this style of learning.  However, there's a lot of pieces to each week.  So I've been cutting out the maps and time line and sorting the books and projects into the corresponding weeks.  I've also been looking at the planning sheet and highlighting when we will do what projects. That way each week I just have to pull out a bag and every thing will be ready to go.  All this prep now will make for an easier time during the school year.  Our curriculum is from Winter Promise and we'll be studying The American Story I.  Which covers US history from 1000-1850 A.D.

Math

There is very little prep to be done for our much for next year.  I used this same curriculum last year so I'm already familiar with it.  We also already have our math manipulative so there was little to purchase this year.  I do like to tear out the pages and evenly distribute the pages into 31 folders (which is how many weeks we will be doing school this year).  This makes staying on pace easy.

We will be using Horizon for our Math curriculum

Maddy's weekly folders are pink orange and yellow Caiden's are blue black and red.

Spelling, Reading, Phonics, and Language

We'll be using The McGruffy curriculum for Spelling Reading, Phonics and Language arts this year.  I pace out our work in the same folders that have our math in them.

Sight word games 

Science Experiments 

Science 

• September -We will be doing unit studies this year again.  Our first will be on how dunes are created and will be learning about the habitats of the Sleeping Bear Dunes.

• October - Rocks and minerals unit
• 
• November- Electricity 
• December- Off
• January- Light
• February- Gardening
• March- Sound
• April- Natural disasters
• May-Gravity and motion

Bible 
The kids will be doing GamED Academy for bible.  It's a Minecraft school that has partnered with Danika Cooley, the author of the Bible Road Trip curriculum.

Enrichment Programs

• Camp Roger Outdoor Education Program- Once a month both kids will spend a whole day outside and learn more about nature.
• HsAP- Each Monday Caiden and Maddy will go to the homeschool building for a drop off program. They will take Spanish, Art, Gym, Drama, Music, Math, and science.  Maddy won't attend for the first semester because of her fall birthday, but will start up in January.
• Res Life- Each Thursday the kids can choose 2 enrichment classes at Res Life.  While they are in class Westin goes to the nursery and I spend time in worship.
• YMCA Sports- I'd love for the kids to learn to swim this year.  So I'm hoping they'll choose swimming but we're up for them choosing 1 sport per season at the YMCA or parks and rec.
• Awana- Each Wednesday night the kids will recite bible verses from memory, play games, and hear bible stories.  They also look forward to Derby cars, theme dress up nights, and the roller skating party.
• Library Day- Once a week we go to the library for story time.  This is Westin's enrichment group.  He loves story time.  The big kids are welcome to listen to the story too but last year Caiden played with friends or worked on his homework.
• Science Tuesdays-Once a month we'll go to the Public Museum for Science Tuesdays.  They have a themed science topic each month and they've been really hands on and the kids love it.