Back to School

Normally we do some educational time during the summer. This summer it just was not possible with the travel schedule that we had. So we took a break. There was some learning along the way and that counts as part of our school. Traveling can teach so many things. My kids ate new foods, like dragonfruit, HP Sauce; they learned how big the world is, flying around the world gave them the opportunity to visit some new countries. Some learning just happens.

Some learning is a bit more intentional, like the Bird Park fits great with science, a morning at King Henry VIII’s palace, Hampton CourtPalace helped to visualize history.

Now we are back to the books and structured learning. I had to make some last minute adjustments to my plans for this year. I have a master plan that has rough books and/or subjects for the next few years.  I had everything we needed but it is boxes waiting to be shipped and as we can’t move yet. I needed to make some adjustments.

I have put together my objectives for each child. My objectives are general in some areas like continue to work on math skills and specific like work on letter sizing for Miss K. I also have written some expectations. The objectives give me the direction that we are heading and the expectations help me to know what I am looking for along the way. Some of the expectations I will tell them and some I don’t.

I have also looked at what we are doing this year and determined how many days each week we need to do that subject. I have also tried to put together what is an assignment amount so math for J is a lesson a day. Using that chart my expectation is that he will be able to plan a large portion of his learning.

So it is time to unpack the books that arrived and find our math books in the boxes that we stored at a friend’s house while we traveled this summer. Now we are back to school.

Some years I have done fun things on the first day of school like take photos of the kids and all their books or fill out a page about me but this year we are just jumping in and getting started.  Grandma has an old school desk and some decorations which was perfect for some photos. 

This is my 5th year homeschooling J. 

I have told Miss K that 2nd graders do lots of school. She only wants to do a tiny bit. We usually begin with math and then do handwriting and reading/phonics. Last spring she decided she wanted to do school backwards. This morning when we began she asked to do school backwards. Her memory amazes me at times.

 So we are back to school. What fun things did you do for back to school?

Beth