it's here again! the not-back-to-school blog hop! started by life with my 3 boybarians, this year it is being hosted by heart of the matter online.
this week's subject is curriculum. we don't use a purchased curriculum so it probably seems weird to be joining the blog hop this week, but i do so in the hope that others who wish a less formal learning experience might find something useful here.
in preparing for this year, i reviewed our philosophy and homeschool mission statement and found that they both still feel relevant--that seems like a good sign. :)
i also reviewed our learning goals from last year and found that they remain very much the same as well--basically, we'll learn as much as we can from our day-to-day experiences, but i plan to structure the learning a little more, make it a little more intentional, as ella has expressed a desire for more formal work. to that end i have a subscription to enchanted learning (what a fantastic resource of fun, truly valuable printables for homeschool!), i check in on currclick regularly (they have tons of great resources, many for free!) and from time to time i find something magical at the local mckay's used bookstore (but i'll admit it--mostly what we end up bringing home from there are veggie tales DVDs.)
our 3R's continue to evolve, for example ella's language arts now includes some quiet reading on her own and composition of simple stories. our science this semester will focus on solar power and mammals, as those are her two greatest areas of interest (with the occasional detour into the world of dinosaurs). we still find our greatest math learning opportunities in our daily life--while cooking, shopping, etc. i do have some math activities planned that are more like "school work" but i believe she will enjoy them and she has recently come to appreciate the value of the check mark on her work. :)
for the "extras", we continue to explore the world of the various arts by actually doing them, but NO, she is not enrolling in any dance or music classes right now. that's a rant for another day. we were unfortunately presented a tremendous opportunity for community service this past spring in the form of a 500-year flood here in nashville, and i'm proud to say that ella met the challenge with aplomb and a selflessness that puts many people to shame.
this year ella will be preparing for her first holy communion, so that will be a focus of our religious studies.
the surprise: looking back at our last year in order to get ready for this year, it turns out that the things i specifically said we would NOT be doing were the very things that we did specifically end up doing. lesson re-learned: never say never. that is one of the many benefits of homeschooling--you can change course when needed. i try to remain flexible that way, but i'm making no promises. :) i do hope (hope) to be more disciplined about our workfolders.
please take a moment to visit the other homeschool curriculum links at the not-back-to-school blog hop, there are already over 100 links there 200 links there now!--something to suit every homeschooling style and personality. and when you leave a comment for the sites you visit (please do that--it means a lot, especially to the new homeschoolers), let them know i sent you!
*if this is your first visit to the ELLA echo, welcome! please have a look around and let me know you were here. feel free to subscribe and to follow me on twitter. and if you have found something valuable in this post or somewhere else on the blog, go ahead and share it with all your friends on facebook. :)