We have completed Unit 1 of our new curriculum. We plan to continue school through out the summer with a week off here or there.
Last week we had a death in the family, so we took a week off of school to help out.
I am looking forward to starting Unit two tomorrow. Here it is 9:00 on Sunday night and I have not even look at the material for tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be able to look at it tonight before going to bed. If not I'll have to do it in the morning before I wake up the kiddos.
Another reason I love the Heart of Dakota material......very little prep work is required. Nice for the busy mama.
After next week we will be taking yet another week off for VBS.
I just love that we can be so flexible with our schooling, but I am looking forward getting into a "normal" schedule.
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General notes of our exploration of roadschooling.
Hi!
Welcome to our Road School blog.
This blog is designed to help other homeschooling parents just like us, as we all strive to help our precious treasures become the people God has made them to be.
I started this blog when I first began my exploration of the homeschooling world.
The plan is to document our discoveries as we go along.
I hope you enjoy it.
Welcome to our Road School blog.
This blog is designed to help other homeschooling parents just like us, as we all strive to help our precious treasures become the people God has made them to be.
I started this blog when I first began my exploration of the homeschooling world.
The plan is to document our discoveries as we go along.
I hope you enjoy it.
Blog Archive
Curriculms we think we may like
Legal Help and Advice
Teaching Methodologies (Brief Overview)
Traditional Textbook Approach
* Instructor-driven
* Text-based
* Reading material followed by questions
* provides teacher editions, lesson plans
Advantages:
-Less planning on teacher's part
-Easy to chart scores
-Contains built-in tests
Considerations:
-Less freedom
-Less depth
-Student often becomes bored
-Student who does not fit the curriculum may feel inferior
-Student simply masters tests rather than material
Unit Study Approach
*Most subjects are covered by studing one topic
*Study material usually comes from reading books
*Usually includes hands-on activities
*Focuses on discovery learning
Advantages:
-Allows depth of study and greater understanding of topic
-Child retains what they have learned
-Useful for teaching multiple grade levels
Considerations:
-More planning required of teacher
-Harder to track accomplishments
-More uncertainty about covering all subjects
Classical Approach
*Teaches the trivium
*Grammer Stage (birth to 11)
*Dialectic Stage (11-14)
*Rhetoric Stage (14-16)
*Rigorous academics
*Strong reading program
Advantages:
-Follow stages of mental development
-Develops independent learners
-Teaches thinking skills
Considerations:
-Very little prepared curriculum available
-Overemphasis on ancient disciplines and classics.
Living Book Approach
*Study material comes from "real" books, not textbooks
*Various subects are integrated into reading, but not necessarily as purposefully as in unit studies.
Advantages:
-Students are reading books by someone who is passionate about the subject
-Learning is low-key because it comes as a natural process of simply reading a good book
-Allows exploration of a subject
Considerations:
-Not all subjects are covered at all times.
-Very difficult to track work because very little is written
-Hard to follow a traditional scope and sequence
Source: Smoothing the Way - the support group for new homeschoolers www.smoothingtheway.com
* Instructor-driven
* Text-based
* Reading material followed by questions
* provides teacher editions, lesson plans
Advantages:
-Less planning on teacher's part
-Easy to chart scores
-Contains built-in tests
Considerations:
-Less freedom
-Less depth
-Student often becomes bored
-Student who does not fit the curriculum may feel inferior
-Student simply masters tests rather than material
Unit Study Approach
*Most subjects are covered by studing one topic
*Study material usually comes from reading books
*Usually includes hands-on activities
*Focuses on discovery learning
Advantages:
-Allows depth of study and greater understanding of topic
-Child retains what they have learned
-Useful for teaching multiple grade levels
Considerations:
-More planning required of teacher
-Harder to track accomplishments
-More uncertainty about covering all subjects
Classical Approach
*Teaches the trivium
*Grammer Stage (birth to 11)
*Dialectic Stage (11-14)
*Rhetoric Stage (14-16)
*Rigorous academics
*Strong reading program
Advantages:
-Follow stages of mental development
-Develops independent learners
-Teaches thinking skills
Considerations:
-Very little prepared curriculum available
-Overemphasis on ancient disciplines and classics.
Living Book Approach
*Study material comes from "real" books, not textbooks
*Various subects are integrated into reading, but not necessarily as purposefully as in unit studies.
Advantages:
-Students are reading books by someone who is passionate about the subject
-Learning is low-key because it comes as a natural process of simply reading a good book
-Allows exploration of a subject
Considerations:
-Not all subjects are covered at all times.
-Very difficult to track work because very little is written
-Hard to follow a traditional scope and sequence
Source: Smoothing the Way - the support group for new homeschoolers www.smoothingtheway.com
Recommended Reading List Age 2-4 (Smoothing the Way, Inc.)
- Books from Five in a Row list
- Dr. Seuss
- The Velveteen Rabbit, Margery Williams
- Trumpet of the Swan, E.B. White
- Ramona the Pest, Beverly Cleary
- Nate the Great, Marjorie Sharmat
- Mr.Popper's Penquins, Richard Atwater
- Little Bear books,Elsa Minarik and Maurice Sendak
- The House at Pooh Corner, A.A. Milne
- Hello, Mr, Piggle-Wiggle, Betty MacDonald
- Frog and Toad, Arnold Lobel
- Courage of Sarah Noble, Alice Dahgliesh
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
- The Box Car Children, Gertrude Warner
- Billy and Blaze, C.W. Anderson
- Amelia Bedelia, Peggy Parish
- The Original Mother Goose
- The Complete Adventures of Courious George, Margaret Rey
- The Complete Tales and Poems of Winnie-the-Pooh, A.A. Milne
- A Child's Garden of Verses, Robert Louis Stevenson
- Beatrix Potter: The Complete Tales
- Lamplighter Books
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"By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures."
Proverbs 24:3
Proverbs 24:3
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