Book Fair Review and a Plan

When I started making notes about homeschooling, it was a pros and cons list. One side was “Homeschooling” and the other “Private School.” For many reasons, Barry said that at this point in time, our local public school was not an option. Fine with me. So I read. Researched. Read more. Researched a whole lot more. I quickly realized that I didn’t need to do any more lists because educating our beebs in our own home is the right thing for our family at this time. I tried to figure out why The Flint Academy is worth the $17,000 annual tuition for each child. I wondered where I might like to work to pay for classes and uniforms at Pantego Christian Academy. Would I actually have to wear mascara five days a week to an office?! NOOOOOOOO! You get my point. We can’t afford private school for our children and I do not believe that they would be receiving an education really worth the cost.

So here we go.

Our Home School Book Fair experience was wonderful. Barry attended two morning workshops with me. The first was about popular teaching methodologies (textbook, unit studies, classical, living books, unschooling) and the second was about getting started when you’re new to homeschooling (legal issues, curriculum requirements, grades/keeping records.) When Barry asked for a pen and started taking notes, I knew he was going to be hooked. When he started talking about the importance of geography, well, I was all smiles. My mom accompanied me to the actual fair to browse the convention center full of exhibitors.

After exploring, I’ve decided on a very relaxed plan for Avery’s 3-year-old year. Here it is:

1. Sonlight’s Little Learners package is right up our alley. Book, books and more books!
2. A cool art project once a week – I will be visiting I Can Teach My Child, The Activity Mom Confessions of a Homeschooler for ideas. I might have to track down this book and A Beka has a cute little art book that I remember from my youth.
3. Chores & Responsibility Chart – includes Verse of the Week and Prayers; we already use “The Blessing Chart.”
4. Felt Sets are too cool to skip, so I’ve been collecting a few.
5. Hands on cooking/helping in the kitchen during the week. ( Dear Lord, please give me patience. Amen.)
6. Other Basic Stuff - letters, numbers, shapes, colors, manners, character development, serving others, being kind to her brother even when he tackles her and takes her puzzle pieces – This is the every day life category that we’ve been working on since birth.
7. Fun Stuff – Field trip or two (Yep. I just HAVE to plan an “official field trip), we love puzzles lately, board games like Candy Land or Don’t Spill the Beans, or Hi Ho! Cherry-O. I’m counting down the days until I can force my kiddos to play Rummikub with me!

There it is – What do you think? Our goal is to have fun with a little bit of structure to help all of us get used to the very foreign idea of homeschooling. Any other ideas? Please leave me a comment!

I have discovered MANY great resources, so here’s a list for you to browse.

• Doorposts – awesome character training books and items, including our “Blessing Chart.”
• Confessions of a Homeschooler – Letter of the Week downloadable curriculum
• Learn your Letters…..Learn to Serve
• My Father’s World – unit studies using Charlotte Mason/classical/Biblical approach
• Teaching Textbooks – really cool math program for 3rd grade and up
• Hank the Cowdog books – I read these when I was a kid!
• Pumpkin Seed Press – resources for your girl (purity, tea sets and Beautiful Girlhood series)
• Smoothing the Way – course for new homeschool parents during your first year of teaching
• Texas Homeschool Coalition – great legal information, handbook, legislative news
• Homeschool Creations – resources of all kinds, specifically the Preschool Corner
• KONOS – unit studies based on character traits
• Five in a Row – early learner curriculum
• Currclick – lapbook, curriculum resources
• Simply Charlotte Mason – resources for Charlotte Mason style teaching
• Zeezok – awesome study guides to teach from movies – Memom, you will be interested to know that they have a study guide for Father Goose!

Must Read Articles:

• Transitioning from Home Life to Homeschool
• Why Would Anyone Be Crazy Enough To Homeschool?
• 7 Major Blind Spots of Homeschoolers
• Homeschooling and the Myth of Socialization

"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."- Deut 6:5-7