Week 1 of Homeschooling!

Wow! I can't believe the week is over already! I am so pleased to say that the decision to take Gabby out of public schools has to be one of the BEST decisions we have ever made for her. This week we set the tome of our day which is pretty relaxed and instead looked at what we do from an educational standpoint. Instead of having her sit at a table for hours doing worksheets about animals or neighborhood helpers, we talked about them and then went out and actually experienced those things! Where before I would talk to her about whatever she wanted just to converse, now I see the value in those conversations and know that she is learning from that just as much if not more than a work book. Want to know all that she did in 1 week of VERY relaxed homeschooling?? Here is the journal I am keeping for my own records: (and I can assure you that we didn't spend 6 hours doing these things, she played outside as well everyday, AND got to eat her lunch in a non-pressured environment!)

Day1- Nov 1

• ·         Created clay figurines of plants (art/earth science)
• ·         Wrote in her journal (writing/spelling)
• ·         Worked on reading and spelling worksheets (reading/writing/spelling)
• ·         Learned how to use a microscope, looked at parts of butterflies and feathers (science)
• ·         Went to the library, learned how to find materials (social studies)
• ·         Discussed how a car works and what all the dials on the dashboard mean (science/math)
• ·         Played outside and helped rake leaves, talked about seasons and how animals prepare for winter (life science/P.E.)
• ·         Learned about banking and how debit cards/online banking works. Helped balance a checkbook.  (math/social studies)

Day2- Nov 2

• ·         Went to the mall, practiced reading prices, talked about advertising and creating signs using various fonts (social studies/reading/math)
• ·         Talked about pets and different ways that they need to be cared for properly (science)
• ·         Finished painting clay figurines (art)
• ·         Read books about Dia de Los Muertos (Holidays)
• ·         Colored and cut out a full size skeleton, learned about the bones in our body (art/biology)
• ·         Ate some tacos and talked about the customs in different countries (social studies)

Day3- Nov 3

• ·         Did worksheets in math, spelling, and reading (7)
• ·         Wrote in her journal (writing/spelling)
• ·         Read a book (non-fiction) about Lions (reading/science)
• ·         Was read Little House in the Big Woods (reading/listening)
• ·         Had basketball practice (P.E.)
• ·         Listened to some classical music and talked about how music can portray moods (music)

Day4- Nov 4

• ·         Walked outside for 1.5 miles (P.E.)
• ·         Watched video about Ballet and learned about some classical ballet stories like Sleeping Beauty (Fine Arts)
• ·         Talked about the importance of community and uniformed helpers (police officers, firefighters, postal worked, etc) (Social Studies)
• ·         Learned about beginnings of Thanksgiving, Pilgrims, and harvest time (Holidays)
• ·         Wrote in journal (writing)
• ·         Completed 2 addition worksheets (math)
• ·         Spelling List 1- words with -an and -en  (reading/writing)
• ·         Was read Little House in the Big Woods (reading/listening)
• ·         Listened to different kinds of music and identified instruments as well as low and high notes and tempo. (music)

Day5- Nov 5

• ·         Took field trip to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History where she learned about animal habitats and  our solar system. We explored both live animal habitats that are native to Ohio as well as looked at animal habitats around the world. Gabby discovered how things weigh different amounts based on the planet you are on, that while the Earth rotates and rotates around the sun, the Moon does not rotate. She practiced reading signs as displays, counted items, and looked at many other displays such as rocks, gems, and dinosaur bones. (Science, reading, math)
• ·         Discussed the different trees in Ohio and how they differ from each other in terms of colors, shapes, and leaf loss in the Fall. (social studies)
• ·         Watched an educational video about disasters and what you need to survive-food, water, fire, shelter, and security. Talked about different skills needed in survival situations and how to stay safe.  (safety, fire safety, health)
• ·         Wrote in journal about field trip (writing)
• ·         Wrote a letter to a new Pen Pal (writing/ spelling)

What I love about all of this is that this list is just the things I can remember, there is soooo much more that we talked about, she draws every day, reads books every day, and all the little things go into her overall education. Even something so trivial as talking about why we brush our teeth has educational value.
What this journal shows me is not only is Gabby learning what she is supposed to be, but she now has opportunities, like playing with the microscope, that she wouldn't have had at this point at a public school.
Needless to say I am a huge fan of the whole thing!