And so it begins!  For reals! Well, kinda. My homeschooling, in a legal sense, will start for real next year, but I’m going to use this year as a sounding board for the best way to keep records for the state.  You can find my own goals and ways of doing things on my mentoring page.

This page is for my oldest.  She’s a go getter and has a really great memory, so lots of academic type stuff sticks, even though we aren’t doing any forced academic program, she loves to play school and do lots and lots of activities (more than I’m willing to provide, actually!).  As long as I am near enough to talk to, she’d be happy if I planned fun activities all day long. 🙂

She also loves to read. She started reading at around 3 1/2 and 4, but wasn’t too interested in doing it often.  Once in awhile she’d want to read every other page or sentence or just the words she knew.  But, usually, she just let us read to her.  Then a month or so before she turned 5 she started reading more, and it was crazy how well she could read by the time she was 5!  It’s like she was watching and learning all last year and finally decided she was interested enough in it. Two months into the year, she’s reading all the time and has gone well beyond the simple readers.  I’m constantly amazed at how well she can read!  It was also suggested that we start reading chapter books aloud when she was 3 1/2!  I had never heard of such a thing.  So, we started it, and loved it!  I decided to combine that idea with the little parties I would give when she was younger.  That culminated into a book club, that has been super fun!

I don’t think it’s necessary to push any skill or specific knowledge.  She’ll learn, because she wants to or when it’s necessary for her to do so, not because I push it on her.  I think that is something that rings true for every person, regardless of age.  Her interests lead the way.  I offer an activity, and sometimes she is ready to go (and may even want more), other times she finishes half and wants to do the rest later, and other times she doesn’t want to do it at all.  All of those scenarios are fine with me.  Because at this age, I don’t really care about the academic aspect of her education.  I’m more interested in her growth as a person.

But, I like planning, and she loves activities. Planning things is perfectly fine in an unschooling environment, and what I plan is age appropriate.  If I were to say we needed to sit and do a curriculum for a set amount of time, regardless of her interest or lack of, that would be a problem, both from a natural learning perspective, but also from a developmental perspective.

In a conversation online about this, some are very against the idea of planning anything, I realized that for some people, natural learning isn’t planned at all.  For me, I see planning as an extension of her natural interests.  I think all people do this.  If you have a child who likes animals, you’d plan a visit to the zoo.  If you have a child who likes trains, you’d buy them some.  If your child likes to color, you provide crayons and paper.  And with those same children you might introduce them to animal habitats or other forms of transportation or paint or charcoal.  Knowing that their interests can expand when they are given the opportunity to explore new things.   So I plan activities based on what I think she’ll enjoy and her input, and we do them (or we don’t).

She’s definitely enjoying the input aspect, so that’ll probably make for some interesting themes. 🙂 Here’s the plan.  I’ll add to this as she expresses interest in things.

July 2016-July 2017

Main Theme: Mistakes Can Be Opportunities to Learn

Plan for activities (all are optional.):

• Book Club description can be found here.
• “Places” is a geography study (One each month — related to readings or holidays or areas she may be less familiar with — includes reading books, flag, map, language, music/dance/art, activity, themed dinner, watching videos)
• “People” relates to short studies of a person (one a month — includes reading books,  watching videos, and an activity [maybe 🙂 ]. )
• “Events” is my attempt to keep up with important calendar dates that happen during the month (how often varies — includes books, videos, and a few activities.)
• “Themes” can refer to a few days or a whole month of delving into a subject. (Generally chosen by her and include things like decorating the house, themed snacks/baths/meals/toys, and a number of related activities and books.)

Specific Areas of Interest Throughout the Year

1. Girl Scouts — Selling Cookies
   Book: Daisy and the Girl Scouts: The Story of Juliette Gordon Low
   Book: Here Come the Girl Scouts!
2. Artist focus each month
3. Music lesson – once a week
4. Swimming (whenever we can)
5. Numbers of the day (She’s been asking to do this since we did our letter of the week activities!  I’m only going to do the ones that she writes backwards, since she really knows all the rest of them.  I decided a day would be enough time to spend on a number. 🙂 )
6. Horse-Riding lessons twice a month with a mentor
7. Core Book: Bible, Themes – Knowing God and Wisdom (Proverbs Study)
8. Journals: Poetry, Life, Science, Bible, Art, History and Math

Activities, Books and Themes

July

1. Summer Theme
2. Ocean and Beach Theme (Tot School Ocean Theme and Pinterest Board)
3. Horse Theme (Pinterest Board)
4. Classics Book Club: Creek Exploring
   Minn of the Mississippi    (Pinterest Board)

August

1. Classics Book Club: At the Seashore
   A Bear Called Paddington    (Pinterest Board)
2. Art Book Club: Mistakes Are Beautiful
   Beautiful Oops!    (Pinterest Board)
3. Important Event: Olympics (Pinterest Board)
4. Places: Brazil (Pinterest Board)

September

1. Skeleton Theme [chosen by her] (Pinterest Board)
2. Core Book: Proverbs 2:6-10 (Proverbs Pinterest Board)
3. Places: Russia (You Not Them Book: Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing) (Pinterest Board)
4. Fall Theme (Tot School: Fall Party and Pinterest Board)
5. Farm Theme  (Pinterest Board)
6. Art Book Club: Going Dot Crazy (Pinterest Board)
   The Dot
7. Classics Book Club: Farm Fun
   Two and Two Are Four

October

1. Places: California
2. All About Me Theme (Pinterest Board) (moved from September)
3. Core Book: Fall Holy Days and Proverbs 2:11-15 (Proverbs Pinterest Board)
4. Space: The Moon (Pinterest Board)
5. Number 2 Day
6. Event: Presidential Election
   Books: If I Ran For President
   If I Were President
   Grace for President
   Hillary Rodham Clinton: Dreams Take Flight
   Woodrow for President: A Tail of Voting, Campaigns and Elections

November

1. Thanksgiving Theme (Pinterest Board)
2. Places: Massachusetts
3. Number 3 Day
4. Core Book: Intro – Knowing God, What is the Bible? and Proverbs 2:20-21 (Proverbs Pinterest Board)
5. Art Book: Crazy Turkeys
   Just Behave, Pablo Picasso!
6. Picture Book Club: Thank You Cards
   Ten Thank You Letters
7. Classics Book Club: Homesteading Adventure
   Understood Betsy

December

1. Places: Kenya
2. Winter Theme (Pinterest Board)
3. People: Wilson Bentley
   Book: Snowflake Bentley
4. Theme: Shapes (Mostly did what we did here, with some added stuff for her level.  Can find those on my Pinterest Board)
5. Theme: Caves (Did what we did last time we did this theme.  Can find it here.) (Pinterest Board)
6. Number 4 Day
7. Core Book: Blessing (Jacob and his sons) and Proverbs 3:1-4 (Proverbs Pinterest Board)
8. Art Book Club: Ish Books
   Ish

January

1. Places: India
2. People: Ruby Bridges and Sylvia Mendez
   Book: Let’s Read About: Ruby Bridges
   The Story of Ruby Bridges
   Ruby Bridges Goes to School
   Through My Eyes
   Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation
3. Core Book: Follow God (Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego) and Proverbs 3:5-8 (Proverbs Pinterest Board)
4. Art Book Club: Charcoal Exploration
   A Splash of Red (Pippin)
5. Classics Book Club: Detective Party
   Nate the Great
   Nate the Great Goes Undercover
   Nate the Great and the Lost List
   Nate the Great and the Phony Clue
   Nate the Great and the Sticky Case
   Nate the Great and the Missing Key
   Nate the Great and the Snowy Trail
   Nate the Great and the Fishy Prize
   Nate the Great Stalks Stupidweed
   Nate the Great and the Boring Beach Bag

February

1. Places: Mexico
2. Number 6 Day
3. Theme: Birds
4. People: George Washington
   Books: Big George
   George Washington’s Teeth
   Take the Lead George Washington
5. Core Book: Forgiveness/Repentance (Jonah) and Proverbs 3:9-10 (Proverbs Pinterest Board)
6. Classics Book Club: A Play and the Park
   Charlotte’s Web

March

1. Places: Ireland
2. Rainbow Theme
   Books: A Rainbow of Animals
   Pollyanna (Adult Book Club – Glad Afternoon)
3. Birds Theme [Chosen by her]
   Books: How to Paint a Portrait of a Bird
   The Tale of Pale Male: A True Story
   Mama Built a Nest
   White Owl, Barn Owl (A great video to watch with this one about how silent owls are)
4. Person: Margaret Morse Nice
   Book: Birds in the Bushes: A Story About Margaret Morse Nice
5. Core Book: Protection (Elisha) and Proverbs 3:11-12, 13-18, 21-26, 27-28 (Proverbs Pinterest Board)
6. Art Book: Flying Kids Watercolor
   Sky Color
7. Picture Book Club: A Bear Hunt
   We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
8. Classics Book Club: Fun Times at Mrs. Piggle Wiggle’s
   Mrs. Piggle Wiggle
9. Extra Read-Aloud Books: More Milly Molly Mandy
   Baby Island

April

1. Spring Theme (Pinterest Board)
2. Places: Continents and her place in the world (Earth, Hemisphere, Continent, Country, State, County, City, House)
   How Far Do You Love Me
   Me on the Map
   Where Do I Live
3. Core Book: Parent (Jesus and Spring Holy Days) and Proverbs 6:6-8, 12-15(only first part of 15), 16-19 (Proverbs Pinterest Board)
4. Art Book: Jungle Collage
   The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau
5. Picture Book Club: Dance Party!
   Giraffes Can’t Dance
6. Extra Read-Aloud Books:
   All About Sam
7. Read By Herself (besides picture books):
   Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds

May

1. Places: New York
2. Rain Theme
3. Number 9 Day
4. Core Book: In Charge of Natural World (Calms Storm)
5. Art Book: Pastel Flowers
   My Name Is Georgia (O’Keefe – coincides with Mother’s  Day)
6. Classics Book Club: Visiting a Farm
   Farmer Boy

June

1. Places: Florida
2. Core Book: Follow God (Fruit of the Spirit – Pentecost) and Proverbs 3:27-28 (Proverbs Pinterest Board)
3. Art Book: Action Jackson
4. Classics Book Club:  Strawberry Picking
   Strawberry Girl

July

1. Event: Fourth of July
   Books: The 4th of July Story
   Apple Pie Fourth of July
   Jon, Paul, George and Ben
   Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George
2. Places: United States of America
3. Core Book: Proverbs 4:7

Mentoring Goals: Age 5

Learning Plan: Age 6

Learning: Ages 3-4