Portfolio...Just grab a binder and loose leaf paper to make quick notes about her progress through her lessons..."Struggling with 'at' family...will need to focus more on letter sounds" kind of stuff during the day...Also shows you are assessing her learning always a bonus. (Just be sure to date your entries so you remember as well) Add dividers for subjects, your rough plans or ideas for each subject and then some plastic clear pockets in each subject area. Each week, pick ONE item she's worked on and place it in that pocket for keeping and should anyone wish to see just what she's learning (school district)... And then, if anyone asks WHY you don't have concrete plans laid out for the year, tell them you are "learner led"...how can you plan concretely when your child isn't sure what they want to learn just yet???
Sports person-- The easiest form I have is the one my dh made me years ago, it is a one sheet planner with Subjects listed and large spaces to write in what to do, I generally list or give specif derections depending on the project. It is called "my Daily Lesson Plan" I have listed Bible, Math, English 5/Spelling/Reading, Science, History, Other. In the other I have often written what games or craft projects we would have for the day, map work or whatever else I wanted to do that day. There is enough room in them to write two or three days lessons, in fact when I went out of town a couple years back to help my Mother who was waiting for a spot in a nursing care facility for a whole week I wrote a weeks worth out for dh to follow for thier work. He coudl tell what I needed them to do, they could tell what I needed them to do. I generally write these up as needed , but you coudl do it once a week if you have a young child , if you need to fill it out for a portfolio, hubby gave me a name and date spot on top too! This year my plan is to keep them in a binder so we can look back and see, I added an initial spot for kid and mom so they can initial when they are done the work and I can initial as I check it. Keeps us both accountable that way! I had forgotten about this while planning things out then found it again since one of these lesson planning threads started up! Thanks guys you are so great at getting me going! I hope I am helpful to anyone, if you have more questions on this form we have feel free to PM me!
www.askpauline.com Okay, the site itself is geared towards PA homeschoolers - but she has so many GREAT forms that are great no matter what state you're in. I'm using her weekly schedule doc with no subjects listed on it. It even has a spot on the bottom to list field trip info and books read during the week! I love this one. You can download it as a .pdf or a .doc - I did the .doc so I can type it up and modify as I need to. I usually print mine out AND save a file for each week.
Hey everyone, sorry it's taken me so long to get back on here. I didn't mean to start a thread and then not respond myself. That night I went to bed early because of a dr appt first thing in the morning...but that appt was so horrible that I was dead tired the rest of the day. (It was for my autistic son, and he screamed and fought the whole time.) One of my biggest obstacles is managing my 4-year-old son while preparing/doing homeschooling. He's autistic and mostly nonverbal (usually only says a word every few months...but I've been working with him a lot lately, and he's actually talked at least 3 times in the past 5 weeks or so...that's amazing for him!). But you see, Jared needs me frequently, and he is always coming and taking my hand and pulling me to where he needs me. That's how he asks for help. But I'm the kind of person who, once I get distracted, I have a very hard time getting back on track mentally. It's like, if you are riding on a train and then you jump off, you have a hard time getting back on it...you see it whizzing by right in front of you but just can't get back on LOL...does anyone else have this mental issue after being distracted? I also always feel "behind" because I just got our textbooks last week (last came on Tuesday though). I'd set the day after Labor Day as our official start day, and I felt so pressured to go ahead and start that I just dove in. If I'd been able to track down and order those books earlier, then I'd have had more time to prepare and things wouldn't have been so hectic...and I probably wouldn't have been *as* panicky LOL. Maybe I should have just waited longer to start...but I was feeling guilty about starting so late after our local schools, you know? When all the other kids you come across have already started and your own kid hasn't, it makes you feel like you're behind and need to rush yourself. I'm actually not rushing my dd with her lessons or anything, but I am pushing myself so hard in preparing and stuff. Also, after the textbooks all came, I realized that there are some subjects that I want to supplement. So I began researching and trying to find textbooks I liked and felt appropriate spiritually. But now I'm trying to find these 2 extra textbooks at the lowest price possible since my homeschooling budget is already shot, and that's not going so well. So now I'll probably have to just buy them new and go over my budget even more. I'm a single wahm, but live with my mom to share expenses. I try to work at nights when the kids are asleep, so that time is unavailable. I try to do all my planning during their naptime, but with all my other responsibilities, it's becoming more and more difficult to do that. My mom, a ps teacher, is very against me hs'ing. She's giving me extra chores to do during the day, and coming home earlier than she used to...so I have more stuff to do, and less time to do it all. I am swamped and need some kind of a break to rest and get things done, but my parents both feel that if I'm so set on taking care of my kids, I've made my bed and should lie in it without a reprieve. Now I may have to add moving to my list of things to do. I did download HS Tracker and that's helping me a bit. Although I can't seem to get it to add up the total time spent correctly LOL...I think I did something wrong, but don't know what. GRRRR lol. But I think that once I get the hang of it, it will be a godsend!! Sorry this post is so long, but I really needed to vent LOL.
Relax!! We have so many therapy and dr appts that things get crazy here too some days. I make a list each night of all appts the next day and errands I need to do. Without this list, I would be lost! We bought the Leapster learning system when my daughter was little and she has learned many many things from it. It also keeps her busy when I am on the phone or in the car. It isn't like a Gameboy, she is actually learning from it. So I don't mind her having it. You are probably doing this but when my daughter was nonverbal, we had a picture schedule. This really helps!
Here's a really good tip Angelheart, one that I wish I could have let go of sooner....forget about the "typical school schedule". You're not behind. Once you find your groove you're going to be amazed at how much your children will learn even when you don't get everything done on time. I too am a single mom and I remember those first years very clearly. My youngest was a kinder and most of his stuff was real cheap - Pathways readers for reading, phonics and Grammar, and stuff I found online. But anyway, if I wanted something and I didn't have the money I would make it myself. I made an entire math curriculum with fact families that year. It wasn't great, but it did the trick. I still make my own curriculum, this year I made astronomy and Middle Ages History, but now I do it because I like it. I have been lucky because my mom is very supportive, she purchased all my middle schoolers materials those first years and that was awesome. I understand how needing someone's help might give them the belief that they are allowed to push their opinions on you, but you might gently remind your mother that these are your children and you are doing what you feel is best. She raised you to make wise decisions as an adult, and that is what you are doing. But again, forget about what public school kids do, what they learn, when they learn it etc. My son took his assessment a few weeks ago and missed almost every social studies question because we don't "do" social studies - we do classical education and so we are learning ancient history. So what if he doesn't know some things other 10 year old know - he knows why the Roman empire fell!! Hang in there and if you get some extra time, look up some statistics on homeschoolers and leave it out for your mother to see. Maybe she really doesn't know how great of an experience it can be. Good luck!
I feel SO RELIEVED now! I went on ebay and happened to find an ocean animals unit study, all neatly put together with basically everything included and ready to print out...6 weeks worth of lessons for under $4! I make myself justify and budget for *everything* I spend, no matter how small, to hold myself accountable LOL (because small expenses do add up over time)...and decided to pay for it with just the spare change I had in my purse LOL! (I actually had almost $10 in quarters I'd been meaning to get out of my purse anyway. I usually fund small purchases with change I save up!) The amount of time that'll save me (that I can now spend with my daughter instead) is amazing. And when I get it, hopefully it will give me a feeling about how to put together my own unit studies in the future. Although something sort of embarrassing did happen today when I was in line at the bank. My dad had given me some cash to deposit so I can buy a religion text and EL membership for my daughter online, and so I went to deposit it. The bank wasn't open yet, and I was talking to another customer while we waited. Then I began filling out my deposit slip while he was waited on, and I began counting out quarters from my purse so I could just add that too...partly as an excuse for funding the unit study, but also because I wanted to get rid of the extra change anyway, you know? Suddenly he put a $5 bill in my pile and then left. I said "thank you" thinking that I'd dropped MY $5 bill...which was a possibility because my hands were noticeably shaky from caffeine withdrawal LOL and I'd already dropped my coins. But after he had disappeared I realized he was giving me his own money! Maybe I looked so desperate counting out coins??? I was embarrassed, but also glad that there are still caring people in the world. Honestly I could have made use of that money, but 2 minutes after I got home I donated it to Second Harvest instead, along with $3.50 of my own money. I didn't feel right keeping it myself, and wanted to hopefully help out a family that's even harder-hit than mine. Every dollar helps deliver 20 lbs of food to a poor person. Ok, so I'm embarrassed about that bank incident, but happy that I've been able to work all this out. Now I can frugally educate my own child and have more free time with my kids (as well as a lighter purse)!
Wow, Angelheart, you really have an angel's heart! Colorado Mom and others are giving you good advice to let go of the "typical" school mode as much as you can. I know, living with your mom, you're coming under her expectations also, so that's not easy. It sounds like you're doing great though, and I wish you the best!
