I'm surprised no one has asked this yet, (or did I miss it?) but what are your learning goals for 2011? I'm still composing my list but I am just wondering what everyone else is planning...I am still doing evaluation-type work with all 3 of my students, and I'll be able to form a better plan in a few days, I know in a general sense, my goals are: I want to do a lot more math with everyone. We'll use HOP as a springboard for spelling for everyone. I'm going to lead my 1st graders away from Phonics and into more aspects of the written language, such as grammar. I want 6yo and 8yo to do more literature. I want to introduce structured Art to them. I want to do more science also. I want to get 4yo up and running as a reader
Most of my goals are the same (just shifted to "upcoming" children), but I am trying to be more hands-off with science. I've got one of those boys who loves it (as I went to begin second grade, I discovered he'd already read all the 2nd grade sci books). I can't keep up with home. So, in addition to science reading, he has gotten a bunch of science kits for his birthday, and there are a bunch more in the wings for Christmas. So far, so good - since his birthday, if he's not smashing geodes, he's launching rockets, or "excavating" mineral samples, hiding coins in water (light refraction), etc...I don't imagine he'll maintain the intensity for the entire year, but it's good to know he'll be able to do these kits independently and won't be held back by me not keeping up.
We are working on solidifying some reading skills. I decided to try both of the girls on the same phonics instead of doing two different ones. It means a bit of review for my oldest but it is easier for me. I hope that works out. We will be doing the three r's and then this year I added in regularly scheduled science and very basic geograpy and state history. I also have a community helpers book we are going to do but if I can make that last more than 6 weeks I would be suprised. My hope for this year are to see both of the girls reading for pleasure. Anything beyond that I would count as a bonus!
I love this topic! My main goals with Gracie are: 1) Begin cursive writing. Be able to write in cursive one written narration per week. 2) Do more focused nature study. We do lots of unfocused nature study but I'd like Grace to begin a nature journal. 3) Begin teaching grammar using Langauge Lessons. 4) Drawing lessons using Draw 50 Animals. 5) Introduce Shakespeare.
Continue on with the school year goals and get into more of a routine after our recent move. Finish our school year by mid-summer.
Interesting.. We've finally hit our stride, so I'm pretty happy about where we are. However... 1.) Have a better schedule. I'd like an 'official' start time, at least. 2.) Find a way to make things more 'hands on'. I try to include as much as possible, but I'm still new at this. 3.) Field trips! This was my most exciting aspect of homeschooling and we've yet to go on one
Well, I only have one student at this time, and my goals for him to be accomplished by the end of May include getting him through third grade Pathways reading. We still have a couple of units of CLE left over, but we've finished second grade Pathways. So, finish CLE and then get onto 3rd Pathways. I want to get him through fourth grade CLE math (he's on track right now). We will definitely finish 3rd grade R&S social studies and science, 2nd grade Health, CLASS 3rd spelilng, and 3rd Pentime, but I'm not sure yet about finishing R&S 3rd Engish. I plan to take up Considering God's Creation when we finish the science book we're doing, but I don't think we'll completely finish it, so we can continue it next year. We're also doing some geography units from the internet that we may or may not finish - if we do, great, if not we'll just finish that next year too.
My big goal is to stick more to my original plan. Try to lean heavily on interest led learning, hit the big areas regularly, and have fun!
We're only part way through 2nd grade, but after Christmas I plan on making some small adjustments. 1) Since writing is a huge issue for us, we are stepping back and starting a k-1st grade writing curr. after the new year. 2) Finish up our other curr. and prior goals by mid may. 3) Try to do more fun stuff after the stuff that has to be done.
My main goal is to slow down and focus. So that being said in hs I am setting up the schedule again. Getting calmer with ds while working on Alg will help; I am changing up some curriculums to go back and forth like he will do next year at our church's high school. I am planning to be sure he can work independently on his classes but keep to a program becuase its all self pace at his school to be. ( at least for a semester of trial). So we will see if we can do it! Fall get so crazy for us now so Jan to June are our cram times.
The only goal I'm changing is for Rachael. It looks like she'll be part of ECOT (cyber school) come April so she can attend community college free next year (her senior year). That means she'll have to drop out of the co-op, which is difficult considering she's taking her Physics Lab there. Attending co-op and being part of a cyber-school is a no-no, because it would force the co-op to go by government regulations. So I need to get my act together and come up with transcripts for her.
Well, my goal for the new year is to start home schooling in the first place. We had a practice run today - while the 2 year old was napping, the 4 and 7 year olds and I went for a walk (in the pouring rain) just to see what we would see. We walked to a dollar store to buy crayons (found Crayola SCORE) and stopped for hot coco at a small diner on the way back. The flooding was so bad, we got soaked from the knees down. Once home, the two kids sat at the kitchen table with their brand new composition books (primary kind with room for a picture on top) and drew/wrote all about our wet adventure. Later this week we will start with a spelling program. I'm going with the Zaner-Bloser at this point, because the Spelling Power text I thought was at the library turned out to be Vocabulary Power. The cover looked very similar, too.
