CHRISTEPHI

In my last post I shared what changes we're making to our core curriculum as we cycle back around and repeat Exploring Countries and Cultures from My Father's World. Now I'd like to share how we're organizing our day with a "morning basket." My kids are three years apart in age. From the time the youngest was in kindergarten to now, we have always done school together. Even when they were working on independent lessons, I'd have one kid on the right doing math and one kid on the left doing other math. But partway through our last school year, my eldest up and left us. Without consultant me, she apparently decided that she preferred the solitude of her own bedroom for her independent lessons. In fact, she started even taking some of our group work off on her own to complete independently! (The nerve!) So, we've made some adjustments. As much as I miss the togetherness of our younger years, this new style has its benefits.  For one thing, it allows ...

We are now a little over halfway through Creation to the Greeks and MFW First Grade. As you may have noticed, I dropped off blogging every week as I expected I would. It's easier to blog when the days are short and cold, but much harder to find time for it once spring arrives and we're out gardening and such in our spare time.  I wouldn't have it any other way!  If you wish to keep up with our weekly doings, you'll have to follow my Facebook page which is updated almost every day that we do school! So, now that we're on the downhill side of the year, I thought I would write a little about what has worked well for us this year and what hasn't. Our planners Back in January I copied the grid pages from my CTG and First Grade teacher's manuals and assembled them into a lesson planner for the year. (Remember: MFW allows for photocopying of the grid pages for planning and record keeping as long as you agree to never loan, give, or sell the teacher's ma...

I love languages! In college, I majored in Linguistics, which I found completely fascinating.  I took courses in several languages including Spanish, Russian and Mandarin Chinese.  Sadly, I've never become fluent -- or even conversational -- in any language other than my native English.  There are so many advantages to being ability to speak a foreign language both personally and professionally.  I want that for my children.  But it can be intimidating!  How do I teach what I myself haven't mastered?  The right curriculum can remove much of that intimidation. www.spanish-for-you.net When I first opened the  Spanish for You!  book, I was impressed!  Here was an affordable year-long Spanish language program that can be used for a range of ages at the same time.  It presents material to students in a spiraling fashion so that regardless of a student's prior experience with Spanish they'll ...