2012 Not Back to School Blog Hop - Student Pictures

This week it is all about our "students"... aka... the BOYS!

Here are our blessings!

They are inseparable .. literally... they love being with each other, playing with each other... they define BROTHERS!

We are completely honored to be able to school them at home. 

Our main priority this year is growing in the Lord as a family.  We will focus on scripture memorization and application.  Very excited about this year.  We have a "1st grader, Kindergartener" and Teeny Tot.

"Miah" "Our Genius"

"Kindergarten"

Miah is a quiet, thoughtful, curious boy. He at times gets himself into trouble because of that curiosity.   He is always thinking. He thinks so much that he tunes me out!! He sees detail in everything! We have said since he was born that he is our genius.  Miah is a very bright boy!

Mommy: "Miah, what do you want to be when you grow up?

Miah: "A bass player to play for God"

PRAISE THE LORD!!!

Favorite color: Orange

Looking forward to: Painting, Math and learning how to read shark books

Work-on: Listening to Mommy(he gets really involved in what he does that he doesn't hear me!)

 "Bongie" or "Sunshine"

Teeny Tot

The happiest boy I know... He defines what sunshine actually does. Always happy and making others laugh.  He is our class clown... I know this will back fire... but hey it's okay... we enjoy him so much!

He will be playing, reading and coloring lots!!  He loves doing school with the boys!

"Chubby" "Ito"

"1st Grader"

Chubby is a teddy bear.  He is always loving on everyone.  He is the best BIG brother I know.  He takes care of his brothers at all times.  He is also very neat and organized.  A very bright boy... he loves music (like his daddy)... plays piano and drums (he will be getting lessons this year!)

Mommy: "Chubby, what do you want to be when you grow up?

Chubby: "A Pastor"

PRAISE THE LORD!!!

Favorite color: Blue

Looking forward to: Math

Work-on: Reading more (it's hard to get him motivated to want to read)

Our first day of "official" school consisted of introducing our new calendar time, We Choose Virtues, rules and coloring!

So these are our students!

Hope you all have a GREAT YEAR!!!

For His Glory and By His Grace,

Monica

The 2012 NOT Back to School Blog Hop - SCHOOL ROOM

So excited to be able to participate in the 2012 Not Back-to-School Blog Hop! This week its all about our school rooms.  

It has taken me a while to clean up our school but it is finally done!!!  I should have taken the before pictures but instead just went right into cleaning mode.  So here is our school room:

This is where I keep on hand crafts, puzzles, folders etc.  Soon there will be a large white board covering that red wall :0( I love red! But it is necessary!

 

This is the poster that is on the white cabinet.  I found it months ago and knew I would put it up for the new year.  My plan is for the boys to read it daily.

Here are where the boys will be doing their school work.  They have their own desks and wall.  The walls  have two large magnet boards; we bought these from IKEA last year (very inexpensive!)

I am still looking for new desks.  I want something that will last them for a long while as well as chairs. I don't want to buy them school chairs that they will grow out of quickly.  Any suggestions?? I saw months ago a special chair that gives them good posture and they can grow into it... BUT I can't find the name of it :0(

This what is above each of the boys desks.  Here I plan on putting up weekly/daily bible verse and their reading / spelling charts as well as any art, science any project that they would like to display!

These are some posters I have up on the opposite wall.  They might stay until I find use for this wall.

NOW.... MOMMY's AREA!!!

This is a mantle that was here because we used to have a TV... but NO LONGER!! So Ihave used it as storage.  It needs reorganizing!  Below the mantle is all the things that are leaving the house!!  YAY!!!  Soon I will have another IKEA EXPEDIT Book Shelve to store all my SonLight material.

This table is next to the mantle...Sorry there is a mess... but this is where I do all my cutting.  I also sit here away from the quiet school area to do one on one work with the boys.

Mommy's Office (right in front of the white table)

My Storage...lots of bible material, phonics etc.

This is where it all happens!

Back to the school area.  This is just a front view of the Expedit Book Shelf.

(YES... THOSE ARE BOXES of ALL THE Curriculum THAT IS WAITING TO BE PUT OUT!!!  SOON AND VERY SOON!!)  Some Curriculum... All About Reading/Spelling!! and Games on the bottom!

Here I keep all paper, paint, stickers, extra pencils, glue crayons, markers, glitter... anything I don't want the boys to get into without my supervision!!  It has happened and it was not fun cleaning up!

Well that is our school room!  Hope you enjoyed the tour!

If you would like to read about the curriculum we are using you can go here.

For His Glory and By His Grace,

Monica

The NOT Back-to-School Blog Hop - Curriculum Week

As a rookie in homeschooling I have learned that school shouldn't be a Monday though Friday, 9 am -1pm, time frame.  School is life. Anything that I can teach my boys to better their lives is school, wherever I am, whatever I do, I want them to gain wisdom and knowledge.  I want to teach them to grow up to be great men for God.  Yes, I know that is looking far into the future, but everything I do now, everything I say now and everything I teach now, will create a ripple effect into their future, whether good or bad, seen or unseen.  

So this year I will be doing things a little differently.  My husband and I feel that our priority will be teaching our sons to have a relationship with God and to depend on Him.  We will still do all other subjects because that is important.  But we will not move forward until they have been in the Word for that day.  We want them to know that their foundation  for anything they want to do or accomplish is in the relationship they have with God.  

I have joined the 2012 Not Back to School Blog Hop to share what I will be doing in "Life School" with my boys.  It will be my 2nd year homeschooling; 1st grade, Kindergarten, teeny-tot!

Bible (all ages)

*The Child Training Bible: (1st & K) 

We will be working through one tab weekly, reading through the bible verses, "Get at the Heart Questions"and "Scripture Prayer"

*We Choose Virtues: (1st & K):

Abeka Bible Flash a Card Series (all)
I have the old version of the nursery set and many individual sets.  I will use them to teach bible stories. The boys love this!  The visuals are beautiful and ARE LARGE!!

*SonLight Bible Core A

The * will be done daily.

Language Arts

1st Grade:
All About Reading Level 1/2
All About Spelling Level 1/2
SonLight Language Arts 1
Rod and Staff  Reading - We Learn about God Set
Rod and Staff Penmanship - "Penmanship for Christian Writing" Set

Kindergarten:
All About Reading Level 1
All About Spelling Level 1
SonLight Language Arts K

Math:

1st Grade
Singapore Math 1

Kindergarten
Singapore Math K

Science (all ages):

Sonlight Science A: Biology Botany and Physics
Daily Science Grade 1

History/Geography:

1st Grade:
SonLight Core A: Intro to the World: Cultures
Evan-Moor Daily Geography Practice Grade 1

Kindergarten:
Sonlight P4/5: Exploring God's World
Evan Moor Beginning Geography Grade K

*Spanish:

Both Grades:
Speedy Spanish

1st Grade:
Rod and Staff: Lectura 1 en Conjunto

* This is a MUST in our HOME!  My husband and I speak, read, write fluently in Spanish AND I WAS a public school Spanish teacher, so these boys are going to start early!!  I will give you more updates about how I plan on teaching spanish to the boys in a way where they not only memorizing but will write, speak and understand what is being taught!! FUN, FUN!!

Music and Sports: (both)

Piano Lessons (continue for my older son and my {almost 5} will begin)
Drum Lessons (my older son {6} most likely beginning of next year!)
Soccer in the Fall
Swim Lessons (current)
Ice skating (in preparation for Hockey) in the Fall

Momma Help/Curriculum:

The Well Planned Day Planner



Bought this last year and loved it!  So I am using again with the software!

I will also be continuing my new journey Getting Serious with God.  You can read about it here.

SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THIS YEAR!!  I have been praying and planing this year since March!!  I know seriously early!!  God is good and faithful.  We are depending on HIM!!

By His Grace and For His Glory,

Monica