I’m so excited to talk about the new curriculum we just got in the mail!  It is always such a fun time to get new materials in the mail.  Actually, I think any type of non-bill/non-junk mail is always welcome in my home!

I know this is only the end of February, and we aren’t completely finished with Core A from Sonlight yet.  However, we are working a lot faster in the math then I had anticipated, and the read alouds have been a source of great entertainment for us.  I think that my kids just love books as much as me, so when the instructors guide tells you to read half a chapter, or even one chapter each day, it isn’t enough for my kids, especially my oldest.  Instead, we sit down and read books in a week instead of in the several weeks that the instructor’s guide intends.

We ordered the Grade One Multi Subject Package with Singapore Math 1 instead of the Horizons Math that comes with the program.  We have really been enjoying the Singapore Math K that we got last year.  Emma has taken to the instruction quite well, and is able to figure out the exercises before I even have a chance to explain them!

I think it may have been a mistake to open it as soon as it came in the door!  These books look absolutely amazing!  I think part of the draw is that most of the readers are Dr. Seuss books that my daughter already loves.  But, my husband also told me how excited he was to start reading some of the books to the kids!

I like to have the curriculum all bought and set aside for when we need it, no waiting around, we can just continue right on with our learning.  The year ’round homeschooling is working out quite well for us.  I think we end up taking a long weekend here or there, a week or so off if we are sick or feeling out of sorts.  It all seems to work out in the end though!

I am sure that as my kids get older, and their interests are more defined, I will have to start tailoring their curriculum on an individual basis.  But, as of now, the amount of reading we are doing is phenomenal.  I love to hear the questions that my daughter comes up with and the amount that she seems to recall each day.

I would like to set aside a planning weekend at some point in the next month to wrap my head around this summer and how we are going to fit in formal schooling.  As the kids get older and are more excited about working in the garden with me, I think that we will have to shift gears a bit.  I am considering doing an intensive science program this summer, instead of concentrating on as much history and other core readings.  Only time will tell if that works out!

Are you starting to think about next years curriculum?  Do you set aside a weekend to plan out what you want to do?


Linking up at the Hip Homeschool Hop

Well, we received Emma’s new books for school.  I can’t say that I am upset about it either 🙂  Seeing the FedEx man come to the door with two boxes of goodies was so exciting!  Emma and Jack were so excited to see that they each got a box after it was emptied.

Of course they both wanted to play with the books immediately.  Emma, because she was excited to see new books to look at; Jack, because he likes to do every.single.thing. his big sister does 🙂  Emma loved opening up the box of science experiment supplies.  Something that she wanted to do immediately.

Unfortunately, our instructors guides are all on back order, hopefully they will go out this week, so I only have the first couple of weeks that I downloaded from the website.  So instead, I let her watch the science experiment DVD that came with the program.  She watched just about the entire DVD, and is excited about all the experiments to come – as is Matt.

So far things have been going well.  We started in immediately.  Some things we do a lot of in a day (like Math, which she loves), and other things we go a bit slower.  The Bible stories are quite a bit longer than what she is used to, so we read a little less in that.  She loves the Sing the Word CD.

Overall, I think this will be a really great fit for us.  We have been working through everything first thing in the morning, right after breakfast.  We work at the books for about an hour and a half, and then she is ready to do other things, and it is a good place to end.  I hope that it continues to go well, but know that if I need to adjust some things, it won’t be the end of the world!

Is anyone else crazy enough to start a new school year in May?  I am joining in at the Hip Homeschool Hop!