How are you?
This week we started back our home schooling and it's been a nice easy beginning. I have given myself two weeks to complete a couple of readings from Ambleside Y2 before we start Y3 which has worked out to be a very gentle way to ease back into the very full and rich curriculum that Ambleside online bestows.
I began this year by having a personal talk with my children on why their parents decided to homeschool them. I believe it is important for them to understand our reasons and values behind our choices.
Our reason is very basic - because God said to and above all else we obey and trust Him for He is the Lord of our lives and nothing satisfies more that doing what the Lord Jesus says to. We did discuss other great benefits of homeschooling which was just wonderful.
I then read the Father's love letter to my Son & Daughter and they were both very touched by this and if you have some spare time I encourage you to read this beautiful letter yourself, all scriptural! It is sensational.
For anybody interested here is our schedule for the whole year -
This is pretty much Ambleside's year 3 schedule, I have only omitted some books to add an Australian presence in our curriculum with the help from Jeanne's adapted AO curriculum.
Our Aussie literature books are -
Blackie the Brumby by C.K Thompson (Natural Science)
Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner
Storm Boy by Colin Thiele (Joshua's free read)
The Little Black Princess by Aeneas Gunn (Gracie's free read)
The Wonderland of Nature by Nuri Mass ( Natural Science - We have covered the first part of this wonderful Australian nature book, we will cover 'Plants' in term 3 this year)
We are going to be reading 'Robin Hood' instead of The Jungle book for term 3 as I have read (nearly finished) the Jungle book to Joshua and my daughter loves Robin Hood so that suits us.
Here are our free reads for this year taken from Ambleside Yr2 and Yr3 -
The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe & The Horse and His Boy by C.S Lewis are our family read aloud's for this year.
So there you have it, our curriculum choices for 2013. I'm pretty excited about it.
I'll leave you with some pictures from a picturesque place we were visiting over the past weekend.
Love Sarah
xxx
p.s I finished Les Miserables last night and tomorrow morning my parents and I are going to our closest cinemas to see the musical, very excited indeed!
p.s.s I have a few posts coming up on our Arithmetic choices, including Mep, Multiplication and how we are getting on, what books are on my bedside table and others that are on my list to hopefully read this year and some thoughts on Les Miserables and how I was quite disturbed.
My children go to a reformed school (10 minutes by bike). But I think it's certainly very interesting to read how you do it! The pictures are great. Your nature is so pure.
ReplyDeleteSarah. Thanks for sharing, first and foremost.
ReplyDeleteHow old are your children?
My girlies are 6 and 8, and next year, I see my youngest doing AO year 1, but my oldest doing year 3? I am tempted to do year 1, yes, and invent a year 2.5, LOL, we will still have much to do, and then do year 2 and 3 with them, I don't know, I need to pray and think, and make my own decisions... I just wanted to see how you do one schedule with two, (granted, I know, they do their own thing in math and copy write, etc.)
Hi Silvia, I am so happy I combined the years, so we can all join with the same readings etc. I felt it is a massive work load to try to do two separate years. The Lord will guide you by His peace. xxx
DeleteThanks. It will come to me. Next year I will have d2 in year 1, and d1 in year 3, but I believe as you say that two years with only two children will be a lot and not necessary.
DeleteI will pray for guidance, and I will let you know just for fun, what it is we end up doing, :)
So far it is going well, though, after I adjust our pace and postpone some readings, etc.
Have a great year Sarah.
ReplyDeleteI have never read Les Misables but I loved the movie!
Thanks Ruby! I loved the book more than the movie and I loved the movie! xo
DeleteThanks for sharing this Sarah ! Loved reading your schedule. We are still finishing off ao2 but am praying for guidance for this coming year......not sure if we will continue with ao or adapt it some more or change to a different curriculum altogether! I am finding some of the books challenging :)
ReplyDeleteHi Rosemary, I'm interested to know why you are contemplating changing curriculums altogether. Which books are you struggling with? xx
DeleteHi Sarah !
DeleteI don't like the look of children of the new forest, secrets of the woods (though we are doing the apologia option anyway this year) and also heroes. These are my least favourite books!
I think I'm finding the "old" books challenging and I'm concerned that if we swap too many books it will not get easier as we progress through ao ( I've heard on the forums that this can happen if we swap and change too much). I've also been struggling with my health and I'm thinking of going back to living books curriculum just so it's a bit easier on me:) would appreciate your prayers for wisdom and guidance :) xo
Will definitely pray and believe with you for God's right path for you, and for complete healing in Jesus name.
DeleteThanks so much Sarah ! I really appreciate it:)
DeleteSarah, It looks like you are going to have a great year. I wish you the best and look foward to hearing how it goes.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures of the children are adorable. Sweetness.