Sunday, July 21, 2013

Summer Preparations

We've decided Chase isn't ready for school this year.  He still is of the attitude that he doesn't want to be there, be away from Mommy...  So we're homeschooling again.  Trying to get a head start on preparations.  Since last year, we started in the middle of the year.  After having already purchased school books and school supplies, etc.

Today I've gotten the school calendar ready so I can mirror the activities that are going on at the public schools.  Hopefully, we will have more outings, as I want to do field trips and social outings.  I've added a new page to the blog for Chase's First Grade Calendar.  I have 185 days marked, leaving 5 days for days off.  Guess we'll use those for sick days ;)  But hopefully, with little access to the germ cess pools (I mean, school) then we won't be sick so much this year.

I think I'll be giving him more real time application math assignments, like helping me halve or double recipes, figure out the grocery budget and making purchases.  He already knows to round up when he sees something marked as $9.99, it means $10.

I better check the Shelby Library's hours and activities list, since going to Lowell's Library every week may not be as easy.  The Shelby Library is small without much of a selection, but we can request books be transferred to this location.

I may be looking into used curriculum books or reduced rates, rather than attempt to purchase kits.  I've been looking over the Indiana Department of Education guidelines and suggestions.  In Indiana, we do not have a strict or suggested curriculum to go by.  I think he earns better when things are not presented as a worksheet.  Today, he curled up in the chair with me to look up what an Adam's Apple was, since he was concerned about his.  So we found several diagrams illustrating the parts of the throat and read aloud a description of the purposes and differences in genders.  As well as the two origins of the name.

He has always had an interest in anatomy, having said he wanted to be a doctor. Now, he wants to be a game designer, of course.  I may teach him some HTML and CSS.  Since those would both be very good skills to have and I am fairly knowledgeable in both.  I've found an easy to learn code site, which can take it a step at a time for young learners.  Maybe give him a step up from all the technology advanced students in school who have iPads and laptops.  Granted, he has had a computer of his own since he was 2 years old.  Well, with us on there with him.  But he has great computer skills.

Last school year, right before the end of the year, I found out about GlogsterEDU which I had already known about regular Glogster, I had an acct for fun once.  So I already had an idea of what I was doing.  So, basically, you make a worksheet or info fact sheet, or really anything you want, and give your students codes to access online and turn in their assignments online.  They edit the Glog and put in their own answers.  Or you could even just print out sheets for hand outs.  They have a lot of resources for free, so worth checking out.  I plan to buy a year so I can have the full educator account to add him in a classroom.  He enjoyed doing his assignment on the computer instead of as a worksheet.

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