Picture of Mary in May

This is a portrait of my eldest and youngest children which I finished a few months ago. At the time, I considered using the reference photo for a picture of Mary with the baby Jesus - but I didn't think it was quite right. The angle of my daughter's head meant that her face was too obscured to be able to adapt it to my interpretation of Our Lady.

I've done a lot of pictures of Mary, over the years - usually as gifts for family and friends. Sometimes, I've copied an Old Master's painting and, at other times, I've used a holy card as a reference. I normally adapt Our Lady's face to my vision of her, so the finished picture has always been slightly different to the original. This has usually happened subconsciously, as my own relationship with Mary has subtly influenced my work.

The picture below is one I did, about three years ago. The face in my picture is a bit more motherly than the original, probably because I personally relate to Mary as a mother, rather than as the young and simple girl of some pictures.

This time around, I want to do my own picture, using my own reference materials. I think I'll use one of my daughters as a model, though I'm still a little undecided about the pose. I hope my Mary will be gentle and motherly and serene - but, how to get this right?

Maybe, you can help me by telling me how you visualize Our Lady. Do you have a favourite picture of her?

Ideas for Homeschool Blogging

 Recently, the girls and I were reading the chapter in Little Women where the March sisters write their own family magazine. They each assumed a character from Charles Dickens' The Pickwick Papers and they read aloud their contributions, during a solemn club meeting. Louisa May Alcott based this chapter upon her own childhood experiences and it seems as though the writings may have actually been those of herself and her siblings when they were children.

It looked like a lot of fun and a great idea that could be adapted to homeschooling so I've been busy, this weekend, setting up an online family magazine for the children. 

The way I've done it is to consolidate their individual school blogs into one family blog. It seemed more practical to share a blog because I was posting the same links and articles on four separate blogs and, besides being time consuming, it meant that there would be four different conversations going on in the comments sections. So, now there is just one blog and it's simpler.

I've incorporated our old ideas into the blog and, also, included some new features to make it more like a traditional magazine. So far, this is what we're including:

• Book reviews
• Prayers and devotions
• Movie reviews
• Science articles
• Music and art appreciation
• Poetry
• Creative writing
• Web links
• Youtube links
• Family photos
• Videos
• Recipes
• Quizzes and cryptic word puzzles
• Family anecdotes and jokes
• Artwork
• Craft photos and tutorials
• Nature study facts and photos
• Excursion photos
• Letters to the Editor
• Fun Advertisements
• Pets corner
• Tutorials

 I had the idea to do something like this when I first started blogging but gradually my blog developed around my thoughts on family and homeschooling, rather than the actual school work itself. The children began their own blogs, instead, and I started to post strewing ideas on them. This has worked really well for the spontaneous, unschooling type of learning where rabbit trails happen and we go off on different sorts of tangents. I've found that it's a great way to share new discoveries and achievements.

Yesterday, we had a vote on the name of our magazine and came up with Quick Chats - Creating with Wisdom Magazine. It seems that, despite my uncertainty, our original title is here to stay. Oh well, I guess it's a motivating reminder of what we aspire to, even if we don't ever quite achieve such a lofty goal ;-)

I wonder if other homeschoolers use a family blog in their schooling - what ideas do you use in your blogs?

Nature Journaling - The Finished Page

Here's the finished notebook page, from yesterday.

I've added an excerpt from Shakespeare's poem, 'Under the Greenwood Tree', the date and the name of the specimen in both Latin and English.

Other things I could have added might include weather observations, diary notes, scientific observations, notes on art techniques or creative writing.

I've decorated it, using coloured pens - a bit hastily, actually. It would have been improved with delicate, little decorations of specimens from the scene. I guess how ornate you want to be depends upon how much time you want to spend journaling. We could easily spend a whole day doing this, so we have breaks every now and then to concentrate on other things.

What do you add to your nature notebooks? I'd love to hear your ideas:-)

Paintings of the Family

I wrote, in my last post, about how our children pick up on my interests and passions.

Because they are so ready to imitate, I find that I have to be active and interested in doing things myself. I think that's an important reason why our homeschooling works. It's as though I'm the captain of a ship, safely steering them all to really wonderful destinations. Well, that's the theory, anyway!

At the moment, I'm quite busy trying to resurrect my portrait work. I have passed up some exhibiting opportunities, through lack of time - the family has to come first - but, still, I'd like to keep up art as a hobby, and the children, once again, are imitating with their own artworks.

The painting above is an oil painting of my second eldest daughter from a number of years ago. As always, I can see a lot of faults in it, but it reminds me so much of how she used to be and that makes me feel a bit gooey inside:) The acrylic painting below also takes me right back in time. This is a portrait of my two eldest girls, at one and three years old. It's unfinished and lacking in tone, but, again, I have a soft spot for it because of the beloved subjects:-)

I'm not sure whether to keep my portrait blog or post my pictures here, instead. My art blog doesn't seem to have a purpose, now that I'm no longer exhibiting, but I'm wondering how I can fit this stuff in with our homeschooling theme. It would be easier to have just the one blog, though...

Maybe, I'll look to the stats for feedback - if they suddenly plummet, I'll know to leave out the boring art piccies!

Our Nature Study Journals

After being inspired by Chareen and Erin's posts on nature study, I decided to write about our approach to nature journals.

As with most of our other schooling, we tend to follow an unstructured method. We use a blank notebook, rather than printed pages, as it gives us more freedom to do our own thing, and we have no pre-planned agenda. Often the study will lead to further research or it will rabbit trail into a different study or a game, but our starting point is usually just an empty piece of paper and a pencil.

Sparking the Interest
I find, as with most things, that the children's interest in nature journaling is usually sparked if I start doing it myself first. Today was a typical example. I took my sketch book out to the creek and sketched some trees on the bank. Then, I brought a sample inside (it was cold out!) to do a close up indoors. Seeing me draw, led our girls and their friends to ask for drawing lessons. Instead, I suggested that they go and do some nature study of their own. This kept them happy for over two hours and the pictures they drew were great.

Our children are given a nature journal, as soon as they start to do school work. The first entry is usually a crayoned leaf rubbing. We simply talk about the names of the trees in the garden, and they choose some leaves for their journal. At this stage, their writing skills are very basic so they just write the date and, possibly, the name of the plant, and I write anything else that they want to include.

I normally give them a lot of freedom to choose their own subjects, though I do include some ideas for seasonal studies, in their weekly lesson plans, in case we have trouble finding something to interest us. I also have a list of general nature activities, which I sometimes include in the back of their lesson plan.

What We Include in our Nature Journals
One thing I love about nature journaling is that it can incorporate so much more than just nature. Drawing lessons, scientific study, poetry, Latin, photography, crafts, book-making, handwriting or calligraphy and, probably, a lot more.

In the beginning, their journals might be untidy and full of scrawls, but that's okay. I think their childish innocence and simplicity is actually quite beautiful. Gradually, however, they want to improve their presentation so we look for inspiration in nature and art books. We try to incorporate our ideas for science, art and languages into a journal which will become a beautiful keepsake, in years to come.

Encouraging Confidence in Journaling
As their abilities develop, I will sometimes guide and mentor them. This could mean talking about ideas for what they could include on their page or giving some advice on art technique. But, I am cautious about doing this as some children are sensitive to criticism and can be easily discouraged. It's often better to give general advice, at another time, rather than criticise a current project.

Sometimes, I find it helps to have an idea of what to include on a page because, although we prefer the freedom of a blank page, it can seem daunting if the ideas are slow in coming. One approach is to draw a quick sketch of a scene and then do a more detailed study of a small sample from the scene, as I've done in the picture above. The sample could be a leaf, flower, insect, piece of bark or anything which might be interesting to look at.

Teaching Art Techniques
When I draw a nature scene, I look for interesting textures and, also, how the light falls on the different colours. Loose, scribbled drawings can be very effective when drawing outdoor pictures. Young children generally like splashes of colour and are normally very creative. Older children should be encouraged to have confidence and not get lost in the detail. It's not necessary draw every leaf and a loose, messy approach, besides being more fun to draw, usually ends up producing a more pleasant and realistic effect.

The close-up drawing doesn't have to be expansive. If the child is over-whelmed by all the detail, then a part of the specimen could be depicted. It's also not important to draw a perfectly accurate reproduction of the real thing. Some children may have a very scientific approach to nature journaling, while others may prefer the ingenuity of creative licence. I think most children tend to find their own style and learn what's important to them, if they are given freedom in their journaling.

Interest in Journaling
So far, the interest in nature journals has lasted longer for our girls than for the boys. I like to encourage their interest and initiate new ideas, but, if they don't want to do it, that's fine. I can usually tell if they genuinely aren't interested - as opposed to being lazy or needing inspiration - by getting my own nature journal out first. If that doesn't motivate them to join in, then there's probably something else they should be doing instead. And, if that interests them more, it will profit them more.

There's many ways to appreciate nature without making a journal, including gardening, fishing, playing on the beach, bush walking, specimen collecting, zoo visits and more. They don't have to journal to learn from the experience. There are also many different ways to make a journal. Taking photos for a themed photo album or scrapbooking might suit some children better than a hand-drawn nature journal. Others might be inspired to look after their own pet or a piece of garden, instead. Keeping a diary or log book might be a more appropriate way of assessing progress and learning from their activities.

But, when the interest is there and fresh ideas are fast in coming, then nature journaling is an effective way to learn and heaps of fun, at the same time!

Tomorrow, I'll post on the development of this page and how it is finished off.

Useful iPad Apps for Record-Keeping

After my post on our registration documents, Grace asked me what iPad apps we use so I thought I would show you some photos of how we use the iPad for record-keeping.

The photo above shows a page from our learning log. This is a simple app, called Dailybook, which I use for plain note-taking or journaling. It does allow photos and audio clips to be attached, but it can't be used to link to the Web or to attach videos.

As you can see, you can play around with fonts and styles to make it look less techie and it also has search and tagging functions. It allows for the creation of several different notebooks and each one can be password-protected.

Photos are displayed as thumbnails and they can be clicked on to see in a photo viewer.

The other app that I like to use is iNotebox HD.

I really love this app - it just has to be my favourite! It's very versatile and it synchronises so well with the other apps on the iPad. The photo above shows how customised icons can be used to navigate around the files and folders contained on it.

There are several alternative views, such as the list view, above.

The calendar, on iNotebox, synchronises with the other apps and can display colour-coded notes or calendar events. I have used this to get an overall picture of the balance in our activities, over the weeks, and also as a weekly or monthly planner.

A useful feature of iNotebox is the ability to link to the Internet to include YouTube videos, images, maps, audio and more. It also allows you to hand draw on a note. As far as I know, there aren't a lot of journal apps that can do all this and, so far, I've found this one to be quite reliable.

I like the fact that I write a note in iNotebox and then post it to a blog, email it or convert it to a PDF file. Dailybook has some of these same functions.

Unlike Dailybook, the photos, in this app, can be embedded into the text.

It is less like a journal than a directory but that is useful for the different range of activities that I record there. I use it for planning and recording schoolwork, as well as family photos, my own interests and household notes.

There is a choice of fonts and display options for personalising the app and, though I've been using it for a little while, I haven't worked out all that it can do, yet.

Finally, the third app that I use, in my day, is more for household chores than for schoolwork - though it could be used as a schoolwork planner. This is the Errands To-Do List app.

Although iNotebox also has checklists, I use this separate app for my daily chores. It shows me how many tasks need to be done in a day, sends reminders and logs progress. I find it works as a good and simple organiser. When I first used it, I made a second checklist for our homeschooling so that I could stay on top of read alouds, etc, but, I found that I preferred flexibility in our schooling, so I just use it now for my cycle of housework tasks and it works great for that.

So, there you have it! Just a few of the marvellous things you can do with a wee, little iPad:-)

What are your favourite apps?

The Lobster Award!

 

I was so happy to be awarded The Lobster Award by Chareen, last week. This award was started by Victor as a way of thanking those kind people who stop to comment and offer encouragement for our blogging efforts. Victor says it

 is an honor given to those Bloggers who visit you regularly, no matter how feeble, tiresome, long-winded and sleep making your posts may be, and who leave a word of encouragement or good cheer in your Comments Box.

I love that because my blog posts are feeble, tiresome, long-winded and sleep making! Anyone who sacrifices time in their day to respond to any of my drawn-out ramblings truly deserves an award of the highest honour.

I guess, for me, being able to share and swap thoughts with friends - from all over the world! - is the reason why I blog. I love getting into conversation with everyone I meet here and on their own blogs. And, I'm just so grateful, inspired and encouraged whenever someone takes the time to stop and respond to some little thought or idea that I've shared. I really appreciate your kindness.

At this point, I'm supposed to nominate my own lovely commenters and thank them by passing on the award. But, as most of my regular commenters seem to have received this award already, I'll just mention everyone who has so generously added to the conversation here, over the months - it sounds very cliche but I wouldn't still be blogging without your thoughtful feedback:-)

Chareen, Sue, Sarah, Therese, Elisa, Erin, Willa, Tereza, Imogen, Leanne, Jackie, Angel, Grace, Deanna, Faith, Leonie, Gae, Steph, Mary, Aliadelaide, Tricia, Natalie, Sararose and Pam.

Thank you!

Just the Recycling Bin

Reycling Bin
This is the page for all those silly posts which have paused at the recycling bin, on their way to deletion. When I've freed myself from the terrible habit of laughing at my own corny jokes, I might be able to bring myself to actually delete them;-)


1. Disclaimer on Creativity
2. A Day in the Life
3. A Week in the Life
4. Masterly Imperfection
5. Our Would-be Piano Virtuosos
6. Soup-flavoured Milkshake
7. Fun with Photoshop
8. Sneaky Cheating Photography - All is not what it seems
9. I'm a Co-Sleeper
10. Our Proud Unschooling Achievements
11. You Know You're Unfit When...

Adapting Official Outcomes Requirements to a List of Homeschool Goals

A number of years ago, our Board of Studies introduced outcomes requirements for both schools and homeschooling families. I'm thankful that the guidelines, relating to this, are quite loose as I find the outcomes defined by the Education Department to be too abstract and irrelevant to our objectives.

I compiled this list of goals as a substitute for the BoS outcomes and we have used it successfully, in past registrations.

Some of the goals listed are fairly lofty but I figure it's better to aim high than sell our children short. Of course, they may not get this far and that's okay. As always, we allow them to follow their interests, and I try to strew and guide in ways that I feel are appropriate to their development and abilities.

Sometimes, I find it useful to read these goals to reaffirm our principles and ideals. Where the curriculum list gives me ideas for specific learning activities, this list helps me to relax and free myself from outside expectations. It reminds me to refocus on the reasons why we are homeschooling the way we do and what we hope to achieve.

The curriculum list and this list of goals change, sometimes significantly, as we grow as a homeschooling family. When I look at them, I feel they could both do with an overhaul but they are still useful to us as they are, now. Some things never change and there are enough constants here for me to benefit from keeping such a list. It is, also, sometimes, useful to look over the details that we would change in order to understand how we're progressing and where we are heading.

General Outcomes & Personal Educational Goals
English
1. Teach reading using the Ladybird and McGuffey series of readers, phonics exercises, copy work, homemade books, cloze exercises, Spalding methods, etc
2. Encourage the love of learning through interesting reading
3. Listen to and progress to read many classic novels
4. Increase attentiveness & comprehension through listening to readings of progressively greater difficulty and narrating them regularly
5. Teach writing through creative writing, diaries, copy work, dictation & encouragement of own writing efforts, incorporating writing practice into other subject areas wherever practical, eg. the writing of poetry, history & science journals
6. Learn correct spelling, using spelling notebook, editing & written exercises
7. Learn grammar concepts using copy work, diagramming, editing exercises, editing own written work & grammar handbook for reference
8. Teach essay & report writing skills
9. Develop memory skills by memorizing Bible verses, catechism texts, maths concepts, grammar concepts, foreign language vocabulary & poems of an increasingly more complex nature
10. Develop speaking skills with socialization opportunities, poetry recitation, reading aloud, drama, much discussion & debate
11. Develop presentation skills; written (including computer based) & oral
12. Develop confidence & presentation skills by presenting own projects orally to family members
13. Develop debating skills with practice based on specific topics or questions
14. Learn the art of rhetoric through study of good speeches, discussion, debate & written expression

Maths
1. Use ‘Mathsplus’, ‘Targeting Maths’ or online Maths program from Kindergarten to Year 2
2. Use ‘Understanding Maths’ texts, or similar, for subsequent years
3. Wherever possible, learn maths concepts using everyday activities and practical examples
4. Encourage the incorporation of mathematical concepts in project work


Religion
1. Use homemade catechism with cloze sentences in kindergarten. Discuss, copy & memorize the St. Joseph First Holy Communion Catechism, followed by The Catholic Family Catechism & the Baltimore Catechism Nos. 1 & 2
2. Teach & encourage devotion to Mary at all stages, beginning with ‘Leading Little Ones to Mary’ & following with the various writings of St. Louis de Montfort
3. Memorize & pray common prayers
4. Learn the Latin form of Rosary prayers
5. Listen to & read bible readings & saints biographies
6. Read Catholic literature & inspirational writings
7. Daily discussion & instruction on Catholic doctrine, the Mass & the Sacraments
8. Progress to a detailed study of Catholic Apologetics & the history of the Church


Literature
1. Listen to & read classic books by such authors as C.S. Lewis, Mark Twain, Lewis Carrol, Jules Verne, J.R.R. Tolkien, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jane Austen, Victor Hugo, etc, etc
2. Progress to read & gain both an understanding & an appreciation for Charles Dickens’ writings, for their literary value
3. Read Shakespeare plays as a family group from a young age
4. Progress to read, individually, Shakespeare’s histories & plays for their literary & historical value
5. Progress to gain an understanding of & appreciation for the great classic writings
6. Use discussion, narration & written expression to communicate ideas & understanding
7. Use study guides, where appropriate, to aid analysis
8. Use different media to listen to and watch adaptations of classic literature for enjoyment

Poetry
1. Develop memory skills through the memorization of poems of increasing length & complexity
2. Gain a love for & appreciation of poetry through listening to a variety of works
3. Learn to identify own tastes in poetry styles & recognise the styles of different poets
4. Use poetry terms & concepts to discuss & analyse classic poems
5. Use study guides, when appropriate, to aid analysis
6. Maintain a poetry journal from a young age to develop writing, drawing, presentation, memorization & literary skills
7. Maintain the habit of collecting favourite poems in a personal poetry journal for enjoyment’s sake

Science
1. Develop observation & analytical skills through science kit experiments & nature study
2. Develop drawing skills & gain an appreciation of the natural world through nature study
3. Expand knowledge & encourage a natural curiosity through the reading of science journals & library books
4. Study biographies of famous scientists & their works throughout history
5. Study the contributions that Australians have made to the progress of scientific knowledge
6. Encourage the awe & fascination with nature through videos & local excursions
7. Ignite the imagination by listening to science fiction stories
8. Learn to use the computer for research & design
9. Learn to use binoculars & telescope for own interest & research
10. Learn to use the digital camera, camcorder & computer software
11. Develop gardening projects which include record-keeping
12. Learn concepts of scientific method & techniques for recording & analysing information
13. Progress to more in-depth studies of different topics
14. Encourage & pursue areas of particular personal interest
15. Study & analyse the issue of Creationism v. Darwinism, with a view to understanding our Catholic faith & developing both spiritually & intellectually
16. Encourage the analysis of scientific issues in the context of our Catholic faith

History
1. Read variety of historical books, both fiction & non-fiction
2. Develop an interest in historical biographies & autobiographies
3. Read & listen to historical plays & fiction, including Shakespeare & classic children’s fiction
4. Study the history of Australia & Australian people with a view to understanding the Australian social & political culture & identifying admirable role models
5. Maintain a Book of Centuries from an early age to gain a chronological awareness of historical events
6. Develop the confidence & learn the skills necessary for the independent research of topics on the computer & at the library
7. Progress to the writing of increasingly more in-depth & analytical reports & reviews
8. Develop an analytical approach to viewing historical events & characters
9. Gain an awareness of own identity within perspective of social & historical environment
10. Analyse historical events in the context of our Catholic faith

Geography
1. Learn to identify geographical locations through the use of geographic journals, atlases & encyclopaedias in conjunction with history & literature readings
2. Draw & memorize maps of the world to develop memorization & mapping skills
3. Investigate the structure of the Earth & its changing history
4. Investigate the geography of the Earth in its social context
5. Commit to memory facts regarding the local area & local maps to aid navigation & expand useful knowledge
6. Learn to use maps and GPS technology for practical travel purposes
7. Study the geography of Australia with a view to gaining an appreciation of the Australian environment & its position in the world
8. Investigate the details & concepts used in the study of geography

Arts & Crafts
1. Encourage freely inspired artistic creations
2. Teach drawing skills based on imitation of quality artworks and inspiring art texts
3. Encourage experimentation with different media, including clay sculpture, crayons, pencils, ink, woodwork, sewing, papercraft, watercolours & oil paints
4. Encourage an interest in library books & magazines devoted to the teaching of art & craft techniques
5. Learn techniques & gain inspiration through videos & TV shows
6. Encourage artistic expression through the creative presentation of various schoolwork subjects & experiences
7. Experience a variety of hobbies with a view to discovering talents & encouraging an initial interest to develop into a lifetime passion

Art Appreciation
1. Observe, narrate & draw the paintings of the Old Masters & Australian artists in order to develop various skills including those of observation, artistic knowledge, comprehension & memorization
2. Develop artistic skills by the careful copying of the works of the Old Masters
3. Gain an appreciation of art & art history through the study of the biographies of various artists throughout the ages
4. Develop an appreciation for the works of individually-renowned artists
5. Begin to recognize the styles of different artists & identify own preferences with regard to artistic tastes & styles
6. Develop speaking skills through narration

Music
1. Begin weekly piano lessons at a young age & continue depending on interest level
2. Maintain a habit of regular piano practice
3. Learn music theory from an early age
4. Listen to the music of renowned composers on a regular basis with a view to developing a knowledge of & an appreciation for classical music
5. Listen to music of various styles & different eras
6. Watch a variety of musical videos
7. Progressively identify own tastes in music
8. Learn to recognise different pieces of music & the styles of different composers
9. Learn & regularly sing hymns at Church
10. Progress to studies of other instruments, if interest permits

Latin
1. Learn root words, chants & vocabulary from an early age
2. Study & analyse the history & development of the English language from its Latin (& other) roots, with a view to improving vocabulary, understanding, literary skills & expression
3. Learn Latin prayers & progress to learning the Latin form of the liturgy
4. Study Latin using Cambridge Latin Course Books 1 to 5 throughout Years 4 or 5 to 12
5. Learn grammar concepts using Latin Grammar textbook
6. Progress to translate Latin texts, if interest continues


Introductory Study of the Classics
1. Study Greek to gain an appreciation of the origins of our language, literature & culture
2. If possible, progress to read the writings of Plutarch, Shakespeare, Homer, Sophocles, Sts. Thomas Aquinas & Augustine, etc, & certain Papal encyclicals with understanding & genuine interest
3. Study ancient social, economic & political history, in conjunction with changing developments throughout the ages, with a view to understanding the modern world & Australian culture

Physical Education
1. Continue to develop physical & social skills by regular exercise & by participating in local sports activities, if interest permits (eg. local cricket, soccer)
2. Continue to swim (backyard pool)
3. Continue with nature walks, bushwalks & other local excursions
4. Continue to live an active lifestyle

Personal Development
1. Develop financial skills through the management of own pocket money and bank account
2. Develop various skills & virtues through the contribution towards household tasks
3. Teach work ethics through opportunities to earn money through household tasks
4. Encourage an appreciation of family & a sense of belonging by emphasising & reinforcing family values & routines
5. Encourage emotional growth through frequent discussion, prayer & unity in action
6. Encourage spiritual growth by grounding all of our activities & teachings in our common faith which includes daily Mass, prayer, spiritual readings, reflection & discussions
7. Encourage Christian virtues through good works, tolerance, moderation & an appreciation of Christian values & principles
8. Encourage team skills, sportsmanship & positive family relationships through board games and sports
9. Build self-esteem through a positive approach towards the learning of new skills & the avoidance of negative or discouraging methods of correction
10. Encourage healthy eating through the example of regular mealtimes & the learning of healthy cooking skills
11. Teach an awareness of safety issues through such everyday activities as the use of sunscreen & the example of courteous & defensive driving techniques
12. Encourage self-discipline, independence& self-confidence by discussing outcomes & promoting responsible decision-making, allowing instruction through the experience of natural consequences where appropriate
13. Encourage articulation by providing formal & informal opportunities to speak & relate to children & adults in a variety of environments & situations
14. Encourage self-initiation & creativity by aiming to limit unnecessary parental input, ie. restrict active participation in favour of observation, wherever possible
15. Encourage obedience & respect for authority through Christian teachings
16. Encourage an active lifestyle through outdoor activities, hobbies & the selective use of TV & computers
17. Encourage growth in maturity through increased freedom & independence in external activities

Ideas for K-12 Homeschooling Curriculum

The documentation that I prepared for our registration process, this time around, is quite light on certain subject and grade level details. I have submitted this information before and I'm in two minds whether it's necessary to reproduce it. I'm thinking that I probably will include it as it explains some of the methods which have been glossed over, in our other documents.

I wrote this list, about six years ago, and I've adapted it, as our methods have changed since then. It may be more classically orientated than unschooling in nature but I still find it useful for stimulating ideas, focussing on skills and helping the children to form their goals.

We never plan to achieve everything on the lists and we constantly divert from these ideas and book suggestions, as new ideas come to mind. As an aid to strewing, however, I do find it a helpful resource.

K-12 Yearly Curricula
Kindergarten memory work, listening, basic skills
1. Religion – illustrated book of bible stories, homemade catechism with cloze sentences
2. Maths – Mathsplus or Targeting Maths Kindergarten and Year 1, manipulation using cuisinere rods, blocks, sand, water, playdough, etc
3. Reading – McGuffey’s Primer & First Eclectic Reader, Ladybird readers, saints stories, fairy tales, nursery rhymes, phonics workbook, homemade books, flashcards, etc
4. Comprehension – narrate Aesop’s Fables and short bible stories
5. Science – nature study (eg. Australian Nature Studies – J.A. Leach), cooking, library books, nature videos
6. Poetry – listen to and memorize poems & rhymes, write short poems if ready, this year
7. Art – classic art appreciation: observe, draw, narrate; drawing, painting, craft, etc
8. Music – listen to classical children’s music, dance & sing to children’s CDs & videos
9. Writing – Handwriting workbook, homemade ABC book, cloze books, etc
10. Phonics – Phonics workbook, homemade cloze book

Year 1 memory work, listening, basic skills, copywork
1. Religion – memorize St. Joseph’s First Communion Catechism, listen to bible readings, listen to ‘Leading Little Ones to Mary’ (memorize slogans)
2. Maths – Mathsplus or Targeting Maths 1 and 2, manipulation using concrete materials, SmartKiddies online maths program
3. Reading – Continue McGuffey’s Primer & First Eclectic Reader, Ladybird readers, listen to stories & novels
4. Comprehension – narrate Grimm’s Fairytales, Hans Christian Anderson stories and short bible stories
5. Phonics – phonics workbook, cloze exercises, flashcards
6. Writing – copywork, cursive writing, poetry, personal journal, bible verses
7. Science – nature study (eg. Australian Nature Studies – J.A. Leach), cooking, library books, nature videos
8. Poetry – poetry book: drawing, writing, reciting, memory work
9. Art – classic art appreciation: observe, draw, narrate; drawing, painting, craft, etc
10. Music – listen to classical music & short biographies of various composers, start piano lessons, aural training

Year 2 memory work, listening, copywork
1. Religion – memorize & discuss Catholic Family Catechism, biography of St. Louis de Montfort, bible readings (memorize bible verses)
2. Maths – finish Mathsplus or Targeting Maths 2, start Understanding Maths Years 3/4, manipulation using concrete materials, SmartKiddies online maths program
3. Reading – start to read short stories & novels (eg. Dr Dolittle), McGuffey’s Second Eclectic Reader
4. Comprehension – narrate from a variety of readings
5. Spelling – start spelling book, dictation of bible verse for memory work, use Writing Road to Reading (Spalding), if necessary, otherwise teach spelling rules informally
6. Literature – classic children’s novels (eg. Lewis Carrol, Laura Ingalls Wilder, A.A. Milne, C.S. Lewis, etc)
7. Science – nature study (eg. Australian Nature Studies – J.A. Leach), Usborne books, start science notebook, nature videos
8. History – family history, First Fleet, start timeline & history notebook, library books, historical children’s novels
9. Geography – map of Australia, research maps related to readings, Twins & Cousins geography novels, study local environment & local map
10. Poetry – poetry book: copying, drawing, reciting, memory work
11. Art appreciation – observe, draw, narrate, biographies of famous artists
12. Arts – self-initiated projects
13. Music – listen to classical music, biographies of composers, start piano lessons

Year 3 memory work, copywork, grammar, listening
1. Religion - memorize & discuss Catholic Family Catechism, bible readings, saints biographies, compile personal prayer book on computer, bible story book, listen to The Secret of the Rosary (St. Louis de Montfort)
2. Maths – Understanding Maths Years 3/4, manipulation using concrete materials, Studyladder (or similar) online maths program
3. Reading – unabridged classic children’s novels, appropriate to age and standard of reading (eg. Robert Louis Stevenson, some Enid Blyton, etc) , McGuffey’s Third Eclectic Reader
4. Grammar/ Spelling/ Writing – copy poems, literary passages, catechism & bible verses, dictation, personal journal, start diagramming & learning grammar concepts
5. Poetry – poetry book: copying, drawing, reciting, memory work
6. Science – nature study (Australian Nature Studies – J.A. Leach), library books, science notebook, animal & plant classifications, space project, narrations
7. History – listen to history readings, start Book of Centuries timeline, history notebook, historical novels, narrations
8. Geography – atlas study, listen to geographical & travel journal readings, Twins & Cousins geography novels, copy maps related to readings, narrations
9. Art appreciation – observe, draw, narrate, biographies of famous artists, read critiques & stories behind famous paintings
10. Arts – self-initiated projects
11. Music - listen to classical music, biographies of composers, weekly piano lessons, start music theory

Year 4 memory work, copywork, grammar, worksheets, listening
1. Religion – memorize Baltimore Catechism No.1, bible readings, saints biographies, listen to The Secret of Mary (St. Louis de Montfort), start My Daily Bread, prayers
2. Maths – Understanding Maths Years 3/4, manipulation using concrete materials, Studyladder (or similar) online maths program
3. Grammar – copy poems, literary passages, catechism & bible verses, dictation, personal journal, continue diagramming & learning grammar concepts
4. Spelling – spelling book for corrections, associated words & vocabulary
5. Poetry – poetry book: copying, drawing, reciting, memory work
6. Reading - McGuffey’s Third or Fourth Eclectic Reader
7. Literature – listen to & read classic writings appropriate to stage of development (eg. E. Nesbit, Louisa May Alcott, Tom Playfair books, Anne of Green Gables books, etc)
8. Science – nature study (eg. Australian Nature Studies – J.A. Leach), library books, science notebook, simple experiments, light & sound experiments, narrations
9. History – listen to history readings, continue Book of Centuries timeline, history notebook, historical novels, narrations, memorize significant dates
10. Geography – atlas study, listen to geographical & travel journal readings, Twins & Cousins geography novels, copy maps related to readings, narrations
11. Latin – memorize chants, vocabulary, Latin prayers, English root words, Latin Primer Book 1, Our Greek and Latin Roots
12. Art appreciation – observe, draw, narrate, biographies of famous artists, carefully copy techniques of famous artists, read critiques & stories behind famous paintings
13. Arts – self-initiated projects, learn techniques from art texts
14. Music - listen to classical music, biographies of composers, weekly piano lessons, continue music theory
15. Shakespeare – listen to Lamb’s Tales, participate in family group study & role play, follow up exercises (eg. drawing scenes, copying verses, etc)

Year 5 memory work, copywork, grammar, writing practice, listening
1. Religion – memorize Baltimore Catechism No.1, bible readings, saints biographies, listen to True Devotion to Mary (St. Louis de Montfort), continue My Daily Bread, prayers
2. Maths – Understanding Maths Years 5/6, manipulation using concrete materials, project work, Studyladder (or similar) online maths program
3. Grammar –continue diagramming & learning grammar concepts, dictation, copywork, editing
4. Spelling – spelling book for corrections, associated words & vocabulary
5. Poetry – poetry book: copying, drawing, reciting, memory work
6. Reading - McGuffey’s Fourth or Fifth Eclectic Reader
7. Literature – listen to & read classic writings appropriate to stage of development (eg. Narnia books, Roald Dahl, Rudyard Kipling, Daniel Defoe, etc)
8. Science – nature study (eg. Australian Nature Studies – J.A. Leach), library books, science notebook, simple experiments, biographies of scientists, narrations
9. History – listen to history readings, continue Book of Centuries timeline, history notebook, historical novels, narrations, memorize significant dates
10. Geography – atlas study, listen to geographical & travel journal readings, Twins & Cousins geography novels, copy maps related to readings, narrations
11. Latin – memorize chants, vocabulary, Latin prayers, English root words, Latin Primer 1 and 2, Our Greek and Latin Roots
12. Art appreciation – observe, draw, narrate, biographies of famous artists, carefully copy techniques of famous artists, read critiques & stories behind famous paintings
13. Arts – self-initiated projects, learn techniques from art texts, experiment with different media
14. Music - listen to classical music, biographies of composers, weekly piano lessons, continue music theory
15. Shakespeare – listen to Lamb’s Tales, participate in family group study & role play, follow up exercises (eg. drawing scenes, copying verses, etc)

Year 6 memory work, copywork, grammar, writing skills, listening
1. Religion – memorize Baltimore Catechism No.1, bible readings, saints biographies, listen to The Story of St. Bernadette, continue My Daily Bread, prayers
2. Maths – Understanding Maths Years 5/6, manipulation using concrete materials, project work, SmartKiddies online maths program
3. Grammar –continue diagramming & learning grammar concepts, dictation, copywork, editing, parsing
4. Spelling – spelling book for corrections, associated words & vocabulary, dictionary work
5. Poetry – poetry book: copying, drawing, reciting, memory work
6. Reading - McGuffey’s Fifth or Sixth Eclectic Reader
7. Literature – listen to & read classic writings appropriate to stage of development (eg. Jules Verne, Thomas Hughes, etc)
8. Science – nature study (eg. Australian Nature Studies – J.A. Leach), library books, science notebook, simple experiments, biographies of scientists, human biology, narrations
9. History – listen to history readings, continue Book of Centuries timeline, history notebook, historical novels, narrations, chapter synopsis, characterizations
10. Geography – atlas study, listen to geographical & travel journal readings, copy maps related to readings, learn mapping skills, narrations
11. Latin – continue chants, vocabulary, Latin prayers, English root words, Cambridge Latin Course Book 1
12. Art appreciation – observe, draw, narrate, biographies of famous artists, carefully copy techniques of famous artists, read critiques & stories behind famous paintings
13. Arts – self-initiated projects, learn techniques from art texts, experiment with different media
14. Music - listen to classical music, biographies of composers, weekly piano lessons, continue music theory
15. Shakespeare – listen to Lamb’s Tales, participate in family group study & role play, follow up exercises (eg. drawing scenes, copying verses, etc)

Year 7 analysis, grammar, writing skills, listening
1. Religion – memorize Baltimore Catechism No.1, bible readings, saints biographies, listen to My Imitation of Christ (Thomas à Kempis), continue My Daily Bread, read All About the Angels, prayers
2. Maths – Understanding Maths Year 7, manipulation using concrete materials, project work, MathsOnline program
3. Grammar –continue diagramming & learning grammar concepts, dictation, copywork, editing, parsing
4. Spelling – spelling book for corrections, associated words & vocabulary, dictionary use
5. Poetry – poetry book: copying, drawing, reciting, memory work
6. Reading - McGuffey’s Sixth Eclectic Reader, classic online books
7. Literature – listen to & read classic writings appropriate to stage of development (eg. stories of Greek legends, Jules Verne, Bethlehem novels, etc)
8. Science – nature study (eg. Australian Nature Studies – J.A. Leach), library books, science notebook, biographies of scientists, Fabre readings, narrations, read Archimedes & the Door to Science
9. History – listen to history readings, continue Book of Centuries timeline, history notebook, historical novels, Bethlehem histories, chapter synopsis, characterizations
10. Geography – atlas study, listen to geographical & travel journal readings, copy maps related to readings, eg. Around the World in Eighty Days, narrations
11. Latin –vocabulary, Latin prayers, Cambridge Latin Course Books 1 and 2
12. Art appreciation – observe, draw, narrate, biographies of famous artists, carefully copy techniques of famous artists, read critiques & stories behind famous paintings
13. Arts – self-initiated projects, learn techniques from art texts, experiment with different media
14. Music - listen to classical music, read program notes, biographies of composers, weekly piano lessons, continue music theory
15. Shakespeare – listen to Lamb’s Tales, participate in family group study & role play, follow up exercises (eg. drawing scenes, copying verses, etc)

Year 8 analysis, grammar, writing & language skills, listening
1. Religion – memorize Baltimore Catechism No.2, bible readings, saints biographies, listen to My Imitation of Christ (Thomas à Kempis), continue My Daily Bread, read Jesus – Our Eucharistic Love, prayers
2. Maths – Understanding Maths Year 8, manipulation using concrete materials, project work, MathsOnline program
3. Grammar & Writing Skills–continue diagramming & learning grammar concepts, essays & rewriting, condensing & editing, start study of famous speeches
4. Spelling – spelling book for corrections, associated words & vocabulary (if necessary), dictionary use
5. Poetry – poetry book: copying, drawing, reciting, memory work, discussion
6. Reading - McGuffey’s Sixth Eclectic Reader, if not already finished, classic online books
7. Literature –listen to & read classic writings appropriate to stage of development (eg. Jules Verne, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, James Herriot, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, etc)
8. Science – nature study (eg. Australian Nature Studies – J.A. Leach), library books, science notebook, biographies, history of medical breakthroughs of 19th & 20th centuries, narrations, read Galen & the Gateway to Medicine
9. History – listen to history readings, continue Book of Centuries timeline, history notebook, historical novels, Bethlehem histories, chapter synopsis, characterizations
10. Geography – atlas study, listen to geographical & travel journal readings, copy maps related to readings, eg. The Travels of Marco Polo and/or others
11. Latin –vocabulary, Latin prayers, Cambridge Latin Course Books 2 and 3
12. Art appreciation – observe, draw, narrate, biographies of famous artists, carefully copy techniques of famous artists, read critiques & stories behind famous paintings
13. Arts – self-initiated projects, learn techniques from art texts, experiment with different media
14. Music - listen to classical music, read program notes, biographies of composers, weekly piano lessons, continue music theory
15. Shakespeare – listen to Lamb’s Tales, participate in family group study & role play, follow up exercises (eg. drawing scenes, copying verses, etc)

Year 9 analysis, discussion, writing techniques, listening
1. Religion – memorize Baltimore Catechism No.2, bible readings, saints biographies, read about Church-approved miracles, read The Blessed Eucharist (Fr. Michael Müller), start reading The Outline of the Catholic Church (year 1 of a two year study), prayers
2. Maths – Understanding Maths Years 9/10, manipulation using concrete materials, project work, MathsOnline program
3. Spelling & Grammar –review concepts & practice, if necessary, study of famous speeches
4. Written expression – continue study of famous speeches, essay & report writing skills
5. Poetry – poetry book: copying, drawing, reciting, memory work, analysis
6. Reading - classic online books
7. Literature –read classic writings appropriate to stage of development (eg. Brontë sisters, Mark Twain, Jane Austin, Tolkien, etc), start to read & discuss novels by Charles Dickens
8. Science – nature study (Australian Nature Studies – J.A. Leach), library books, science notebook, biographies, study of astronomy & Earth science, science project of own choice (base discussion on chapter from Science for High School Students)
9. History – start to read & discuss Christ the King – Lord of History, listen to history readings, continue Book of Centuries timeline, history notebook, historical novels, discussion & analysis, write history project of own choosing, own Internet research
10. Latin –vocabulary, Latin prayers, Cambridge Latin Course Book 3
11. Greek – First Greek Book, Athenaze Greek
12. Art appreciation – observe, draw, narrate, biographies of famous artists, carefully copy techniques of famous artists
13. Music - listen to classical music, read program notes, biographies of composers, weekly piano lessons, continue music theory
14. Shakespeare – listen to Lamb’s Tales, participate in family group study & role play, follow up exercises, copy & memorize quotes

Year 10 analysis, discussion, critical thinking, research, intensive reading
1. Religion – memorize Baltimore Catechism No.2, bible readings, start study of Apologetics (Apologetics & Catholic Doctrine – Bishop Sheehan), finish reading The Outline of the Catholic Church (year 2 of a two year study), prayers
2. Maths – Understanding Maths Years 9/10, continue with Advanced Maths, if interest & understanding permit, MathsOnline program
3. Written expression – continue study of famous speeches, essay & report writing skills
4. Poetry – continue poetry book, analyse & discuss poems studied in relation to poetry terms & concepts
5. Reading - classic online books
6. Literature – continue to read & discuss novels by Charles Dickens (this year, A Tale of Two Cities), read, discuss & review Animal Farm & 1984 (George Orwell), read classic writings appropriate to stage of development (eg. The Odyssey (Homer), Plutarch’s Lives, The Theben Plays (Sophocles), Evelyn Waugh, Ovid)
7. Science – nature study (Australian Nature Studies – J.A. Leach), library books, science notebook, biographies, science projects determined by areas of special interest (base discussions on chapters from Science for High School Students)
8. History – continue to read & discuss Christ the King – Lord of History, listen to history readings, continue Book of Centuries timeline, history notebook, historical novels, discussion & analysis, essays/project work, own Internet research
9. Latin – Cambridge Latin Course Book 4, copywork, grammar, translation
10. Greek – First Greek Book, Athenaze Greek
11. Music - listen to classical music, read program notes, weekly piano lessons, continue music theory
12. Shakespeare – read critical summaries, participate in family group study & role play, individual reading of historical plays (if ready), copy & memorize quotes

Year 11 discussion, critical analysis, essay skills, intensive reading
1. Religion – read Humanae Vitae (Pope Paul, 1968), bible readings, insert topic tabs in bible, continue study of Apologetics (Apologetics & Catholic Doctrine – Bishop Sheehan), prayers
2. Maths – Understanding Maths Years 11/12 or similar, MathsOnline program
3. Written expression – continue study of famous speeches, essay & report writing skills
4. Poetry – continue poetry book, analyse & discuss classic poems studied in relation to poetry terms & concepts (use study guides)
5. Reading - classic online books
6. Literature – continue to read & discuss novels by Charles Dickens (this year, David Copperfield), read, discuss & review Barchester Towers (Anthony Trollope) Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë) or others of particular interest, read classic writings appropriate to stage of development (eg. The Odyssey (Homer), Plutarch’s Lives, The Theben Plays (Sophocles), War & Peace (Leo Tolstoy), Hilaire Belloc, etc) (use study guides)
7. Science – study & discuss Darwinism v. Creationism, botany, science notebook, science projects determined by areas of special interest (base discussions on chapters from Science for High School Students)
8. History – continue to read & discuss Christ the King – Lord of History, listen to history readings, continue Book of Centuries timeline, history notebook, historical novels, discussion & analysis, essays/project work, own Internet research
9. Latin – Cambridge Latin Course Books 4 and 5, copywork, reading, grammar, translation
10. Greek – First Greek Book, Athenaze Greek
11. Music - listen to classical music, weekly piano lessons, continue music theory Shakespeare – read critical summaries, participate in family group study & role play, individual reading of historical plays, copy & memorize quotes

Year 12 discussion, critical analysis, essay skills, intensive reading
1. Religion – read Casti Connubi (Pope Pius XI, 1930), bible readings, Catechism of the Catholic Church, Apologetics (write 45 minute essays on aspects of Apologetics), Surprised by Truth (Patrick Madrid), prayers
2. Maths – Understanding Maths Years 11/12 or similar, continue with Advanced Maths, if interest & understanding permit, MathsOnline program
3. Written expression – continue study of famous speeches, essay & report writing skills
4. Poetry – continue poetry book (if time permits), analyse & discuss classic poems studied in relation to poetry terms & concepts (use study guides)
5. Reading - classic online books
6. Literature – continue to read & discuss novels by Charles Dickens (Oliver Twist), read, discuss & review Les Miserables (Victor Hugo) Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë) or others of particular interest, read classic writings appropriate to stage of development (eg. Brideshead Revisited (Evelyn Waugh), Journey to the Centre of the Earth (Jules Verne), Pride & Prejudice (Jane Austin), Hilaire Belloc, etc) (use study guides)
7. Science – chemistry, read The Periodic Table, use chemistry set, science notebook, science projects determined by areas of special interest (base discussions on chapters from Science for High School Students)
8. Politics - study history of Western government (including social & economic history), discussion & analysis, essays, own Internet & library research, study Catholic perspective from Christ the King – Lord of History
9. Latin – Cambridge Latin Course Book 5 (if unfinished), copywork, reading, grammar, translation
10. Greek – First Greek Book, Athenaze Greek
11. Shakespeare – read critical summaries, participate in family group study & role play, individual reading of historical plays, copy & memorize quotes

In addition to this, I wrote a subject by subject plan to articulate our methods and outcomes for each discipline - that's the next post:-)

Documentation Examples for the Board of Studies

I'm so excited! I've just finished the documentation for our two year registration period.

Now that it's all finished and complete, I feel satisfied and quite excited about the ideas we've put together for next term.

I thought I'd share our documentation with you as I've found, in the past, that it can be quite useful to get ideas from other homeschoolers when trying to meet the official requirements - especially, when you're starting out.

My biggest challenge was to convey our commitment to learning, as we pursue an unschooling approach to education. It was a bit of a balancing act, like it is in real life when we balance the use of loose lesson plans with our unstructured learning logs.

In our last registration period, I gradually turned back to some form of planning to help the children find direction and to keep me disciplined about my own responsibilities to guide and mentor them. For us, the plans are a form of strewing.

Anyway, here it is - and it's rather long!

Learning Plan, 2012-2014

There is one of these summaries of past achievements for each child. The table is split into Key Learning Areas, with sub-categories to allow for traditional subject groupings.

These records are brief lists of books read, topics covered, projects undertaken and general daily activities which contribute to the children's academic and personal growth. It is brief and factual. I don't explain our methods or objectives when summarising past performance.

Record-keeping samples

Where appropriate, we keep examples of the children's learning, in the form of written work, projects, videos and photographs. However, this is not always possible as we, also, use informal conversation as an important learning tool in our homeschool. We find that this is the most effective means of staying in tune with our children's needs and interests while, at the same time, providing an opportunity to both challenge thinking and motivate new ideas and creative inspirations. Our learning log is our method for recording this type of learning and assessing progress of this sort. While our lesson plans provide our main system of record-keeping, the learning log is used, when necessary, to take notes where the children deviate significantly from their plan or pursue a period of less structured learning.

Sample of our weekly planner.

Sample of weekly planning notes.

I use these sorts of notes to help our routine flow, throughout the week

Page of one child's school blog.

Sample of notes taken during a mentoring session.

Sample from our learning log.

Page from our homeschooling blog.

Sample from a diary post which I wrote, with YouTube and web links, to further the children's learning. I, also, post information and articles on the children's school blogs, according to their interests and abilities.

Samples of work.

Some Books and Resources for 2012 and 2013

English
Australia - The Poems of Banjo Patterson
Australia - Seven Little Australians - Ethel Turner
America - Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
America - Little House in the Big Woods - Laura Ingalls Wilder
England - The Story of the Treasure Seekers - E. Nesbit
England - The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
Macbeth, the play and the No Fear Shakespeare version
Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare - E. Nesbit
Websites: http://www.mainlesson.com/
http://www.manybooks.net/
http://gutenberg.net.au/
http://nfs.sparknotes.com/
http://www.studyladder.com.au/learn/literacy
Games: Boggle
Scrabble
Upwords
Find the Word books
Crossword books

Maths
Understanding Maths texts
Excel Maths texts
Exploring the World of Mathematics - John Hudson Tiner
Murderous Maths books
Websites: http://www.studyladder.com.au/learn/mathematics
http://www.khanacademy.org/#browse&ui-page=Math-10
Games: Monopoly
Anti-Monopoly
Mastermind
Rummy-O
Cluedo
Chess
Discover the Aliens
Puzzle and Mazes books
Activities: cooking, budgeting, gardening, pattern-making, home crafts, times tables CD, etc

History
The Reign of Queen Victoria - M.B. Synge
Australia - Tom Appleby - Convict Boy - Jackie French
Australia - A Waltz for Matilda - Jackie French
Australia - A Rose for the Anzac Boys - Jackie French
Surviving Hitler- Andrea Warren
World War II - True Stories
Vets Might Fly - James Herriot
England - The Railway Children - E. Nesbit
Horrible Histories, Dead Famous books, etc
Websites: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/forkids/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/
http://www.learningonline.com.au/
Games: Carcassone

Geography
Horrible Geography - Wild Islands (Anita Ganeri)
Horrible Geography - Stormy Weather (Anita Ganeri)
Uncle Robert's Geography - Parker & Helmo
More Horrible Geography and explorer books
Websites: http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
Games: 10 Days in Asia, Europe, USA, Africa
Road Trip Around Australia
First Around the World
World Map jigsaw puzzle
Getaway

Science
Madam How and Lady Why - Charles Kingsley
The Fairy-land of Science - Arabella Buckley
The Fascinating History of Your Lunch - Jackie French
The Science of Ant Communication - Pamela Paterson
The Story of the Soil - Cyril G. Hopkins
Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great Scientists - E. Hubbard
Scientists and their Mind-blowing Experiments - Dr. Mike Goldsmith
Science for High School Students text
Science magazines & Horrible Science books
Websites: http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/
http://creation.mobi/
http://www.abc.net.au/science/
http://www.khanacademy.org/#browse&ui-page=Science-5
iPad Apps: VideoScience (experiments)
Simple Physics
BrainPop

Foreign Language
Latin: Cambridge Latin Course Books & website
French: Allons-Y - Carolyn Sudlow
The Curé of Ars - Milton Lomask
Websites: French.about.com - French ebooks

Music
Mozart's Violin - W.E. Monroe
Bach's Farm Animals - Troy Stinnell & Chad Creighton
The Great Composers - Wendy Thompson
Biographies of Liszt, Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Verdi, Handel, Schubert, Haydn and Wagner by Thomas Tapper
Opera for Kids CD
Classical & contemporary music collection
Musical DVDs, including Andrew Lloyd Webber, Rodgers & Hammerstein and operatic performances
Websites: http://www.getintoclassical.com/
http://www.classicsforkids.com/

Art
Monet - Colour in Impressionism - James Taylor Foster
The Boy-Artist - N. Taylor
Techniques of the Great Painters - Waldemar Januszczak
Stories Pictures Tell vols. 1,2,4 - Flora L. Carpenter
Unfinished Portraits - Jennette Lee
Websites: http://gardenofpraise.com/art.htm
Games: Pictionary

Religion
Little Visits with God
Leading the Little Ones to Mary
My Daily Bread
Catholic Family Catechism - Rev. Fr. J. Tierney
Book of Saints
Faith & Life
Catholic prayer books

Museums
Visited, late 2010-2012:
Australian Museum
Powerhouse Museum
Henry Kendall Cottage
National Maritime Museum
Sydney Observatory

Excursion plans 2012-2013:
Experiment Farm Cottage and Old Government House
Australian Reptile Park or Wildlife Museum, Sydney
Art Gallery of NSW & Botanical Gardens
Historic Houses of Sydney
The Rocks, Sydney


Other resources include:
Church & neighbourhood community, family & friends, museums , swimming pool, piano, large garden (1acre) with creek & 2 billabongs (nature study), garden tools and supplies for own gardening projects, library (weekly visits), bikes, tennis set, cricket set, balls, computers for each child, iPad, sewing machine, overlocker, smocking pleater, digital cameras, digital camcorders, DVD players, electric circuit set, human body model set, craft and haberdashery supplies, art supplies, large collection of books, texts & magazines, field guides, Internet access with large download allowance, etc.

Work environment
Cameron and Adam have their own desks in their bedrooms, for quiet study.
Bethany and Melanie have a separate study and craft area, with a computer, printer, desk and homeschool library, in addition to the other areas of the house and garden which are freely available to all of the children.

Selection of past lesson plans.

Future Plans

Lesson Plans

The following lesson plans form the basis of the children’s study, for the coming term. I have been writing individual plans, such as these, for eight years, now, and we keep the used plans as a record of past achievements.

The plan has daily schedules, in the front of the booklet, and a variety of resources, in the back pages. These resources include tables to record piano progress and books read, along with space for writing assessment notes. A weekly timetable is offered, but, in practice, this acts as a loose suggestion, as we find that a flexible routine, rather than a rigid schedule, allows the children the freedom they need to pursue their individual interests and complete an area of study to the satisfaction of their curiosity.

Other resources, in the back pages, include Latin chants, grammar facts, times tables, poetry, spelling rules, short articles of interest, music chronology, music scales and more. The content changes each term and differs, to some degree, according to the level and needs of each child.

Some of the activities scheduled are unique to the child in question, while others are common to several children, at a time. These common activities more often include read aloud books and group projects. In these instances, the children respond according to their abilities and each derives a different gain from the experience. For example, in some cases, a younger child may be content to simply listen to a reading and enjoy the story, whereas the older children are more likely to extend their learning to further research or associated activities.

Our homeschool philosophy is to be guided by our children’s developing interests and passions. We know, through experience, that our children learn best when they have a real interest in a subject and our desire is that our children will discover their passions and find true fulfilment in life. We see our role as being guides and mentors in their search for knowledge, both of themselves and the world in which we live.

To meet this end, the plans must necessarily meet the needs of their self-initiated, delight-directed learning. They are, therefore, intended to be a foundation for the children’s studies and a motivator for their studies. They work as a guide, serving the children’s natural curiosity and developing around their interests, as they are stimulated.

Because of our goal to satisfy our children’s growing needs, the plan is open to any necessary adjustments, throughout the term. These alterations will simply be pencilled in the plan, as the learning unfolds. The children actively contribute to the preparation of their plans and we choose their resources together so, in practice, the most significant changes often concern time restraints, rather than a complete change of direction. In this case, whatever isn’t finished, at the end of term, is rescheduled, if appropriate, in the plan for the next term.

I continually assess the children’s progress by observation and discussion or mentoring with them. I write an assessment and ideas for the next term’s work, in their lesson plans, and I refer to this as we are developing the next plan. Their written work, blogs, craft activities and Maths exercises, also, provide a means of determining their progress and future needs.

We believe that good time management is an important skill for the children to acquire, as is the ability to work hard to achieve their goals and discover their passions, so we encourage discipline in meeting their personal goals. As their learning normally extends well beyond the normal school hours, we have no difficulty in meeting the minimum 5 hours a day of study. For practical reasons, I do not schedule formal work for Fridays. This is a day that we keep free for part-time work, social activities, crafts, home skills, DVDs, sport and, also, for completing any unfinished work for the week. It is not a day of no learning.

As well as these plans, we also keep blogs. I write my own developing reflections on homeschool methods, our achievements and lists of resources on my homeschooling blog. The children write posts of their own interests on their blogs and participate, to some degree, in an online homeschool social network. I, also, post links, pictures and articles on the children’s blogs that I think will interest them, inspire them or be useful to their studies. In addition to our online homeschool network, we mix with other homeschoolers, in our local area, and the children have friends who go to school. They mix happily with people of very different ages, beliefs and interests as we believe it is important for them to integrate with our society, rather than to associate only with people who share the same values or interests as we do.

Finally, it is important to say that this plan contains the easily recordable academic goals that we envisage our children might achieve over a period of time, insofar as it is possible to perceive it, at this stage. In our family, we greatly value spiritual growth, character development, hobbies and other non-academic achievements. I usually journal these observations on my blog or in my personal diary. I don’t include them in the lesson plans as they are of no benefit to the children in their daily activities and they usually do not form the basis for formal studies. However, personal development occurs naturally as an integrated part of life, in such ways as domestic tasks, shopping, banking, gardening, cooking, general play and many more activities.

Overall, I believe that we are pursuing a balanced and diverse plan for our children’s education, which is personally enriching and appropriate for each child’s needs and desires. I have consciously aimed to fulfil the requirements of the Board of Studies with regards to quantity, quality and variety of study in each key learning area, and I’m confident that our day to day activities reflect this.

After this, I included a copy of the lesson plans that each child will use, next term.

Today we're in flood

It's a bit tense here, today.

We've been on flood alert, since early this morning, and, now, we're watching, a wee bit anxiously, to see how high the flood waters are going to rise.

The creek burst its banks, a couple of hours ago, and the roads are cut off. Even the more foolhardy drivers are no longer brave enough to try their luck at getting through to the other side. A little while ago, a large truck was the last to dare the crossing and, thankfully, he had no problems. But, shortly after, we saw an even larger garbage truck, slowly reversing back up the hill. Now, it's impassable and we're hearing intermittent sirens - the SES are usually close by, when this happens.

Of course, this is hugely exciting for the children. They have run through our standard flood procedures to secure everything from floating away, and anything that needs to be brought to higher ground has been moved.

Our main concern, at the moment, is a beautiful black horse, in the paddock, next door. The water is up to her knees and we have a small crowd gathered, with a rope ready, trying to free her. It's so sad to see an animal stranded - everyone wants to help.

Two of the children missed work and uni, as the waters became unsafe. Our eldest daughter got through early and, luckily, she'll meet up with her dad for a lift home from Sydney. Good girl that she is, she'll be coming back with a packet of nappies. Of all the days to be down to my last two nappies!

We're watching for low tide, now, as this is the biggest flood we've had, in five years, and the rain doesn't seem to be easing. Usually, it subsides, after a couple of hours, but this is worse than normal. I'm hoping it will pass before my husband and daughter get home, around 5.00 pm. Otherwise, they're unlikely to get closer than a few streets away.

And, that's our dramatic day, so far! How's your day going?!

Oh, and I've just been told the horse is free!! Just as well because the rain has just begun belting down, again.

I think Noah's Ark might be a good choice for tonight's bedtime story;-)

And, two hours later: it's receded and one side of the road is open, again - yay! I wonder, is this how Noah felt?

Different Approaches to Homeschool Music Lessons

Our children have often surprised us by their ability to teach themselves all that they are interested in learning. For our part, it usually means that we only have to supply them with suitable resources and they become their own teachers.

But, sometimes, their own learning can take them only so far. To develop any further, it becomes apparent that they need some sort of tutoring.

I think that music falls into this category. We have had quite good results by learning the piano from a plan, which I developed with the help of a piano teacher at our local music store. The children who were taught, this way, can read music well and play uncomplicated, but pleasant, music. It's just basic musicianship but it has given them enough skills to play for their own enjoyment and to progress quite easily to other instruments.

As I've been planning next term's work, I've been reassessing, again, our approach to music. I've been wondering would a piano teacher provide us with the discipline we lack, at times? Is our progress being hindered, now, by the absence of professional advice? And, would expert teaching motivate our learning and fill us with enthusiasm for the subject?

As always, I read a little on other homeschoolers' experiences to help me reach a decision and I found several, equally valid, approaches, all of which would seem to be compatible with unschooling.

Different Ways to Learn the Piano
1. Dayna Martin is a Radical Unschooler who has enriched her children's lives with many interesting experiences and a trust in their own abilities. Her approach to music has been to provide her children with instruments and a musical environment, and then allow them to use it as they will. She believes that formal teaching stunts creativity and can kill a love of learning, so she made a conscious decision not to seek professional instruction for her children, when they first purchased a piano. She writes about her experience on her blog.

Now, the thing that came to mind, as I read this, is that Dayna's son appears to have a natural gift for music. He would excel, with or without a teacher to guide him. But, I wonder if that is relevant? If our children don't have a gift for music, would formal teaching take them much further than the basics, anyway? Perhaps, their confidence and self-esteem would be better served by discovering their true passions, than by pursuing a study for which they have no recognisable talent.

2. April, at Homeschool Musings, has taken a different approach. As she describes her busy life filled with outside lessons, she mentions her pride in her son's musical expertise, gained through the instruction of a professional teacher, since she had no musical skills of her own.

The benefits of this type of teaching seem to be the learning of standard technical skills, which allow the student to play in bands and orchestras. Without formal instruction, progression to this level would be a lot more difficult and, for a lot of children, perhaps even impossible.

The flip side of this is that a radical unschooler may have no desire to play this type of music, in this type of setting. It seems that these types of learners can be unique individuals, given more to independent study than communal learning - though, that isn't always the case. Unschooling can very easily encompass structured learning and community activities.

3. The third type of piano instruction which influences my thoughts is anecdotal. Over the years, I have met several adults who studied piano under a qualified teacher and passed the appropriate exams (one, at least, studied to Grade 7) and, yet, they admit to being unable to play the piano, now. In one case, the student could only ever play her exam pieces - she was never able to play sight music or learn new pieces without great difficulty. Whether the others could play and gradually forgot how to play is irrelevant. The point is that years of piano lessons and certificates didn't leave them with a lifelong ability to play music. And, to add to it all, some of them hated the experience and now view the piano with loathing.

But, I don't think this is reason enough to avoid lessons altogether. Although, it does emphasise the point that lessons alone may provide insufficient learning or, in some cases, another, less formal, approach may be worthwhile.

Our Approach
So, where does that leave us? I think, for the moment, we will carry on with our self-instruction. Our 14 year old has recently taken to the guitar and his progress has been impressive. His thoughts are that the years of home piano lessons have given him a very useful grounding for his learning, now. There was no pressure, no exams and no expectations - yet, the house was so often filled with music. A professional musician, no doubt, would be horrified by what passes for music, in our house, but we love it! We love to play music and we love to listen to each other practise.

That doesn't mean we won't turn to a teacher's expertise, in the future, though. My own piano skills are basic and I can see how a teacher could help us to become much better than our current mediocre.

Here is the scheduled plan for practice that our children have followed, using mostly the Alfred's course books:

Daily
1. Finger exercises (A Dozen a Day)
2. Scales (following the AMEB schedule)
3. Sight reading (using a variety of books)
4. Course lesson (Alfred's)

Weekly
1. Ear training (Alfred's & CDs)
2. Notespeller (Alfred's)
3. Composition (Alfred's)

In addition, we have used a metronome, to help with rhythm.

I found that a structured approach worked better, as the children had no idea where to begin without some formal guidance. If they had come from a musical family, where they could have learnt through imitation, the formal approach might not be so important.

I wonder if anyone else has had success with self-instruction of any kind?

Animated Shakespeare Links for Kids

While I have been planning for next term, I've come across these BBC animated Shakespeare plays, on Youtube. I guess many of you have used them before - I seem to remember Sue mentioning them to me a while back. But, if you haven't or if it would be useful for you to have the links in one place, here's a list of where you can find them.



BBC Animated Shakespeare for Kids
Richard III
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4 

The Tempest
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

A Midsummer Night's Dream
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Sparknotes Summary

Hamlet
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3 
Sparknotes Summary


Macbeth
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3 
Sparknotes Summary

Julius Caesar
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3 
Sparknotes Summary

Romeo and Juliet
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3 
Sparknotes Summary


The Winter's Tale
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3  
Part 4
Part 5 

Othello
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3 
Sparknotes Summary

As You Like It
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3 

Twelfth Night
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3    Part 4
Part 5


The Taming of the Shrew
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5


My words fly up, my thoughts remain below: Words without thoughts never to heaven go.
Hamlet (III, iii, 100-103)