I think we have a plan.

Krissy Gibbs
Aug 23, 2017 · 3 min read

We are using a bunch of Fun Schooling workbooks this year. They are designed for kids with ADHD and dyslexia and that sounds like exactly what the doctor ordered for my kids.

We have several “Homeschooling with Minecraft” workbooks that present a combination of reading, math, history, and science information. It’s more intensive than it sounds like. We got different editions for each kid.

We picked up their spelling workbook. Eldest Child is at a spot where it’s a good idea to start working on spelling. They are a creative speller and that’s not bad but it’s useful to find out a bit more about standard spelling too.

Future Middle Child also wanted their workbook on ocean creatures so we picked that up as well.

Then we switch from Fun Schooling workbooks into a broader view of education.

History for my second grader is going to continue to be very catch as catch can. We work on map reading skills, we work on understanding government, and we talk about different historical periods around the world. I’m ok with second grade still being very ad hoc and loosey goosey.

However given that the focus of fourth grade history is California history and I’m an 8th generation Californian and my kids are 9th generation Californians… this year is not to be hand waved. You will understand the history of your home state in great detail. I am completely and totally opposed to doing a model of one of the missions though. Instead EC will get to create a model of something from California history of their choice and they need to create a comic strip/book about California history. We will spend a lot of time talking about timelines, outlines, fact gathering, how you evaluate sources, and why you pick different things to include. It’s going to be a fun year.

Science is still not one of my stronger leading subjects. We do a lot of biology. We do some chemistry. We have a chemistry set that is geared at AP/college level chemistry and we are slowly working up to being able to use it. We are doing a lot of reading about chemistry and lab safety. EC is going to take a science class with other home schooled kids. I’m glad she is going to be getting more independent learning space.

Math is still very eclectic. Both kids use Khan Academy. Both have some amount of math mixed in to the Fun Schooling workbooks but not tons in most journals. EC did request a math specific Fun Schooling journal that I didn’t properly explain up-post. One of the Minecraft journals is solely math focused. There are three Minecraft labeled journals coming to us. EC is also going to continue in Life of Fred which is a very flexible math curriculum. It does not look like a regular math book. It’s a whole different animal. I’m not sure if FMC is going to start Life of Fred this year or not. FMC will be completing the Star Wars Grade 2 Math workbook as well.

The way we handle math is kids need to do half an hour of math a few times a week. They pick which method they want to use each time. Sometimes they want to be on the computer, sometimes they want a workbook, sometimes they want the more abstract story approach of Life of Fred. I find that they are much happier wandering between learning sources instead of being married to The One Book.

Reading… we read a lot. I don’t treat it as a separate subject much. We read all day. My second grader is not reading fluently yet, but they are making progress in their customary way. They are utterly unwilling to admit to any progress in a learning area until they can claim some level of mastery. It’s not my favorite… but I recognize it in myself so I’m striving for patience. My fourth grader is making a lot of reading progress and I’m content.

Writing is another matter. EC is going to be getting a lot of writing practice this year. I have weird drop off points in my head for education stuff. I don’t start academics at all before second grade. I think third grade is the ideal time to get a kid into reading independently and math. I think fourth grade is when you need to learn to write. So my fourth grader is going to spend the year… writing. It’s going to be fun for me and torture for her. Second grader will gloat a lot.

And then there are the extra things they work on. Phew. We are going to be busy.

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Krissy Gibbs

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Homeschooling, road schooling, life learning… it’s all an adventure. (http://www.krissygibbs.com/licensing/)

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