The Unschooling Experiment: Day 1

Three weeks in to our homeschool adventure, I realized that what I was doing was not working. I did lessons plans, but was only getting a few things done. One reason is a lack of time to prepare materials, but I felt like there was a bigger problem. Neither Raccoon nor I really wanted to do some of the things on the list and at the end of the week I felt like a failure because we had done so little of what I had planned. This week, I decided to change course and instead write down what we did afterwards.

I am going to focus on three areas: language, math, and science. For now, this means learning the letters of the alphabet (names, writing, and sounds), number concepts, and following our science book which Raccoon is enjoying. Today we played with a four pan balance, wrote letters in the dirt on our daily walk, and then played with alphabet fridge magnets in a rice sensory bin (that was Kitty's activity but Raccoon joined in). We did several other things as well, and when I looked at the list at the end of the day, I felt successful. It was fun for all of us, and it flowed much more naturally as part of our day.

Since this is our trial year (technically Raccoon misses the kindergarten cutoff this fall but I think he's ready), my hope is that Raccoon will learn to read, count, and have fun.

Let the Games Begin!

We have officially started homeschooling as of this week. March 18 was our first day, odd perhaps but why not? That's what homeschooling is about - right? - freedom.

Celosia School Year D Week 1 (March 17-21)                    3 weeks on, 1 week off (make-up)



MONDAY             TUESDAY             WEDNESDAY      THURSDAY

Language	Math	Science	Music	Physical Activity	Alternate Activity	Art
Read Diary of a Worm, pick something he wants to record	Number sheets with noodles, rocks, household items	Scientific Salad Dressing p. 16 1) Oil w/garlic 2) Vinegar w/herb	Review instruments p. 6-11 CYHI #1	Monday 10 -11 am Recess at school	Read about Scat and Tracks	Take pictures for diary (him, cat, dog)
Diary of a cat entry, Raising Rock Stars	Add one, subtract one with cars, candy, marbles, money	Solvent or Solute? p. 17 1) water w/sugar 2) water w/sand 3) water w/salt 4 water w/rocks	CYHI #3	Gymbo Thurs 3 - 4 pm	Make a scat and tracks book with labels, Caleb trace first letters	Take photos of scat and tracks
Diary of a dog entry, Raising Rock Stars	Math book activity	Perfume Chemistry p. 19 1) Alcohol and cinnamon 2) Alcohol and orange peel 3) Alcohol and rose petals	CYHI #2	Trampoline, Soccer, and Running		Gymbo Thurs 6-7 pm

Books:

Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
Super Science Concoctions by Jill Frankel Hauser 
Can You Hear It? (for music/art appreciation)

That's the plan and we're about halfway through. We got off to a slower start since he was sick on Monday.

Full Body School

Those three words sum up my approach to tackling homeschooling with Raccoon. We are going to be living out in the country, which I haven't had much peace about due to the King's long commute to work, but as I think more about my son, it's going to be a good thing for him.

An obstacle course.

An outdoor gym/playground.

A garden.

Water play.

Animals.

Maybe we'll build a rock wall.

I have to find peace about this move. To trust the Lord that my mission right now is not somewhere out there, but right at home, three feet and two feet tall.

A great post about this? Carissa's Blessed with Boundless Energy. I especially love this quote, "Specifically, I have him do some highly energetic movement and some relaxing focused balance type work right before we begin any seat work. We have been going in this order and it has helped a lot." This gives me hope. The nuts and bolts of how to make things work in school for Raccoon, this is what I need. Raccoon's energy is a blessing when channeled properly and not so much when it heedlessly overflows.

Book Project, Part II

...here is Part I

My mom is a wealth of office supplies, so she gave me a 3 ring binder and a box of the old computer paper. Remember the kind with holes on the edges that fed through the printer in a one continuous piece? Ah, the memories.

Raccoon had fun helping me tear off the edges, separate the pages, then hole punch them. Voila! His first book was ready for inspiration.

Raccoon decided he wanted to do the illustrations first with crayons. 

He likes to just go for it, then decide later what it is. 

After about ten pages, he was done for the day. 

 

Another day, I added some new pages and decided to try a different approach. With just one marker, he drew the picture as I sat beside him and I wrote the story he told me underneath. I prompted him a few times by asking, "Then what happened?" and I got him started with "Once upon a time..." So here it is:

Once upon a time, there was a ghost named Alfie.

 

Alfie wore glasses. His father was watching him. 

 

There was a sign that said no enter. A man told Alfie he was going to hit him with his big knife.

 So Alfie cut the man's blade off with his knife. Alfie's father was mad. 

(I drew the right page at Raccoon's request, it's the only one 

where he wanted help. I also changed his to the man's for clarity.)

 

"I'm glad you're safe, but don't do that ever again," he said. 

(It seemed odd to me that Raccoon thought the dad was mad 

so I mentioned the safe part and he incorporated it into the story. 

The "...don't do it again" part is pure Raccoon.) 

  

 The man set a trap for Alfie. Traps are everywhere! 

A red line told him do not enter that yard. Bad men will take your food and eat it all.

(Raccoon said red but I wrote purple since that's the color the marker was, 

but I thought better of it and changed it back to red to stay true to his story.)

He crossed the line and a shark ate his food. Alfie decided to go home and eat his lunch.

(When I reread the story to Raccoon later, he told me it should be the bad men

who ate the lunch not the shark, implying that the story made more sense that 

way. His first edit, such fun. I still have to go back and change the original.)

 

Sharing his story with Robin.