I am going to fully do Naia's 12th grade Build Your Library curriculum with her! This does not include math, science, or French. It does include American History, Literature and Composition, Government, Economics, and Photography. We are both going to read Bill Bryson's updated version of A Short History of Nearly Everything. We will mark it all up with different color highlighters, summarize/write narrations. I'm actually pretty excited. How am I going to do all of this? Here's the plan! I will wake up around 6 and get in 2 1/2 hours of reading before making breakfast for Lela. Wednesdays will be completely dedicated to Naia and BYL until after lunch. I usually have quite a bit of free time on weekends (for now). I'm not sure how time consuming it will be (I think around 15 hours per week). I have asked Naia to ask for three full weekdays off from work so she can complete the assignments. She keeps a planner and will create her own homeschool schedule around her work schedule. In addition to BYL, she will complete Khan Academy's Financial Literacy and continue with French. We will be looking at FAFSA and culinary school for the near future.
Here are the books used in just the first four weeks of the curriculum. I have done the first five days so far and I love it. The only book I don't like is that little red one called American Politics.
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Mirek and Taven are in public school. So far it's going well for Mirek. He likes it, has made friends, and is excited about his assignments. Taven hasn't said much. His first football scrimmage was a little stressful for me as the quarterback maybe completed three passes. As a receiver he completely relies on the quartback and this is such an important season for college recruitment. It's really just out of my hands and I don't feel like there is anything I can do. Between UIL transfer rules, needing a car to get to another school, the cost of private schools, etc. there are no other options. I am crossing my fingers and I hope this QB can pull some passes out of his ass.
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Eaden is working at various dance studios/schools and is teaching all dance classes and styles at a local YMCA. She will also be a personal trainer at that same YMCA. She plans to move to L.A. next summer. Right now, she is preparing for Europe. Ade, Naia, and Eaden leave after Labor Day. They had to remove their Edinburgh trip from London, but are still going to Paris. I am super excited for them to hang out with their cousin Soraya from Germany. She is 20 years old and will be staying with them for the London part of the trip!
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Lela will have a routine in place with me four days a week. It will look roughly like this:
9-1:30pm (M, T, Th, F)
Breakfast- I prepare and she wakes up and comes to the table to eat it. This has worked perfectly the first week and Naia joins us.
Storytime (1 hour) - Lela and I take turns reading from literature (historical fiction I read and her choice she reads). I read picture books (she still enjoys these), science biographies, Usborne books, and A Really Short History of Nearly Everything. During this time she may narrate and I write down her narrations. She may copy these the next day for handwriting. We will write as neccessary on our historical timeline, locate places from our reading on the globe/maps, and put stickers in our sticker book for every book read.
Main Lessons (1 1/2 hours) - All About Math, All About Reading, All About Spelling, handwriting/cursive and journal.
Lunch - Lela prepares. So far, we haven't really been hungry enough to make lunch so we just grab a snack and head outside.
Outside (1 hour min) - Fun with Nature, Kids Nature Book, 1,000 Hours Outside journal, garden, color outside, ride bikes, hike (learn to name 10 birds, 5 other animals, 5 trees, 5 wildflowers, 5 wild fruits).
On Wednesdays, Lela will still wake up and have breakfast at 9, but can do what she likes until lunch. I will be working on and discussing Naia's curriculum with her. From 12:30-2:30 (after lunch), Lela and I might do a science experiment from Biology for Every Kid, geography games/map art, board games, drawing, embroidery, paint, Pinterest ideas, clay, music, kinetic sand worlds, play dough, slime, etc.
Side Notes: Lela and I will start with a Great Depression theme. Our first read aloud is Turtle in Paradise. We are going to read about American Girl Kit and watch the movie. I also have a few nonfiction titles on the Great Depression. We have a camping trip scheduled for November at Garner! We may also take a closer last minute trip if work and weather allow.
Our biggest challenge will be Lela waking up. She is a late riser, but this has to happen because of my work. I should not have to work before 4:30 which means I need to be ready to go by 3:45 (some days I don't have to be there until later). I had been making dinner before I left, and should still be able to most days. My schedule is different each week though and comes out on Thursdays. I will have to plan dinners around that. Easy ones or ones the kids make on longer work nights and more time consuming ones when I don't have to be at work until later or on weekends. Edited to add: Lela woke up and came to the breakfast table on time every day last week!
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The Passionflowers were in bloom at Kickerillo.
