Our 2012-2013 Curriculum

The following is our first planned curriculum for our homeschool adventures.
Jackson turned five in May so he is an official Kindergartener! Abigail will be four in November so she is in “tot” school. Isabela just turned one so her “schooling” will include the art of imitating life(hopefully mostly the good) and learning to love books! All three little birds will hopefully have an exposure to absolutely loving each other, life, and learning!

Some of the choices for Jackson are not the typical kindergarten study. Although we will continue with cutting, coloring, sharing, socializing five year old skills, we will be working ahead in first grade areas as he needs the challenges. Abigail will continue recognizing and writing all upper and lower case letters and identifying numbers as well as writing her numbers to 100. We will work on calendar skills, correct letter placement on lines, as well as learning rhymes with Jackson. I will follow her lead as she matures and finds specific interest.

SPELLING, daily
We will be starting the year using Zaner Bloser Spelling Connections. There are 35 units with 6 words each but we will try doing two units each week testing with 12 list words as well as added bonus words. We plan to finish the school year using the ABEKA list.

READING, daily
Continue using ABEKA K while transitioning to and completing All About Reading Level 1 as well as complete All About Reading Level 2.

PHONICS, daily
Scott Foresman grade 1 workbook.
Also, finish the second half of the year using The Complete Book of Phonics Ages 4-8 by American Education Publishing.

ENGLISH, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind
The Grammar & Writing Book by Scott Foresman
DOL determined by me

MATH, daily
Combination of grade 1 Harcourt and Scott Foresman workbooks
Math fact drills numbers to 10 and numbers to 20. Also we will do timed math test daily. Jackson will complete writing his numbers to 1,000 by Christmas and then write backwards to one in the Spring.

SCIENCE, twice weekly
Elemental Science Level 1 Exploring Science with Science Play Beginning Discoveries
We will observe the life around us where we live and in the vineyard and recognize what things share this space with us.
This year Jackson will also work to complete portions of the Junior Ranger Program of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park ages 5-6.

SOCIAL STUDIES/GEOGRAPHY, twice weekly
ABEKA K
Study of the Olympics, the year of the Presidential Election process, various American holidays and celebrations, as well as starting to locate and learn the names of all fifty states in the USA

BIBLE, daily
My First Hands-On Bible
Playful Songs & Bible Stories for Preschoolers
The Beginner’s Bible for Toddlers

HANDWRITING, daily
Determined by me including copy work, dictation, and creative writing.

We will be working with Literature Pockets Nursery Rhymes. Weekly we will learn a rhyme as well as complete activities with each rhyme. The first 12 rhymes will be:
A Little Bird, Little Miss Muffet, My Black Hen, Jack and Jill, Little Bo Peep, I Caught a Fish Alive, Pease Porridge, Rub-a-Dub-Dub, Sing a Song of Sixpence, To Market, To Market, One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, and Diddle Diddle Dumpling.

SPANISH
Introduction mid spring to Spanish Latin America Level 1 using RosettaStone Homeschool

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Life Then and Now

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I told you little birds I DID have another classroom, another job, and another group of students once upon a time long ago….
I was chosen as Bell Ringer for the Newport Plain Talk my last year in the classroom. I was three months pregnant with you Jackson Sawyer! Notice the “married to her high school sweetheart”

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Master’s Degree, a gift from your daddy.

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A gift from papaw and nana. Completed in December of 1994. Your daddy and I married the following June!

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This is at a Faculty Talent Show in the Parrottsville School Gymnasium. In front of the entire school as well as parents, we pretended to be the Dixie Chicks…winning the contest!

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It has been one of my greatest experiences, teaching at a school with my two cousins, Amy and Amanda. I have very fond memories of this time in my life. May 2003

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Cousin Amy and I at another Faculty Talent Show

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I do miss my huge dry erase board and my teaching badge.

Jackson’ Number Charts

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Jackson was able to write his numbers to 100 by his fourth birthday. At four and a half he had written to 200. My hope is to make it to 1,000 by the end of the year.

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September 2012, he has made it this far!

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November 2012, Pre-Thanksgiving

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I didn’t comment at the previous chart but he made it to 1,000 before Christmas! Now he has the idea of starting at 1,000 and working backwards to 1! I’m all for it!

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Jackson’s Family Art

Artwork by Jackson. This is one of the earliest pieces of Jackson’s interpretations of his family. The thing I am most fond of is his daddy and I holding hands and him between his two sisters holding their hands…all of us with a smile! It shows me the love he feels within our home and the love he sees daily between each of us.

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October 2012 This drawing is done on the Doodle Pro. He has each of us holding hands, but he has added Nana, Papaw, Mikey, Brooke, Elijah, and Jayden below us and their house to the side.

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Jackson early learning samples

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Writing samples at three. His letters are the ones circled.

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Samples at four.

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Abigail’s drawings

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A scary spider monster Abigail saw on the porch.

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Abigail’s pretty flower.

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Abigail’s family drawing. All five of us, side by side. Jackson asked her if she wanted to add some color. Her reply, “no thanks.”

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October 2012 after seeing her brother add the extended family beside us, she drew one as well with us all happy and in a circle. She likes the hats on her daddy and brother.

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