Learning on the Go

I'm full into planning our next academic year.  I'm the kind of gal who just can't seem to work past Christmas, my enthusiasm just wanes.  So I start our year early.  This year, I'm not entirely sure when our year will begin.  Normally we begin mid-June.  This year we may just start earlier.  We've got Scout camps and such, but other than that, the kids can work on their research skills.  Using the Internet, working on their organizational skills, finding places they want to visit (AND be able to explain WHY they want to visit certain places)....what great lessons!

Every year I start out with Rebecca Rupp's Home Learning Year by Year.  I go through the grade levels and just pull out the information for my kids and put it all in a spreadsheet.  I cannot even go through all my technical woes of late.  Suffice it to say, I'm burying much technology in the coming days, once I get all my stuff backed up.  In order to get all my work done, I've invested in an iPad Air, a hardcore case, I'll get a Bluetooth keyboard in the coming days, I'll be set.

I'm freaking out a little having an 8th grader.  Doesn't at all faze me that my youngest is going into 2nd grade, but having an 8th grader.  That's big time.  We have a variety of math interests in our house, or more specifically, a variety of math program interests.  Life of Fred has been a fave for years.  G enjoyed Teaching Textbooks in 7th grade, but in talking to others, I feel like perhaps I should push him a little more.  So I've ordered Algebra I from Foerster for this year.  I got the three different pre-Algebra books from Life of Fred, but I also feel like I need to get NS a more rigorous program, or at least something where I can make sure he's learning what he needs. K, NB, and J will all be sticking solely with Life of Fred and supplementing with games and such.  Math facts are somewhat lacking in our house, so we'll practice, practice, practice.

Aside from math, I really want to focus on writing.  We're HUGE readers, and I'll curate a list of what I want my older to be introduced to, but I don't need to really push the whole reading thing.  Writing? Yeah, let's get on it.  So I'm getting little pocket journals for everyone to keep in the day packs so they can keep them handy on hikes and such.  One mom told me about Bravewriter, so I need to look into that and see if that can help us.

I also want the kids to think about Big Ideas.  Read some philosophy, discuss important ideas, see how we can fit idealism into realism.

Doing all of this while keeping our book load light, oh, it's a frightening prospect.  But we'll bring along DVDs, books on CD, our stuff from Audible, and our minds.  Oh, what an adventure we'll have!