This week our assignment is to share our plans for the upcoming school year, as well as a Scripture that has encouraged in homeschooling.  I’m going to do this by child, age, level and curriculum.  Just to keep it simple! 

Cole – 8&1/2, 3rd “grade”:  Math-U-See Beta, ACE (School of Tomorrow) English and Word Building, and Considering God’s Creation (Science) is what we’re starting off with in Sept.  By October we’ll be adding Galloping the Globe, Joseph, the Canada Goose (from How Great Thou Art), and lots of reading!!!

Luke – 7 (tomorrow!), 2nd “grade”: Math-U-See Primer, ACE English and Word Building, and Considering God’s Creation for Sept.  In Oct. Galloping the Globe, and something artistic.

Brett – 4&1/2, “kindergarten”: Rod & Staff preschool.

I want to start doing some critical thinking.  I found some great activities and books for this in a catalogue I got from the homeschool conference in May.  I also just got a box of fun things for the youngest three to do from The Learning Parent – we love the Boyers!  I have to re-do the learning to read program (Word Building) for Luke because he is still having some receptive language issues.  I looked into a few other programs, but I think I might run into the same problem with each of them.  So we’re just going to make our own with some help from what we already have.  I don’t really want to waste money on trying to figure out the right “program” when I think I probably can figure it out myself.  One of the many benefits of homeschooling!  Brett is kindergarten age according to our local district, but we’re only doing preschool.  He won’t be five until mid-Dec, and I just don’t see the point in pushing it.  Cole & Luke both attended a preschool, but when it came to kindergarten they were home, and we really just did the same stuff: drawing, colouring, reading, playdough, etc.  We want to do some lapbooking and nature walks as well.  I’m also going to try to have several field trips – our local support group does some, but I think we need more – to get through the winter.  Despite the price of gas, I think we’ll all be better off to know that every 2-3 weeks we’ll be having a day out doing something educational and fun.  For reading, I’m going to be following the lists from Five in a Row, Come Sit by Me, and Honey for a Child’s Heart as guidance in choosing some great kids literature.

As for a verse, there are so many!  I think the one thing I’ve held onto the most through the past couple of years is 

2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

I feel so incapable and overwhelmed often, and in the midst of the worst part of last year, dealing with family and church issues as well as my PPD, I forced myself to remember that His grace is sufficient.  I wanted to quit so much, so many times.  I will always be weak, but He will always be strong, and in that I can rest.