More on Summer Reading

Thanks to a homeschooling friend, I've had my eye out for lists of good reads for our boys!  Found another today on Pinterest and thought I'd link it here.

Without further adu ~ the list.
 


P.S. This list goes through High School and has some duplicate to what I've already post, but a broader range!

Excitement!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As an adult, what gets you totally excited? The success of your child in school, sports, or spiritual things? A raise in pay? A new car, house, or something else?

While all these things are wonderful, probably one of the greatest fun things for me, in the last few years, is going to the HEAV Convention. It's a chance to go to a bunch of vendors, listen to a few speakers on many different topics, see some friends, and having 6 meals with Kevin without kids!!!

Should you care, here's a list of Vendors I'll be visiting and most likely buying from:

• Excellence in Writing
• Math-U-See
• My Father's World
• Queen Homeschool Supplies
• Rainbow Resource Center, Inc.

Now for the the Workshops:

• The Power of Good Habits in Your Homeschool - Simply Charlotte Mason
• Homeschool Distractions - Kerin Morgan
• Nature Studies & Journaling - Barry Stebbing
• Combining Classical Education, Charlotte Mason, and Unit Studies with a Christian Perspective - My Father's World
  

Yes, there is a theme to most of the Vendors and Workshops I'll be attending. With three years of homeschooling under my belt, I'm a bit more relaxed, ready to try new things for the boys, and ready to set things aside if they aren't working. Unit studies have been a wonderful concept for our family. We can focus on a theme, book, idea, or whatever, glean a lot of information about said theme, then move on. Yes, the homeschool distractions play in as I'm naturally and easily distracted by my own body chemistry, things that look more fun, a new topic, and actual household chores. One of my "New School Year Resolves" is to get the boys outside more. There are a wealth of trails to explore in our area, county and state parks to play in or visit, and a lot of places we can go visit within a short drive (or metro)!

Home School Link

We're wrapping up our second year of schooling, just under 4 weeks left. Although I am looking forward to summer vacation, there's an element of enjoying looking at curriculum for next year. In the process, we've decided to use Math-U-See and Five In A Row (and adding in Beyond Five In A Row) next year. Both boys have done well with these and definitely worth using for another year. This just leaves Language Arts as an umbrella term.

Seems like I'm always asking "What curriculum have you used for ________ (fill in the blank for subject)? How did it work for your child? Does your child like workbooks or more hands on? These questions seem help narrow down what I want to research. In this process, I've come across Simply Charlotte Mason. I'm finding, her style works well for us. There's a lot of hands on, a lot of nature, a lot of books, a lot of real life; also, school doesn't have to take "all day". It's one way, of many choices, and it's working for us.

With the help of the above web sight, I've been able to narrow down some of the last thing for next year.