It's time for school!

I've decided to start school a week early because of lots of exciting things going on in our lives! So.... we start tomorrow! When I mentioned this to Luke he was excited! And I am too! I love homeschooling so much! It is just a blessing and I truly feel like I'm answering God's call to 'teach them diligently'. We chose to use Heart of Dakota again this year. I toyed with the idea of switching but I kept coming back to it! I really enjoyed it so much. It's enough structure for me but also gives me freedom to lay aside anything that isn't working and add in what is. Last year we enjoyed everything that was laid out in the curriculum except I sometimes switched up the memory verses and we used some of our own Bible study material. We are doing that again this year. I did some searching and found "Studying God's Word Book B" by Christian Liberty Press. It's a 36 week unit that goes through the 60 catechisms and scripture to help explain each one. I am really looking forward to doing this with the boys. I also added a Christian Liberty Nature Reader for us to read together.

Along with all that is pictured above we will also be doing handwriting (I'm a little late ordering that! Oops. Until we get it, I'll just have Luke do some copy work.) and phonics. We did not finish Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons. But we will! We got through 3/4 of the book. We had a very slow start in phonics and I learned early on not to push it. After TYCTR, I plan on starting Phonics Pathways and I'd like to pick up some easy readers and see how he does with those as well. From my research Phonics Pathways is very similar to 100 Easy Lesson but is a little more in depth. It sounds like the perfect next step for us! I plan on us doing a lot of reading together this year before we focus on grammar and spelling.

Luke will also be involved in elementary choir. He really enjoyed it last year! He is also taking an art class through our local co-op. I think he's going to enjoy that too! I'm hoping to share more updates throughout the school year through the blog.

Well, it's time to get these kiddos in bed! I'm looking forward to a fun and exciting 1st grade year!

 "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."
(Deuteronomy 6:6-9)