NessaPower

Hi, I'm new on here(lurking the past couple of days). This is also my first "official" year of homeschooling. I'm currently record keeping and schooling seriously my 10 and 6 1/2 yr daughters, while trying to keep one busy almost 2 year old under foot!
I love being able to answer everything my children ask me on a daily basis and not have them wait til the time is right(make sense). I have tons of used materials I have bought over the past year in my quest for homeschooling. Started with FIAR, 100 ez lessons(for 6yr), and now pretty much are doing things from Learn at Home, but, I don't follow it at all to the tee.
Now after my long drawn out story, I am really looking for help, and I hope I can get input from you gals or at least a neat website to read up on.
I'm in Missouri, and our laws are pretty easy. Record log on hours(1000 hrs. and at least of that has to be 600 for LA, Read, Math, Science, Social Studies), Lesson plan, items to show work basically, and then a record of evaluation. Now we do not at any time have to turn these in, it is just for safety measure basically.
Ok, my thing is the lesson plan! Could someone give me a sample of their day or point towards it. Everyone I know has these plans made up at least a week ahead, and will know what their going to do. I'm having difficulty in this because we basically do things day by day! I literally do not have a full day planned for the next day(make sense?) That is why I'm looking at unschooling, it seems like we follow this suit, though, I still want them to do written and reading work.
Sorry about the looooong post, but after 3 months of homeschooling, I'm getting nervous as to find my style!
Thanks!
Vanessa
Our lil' sweeties:
Victoria Rose, Madison Grace, and
David Kent


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Karin

Welcome Vanessa!

I think it's safe to say that most people here also do things day by day and
do not have their plans made up at least a week ahead. So, in that way, you
are doing what is called unschooling.

BUT (the big but ;-), most people here don't want (or make) their kids do
written and reading work or any sort of curriculum daily or weekly or EVER.
Unschooling is taking the SCHOOL out of homeschooling, so we don't make our
kids do school work.

About finding your style, could it be eclectic or relaxed homeschooling?

About homeschooling laws in Missouri and recording hours spent on various
subjects, maybe there are some others here who can share how they use the
daily activities their kids enjoy doing (like playing legos or computer
games or baking or watching TV) and translating that into school subjects
for the records. Look in the files section of this group to see a great
unschooling "course of study" provided by Pam Sorooshian.

Hope this helps some.
Best Wishes ~

Karin



"NessaPower" <nessapower@...> wrote:

> Ok, my thing is the lesson plan! Could someone give me a sample of their
day or point towards it. Everyone I know has these plans made up at least
a week ahead, and will know what their going to do. I'm having difficulty
in this because we basically do things day by day! I literally do not have
a full day planned for the next day(make sense?) That is why I'm looking at
unschooling, it seems like we follow this suit, though, I still want them to
do written and reading work.
> Sorry about the looooong post, but after 3 months of homeschooling, I'm
getting nervous as to find my style!
> Thanks!
> Vanessa
> Our lil' sweeties:
> Victoria Rose, Madison Grace, and
> David Kent

[email protected]

In a message dated 11/4/02 6:22:44 AM, nessapower@... writes:

<< That is why I'm looking at unschooling, it seems like we follow this suit,
though, I still want them to do written and reading work. >>

Save your post in a safe place so you can look back at in a year and see what
progress you've made.

Either you will reject unschooling or you will stop thinking of what they do
as "work."

Here is the way Carol Narigon described her unschooling. Perhaps you can
adapt something from this:

http://sandradodd.com/unschoolingcurriculum

<<Sorry about the looooong post, but after 3 months of homeschooling, I'm
getting nervous as to find my style!>>

Give your kids the week off and go and read this stuff:
http://sandradodd.com/unschooling

I'm assuming you've already looked at www.unschooling.com
but if not, please do!

Sandra