The teacher books are getting pulled out and dusted off, but the teaching will be much closer to home this time. After much thought (and sleepness nights), we have decided to homeschool the girls for Kindergarten and 1st Grade this year. I am feeling excited and overwhelmed, but I know that much of what we already do to learn through play will carry-over just fine into our homeschooling days. Should be a wonderful adventure for our family!
I know lots of you out there are homeschooling as well – I would love for you to share a favorite resource or point me in the direction of homeschooling blogs you love (even your own!).
Happy playing!
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
Awesome! We’re starting homeschooling this year with our first year in kindergarten. I have a few of the books pictured here…The Charlotte Mason Companion is also a favorite. Preschoolers and Peace is my fave homeschooling blog.
I’ll enjoy following your first year! Thanks for all the work you put into this site. I appreciate it.
Amy,
I am so happy for you and your family. It is my hope that I will get to start a homeschooling journey of my own next fall. We are planning ahead a year so we can make it work. I love the Well-Trained Mind book and philosophy, so that is likely going to be a cornerstone of what we try to do. Also, there is a Classical education program called Classical Conversations that looks interesting. I don’t know if it’s available where you live. Just Google it and you can find out. It’s the WTM philosphy, but you work at home 4 days then get together with other homeschoolers for activities on Fridays.
Have fun…..and keep us all posted!
Laura
I really like Christianbook.com because you can look at the first few pages of a book to see if it’s something you are interested in or not. They also have reviews for each book, which really helps as well.
Well, since you have so many great ideas that you have shared with us, I hope you’ll take a peek at my blog for some homeschooling ideas that I can share with you.
My girls are probably 1-2 years ahead of yours…we are very eclectic. We love unit studies, Charlotte Mason, crafts, reading wonderful living books, scripture memory, lots of outdoor play…and more I’m sure that I’m forgetting. 
http://www.candacemercyisnew.blogspot.com
My favorite resource is Homeschool Share. http://www.homeschoolshare.com You probably are already familiar…the creator, Ami, is who turned me on to your website to begin with!
On this site you can find free unit studies, lapbooks (which most girls LOVE) printables, workbox ideas, and more!
Have FUN…that is one of my biggest goals as a homeschool mom. I love making school FUN for my kids…learning CAN be fun!
You must check out the Well Trained Mind Forums, if you haven’t yet. I like the K-8 Curriculum board the best.
http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/
http://www.sonlight.com/ has amazing curriculum lists. (Reading lists etc…)
http://www.homeschoolshare.com/ has really terrific units based on books, topics, etc…
http://www.montessorimaterials.org/ Great source of Montessori activities, useful even if you don’t do Mont. Amazing geography and science!
How fun! We’re starting K this fall with our oldest and so looking forward to it! I’ve written on my blog about some of our preparations and I review some homeschool items (and have some coming up soon too). We’re using My Father’s World this year. onelittlewordsheknew.blogspot.com
Congrats! It is exciting and scary all at the same time!!!
We’ll be doing 1st grade this year with Sonlight. We really enjoyed kindergarten and just looked through all of our 1st grade materials.
The Well Trained Mind is a great resource! It’s one of our top recommendations! You’re on the right track.
Good luck!
What a great idea! I actually have been tossing it around all summer…but I’m so worried that she and I will butt heads and she won’t learn what she really needs to learn. SHe completed KG last year and homework with her was a headache…so I am so scared to that that leap just yet…but I fear I need to soon because I don’t want her attending middle school with what I see going on. A friend of mine is actually a Principal for an Online based homeschool and I know she has teachers that can help via webcam and email. So, it can’t be all that hard right?!?! I’m encouraged by reading all the comments…maybe I’ll give in and attempt it for her first grade!?!
We started our homeschooling journey last year with our kindergartener and I loved it! I felt like it was what I was made to do. I’ve been reading “The Well-Trained Mind” this summer, too. Can’t wait for first grade to start. Good luck with your adventure!
How wonderful! I can’t wait to read more about your homeschooling adventure!!! I hope you’ll keep us fully updated
Congratulations on your homeschooling decision! How exciting for your family!
I hope that you’ll check out our group homeschooling blog: http://www.thehomeschoolclassroom.com
I always think it is funny when I’ve been reading someone’s blog for a while and just “assumed” the person was a homeschooler. I usually don’t follow non-homeschoolers so I guess unless you post a photo of your child’s nursery school or public school–I just figure you’re “one of us.”
Shows hoe well I retain information, huh?
Congratulations!!! Good luck! I loved Well-Trained Mind, but now I’m beginning to move toward so-called “relaxed” homeschooling for the future.
Congratulations on your decision to homeschool! I know that you will do a great job from reading your blog. You seem like a very excellent, invested mama. You will not regret the cherished moments that you will have with those girls. I have a K’er and 2nd grader. We LOVE our time together! I look forward to seeing how your year goes and how you incorporate all of your fun activities!
http://www.thesolts.com/Amanda/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/the-never-at-home-homeschoolers.pdf
above is the link to some of my favorite homeschooling reading ever. above all, have fun!!
you will love it. when my kids were in ps homework was a hassle – to put it lightly. how can a child be expected to do 3 hrs of homework after just spending 7 hrs in school? so not fair. i spend the same amount of time hsing my kids that i used to spend doing homework. on my time schedule teaching what i want or they need. i feel so much freedom!!! its hard to rec anything because hsing is such a personal thing. what works for one kids might not work for another. thats the beauty. this year i am leaning more towards charlotte mason – penny gardner style. we are going to be using winter promising and it look – promising. good luck.
oh yeah – i use currclick.com ALOT!
How exciting! C’mon over anytime. My oldest is starting Grade 2 this year.
We read many ‘living books’ and try to do much of our school as hands-on.
We are homeschooling this year — the second full year of preschooling-at-home. We are undecided beyond this year. I do have, though, a terrific collection of links on my blog — many pertain to preschool, but many are also suitable for K and 1st. Enjoy! And good luck!
http://www.musesofmegret.com/preschooling-links/
Great for you! My daughter is still a little young for the homeschooling discussion with my husband (she’s 5 months), but all my cousins were homeschooled and I became even more interested after becoming pregnant and leaving my position as a public shool teacher. My favorite homeschooling resource is Sandra Dodd: http://www.sandradodd.com/unschooling
Don’t let the phrase ‘unschooling’ scare you off–even if it’s not something you’re interested in trying, the website is stuffed with great ideas and opportunities covering all areas of ;earning.
I’m officially starting this month, too. I tried it last year for pre-k but my 2 younger kids made it difficult to do “real” school, so we ended up doing “unschooling.” I started reading your blog last spring for the preschool art aspect of it, although I took a break from school resource blogs for many months. Now I’m catching up on those and I’m looking forward to following you on your journey!
I homeschooled my oldest son this past year for kindergarten. Our favorite curriculum was Sonlight Science. I found a used copy of the instructor’s guide which reduced the price significantly. My younger son (3 at the time) participating happily,too.