Up until the night before we started we didn't know when we were going to start "learning with a new and specific purpose". While camping on his official birthday Micah said "Mom, I'm 6 now, when are we going to start school?" I was comfortable at that point and so it didn't really matter. We knew when the surrounding schools were starting (some that day - 6th; some the 10th; some the 17th), we knew when his cousins were starting, we knew that sometimes schools didn't start until after Labor Day (which is still in most of the books we read). So, it didn't matter.
On Sunday evening, August 9th, we just said "Let's start tomorrow." And we did!
Monday August 10, 2009 was Micah's first day of kindergarten.
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Micah/Earth/Earth Layers
100th day of school with mom
Ice Hockey Goalie
Playing Wii
First day of kindergarten
... includes display shelfing
We learn a lot here too!!
chalkboard, magnet board, & dry erase board
This site will follow along with Micah's journey through kindergarten.
COMING UP...
You can view our summer events and first grade experiences at: http://richhomeeducationgrade1.blogspot.com/
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2009
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August
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- Ending our first unit
- My kids love snacks!
- Listening Station
- Handwriting / Vocabulary
- Show & Tell
- Eastside Explorers Camping Weekend
- Meeting new friends / classmates
- Stop me!
- Getting Involved
- Catapult Craze!
- Breakfast at Einsteins
- One of many moments
- Armor Of God - Ephesians 6:10-18
- Our First Day
- Our First Week
- Theme-Related Books:
- Fun "themed" websites:
- What can you ask Micah?
- My lesson
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August
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About Me
Self-Portrait May 2010
Self-Portrait April 2010
Micah/Earth/Earth Layers
Self-Portrait - March 2010
100th day of school with mom
Self-Portrait - February 2010
Ice Hockey Goalie
Self-Portrait - January 2010
Playing Wii
Self-Portrait - December 2009
Self-Portrait - November 2009
Self-Portrait - October 2009
Self-Portrait - September 2009
Self-Portrait - August 2009
First day of kindergarten
Getting Ready
For an entire year Micah has been telling people "when I turn 6 then I'm going to start kindergarten." The time has come! After Matt & I finalized our decision to eduate Micah at home we all began planning together. Micah & I talked about what it would look like, feel like, and what kind of things we would do. We re-arranged the front room to have more of a separation between his 'desk area' and the 'play area'. We read some cute books about kindergarten and walked through our home realizing our backyard & garden are the 'science center', our kitchen is the 'cooking/measuring center', we have a 'computer center', and a 'listening center' (listen to stories or songs on CD). Micah saw our home with fresh learning eyes!
Curriculum
Mid-July, Matt & I attended the curriculum fair held in Phoenix. So many wonderful things to choose from, yet we didn't want to rush into something, spend extra dollars, and find out it might or might not be a good fit for Micah. With my personal education background (BA and MA), teaching my own classrooms, working closely with friends who were kindergarten teachers, becoming familiar with state standards and integration procedures as a k-8 administrator and working in numerous kindergarten through 8th grade classrooms ... Matt and I felt comfortable in trusting my personal knowledge, abilities, creativeness and desire to teach (and learn) to put it together myself. This will allow extra time to browse, research, ask other families, etc. about the different curriculum choices available.
Finally, all the ideas in my head can burst free!! haha! But I have to be careful... I have so many ideas that I could complicate things and want to fit too many things in. My reality check is that although I have many ideas, now I can choose the most fun, the most valuable, and the ones that fit my particular student - Micah. It's so flexible, personalized, and exciting!
Finally, all the ideas in my head can burst free!! haha! But I have to be careful... I have so many ideas that I could complicate things and want to fit too many things in. My reality check is that although I have many ideas, now I can choose the most fun, the most valuable, and the ones that fit my particular student - Micah. It's so flexible, personalized, and exciting!
Micah's Input
On July 15, Micah and I went out to do some shopping for his birthday party decorations. We went to Wendy's for dinner and I asked him "what do you want us to include when we start school?"
His responses:
"activities" - when I asked what that would entail he said "making stuff", "drawing stuff"
"You telling me what to draw. Then I draw it, without using any stencils."
"You know ... we should have recess though."
During the summer we made sure to include Micah's thoughts and ideas in preparing for this year. He helped us re-arrange the front room and create an area for him to "work".
His responses:
"activities" - when I asked what that would entail he said "making stuff", "drawing stuff"
"You telling me what to draw. Then I draw it, without using any stencils."
"You know ... we should have recess though."
During the summer we made sure to include Micah's thoughts and ideas in preparing for this year. He helped us re-arrange the front room and create an area for him to "work".
Micah's Desk Area
... includes display shelfing
"Our Classroom"
I put that in quotes because honestly we aren't in just one place to learn. We love the freedom! But we do like to have a 'hub', our 'comfort spot', a space we can call our own. A place where some of the specified things happen. For over a year now, I have found Micah drawing, writing, coloring, cutting, whatever ... at his desk. He loves it! That is his space. So, he assisted in laying out the room to put more of a distinction between the 'play area' and 'work area'.
Play Area - Lilly's Diner & Micah's Market
We learn a lot here too!!
Display Area
chalkboard, magnet board, & dry erase board
Schedule / Routine
This part is such a joy! We can continue so many things we were already doing and enjoying! Learning/teaching is such a natural concept for our family that we're finding that our 'teachable moments' that have brought us to this point in life are just expanding. Some are 'out of the blue' and some are 'planned'. Quite honestly some days it can be hard to differentiate them.
I have however put together an outline of our day/week, so that all of us can know what to expect on a regular basis. Things can be shifted around but we all have a concrete foundation of what's going to be happening.
For example: Tuesday will continue to be SBC Bible Study; Thursday will be our "Field Trip day" - Barton Home, Zoo, Children's Museum, library, grocery, neighbor visits, ... We can always trade for another day if a friend calls. :)
I have however put together an outline of our day/week, so that all of us can know what to expect on a regular basis. Things can be shifted around but we all have a concrete foundation of what's going to be happening.
For example: Tuesday will continue to be SBC Bible Study; Thursday will be our "Field Trip day" - Barton Home, Zoo, Children's Museum, library, grocery, neighbor visits, ... We can always trade for another day if a friend calls. :)
About our music
Our music choices tend to have something to do with our theme/s we are studying (although sometimes we have a default of a favorite or favorite songs). The songs are either part of those we know, from the radio (K-Love) or church, that fit what we are learning. Sometimes I'll just go to K-Love's website and type in a theme word, go through a list of songs, and look for it on playlist.com. So, we're learning a few new ones also.
PlayList Songs
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