Back Home and feeling great about homeschooling!

The NCHE conference was great as usual. And I am happy to report that I did not leave the conference completely broke! The book fair is such a tempting place to spend my money and I am so eager to begin an academics program with James. I'll talk more about that in a separate post. It deserves it's very own space.
Even though I didn't spend a gazillion dollars, I did buy one thing, Handwriting Without Tears". I spent a whooping $23!!!!

I left inspired and content. I was so content with what I was doing and what I need to do at home and with James that I left the conference a day early. I missed James. I missed Chris. And I don't like to feel "far away" from them so I came home. When I went to pick up James from my Mom, he told me he loved me more than ice cream! I'm pretty sure I left a better wife. ;) I attended the workshop about homeschooling and romance. Heidi St. John is an excellent speaker. She and her husband often present these workshops together and they have also written books on the subject. Heidi has a website too. She helped me remember "That Girl", the girl my husband married. She reminded us all that homeschooling our children is important and it's hard work but it means nothing without a solid and happy marriage. My marriage is the TOP priority and the most important relationship in my home. And let me be candid, I married well. So it's not hard. And even if you aren't a homeschooler but you ARE married, your marriage needs you to remember "That Girl" too. :)

Math, Handwriting, Science...Check!

Well, my research has paid off! After figuring out what exactly a kindergartner needs to know, I found my focus. We definitely need to spend money on curriculum for Reading, Writing, Math, and Science. I am quite confused about reading curricula however. Everything is phonics, phonic, phonics. I honestly don't remember learning how to read using phonics and I am not sure about it. (If anyone out there has some information that will enlighten me I would greatly appreciate it.) So! I am sharing my picks below and I want to point out that what I have chosen thus far fits nicely into the Charlotte Mason approach to education AND the Classical Education approach. Score!

READING: I really have no idea right now. I am hoping to stumble across a booth at the NCHE book fair next weekend. I hope it has a bunch of neon lights all around it with a banner that says, "Connie! Over here! It's this one you want!". That would make it so easy. I tried the "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Lessons" about a year ago but James was NOT ready for it. I may try that again this summer to see if he is ready or if he just doesn't like it.

MATH: I have definitely decided to go with the Math U See curriculum. I LOVE their math! I was absolutely SOLD on it when I went to the website and saw a video demonstration of a sample lesson on place values.  Go to Math U See Primer and click to watch the second video on the page. James caught me wathcing it and crawled up on my lap to watch it with me. He seemed to like the idea of eleven being called "1-ty 1" instead. ;)

WRITING: Handwriting Without Tears This page from their website shows the teacher's guide and it has some really great videos that show their writing sequences. I think it's ingenious in it's simplicity!

SCIENCE: The Backyard Scientist: Series One  by Jane Hoffman. I should have picked up the first one this year but we will do some fun stuff in the Fall! I found this on one of the Charlotte Mason websites.

What I will spend:

• Math U See Primer Set: $85.00

• The Backyard Scientist: $6.00

• Handwriting Without Tears: $21.00

Grand Total (right now without reading curriculum): $112.00

In a recent post, I set my budget at $400 for curricula. So far, I am doing pretty good. This, however, is strictly for curricula and does not include fun books to read, pencils, pens, arts & craft supplies. I WISH I spent more on arts and crafts but James is just not interested in coloring or drawing or big art projects. He is a "Wiggly Willy". He wants to MOVE! And he wants to TALK! Anyway...This also does not include field trips or sports teams that he may want to try next year either. But! I am excited! I am developing a plan and a path for us and all the while remembering that "kindergarten" means "a child's garden".