Friday, July 31, 2009

Hooked On.... the Well-Trained Mind

Here is a new meme I've been wanting to try.... and it works out well with what I've been wanting to post since I've collected most of our materials to school Anna this year. And this morning I was awake WAY TOO early and spent some of the quiet hours.... yes, hours reading through my "homeschooling manual"... lol

And I am convinced that I am Hooked On The Well- Trained Mind!! It's actually a classical homeschool method/guide. I'm just amazed at all the material we have planned to cover this year and am I NOT overwhelmed.

The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer and Jesse Wise is used by many. But I was encouraged to look through it from my friend Erica! And I was immediately impressed with this model... I know some think it's TOO structured... but I LIKE structure and I like the well thoughtout 12-yr plan. And trying to navigate through ALL the MILLIONS of homeschooling supplies, companies, curriculums... is Very, Very OverWhelming!! It's nice to look through the suggestions in Well-Trained Mind (and suggestions from Erica!!) and then find those materials:)


I've already mentioned how much I LOVE The Well-Trained Mind's teaching to read (through phonics) guide! Here is Anna writing some her "oi" words on foil... cute and she LOVED it:)

So to continue through this model for our first "structured" year of homeschooling seems soo natural.

As I devoured the chapters of how we will work on Spelling, Grammer, Reading, Writing, Math, Science, History and Math this school year, I was sooo ready to to sit Anna and the table and START THIS morning... lol!!! I do have a couple more steps to complete before we start schooling this year, but the best thing is that I am EXCITED about school starting and learning with the kids:)


Check Out more Hooked on at Hooked on Houses.


Here is some comic relief to this "serious" post.

Lately during our "quiet school time" (aka.. my teaching time with Anna) Lydia has found a using kiddie scissors to pass the time. She'll sit and cut paper for 45 minutes at least... and all I hear is paper and scissors cutting:)It's a great coordination exercise and she'll be ready to cutting activities by the time she starts a more structured pre-K!!!

And she also learns to clean up her OWN mess:) Although I'm pretty sure Christopher helped on that morning:)

6 comments:

Bunch of Barrons said...

We plan on homeschooling, but i really don't know much about curricula other than what we used growing up...which was A bekah and A.C.E. I like learning about what other people are doing. :)

Decor To Adore said...

I have heard good things about this book. I am visiting via Hooked on Houses.
Please drop by and enter my giveaway.

Have a blessed weekend!

Tracey said...

I am a former teacher and do not currently homeschool - my girls are entering 3rd and 1st grades this year. However, when I read The Well-Trained Mind a couple of years ago, I was blown away. I felt inspired to begin homeschooling that very week!

It is certainly a possibility that we may homeschool in the future and, if so, I would plan to use that book as my foremost resource. Even now, I feel that it is my responsibility to oversee my chidren's education and therefore try to enhance their learning, especially during the summer when we have more free time.

Glad I found your blog and this post!

Erica said...

YAY!! I am glad you are enjoying the book, and are encouraged. We have had such similar approaches in so many areas, I guess I shouldn't be surprised... I just *love* having that book as a guide. I hope you guys have a super productive year!

Oh, and thanks for the "hooked on houses" site... it led me to a blog with a craft I'm itching to start!

Miss you!

Rebecca said...

i have heard great things about this book. And my friend said that their history curriculum is great! {The Story of the World} She said you can just play the cd and the man who reads and tells the story is an award winning story teller. I like that! I am not a structured person at all, so I don't want to have but SO much freedom, and a lot of their curriculums seem great. Structured but not overly so! I am starting preeschool soon with tate, he's only two. But I love to get ideas because we'll be starting school before you know it!

Unknown said...

I'm planning on homeschooling for the first time this year and I keep hearing about this book!! Guess I'll have to break down and buy it. :)
I wanted to comment on your newest post but you disabled comments :) so hope this is ok....I just wanted to say that it was exactly what I needed to read at this point in my life too. Its been a tough week for me as well (www.fordsbigbluehouse.blogspot.com). I'll say a prayer for you!