starting up

We decided to go ahead and start Letter of the Week prep program with Melissa, and if Lydia picks any of it up great. Melissa is begging us to let her go to school thanks to a recent episode of Sesame Street (the one where Baby Bear goes to school for the first time, even the Elmo's World segment was about going to school *sigh*) so we are going to start simple with her, I'm thinking I may stretch the weekly lessons out into 2 week lessons if she shows any signs of not getting it like she did the couple times we tried this program with her in the past. I'm also researching Charlotte Mason's approach and figuring it out, it looks from what little I know like it may be a good fit for us but only time will tell as I research it further. I still can't believe there's so many different methods for homeschooling, I just don't know where to go at all or what's going to be the best fit for us. I'm still thinking that we'll probably end up going with Sonlight when its time to start following the state's laws, but I don't really know WHAT I'm doing yet for sure. I'm just going to start Melissa on Monday like I'm planning and just see where it takes us over the next couple years. That's all I can do really.

buying supplies

So my husband and I were at WalMart today, and I stopped to get Melissa some metallic gel pens so she can decorate some valentines I'm planning on helping her make for the grandparents. Right next to the pens were those workbooks that they have, so I leafed through their preschool one (the "complete" book) and my husband said we should pick it up so that we have it if she wants to do any worksheet stuff. So we did, and at a dollar store we got some flashcards for counting and colors and shapes for her and Lydia to use. Its a good start, not what we are planning on using exclusively to get started with school for them but it'll be a good supplement I think once we get going. Since we are on a really tight budget, I'm having to pick stuff up now for use in the future, last summer I snagged an almost complete preschool reading readiness program at the thrift store for only $5, its missing 2 books and a cassette tape. I also got a pack of washable crayons at the store today for her to use with the above mentionedd reading program, the books are made for the kids to write in with them and color in them and all that then just be wiped clean with a wet rag. I've been reading the books from that program to Melissa and Lydia since we got it and the girls LOVE them so I know that it'll be a big hit once we start learning to read. Even though we won't be using any of this stuff formally until fall and the public school starts again for the '06-'07 school year, it feels good to know that we are getting stuff gathered to get started. Now I just need to get another new printer cartridge and a package of printer paper so I can print out the schedule for Sonlight pre-k that I'll be using the first year, and get my weekly library lists made up so that each week I kknow exactly what I need to check out (I'll also try to pick up as many of the books as I can at the thrift store instead so that I don't have to do the library with as many books each week) Now that we are getting things ready to go here and we are picking things up a little at a time as we have the money, I'm starting to feel really good about this and am getting a bit excited at getting started with preschool at home. Now let's see if I can wait until September like I'm planning. LOL

prepping to start preschool

I'm preparing things to start Melissa with some preschool starting in April after her birthday. Since her birthday is on a Friday this year, her party is the next day and then we'll begin preschool on the following Monday. I'm thinking that I'll use a combination of the Letter of the Week program (www.letteroftheweek.com) and the read alouds from Sonlight's pre-k cirriculum (www.sonlight.com) with a lot of free play and fun activities to go with it. She'll also start dance classes in the fall once I find a studio that we like within our budget, I'm still not sure what exactly we'll sign her up for within the studio but I know she'll have a blast once she starts. I'm also starting to work with Lydia on basics like her body parts, shapes, colors, and stuff like that. She's picking things up quickly so I know that it'll be a breeze, I may start her with preschool stuff too in April if she shows that she's ready for it alongside her big sister. This week and next week I'm focusing on printing out things I know that I need to do preschool with Melissa, and then I'll make out my lesson plans and figure out what else I want to add in with school and make up my unit studies to go with the reading we'll be doing and all that good stuff. I'll probably make changes to Letter of the Week so that it meshes better with our unit studies and themes that we'll be doing, so I have a lot of work ahead of me. I think 2 months will be enough time to set up the basic structure and get us into a working schedule so that we are ready when we start lessons. Only time will tell what will happen, this is my ideal plan but who knows if it'll work out that way?