Let's Learn to Love Learning

I have spent some time at the end of the year trying to deschool Jesse and myself. I have read that it can take months up to a couple of years to get out of the mentality of public (and private) schools.
We are wanting to learn at home. Not mimic the classroom enviroment I chose to remove him from. It i going to take time for us both to become accustom to this learning style. He has to understand that he can trust himself to absorb the knowledge around him.

My main goal is for Jesse to learn to love learning. Not just throw facts at him that he has to memorize to pass a standard test. I have curricula, yes. But where can it take us? Where can we go to explore what we are learning? Can we travel daily? Yes, if we want to, although it could make learning math and LA a challenge. I do understand he needs Reading Writing and Arithmetic, I will be sure the basics are covered as we journey through Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. Through The Middle Ages, Renaissance, Reformation and The Age of Exploration. I am beyond excited (and a little scared) of this coming year with my beautiful child.

For more information on deschooling
https://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/school-homeschool-what-is-deschooling/ https://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/homeschooling-101/deschooling/

Running a Little Late

We decided to wait one more week before starting school. Jesse wanted a little more freedom and I needed more time to plan. I did account for the delay in my scheduling.
Monday, July 16,2018 is the official start date. No more extensions or I will have to reconfigure the schedule.
After a discussion with my student we decided we wanted to do he World of Adventure Unit Study. However some of the Language Arts in the Unit Study I don't think is what he personally needs so I am supplementing with Abeka God's Gift of Language A.
I purchased a year membership to Prodigy Math Games and we are going as planned with Saxon 5/4. I also want to download a typing game to help with his keyboarding skills.

This has been a fun week. He had a friend spend the night on Monday, Tuesday we went to the movies, Ant-man and the Wasp. Wednesday we went swimming, Yesterday we visited my sister and he enjoyed playing with his 2nd cousins. Today, if we don't get overrun by thunderstorms we are going with friends to White Water.

I plan and pray that we have a productive year.

The Journey Begins 07/09/2018

We are calling our homeschool Adventures in Learning. Our Mascot is the Road Runner.  We do plan to stay home and school, but we also plan to seek out learning through field trips, library, historical sights and museums.  We will be embarking on this new journey July 9, 2018. I have modified a year round schedule giving us a week off every 4 weeks (a little more at the holidays) and a 6 week break in the summer. I have scheduled 184 days as we are required to school 180 days and this gives me a little cushion.

I have chosen 2 curriculums. A world of Adventure and Beyond Five in a Row. I am not sure if I want to use A World of Adventure for the whole year or pick and choose units and include Beyond Five in a Row. As I begin my teaching schedule I will determine that decision. We are also using Saxon for math and including handwriting.
We hit the ground running by attending a homeschool field trip with people in Grace Homeschool Group as well as participating in their field day. I have a close friend whom also homeschools and we will do a lot together.

We are taking a week off in August to make a trip to Central NY. My youngest son misses his friends (although he has many here and is not lonely). We plan to drive the 1000 miles and stay 5 nights. The trip is dedicated to Jesse and his need to see his pals, but I am also excited to see a few of mine,
We can do a lot on the road. We can learn a little about each state. Talk about mileage and money management. I'm sure there will be plenty of teachable moments. We can also just have some fun while enjoying each other's company!
After departing New York I have planned to take Jesse to Hershey Chocolate World. It is four hours from my friend's house and in route. We will spend several hours there and head to our lodging about an hour south. If Possible we will make a side trip to South Carolina to see one of my closest friends, Irene. If she is available we will spend the night and return our journey west and get home to my sweet husband.