Homeschool 2017/2018 so far

we are on day 11 here.  and things are going smoothly.  I knew my inclination to overdo it and so earlier this summer I made my big fat list of things I want to do and things I think NEED doing.  two days later I went through the list and cut things out.  two days later I went back through and cut some more.  and some more.  until we had what we always have ultimately- the 4 Rs.  

Reading

wRiting

aRithmetic

Religion

I had the master plan book last year.   I really loved it.  But couldn't do the EXACT same thing this year because...yawn.

so I just got a nice leather bound $12 journal from Walgreens.  and I keep the master plan and the daily plan in it.  then every morning (or evening before if I plan on taking a class at the gym in the morning- that way the kids can start school without me) I transfer the daily plan into each of their spiral notebook planners.  here is a photo of John's for today.

Here is a look at the master plan.  I look back at this when I make the daily plan.  and then I look at the daily plan when I put kid specific plans into their spiral notebooks.  we keep my master planner and the kids spiral planners in a basket on the kitchen counter.  I learned this from the Read Aloud Revival lady- I think she shared this in a blog or podcast or something.  

something I've already adjusted to the schedule is the picture study. we are going to do it about once a week.  I love it and want to do it more but I know there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.  I want the kids to beg for beauty- not be overwhelmed by an onslaught of it.

I made room for seasonal things at the bottom- at first they were stickies then I thought, "I'll just do it in pencil."  So this is where I write "pack your soccer bag for practice later tonight". or "it's garbage day- get the cans to the curb."  and whoever is doing laundry that day has to do their personal load and a load of common laundry- rags, towels, blankets kind of thing.