After Much Deliberation... a Plan!

Today I listened to a CD of a writing workshop that I ordered entitled, Writing Without Fear. The speaker, Susan Wise Bauer, is a published novelist, author of a series of world history texts for grammar school students, as well as another for adults; she wrote a curriculum guide for homeschooling k-12th graders, is a mom of 4 who homeschools her own kids, plus shes a professor at The College of William & Mary. What a slacker lady, huh? Oh, and she was homeschooled herself growing up. Her mother writes curriculum, too, including our grammar book. A whole family of slackers, they are. ;)

Hallelujah! Why, oh why didn't I order this CD years ago?! It would have saved me lots of angst and anxiety over what to do, when, in regards to creating a solid and generous language arts program. I have direction. I have a sense of calm and peace. I have a plan!

It's tentative one but I think this is what Einstein needs to reach the goals I have set for him for 3rd grade.

Currently already doing:
- Cursive First
- History Copywork, 1x per chapter
- Oral Narration with history
- First Language Lessons, 2x a week

To start immediately:
- Happy Scribe, 2x a week. Christmas break goal of 3-4x a week, happily and comfortably.
- Increase FLL to 3-4x a week.

When Cursive First is done:
- Add spelling. 5 words on Monday, 5 more on Wednesday (unless a trouble word needs to be carried over). We own SWR so I'll use that list. Not sure if I will use SWR exactly like it's meant to be used. I am thinking no student log, at least not this year. And no marking the words.

When Happy Scribe is comfortable:
- Switch to a copywork that is 2-3 sentences, we already have this one. It has sentences based on popular children's lit.

End of the year goals:
- 10 spelling words on Monday, 10 words on Wednesday.
- Able to copy 2-3 sentences, comfortably, in one sitting.
- Able to write 1 sentence from dictation.

Tentative 3rd grade curriculum choices:
- Growing with Grammar 3
- 20 words/week spelling (probably still SWR)
- Dictation
- Write at least part of own narrations.
- Start Writing Tales, IEW or Writing Strands (Jury still out on this one!).

So viola'. I don't know how this will workout, but it's a plan and I may have to tweak but it's a plan that didn't exist a week ago.

So, since I know more know about start off on the right foot I now have a revised plan for Picasso, so he can do 'slow and steady' from the start:

Currently doing:
- oral narrations for history, science
- D'Nealian handwriting
- Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading

To add after he turns 6:
- Happy Scribe, 1 sentence spread over 2 days.
- FLL

End of year goal:
- Happy Scribe, 2x a week.
- Write 1 sentence comfortably in one sitting.

Phew! Now I can relax. Good thing we're on vacation. ;)