The Book
I discovered The Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer and Jesse Bauer shortly into my foray into homeschool research. Of course, there are many, many different curriculums and methodologies out there. You should choose what's best for you. Some that come to mind right now are Classical education, Charlotte Mason, unschooling, etc.
The Well Trained Mind is solidly in the camp of Classical education, and it's the format that resonated with me the most, which is why I purchased this book. I bought it on Kindle, just to peruse through and see if it was a good fit. Let me tell you...I didn't look back. Not only do these authors tell you why they prefer classical, but they walk you step-by-step through the trivium, with comparisons of different curriculums along the way, and tips on what to do in a variety of circumstances. This book is a tome of wonderfully helpful information. I later purchased the physical book, because I knew once we started homeschooling, I would want to use it as a reference book throughout the year. It has really been invaluable to me. Much of the other books used are those recommended by the Bauers, as well as some of the pacing. If you take nothing else from my humble blog, please go purchase that book if you think you may like Classical education.
Another commonly recommended book on Classical education is The Core: Teaching Your Child The Foundations of Classical Education by Leigh A. Bortins. I am still working my way through this similarly long helpful reference book, and it has also been a wonderful read for Classical education.
My Plan
Coming from a micromanaged teaching position, where I was responsible for providing every detail of a lesson, it just made sense to me to create a pacing guide, and a daily breakdown of lessons. I know there will be adjustments as I go (there always is with teaching), but it gives me an organized frame to work with, and a daily to-do list, if you will. At some point, I will try to link it here for you.
Our schedule (which I'm sure will change and morph as we get going) is planned as follows:
Monday & Wednesday
7:30 am - Get dressed, brush teeth, breakfast, devotional/family worship time
8:30 am - Math (30-40 mins) followed by a break
9:30 am - Writing & spelling (about 15 minutes each)
10:00 am - Physical activity - walk, playground, pool, YouTube dance, etc.
11:00 am - Grammar (25-30 mins)
11:30 am - Lunch, then clean up and chores, followed by some fun reading while my toddler naps
1:00 pm - History (60 mins)
2:00 pm - Reading practice and additional reading on history or science topics (30 mins)
2:30 pm - Music, art, or Spanish (30-60 mins)
Tuesday & Thursday
7:30 am - Get dressed, brush teeth, breakfast, devotional/family worship time
8:30 am - Math (30-40 mins) followed by a break
9:30 am - Writing & spelling (about 15 minutes each)
10:00 am - Physical activity - walk, playground, pool, YouTube dance, etc.
11:00 am - Science (60 mins)
11:30 am - Lunch, then clean up and chores, followed by some fun reading while my toddler naps
1:00 pm - Reading practice and additional reading on history or science topics (30 mins)
1:30 pm - Music, art, or Spanish (30-60 mins)
Friday
7:30 am - Get dressed, brush teeth, breakfast, devotional/family worship time
8:30 am - History (60 mins)
9:30 am - Reading practice and additional reading on history or science topics (30 mins)
10:00 am - Grammar (25-30 mins)
10:45 am - Fun reading (15 mins)
11:00 am - Lunch, followed by library, project, or field trip
The Rest of the Books
Now, I've already mentioned The Well Trained Mind to you. Most of these are recommendations or curriculums that the Bauers have given feedback on. I'm including the Amazon links for you, as well as the price they are currently listed at. I have them organized into subjects as well. I will probably, at a later date, give my reflections after using them this first year.
I should also note that this list does
not include any of the books we will undoubtedly be checking out from the library. I also have a few collections of
Bob books that we will use for reading practice.
History
Math
Additional Math Supplies
Grammar
Writing
Spelling
Science
Art
Additional (not books)
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