New Rhythm

As I stated in my last post, unschoolers may not have a rigid schedule, but in our unschool we do have a daily rhythm. It changes with the season. This Summer it was much more relaxed, filled with lots of water time, playdates, and naps (because the heat). But with my brother back in school and everyone in learning mode, S is ready to go back to the way things were, reading, experimenting, adventuring, and playing games together, just us. Here is what our days will look like: (Tuesday is the beginning of our week.)

Tuesday: Volunteer, Weekly Gymnastics, Weekly Art Co-Op

Wednesday: Home Day

Thursday: Monthly Nature Club Nature Club and Home Day

Friday: Library Day and Weekly CHEA Playdates/Field Trips

Saturday: Home Day

Sunday: Family Day

Monday: Family Day and Monthly Board Meetings

Family Day is our day to do things as a Family. (Uh-Duh.) This Fall that includes bike riding in the Chicamauga Battle Field, Hiking, Rock Climbing, and Caving on Pigeon Mountain or Caving anywhere else the Grotto goes, Bouldering at Tennessee Bouldering Auority, Bon Fires, and seasonal fun like Pumping Patches and Apple Picking....Oh. Fall will be fun! (Science Galore!)

Our Home Days and mornings at home I'd like to make time for reading our living books-starting with a Biography on Clara Barton, when S first wakes up, Nature Study, early in the morning. Maybe in the evenings as the weather cools down. And Pilates, at least twice a week for 20 minutes. I'd like for S to see me active a few times a week aside from our weekend adventures. And with that and her gymnastics, she will get lots of exercise too.

S still has her interest in art. She has a few goals, to finish her loom Creeper, learn to knit-from a book we bought with supplies, and learn origami. She is always practicing drawing and painting. And she is still in the process if making barefoot sandals with her art co-op.

Unit Studies: Art Field Trip-Hunter Art Museum, Civil War Field Trip-Old Stone Church, Caves Field Trip-Ruby Falls, How Things Work Field Trip-Need Suggestions

These are just for before the holidays. Once Thanksgiving rolls around S said she would like to study more about Columbus again. (We may go into early American History also.) And we will read a Biography on Columbus.

Books (Currently Reading): Clara Barton Biography, Thomas Edison Biography, Baby Sitters Club Little Sisters, and Samantha Learns a Lessons.

I am also in the process of reading a book with lots of resources. (I am determined to find new resources every year.) Here is what I have found. For Science: meetthegreens.com A cute site that teaches about the importance of helping the environment and staying healthy ourselves. Math: I found the idea to start checking out fun math story books. I am putting some on hold to get them to start rolling in and then I am hoping to start getting one or two a week to read and discuss. I found some on word problems, fractions, and multiplication. Geography: Drawing maps. Seems so simple, really. Now that Samantha is pretty familiar with the map of the US and a globe, I want to start teaching her more about different maps such as population growth maps, climate maps, maps of the terrain (physical features), or even simple road maps. I think every week I will make it a point to print different maps out and strew them about for her to look over, and maybe ask about at some point. But at any rate, it will be something she will see and recognize later on. Eventually, as the maps compile, we may make a folder, like a little homemade book for her to read to reference. Art: YouTube will continue to be our #1 go to site for all things Art. (And History, and Science...and everything.) S has a few channels she has subscribed to, including the famous Nerdy Nummies that she found while searching for Frozen Cake Decorating Ideas. She also enjoys the How It's Made Channel, which includes many, many episodes of...you guessed it...How It's Made!These are the ideas that I really enjoyed, things I had never thought of before, that I don't think will be too "in your face" for her. (Future Use, when DD is older: ducksters.com)

Anywho, these are some more ideas going through my head, because once we get back from vacation, everything will go back to a Fall schedule and I. Can't. Wait!