Organizing

This is the time of year many homeschoolers are getting prepared for the upcoming school year.
They could be starting a new program, changing something, or just still trying to figure out what to do.

I am going thru all my stuff, 6 years of homeschooling things. Some I have never touched because I thought I would use it later or stuff that was just given to me.
Because I have two children I didn't let Ashlie write in anything thinking Aleq would use it as well. That has worked on most of the resources that I kept to use with Aleq.

At the same time of reorganizing, I am thinking of our plan this year.

thinking, thinking and thinking....

I need to make sure I include Aleq's therapy schedule that I made for us and Ashlie's 4H time.
I am not coordinating any classes again this year except for Ashlies 4H Dog Classes. She wants to do the Digital Photography, so that is still in the works.

With Aleq's challenges it will be hard to get him into anything extracurricular. He has enjoyed bowling this summer so far and will try to get him more involved with it. I might add a couple of things for him, maybe some of the books from 4H. I really like the 4H program.

As far as academically, Ashlie in her 6th grade year will use the following for sure:

• Math U See
• Total Language Plus for her spelling, grammar, reading, writing
• Christian Kids Explore Earth & Science
• Story of the World

For Aleq which is between 1st and 2nd still :

• Math U See
• Spelling Workout books, for writing as well
• Konos Volume 1
• Story of the World

Of course he will be right by Ashlie's side when we are doing her Science. He has always been right there with Science and History that is why he is very advance with that as well as Math.

Handwriting for Tears was part of Aleq's curriculum, however, it seemed very overwhelming to him for some reason. He does have good handwriting though.
According to last year at the THSC Conference I learned "if they know how to do it, move on". So I will let it be for his writing...

Now for the SPD child:

For Aleq's therapy, we have to complete it throughout the day to help him. I have discovered if we do it all at once, it does not become effective.
I went thru the The Out of Sync Child Has Fun and organized 5 schedules that I will alternate. I have not done this in the past.
The brushing techinique and joint compression of course we will do at least every two hours or when he seems to be getting overwhelmed. These techniques are amazing and really calms him down. Sometimes he will try to resist it but once we get started he is in total relaxation.

So here are his schedules:

Schedule 1

• theraputty or make playdough, it helps with heavy work
• wheelbarrow helps with muscle tone
• superman helps with coordination of his gravity insecurities

Schedule 2

• make pretzel people helps with heavy work
• row boat is for muscle tone and coordination
• wall push helps with muscle tone

Schedule 3

• mummy wrap good for joint compression
• balance board is for coordination
• hokey pokey ring coordination

Schedule 4

• ball roll for joint compression (he looves this)
• swing & kick the bottle for gravitational insecurities
• bottle push for muscle tone

Schedule 5

• balance ball for coordination
• swing fast then slow for gravitational insecurities
• cat back raise alternating hands for coordination and gravitational insecurities

We still need to work on his food issues... Maybe with this schedule it will work into the plan somehow.

I use the Homeschool tracker, the basic version to help me get it all together. I have used this for about 4 years and it is my favorite.

So, I think I have it figured out.. I am ready to start back up. With them being off for 2 wks now, it will be tough getting back into routine but I know they can do it. We still use our Accountable Kids , which I have let them have free days these past two weeks as well. Wow, am I going to be a mean mommie for a while perhaps.

It is fun to take time off and be refreshed, you need that. We usually take December off and some time in spring. However, this year was a little different because of Aleq. I know we will make it though....

Love, Live and Laugh every day....