A day in our home school, and some thoughts

We've just completed 4 weeks of schooling. I have not started James on kindergarten yet, so Daniel is the only student. As said at the start of the school year, I was and still am NOT well prepared at all; more subjects and chores need to be added. As a result, school has been quite relaxed for my student. I chose Ambleside Online (short for AO) curriculum which implement Charlotte Mason's educational philosophy.

Morning routine: He is a having a hard time following the routine (get up, get dressed, put away PJ, make bed, and come to breakfast), and I'm tired of reminding/nagging him. There got to be a better way to train this. I had used rewards before with some success, but it was short lived.

Bible reading:  After breakfast, it starts around 8:30 to 9:00. Daniel and I take turns reading selected passages from the Bible, while James doodles in his salt box. The passage is relatively short, 20-30 verses at most. We would have a brief discussion and a word of prayer afterwards.

After putting away Bibles, I have the boys recite Pledge of Allegiance in the kitchen. The magnetic U.S. flag on our refrigerator door comes in handy.

Between 9:00 and 9:30, we start Math at the kitchen table. I'm trying to keep it short at 15-20 min. Singapore Math (2B) Standard Edition is our textbook. Daniel likes math but his math facts became quite rusty after the long summer break.

Depending on the day of the week, next comes History, Literature, History Tales/Biography, Geography, or Science. Each lesson takes about 15-20 min, but sometimes drags longer. I read most of the books to Daniel, or have him listen to audio book, then he narrates to me what he remembers. I place him in Year 2 in AO curriculum.

I simply love those living books (not textbooks) used in this curriculum! Some I have read myself but many I have not.  About a year ago, it was an "Aha" moment when the living book idea was introduced to me while I was reading about Charlotte Mason's educational philosophy. I thought to myself, "It makes perfect sense! Aren't those books labeled by my parents as leisure or pleasure books (闲书) living books?" The limited amount of "leisure books" that I loved to read as a child were forbidden or discouraged by my parents because they were not textbooks and were considered useless for getting good grades. OK, here are some of the books that Daniel is reading with me now: A Child's Story of the World, This Country of Ours, Little Duke, Trial and Triumph, Pilgrim's Progress, Understood Betsy, and Tree in the Trail.

Usually I'm only able to do two readings before lunch, partly because both the teacher and the student is still learning this new way of schooling/learning, but mostly, I suspect, because we have a long way to go regarding character training and habit forming. Compared to academics, these are much much harder. I feel that I desperately need to be trained to be the trainer.

Noon is lunch time. Lunch is and has to be simple. Leftover dishes if there is any. Fried rice with scrambled egg. Peanut butter and Jelly sandwich. Microwaved  dumpling. Microwaved chicken nugget. While we eat  or prepare to eat, we listen to Radio Reading Circle on Family Radio. Current reading is a biography of Nate Saint, the missionary hero who laid down his life for reaching the unreached tribal people.

No formal schooling in the afternoon right now. Besides his piano practice and very few chores, Daniel has the afternoon for free reading and free play. He's very into Lego's now.

James is mostly on his own while I do lessons with Daniel in the morning. He is very good at entertaining himself, wandering from room to room exploring or digging stuff out. Feeling a bit guilty of having neglected him, I would read to him or play with him for while in the afternoon.

While the boys are having free play or free reading time, I do housework, check emails, and do reading and planning for home school.  The challenge is how to prioritize all the tasks. Several weeks ago, a minister in his sermon used this quote: "You are what you think." Come to think about it, my choices do depend upon what I deem as essential or pressing. Seems that I need to clarify my thinking now because judging from my doings my thinking is not very clear. :(

 I try to have a quiet time with the Lord after lunch clean up, while with a full stomach sometimes it becomes a drowsy time. ".. but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better,..." But alas, I have the Martha blood running deep in me. Running around doing all sorts of things, or sitting here reading and planning and scheduling; that's what I do so naturally. It takes the Supernatural to transform me to be a Mary.

So far, I wouldn't call any of our school days easy. Oh, maybe except for Fridays, which are reserved for P.E. with Dad and outside activities (choir, library trip, and piano lesson). Sometimes I became quite frazzled and the kids knew it too. Nevertheless, I will not trade any of these days (not even the bad days) with our old days.