Ready for school

I was well on my way setting up this blog and getting several posts entered, when poof, it was almost time for us to start school again. So much for the grand plans I had for getting some things done this summer. But, we had a much needed time of relaxation and break from our regular routine. We can now begin a new school year with enthusiasm. As a homeschool mom here are some of the things I do to prepare for the new year...

Some of the supplies for 3 kids (huge pencils are Pringles cans that will hold some things for 1st day)

1. New school supplies.
Take advantage of the super sales that are offered now (and buy extra to replace or refresh supplies for 2nd semester). At the end of each summer I make a spreadsheet to compare which stores are offering what so I can get the best deals. Keep in mind that Walmart matches any price, so you can price match the lowest sale price at one store AND use a coupon on the same item (even if that coupon is from another store).

Top: Post It notes, boxes of pens, lined paper (1/3 of our stash)
Bottom: Sharpies, glue bottles and sticks, mechanical pencils

2.  Go through the library (home library)
As many homeschoolers do, we use a LOT of books. Being the Type A person I am, I need to have all (or most) of those books in my possession before I begin the school year.
*1 - I move all of last year's books back in to their storage space clear the shelves for the "current shelves" for the books we will use over the next 9 months. Go through the curriculum and make a book list. When the books are bought, they do not get shelved until I have logged them in to our book list. Yes, I have a list of every book we have (hundreds). That list allows me to mark who I loan books to as well as providing a reference that keeps me from ordering duplicates. It was quite a process to create, but not shelving books until they are logged in is key to keeping it current.
*2 - Mark the books for this year with a colored dot and put clear packing tape over it. This color-coding system easily marks each book for what year of the curriculum it is used. Once all books are purchased, each year gets easier to set up because we just gather all the same colored dots.

                      This is 1 year of Tapestry of Grace (not including math and science books)

3. Create schedules
*1 - I print out blank spreadsheets with 5 columns and as many rows as we need for our school day (typically each box is 30 minutes of time). I use 1 sheet per student starting with the oldest. Mark off any days/times that are not going to be used for school (weekly classes, weekly Bible studies, ... anything that happens every week that would affect school).  I write all of the student's subjects on separate 1x1 sticky notes and start placing them on the 30 minute sections (some will take 30 minutes, some take 60 which would be 2 boxes).
*2 - After completing the first student's schedule, I move on the next. The 2nd (and subsequent) schedules will need to be compared for when each student might need your attention. Do not double book yourself to help 2 or more kids at the same time.
*3 - After all kids have been done, I create a schedule for myself. This shows me when I am supposed to be where and when I have scheduled in time for me to do grading, take care of business (I run a home-based business as well as teach 3 grades).
*4 - After every sticky note chart matches up (or at least I think it does), I transfer everything over to a spreadsheet in the computer. This I print out and post on the wall as well as give each student one for their room.

4. Resource Folders
My kids were often needing to reference the same information throughout the school year (math charts, theories, Scripture we were memorizing, etc.) So I decided to give them one place to reference. This became our Resource Folders. For my youngest, it was where she learned her address, her birthday, my cell phone number. For the older kids it is where they look to remember a multiplication chart or an algebra formula. The base of the folder is basically 2 file folders glued together (think 'lapbook'). I go through their math, science, and whatever else I think they may need to know for the following year and print it up on the computer or copy it right out of their books. Attach everything to the folder and it's flaps and then laminate the whole thing so it lasts for the entire year.

Red folder has yellow flap added (sticking over yellow folder). Everything folds up into single folder size.

5. Plan for as much as possible (but be flexible - some things work and some things don't. Tweak as needed and move on). Consider things like:
- Do you expect/plan for them to do their work in a specific place? (we gave up on desks a long time ago)
- Do you need snacks or breaks to get through the day?
- Where will kids turn things in? (stacking on my desk does NOT work)
-Do you need a family calendar so everyone is on the same page each week?
-Are your schedules and goals realistic? Have you planned too much? Not enough?

This is what we are using this year. The Homework Caddy gives us a place to see the calendar, turn things in (and get them back without my tracking down each kid), see the schedule and even keep track of who is making breakfast on what day. The calendar is magnetic and there is a pocket (mine is yellow) to the right for pen storage. A large slide through pocket in the center allows us to post our daily schedule with a 4x6 pocket on either side. We have the breakfast cooking schedule to the left and a quote on the right reads, "I am a homeschooling mom. If you hear me talking to myself, please do not interrupt. I am having a parent/teacher conference." The 4 pockets on the bottom are labeled with 1 place to turn papers in and then I return them to each child's individual pocket.

Have a great year!!!

Color-coded kids??

How many times have you found a pair of scissors (or pencils, or cup, or ... you fill in the blank) in the living room and nobody will admit to leaving them there?  You don't know who it belongs to because it's just a pair of scissors. We resolved this in our house by having every kid pick a favorite color. Each child needs their own color and the colors should be basic, for instance "blue" and not "sky blue".

Once each child has a color, buy everything possible in each kid's color. Some examples of what we have done:

1. Drinking cups
2. Bath towel and washcloth (no they don't match the bathroom decor. We've learned to deal with it).
3. Pack of school pencils
4. Stapler
5. Paper clips
6. Tape dispenser
7. Pencil boxes for individual sets of Sharpies, markers, etc. (Each pen is color-coded too)
8. Scissors
9. Notebooks
10. Book covers
11. Boxes and bins to store stuff in in their room
12. Lunch containers
13. Travel mugs/cups

Following this color scheme, we can also mark items that normally couldn't be labeled. When we go camping or on a picnic and we go through several water bottles, we use colored pony-tail holders from the dollar store around the neck of the bottle. They are easily slipped on and off as we go through bottles.

When we traveled with younger kids, each of them had a rolling backpack or bin in their color (or with their color ribbons tied to the handle or striped in Duct Tape) to contain all of their stuff in the airplane or car.  When we used our travel currency, their assigned poker chip color was their everyday color at home.

Color-coding takes the guess work out of who the "lost" items belong to... if  a red stapler is found in the living room with no child in site, anybody who finds it knows to put it on the owner's desk chair (or a parent may confiscate it and know who to charge if they want it back - but that's another post).