I know I said in Part 1 of this “How We Homeschool” Tour & Series I would make Part 2 be about our curriculum; but I realized that it would make more sense, I think, to share my goals for my boys before I show you “how” I plan to teach and “what” I plan to use from our eclectic homeschooling style.
So this is our “goal chart”. Its a legal size folder opened and I created a scene on it. One side is for my third grader and the other for my first grader. Each penciled in box has a goal they need to reach before they can add a hot-air balloon sticker beside it. I picked up a pack of hot-air balloon stickers at my local Dollar Tree. This chart is not about how many minutes the boys spend on a subject such as reading like our summer reading chart was – this time the boys have to complete goals.
You can view the Dollar Tree Weekly Ad to see what stickers and other things are available.
Some of Our Goals
Memorize 25 of the United States of America
Memorize the other 25 United States
Memorize & Recite Psalm 1
Know measurements: Gallons, cups, quarts, pints
Know measurements: Feet, inches
Read book on missionary Nate Saint and complete all required book reports.
“Sharing” Award
“Helping” Award
“Getting Along” Award
Can Read on Own
Can Add & Subtract well
Label a World Map: Continents, major oceans
Knows all 7 Continents
Match States and Capitals
Memorize the Multiplication Tables
Okay so you get the idea. I’m striving this year for more memorization-mastery. The goal chart includes bible, character development as well as understanding the world they live in and how to function in it successfully.
Motivating and Rewarding for Hard Work
And the motivation for trying hard to reach these goals is the reward they know is waiting for them at Christmas time: a large set of Legos for each of them. Our boys love Legos . We came across only two different sets of Legos on clearance recently (so not much choice) – $50 sets marked down to $35 each and the boys picked out which one they wanted and they get those sets at Christmas time after they’ve worked hard to reach these educational goals.
Okay so I plan to start sharing in Part 3 some of : what I’m using to teach with, where I got it, and how I’m using it.
Like I said, we’re eclectic here!
My 2012 Homeschooling Tour
Part 1: How I Organize
Part 2: The Goals and Chart for My Boys
Part 3: Eclectic Homeschooling Math
Part 4: Eclectic Homeschooling Reading, Writing & Language Arts
Part 5: My easy, laid-back way of homeschooling Science
This is such a great idea!
The chart helps me too – gives me a visual of what we’ve memorized; and the goals on it are not exhaustive of what I want the boys to know overall. I don’t grade or formerly test (like in regular school) and this will be the first year I’ve required so much memorization. We’ll see how it goes.
great idea! it’s great for the kids to have specific goals to work toward. I guess i usually know what I want to accomplish by the end of the year, but if the children saw more concrete goals it might motivate them more…