Name: Spreading the Feast Gathering
Start: 2025-07-11T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-07-12T23:59:59-05:00
Location: LaGrange, KY

Tagged: curriculum, planning

This topic has 5 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 5 months ago by Wings2fly.

Viewing 6 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

Author
Posts
December 27, 2012 at 6:17 pm
mrsmccardell
Participant
Do you keep track of what you did for each grade? For example, we are doing character studies for my 2 preschoolers and I’m wondering if I should try to organize it so I can use it for the next kiddos. Do you typically use the same outline for each year so when the next child enters that year they follow the same course of study? If yes, I can’t see myself doing all of the preschool for the next chile while the “olders” are only 1-2 years older. I’m having a hard time seeing how this plays out…and I don’t want to make more work for myself so I thought maybe I should save my homemade curr. to use for next child.
I think I’m a little anxious for a couple of reasons (special needs child and pregnant with # 4) so please hang with me as I process this a little more.
Thanks for any tips. Happy New Year!
December 27, 2012 at 6:31 pm
MamaSnow
Participant
I didn’t save what I did with my oldest dd for preschool/k, which has been fine – I’ve found the dynamics are so different when your oldest student is preK/K age then when your preK/K age child is tagging along with an older sibling. I’ve ended up doing things very differently with my next preK/K age child – in part because he’s not my only student so gets a lot out of just tagging on to what his sister is doing and in part because I find my educational philosophy/method of what works well for us has changed a bit each year. I reckon that what I do with my current toddler a couple of years down the road will look different again to what I am doing with her brother at the moment. But that’s just me. Hope that helps some…
December 28, 2012 at 2:05 am
eawerner
Participant
I didn’t keep track of anything for dd6 though I mostly used Sonlight 3/4 and 4/5 plus some SCM ideas as we got closer to first grade. I’m still learning and my ds3 is soooo different in personality that I know it will be very different for him than for my daughter.
December 28, 2012 at 3:38 am
jmac17
Participant
My kids are 7, 5, and 3, so I only have a few years to look back on so far, but here’s what I have right now.
I’ve started a master booklist to keep track of the books that we’ve used and I know we’ll want to use again. I just made a table with 5 columns – the title, where the book is (ie. ebook, library book, hardcopy on the shelf) and then a column for each kid. I date when each child listened to/read the book. My kids are all 2 years apart, so I can easily see that if we read something 2 years ago, it might be time to revisit it with the next child. I have a few notes next to the books to remind me if the book turned out to be a bit advanced for DD7, so I’ll know to wait a bit for the younger kids. I also put books on the list that I want to read in the future, so as we finish something, I know what my next choices are.
For another example, right now DS5 is learning to print, so I’m glad I filed all of DD7’s printing practice and early copywork that I designed, so I don’t have to re-invent the wheel. We started with copying family members names, days of the week, months of the year, simple phrases, etc., so I just make a new blank sheet for DS5, and off we go.
With some other things, I can look back at my ‘term plans’ to see what we did in any given area and decide whether I want to repeat it with the next child. (I keep notes of what worked/didn’t work) As the middle child, DS5 will probably get things twice in some areas, once as a tag-along with DD7 and once again when DD3 is ready. I may not do everything 3 times (such as a book of poetry that we did together). I supposed it would depend on your children and spacing.
Joanne

December 28, 2012 at 5:22 am
LDIMom
Participant
@jmac, love this idea of the master booklist noting when each child has read or listened to a particular book (and where you have it!)! Going to make a similar chart on the computer.
@mrsmccardell, we have 6 children and I don’t keep up really, though I do keep materials/idea/curric. that I think we’ll use again. I do have a master plan for our two 1st graders this year for math and reading. I have that on my computer, so I will have it to refer back to when DD2 is in 1st.
December 29, 2012 at 4:09 pm
Wings2fly
Participant
I keep a 5 subject notebook full of notes and dates for long term planning. Sometimes I journal about what worked and what did not work. Sometimes I print a booklist or forum notes and tape onto a page. It is all broken down by subject with 10 subjects as I put one subject at the front and one at the back of each division. It is all right there for me to flip through when needed. Some books I repeat with next child and some not depending on how well we liked the resource the first time and depending on the child. But it helps me plan the order of books and helps me remember what boks we have/liked or what books are on my shopping list for the future.