Just 72 hours before the children and I leave for our annual trip to Virginia and the HEAV Convention!?
I’m working on putting together packing lists, lists of meals to prepare while we’re traveling and of course shopping lists for next year’s studies!
One of the areas that I want to be sure not to neglect is my own continuing education. I need to find materials to read and study that will help and encourage me in this homeschooling journey.
I’m looking for books in a couple of different categories:
High School and College: At this point I don’t know if we’ll homeschool for high school or not, but with a rising 6th grader this year I need to start educating myself on what’s available. I’m looking for guides to curriculum, information about keeping a transcript, and dual enrollment (one of my goals for example is for Mouse to take an EMT course in her high school years as part of discerning whether she should enter the medical field).
Mouse was fascinated by the medical displays- she touched a lung and listened to a baby with different kinds of breathing and heart issues!
Special Needs: I’m looking for two kinds of materials here; books I can loan out and books for my own education and thinking processes. On that list are Judi Munday’s books on homeschooling special needs including her new book which should be arriving from the printer right to the convention.
Books For Encouragement: A few years ago I bought a couple of Heidi St. John’s books and found them very helpful. This year I’m looking for books on thriving as a homeschool mom as well as books about rhythm and routine in the household.
MP3’s: I’m going to go ahead and purchase the convention recordings and make a point of listening to them. I’m not planning to attend any workshops this year. The preschooler and the toddler tend to be distracting and I don’t think I’ll be able to pay attention. Instead I’m going to put an hour of continuing education per week on my schedule this fall and listen through the workshops. Plus having the recordings will give me material to loan out as well!
So tell me: What books do you recommend? What have you found encouraging, enlightening and challenging in this homeschool journey?