Several of my neighbors (whose children attend public school) have asked me over the past few days how I plan to maneuver within the framework of state standards and mandatory English curriculum. Strong doubt abounding, I show you how…
We began by first locating the CA state standards at: http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp. After downloading the PDF file for each subject, I read the requirements specific to Yakecen’s grade level. I then downloaded an Excel curriculum planner to simplify documentation of Yakecen's activities, available free at http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/articles/092698.htm, accessible from the “A to Z, Home’s Cool” website.
With the standards established, I grabbed a fat green marker and a blank piece of paper. I scribbled out a list of the required topics to learn, and added in several of my own (e.g. using Google Earth to trace our family's various migration paths, learning Nahuatl, and community volunteer work). Then, I let Yakecen rank each topic according to his likes, and asked him to start thinking up science projects for chemistry. I also let him add topics he didn’t see listed (he penned in learning to type fast, soccer, marital arts, and developing a family website).
I input these broad topics into my pre-formatted Excel worksheet, coming up with a final list of areas:
We began by first locating the CA state standards at: http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp. After downloading the PDF file for each subject, I read the requirements specific to Yakecen’s grade level. I then downloaded an Excel curriculum planner to simplify documentation of Yakecen's activities, available free at http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/articles/092698.htm, accessible from the “A to Z, Home’s Cool” website.
With the standards established, I grabbed a fat green marker and a blank piece of paper. I scribbled out a list of the required topics to learn, and added in several of my own (e.g. using Google Earth to trace our family's various migration paths, learning Nahuatl, and community volunteer work). Then, I let Yakecen rank each topic according to his likes, and asked him to start thinking up science projects for chemistry. I also let him add topics he didn’t see listed (he penned in learning to type fast, soccer, marital arts, and developing a family website).
I input these broad topics into my pre-formatted Excel worksheet, coming up with a final list of areas:
Volunteerism
Life Skills
Writing
Reading
Math
Science
Language
Social Science
P.E./Health
Fine Arts
Yakecen approved, and I showed “the plan” to the family and neighbors, who all pitched in creative ideas on how to fill our days. Game playing and time spent outdoors proved critical to everyone.
We asked our neighbor, Tio Angél, to instruct Yakecen for an hour each week in speaking Nahuatl and learning the important religious, political, and artistic leaders of the Aztec culture prior to the arrival of the Spanish. We negotiated a price for the lessons too: a bag of organic chile, tomato, apio, and indigenous flowers each week, collected from our family garden.
We asked our neighbor, Tio Angél, to instruct Yakecen for an hour each week in speaking Nahuatl and learning the important religious, political, and artistic leaders of the Aztec culture prior to the arrival of the Spanish. We negotiated a price for the lessons too: a bag of organic chile, tomato, apio, and indigenous flowers each week, collected from our family garden.
Yakecen also requested to learn string instruments (I’m thinking he meant guitar) but since I don’t know anyone local to teach guitar, and I’ve long forgotten, Yakecen will start with violin lessons from our good friend, Auntie Sara. I’m swapping song and craft-time en español for her 3-year old daughter, who is a good playmate with my son Perfecto, and Angél’s 4-year old daughter.
Finally, we collectively agreed that we’d start the year off with a set of 3-week projects, intermixing English writing, art journaling, and Spanish speaking with a project each in multiplication review, geography/family roots, and chemistry fun. I planned out just one week – Yakecen’s interest and research online and at the library will help us plan weeks 2 and 3.
And that’s how we raise state “standards” to our ideas of what a well-rounded bilingual education should be. Yakecen has got the upper hand in planning day-to-day activities, but within a 3-week framework designed by him and our extended family.
Finally, we collectively agreed that we’d start the year off with a set of 3-week projects, intermixing English writing, art journaling, and Spanish speaking with a project each in multiplication review, geography/family roots, and chemistry fun. I planned out just one week – Yakecen’s interest and research online and at the library will help us plan weeks 2 and 3.
And that’s how we raise state “standards” to our ideas of what a well-rounded bilingual education should be. Yakecen has got the upper hand in planning day-to-day activities, but within a 3-week framework designed by him and our extended family.
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