Planning ahead...

I use to think it was the 18th century educator Charlotte Mason that was known to say have three books going at the same time...a lighter one, a more challenging one and something edifying, spiritual, like your bible.  However, it was a Charlotte Mason enthusiast and teacher who apparently published this thought in some of her writings. (Karen Andreola).  And indeed, I do have several book reads going on at once...it seems endless, as I'm reading the book I posted in an earlier post on OCD, and I'm also reading a mother's telling of her autistic daughter's life, Exiting Nirvana: A Daughter's Life with Autism, by Clara Claiborne Park.  What's so nice is I can download books to my NOOK as well as purchase them used to be sent to the house.  Variety, right? :)

I love home education and as we are finishing up this school season, I have pulled a few books off the shelf to read and review as I think of the next grades ahead.  One such book I turn too occasionally is: *The Well Trained Mind, a Guide to Classical Education in the Home, by Susan Wise Bauer.  It's not the philosophy of classical education I follow, (I mainly follow Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum, by Laura Berquist, mostly), but *TWTM is absolutely a top-notch high standard educational track of studies up through graduation of high school.  I needed the refresher and encouragement it provides as well as review some of the different grade level recommendations.

Another book I have been referring to and recently began to look at again is Homeschooling the Child with Autism, by Patricia Schetter, Kandis Lighthall and Jeanette McAfee.  It has given me hope and information to carry on with my autistic son.

These books have helped me do my home work and prepare to impart a well rounded strong Christian education to my children.  Just because I have graduated two children out of our homeschool and into college where they are doing really well, doesn't make continuing easy.  Oh no... in fact, the next two children are more challenge than I could ever imagine I would face after 16 years of homeschooling.  I feel like the previous years prepared me academic to meet the challenges and I am grateful for that.

With special needs children you have to attempt to stay several yards ahead of them, so my planning for the next school season, as this was winds down is occurring now while I still have school fresh in my mind and can dovetail off of this year and into the next with our courses.