The Compass and the Binder

Can you tell that I am so excited to be thinking about educational things and goals again???? I am very excited to think about these things just so I am very clear. 

Now that our annual break is over we are moving on to updating our binders and our compass.  Ingredient #16-The Binder, in the TJEd Core and Love of Learning Ingredients suggests making goals every six months.  This is called "The Compass."  For sake of a more creative name we do call our 6 month goals our compass.  We compile our compass, skills lists we are working on (cooking, cleaning, etc), special papers, things they want to memorize and whatever other information  we need to accomplish our goals into "The Binder."

For this six months our compass includes:

• Core phase goals (some aren't in the habit of scripture reading, journal writing, room cleaning, saying prayers, teeth brush, etc without a reminder so they continue to include this until they have habits)
• Books they want to read
• Things they want to memorize
• Piano Goals
• Skills classes they want to take
• Things they want to learn

So far Determination (10), Imagination (9) and Leader (8) are the only ones who have set theirs.  In the next couple of days the rest of us will have written our compass and reorganized our binders. We have been thinking of them though. Mr. Patriot doesn't have a binder but he does keep a six month compass and keeps it current with us.

Here is Determination's (age 10) Compass for the fall:

• Core phase Goals
• Say prayers morning and night without reminder
• Read a chapter in the Book of Mormon before breakfast without a reminder
• Write in journal before breakfast
• Brush my teeth morning and night with out a reminder
• Book to Read
• Eldest
• Greek Gods
• Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
• Things to Memorize
• In depth dates, places and key events with all American Wars (He already knows all the wars and their approximate dates, but now he wants to memorize exact dates and battles).
• Periodic Table
• US States and Capitals
• Beethoven piano piece (this isn't from the recital, this is a new one, just because he "wants to")
• Piano Goals
• Learn the above Beethoven piece
• Finish the Orange Faber books
• Skill Classes to Take
• Cursive Writing
• Fractions, Decimals and Percentages
• Grammar
• LEMI's Pyramid Project
• Things to Learn
• American History-Thomas Edison and The French and Indian War very in depth
• World History-French History
• Geography-In depth study of French geography
• French-Alphabet, basic words and numbers

I don't know what his fascination is with France right now.  He's in serious love of learning though!

Here is Imagination's (age 9) Compass:

• Core Phase Goals
• Have room picked up every morning before breakfast with out a reminder
• Write in my journal every morning before breakfast
• Remember to brush my teeth morning and night
• Read for an hour every day in a chapter book
• Remember to say my prayers morning and night
• Books to Read
• The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt
• Usborne's Stories of Shakespeare
• Things to Memorize
• 12 Modern Day Apostles  (He has a much harder time memorizing than the older two.  They had the apostles memorized at 2 and 5).
• American Wars in order (French and Indian War, Revolutionary War, War of 1812, etc)
• Skills Classes to Take
• Cursive Writing
• Advaned Creative Writing
• Grammar
• Spelling
• Advanced Chess
• Piano Goals
• Practice 20 minutes a day
• Finish the Red Faber books
• Things to Learn
• American History-Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War
• World History-Pompeii & Rome and Greece
• Science-Tsunamis and Volcanoes