2010- 2011 IHIP for Jeremiah Burton, Grade 4

2010-2011 IHIP for Jeremiah Foster Burton, age 9 (DOB 9/02/01), Grade 4

Jeremiah is and always has been an autodidact. In order to provide him the space and freedom he needs to explore learning in ways best suited to his intensely independent nature, his parents will serve as facilitators to his education, assisting him as needed to pursue his many passions while bringing new experiences and ideas into his life.

Jeremiah will be meeting the compulsory educational requirements of New York State, as detailed in the Commissioner's Regulations, Section 100.10, for the 2010-2011 school year.



English Language Arts (ELA):

Objectives: To continue to support Jeremiah's strong interest in communicating, and to facilitate his deepening English language skills through various forms of oral and written communication.

Reading - We will continue to facilitate Jeremiah's independent reading (he has been reading fluently for pleasure and information for several years) through a wide range of literary and environmental media. Jeremiah will be given ample free time for independent reading, and we will continue to read aloud as a family. Jeremiah's efforts to assist Annalise as she learns to read more complex materials will be fully supported. We will spend as much time as Jeremiah wishes discussing what he has read and the ideas that arise from his reading, as we always have, and we will allow time for free play based upon what he has read, as we have always done.

Writing - We will facilitate Jeremiah's growing interest in communicating through the written word, using both handwriting and keyboarding. Over the next several months, I will assist him in creating and posting to his own blog, and facilitating his use of word processing programs. Materials and opportunities for developing handwriting skills in various media will be freely available.

Spelling - Jeremiah has recently become very interested in how words are spelled, and is spending much more time attending to the details of English spelling rules. We will continue to facilitate this interest by providing ample opportunities and resources for real-life spelling applications, such as posting to his blog and chatting with his growing network of online friends.

English Language - Jeremiah's vocabulary is currently undergoing a rapid deepening and growth, as is the complexity of his spoken language. We will support and facilitate this growth through many opportunities to absorb the form of the language, and to interact with people of varying ages, including adults.

Library Skills - Jeremiah has been visiting public libraries since he was an infant. He understands how to ask librarians for assistance, and the differences between fiction, nonfiction, reference, and periodical literature. He has a basic understanding of the Dewey Decimal system, and has observed others finding books using the computer card catalog. We will continue to support his developing library independence.


Resources may include, but are by no means limited to: Free access to home and assorted public libraries; live and recorded plays and performances; reference materials; computer with Internet access; games, programs, and television programming; interaction with younger sister; environmental exposure to language and literature; discussion and wordplay; parent facilitation.


Arithmetic:

Objectives: To continue to support Jeremiah's fascination for manipulating numbers through providing ample real-life opportunities for managing money; planning schedules; measuring length, volume, perimeter; and area; discussion about more abstract mathematical concepts; geometric shapes and their properties; building; categorization; decimals and fractions; logic and math games.


Resources may include, but are by no means limited to: Computer with Internet access; free access to home and public libraries; games; money; manipulatives; educational programming; clocks, calendars, and charts; real-life applications; discussion; parent facilitators.


Sciences:

Objectives: To continue to support and facilitate Jeremiah's insatiable passion for science, especially in the fields of prehistoric life; evolution; astronomy and space; technology; physics; weather and natural forces; scientific theory; and ecology, while offering ample opportunities to deepen and expand his understanding through new experiences and free experimentation.




Resources may include, but are by no means limited to: Museums, events, and exhibits; computer with Internet access; frequent access to pets and various natural surroundings; models and specimens; free access to home and public libraries; games and programming; tools, materials, time, and space for free experimentation; parent facilitators.



Social Sciences:

Objectives:

Geography - Jeremiah continues to be interested in climates and ecosystems throughout the world and throughout time; in maps, atlases, globes, and compasses. We will continue to facilitate and offer ample opportunities to further develop these interests while learning about how the geography of a region affects the history, belief systems, lifestyles, and culture of its people.

New York/United States/World History - We will continue to facilitate Jeremiah's growing interest in and understanding of the history of New York, America and the world. We will continue to model tolerance, citizenship, and patriotism based upon critical thought; understanding of our government; and our nation's guiding principles regarding fairness to all its people, rather than upon unexamined rhetoric and ritual.

Safety (Traffic and Bicycle Safety and Regulations, Fire Safety, Fire and Arson Prevention; and Other Safety Issues as Needed) -As his parents, Jeremiah has looked to us throughout his life for information on how to be safe, these topics have always been incorporated seamlessly into our lives, as circumstances warrant. As previously noted, Jeremiah is a particularly safety-conscious person, and enjoys learning about safety practices, "just in case". Therefore, we will continue to apply safety principles in our daily lives (using booster seats, seat belts, and safe car behavior when traveling; knowing the appropriate side of the street for biking or walking, signaling, attending to signs, crossing a variety of streets from rural to urban, and proper bicycle safety gear; practice of our home emergency exit plan; visits to local emergency service open houses, exhibits, displays, or presentations; discussions on types of fire and how to respond to each; what to do in a wide variety of emergency situations such as wild animal encounters, water safety, car in water, attack or inappropriate advances by an adult or other child; knife and blade safety; gun safety; safe dog etiquette; being lost; safe climbing practices; wilderness awareness; first aid; calling 911; etc.).

We will discuss arson and its possible effects, and what to do if he sees someone set an unsafe fire. We will also discuss accidental fires, how to prevent an unintended fire, and proper supervision of a safe, intentional fire. Jeremiah has expressed interest in learning to build a fire in our woodstove, and we will incorporate this learning into his existing fire-safety awareness.

Resources may include, but are by no means limited to: museums, exhibits, events, and activities; local emergency service providers; woodstove; opportunities to travel various roads and trails by car, bike, or on foot; free access to home and public libraries; computer with Internet access; current events; historic sites; games and programming; discussion; parent facilitators.



Visual and Performing Arts:

Objectives: We will continue to support Jeremiah's interest in two and three dimensional creation; computer art; animation; and stop-action films; singing; and storytelling, while offering a variety of opportunities to experience visual and performing arts in many live and recorded forms. As always, there will be ample materials and instructional materials (art books, tutorials, programming) available, and time enough for a great deal of independent creation.


Resources may include, but are by no means limited to: Computer with Internet access; games and programming; visits to galleries, exhibits, and live performances: exploration of environmental art; ample materials and free time for artistic exploration in a wide range of styles and media; free access to home and public libraries; materials for building and dramatic play; discussion; parent facilitators.


Music:

Objectives: Jeremiah enjoys a variety of music, and enjoys singing, creating alternate lyrics, and creating instruments. We will support his ongoing discovery of music and the mathematical patterns it is made of through ample exposure to music of many varieties, in live, written, and recorded form; access to playlists, instruments, and materials for invented instruments.


Resources may include, but are by no means limited to: Live and recorded performances; access to sheet music and instruments; television and radio programming; computer with internet access; free access to home and public libraries, including music; materials for invented instruments; discussion; parent facilitators.




Foreign Language Arts (FLA):

Objectives: Jeremiah is interested in several languages, including Greek, Japanese, and Latin. We will continue to offer ample opportunity to enjoy and deepen his understanding the written and spoken forms of various languages through Japanese anime, performances, programming, music, and an environment rich in people of many cultures.


Resources may include, but are by no means limited to: Computer with Internet access; free access to home and public libraries; exposure to written and spoken languages via programming, games, and environmental sources; discussion; subtitles and dictionaries; parent facilitators.



Health:

Objectives: Jeremiah has always had a strong awareness of safety, and contributes much to our family discussions regarding safety concerns and alcohol, drug, and tobacco abuse. We will support his developing awareness of his natural sleep/wake cycles; hygiene; and dietary needs by offering information and reminders as needed, and support his interest in challenging himself with many opportunities for directed and free physical play.


Resources may include, but are by no means limited to: Free access to home and public libraries; computer with Internet access; discussion; games and programming; indoor and outdoor play spaces; nutritional labels; YMCA membership; environmental sources; parent facilitators.



Physical Education:

Objectives: We will continue to support Jeremiah's growing interest in expressing himself physically with many opportunities for group, team, and individual sports and play, both purposeful and free. We will continue to indulge in such favorites as swimming, wrestling, hiking, swinging, climbing, and biking, as well as exploring new physical activities.


Resources may include, but are by no means limited to: Indoor and outdoor playspaces; programming; excursions into nature; activities and events; group and individual exercise and play; discussion; programming and games; materials for building; parent facilitators.


Instructors: Jeremiah's education will be facilitated by his parents, Shannon and James Burton, unless otherwise stated. Occasional Parelli Natural Horsemanship lessons may be facilitated by Kresney Neilsen, Certified Parelli Instructor. Mentoring provided by Annalise Burton, age 6, as is desired and beneficial to both children.




Quarterly Reports: Please note that Section 100.1, Paragraph g, states: "Quarterly reports. On or before the dates specified by the parents (my italics) in the IHIP, a quarterly report for each child shall be furnished by the parent to the school district."

The dates listed on the paperwork you provided (11/5/10; 1/21/11; 4/1/11; and 6/10/11) are not evenly and logically spaced for our family, because our "school year" lasts year-round.

I have chosen instead a schedule in keeping with our family's particular needs:

First Quarter: August 1, 2010 - October 31, 2010.
Quarterly Report Due: November 15, 2010

Second Quarter: November 1, 2010 - January 31, 2011.
Quarterly Report Due: February 15, 2011.

Third Quarter: February 1, 2011 - April 30, 2011.
Quarterly Report Due: May 15, 2011.

Fourth Quarter: May 1, 2011 - July 31, 2011.
Quarterly Report Due: August 15, 2011.