My return to college to finish my degree has begun. I have 16 hours of freshman and sophomore courses to complete, of which half can be taken via correspondence. Correspondence courses require an amount of discipline that I didn’t have the last time I attempted one. That was years ago, and due to my work schedule, something I had better be over.

I’m starting school with a correspondence course on children’s literature. I’m a little disappointed that it focuses on a broad overview of the literature available and how to choose a curriculum. I would have preferred being given a list of children’s books to evaluate rather than a course clearly designed for those planning to enter the field of primary education. Still, since I have to choose my own books, there is some flexibility. I’m hoping to concentrate on finding books that I feel my own children should have available to them across the subjects the course covers. I won’t be able to buy enough books (each lesson calls for between 10 and 20 books) to own everything I study, so I plan on buying copies of the top two (minimum) books I find from each assignment. Since the course specifies that I use at least some newly published material, it will also give me a chance to see what’s happening right now.

I’m thrilled to be finally finishing my degree, and I’m excited for this class. Here are the broad categories it will be covering (my next post will be a reference for me and probably not of much interest, as some of the information in my course guide is scattered):

  1. Poetry
  2. Artists and Picture Books for Children
  3. Folk Tales, Fables, Myths, and Epics
  4. Modern Fantasy
  5. Modern Fiction
  6. Historical Fiction
  7. Biography and Informational Books

Some of these seem more interesting than others to others, which is why I’ve decided to purchase at minimum my two favorite books from each section. My book collection right now is very focused on my own interests and I’d love to broaden it so that my kids have the opportunity to discover their own interests at home.

Today my goal is to put together my schedule and assignment due dates, as well as look into where best to find a good selection of books. It’s probably not practical to drive to San Marcos to use the school library so I’m hoping that the library near work has a good selection I can use. It will be much easier to complete this course if I can go to the library over my lunch hour.

Off I go to start planning! Hooray!