homeschool evolution, part 2

I spent a little time last week pondering what was working and what wasn't with our homeschooling.  And if you made it all the way through that gargantuan post, I thought you might like a little update.

We're still just barely into it, but Christian Kids Explore Earth and Space is already a much better fit for Hanna.  We're finding it to be far more clearly written, easier to understand and much more engaging.  Each unit can also be completed in two days a week, with a little review added in on the off days.  That satisfies my need for Hanna to still be learning about science, but without overwhelming her.

I raced through The Complete Writer last week, and as someone who has always loved to write...I found it to be right on.  Caleb began working through the Level 1 Workbook on Monday and the short lessons are perfect for his writing ability and attention span.  Hanna is working on outlining  and learning to see the structure of well crafted writing.  We'll focus on this for a few more weeks and then begin to add in some short compositions.  I've stopped our daily writing prompts for a time.  If the kids want to write creatively, they always have that option but I'm not going to push it right now.

 

This photo is another new thing that's really been working well for us.  I love the idea of the Workbox System, but it doesn't quite work for us.  Instead, each afternoon I've been creating a file folder for each child with the next day's math pages, spelling review, handwriting and any other projects we may be doing.  For Hanna, I've also been including a check list of her entire day's assignments. This has definitely been helping our mornings run more smoothly. 

One of our biggest changes has been allowing Hanna to work primarily at her desk in her room, and that's a hard one for me.  I like having both kids at the kitchen table for most of our school time, but add together one pesky little brother and one sensitive older sister and you get a daily time bomb just waiting to go off.  Hanna is more focused with the quiet she craves, Caleb is more free to get his wiggles out and the day has been far less combative.   All good things, and Hanna can always just come out to the table with us whenever she wants or we're working on something together.

One more silly little change - Caleb found this calendar chart Aunt Cindy gave him a year or two ago and hung it in our school area.  It's become his favorite thing to do each morning.  He checks the date and the weather, and then tries to convince me it's suddenly 2016.

I was able to spend a little time today working on the next stages of our evolution and planning out our next blocks of curriculum.  We'll be adding grammar and a more formal art appreciation program very soon, as well as changing the handwriting curriculum I'm using with Caleb.  The simple act of making letters is still a struggle for him and we need to go back to the basics.  As I watch him write every day, I am so thankful I discovered Charlotte Mason methods and narration in particular.  My boy who finds writing painful can easily narrate back anything and retains everything (even months later).

A few more homeschool related projects: Hanna wants to study Amelia Earhart, so I'm working on that .  We're going to start an Olympic unit next week to go along with the Winter Olympics and our Ancient Greece studies (I'm up for anything that gives me an excuse to watch more coverage).   I'm also starting to work on putting together a unit on trains to help us prepare for our train trip this summer (although after looking at the measurements of our roomettes, we might be better off practicing sleeping on the coffee table!).  And I'm still trying to figure out the best way to work Bible study in. 

More evolution to come!

Comments

[Felecia]

Wow...I love reading the home-schooling blogs...we are still working out whether or not Jay will go to his Christian pre-school 3 days or 5 days next year...he's had three different teachers this year due to teachers comin and going for life reasons. Sadly, he has NOT done well with the most recent edition...He got another new teacher about three weeks ago and hsi calendar marks have been either yellow or red ever since (they are supposed to be green) He had a very energetic but very exacting teacher when he started the year....he LOVED her and did well for her due to her enthusiasm and her firmly placed boundaries. I'm afraid he's not handling all the changes he's been faced with, the least of which was the teacher change-up. I often wonder how he will do when school time arrives...I guess the next year will really let me know how he handles it all.

[Samantha Widlund]

Those decisions are so hard, Felecia. Caleb's always been very sensitive to his teacher's as well. You'll be in my prayers!