Homskule Update

The 2012-2013 School Year! And we have changed out our calendars and will be welcoming February tomorrow.  So how are things for us, especially since I was considering public school for some kids this year?

The major drawback of this year: we started after public school started.  =(  This always makes me feel more pressure on a daily basis.  I love to start towards the end of summer, take lots of breaks and THEN end school after public school ends.  At this point, with no days off, our 36th(last) week of school will fall on the first week of July.  This is also the week conventions will start and means that we will be winding up school during preps, a bad time to be busy.  But no matter how I re-add the weeks, they always come out the same.

We are at Week 14 out of 36 total weeks.

I can comfort myself in this way:  most of the subjects we are studying are scheduled to wind up by about week 33 for the express purpose of building flexibility into the year.  So if I am careful not to skip a day here and there (don't get sick, kids!), then we can be done early.  The other comfort is this: I don't mind doing year-round school.  At this age, summer break is over-rated and long breaks aren't good for retention anyway.

Lucas is doing 3rd grade and I have no concerns.  He's doing Math, Writing, Spelling, Language Arts, Spanish, Piano Lessons and composer study, History(middle ages), Science(earth and space), Reading and a smattering of Art.  I had planned to start Latin this year, and hope to get the curriculum by the end of the semester (Week 18).  I see everything by weeks and in capitals.  Forgive me.  I guess I do have one concern... I have a teenager on my hands and respectful behavior is hard to come by.  He's also really bossy, don't know how that happened! ;)  So I'm workin' on that one.

Julia and Aidan are doing 2nd grade together, and this continues to work well.  They have the same subjects as Lucas, with the addition of a Phonics program.  I am pleased with their progress in both Math and Writing, two potentially difficult subjects.  As they continue to memorize their addition and subtraction facts and take daily timed tests, I keep watching for fatigue.  I try to keep very positive.  Every time they complete less than their goal, I remind them of what a big improvement they will see after a little bit of practice.  So far, this has always held true and they are currently motivated.  Their independent reading has taken off lately, both are reading their way through the Magic Treehouse series, the first 28 books.  Aidan is on book 9 while Julia is a book or two ahead.  On mornings when I sleep in, the kids used to be loud and noisy, playing and having fun.  Now, the house is quiet and I get up to find them reading books in bed!  I love it!

Last fall, the kids did Soccer for 8 weeks.  It was time for a little team sports exposure and they all enjoyed themselves.  They also made a bunch of new friends locally and I met some fun families, including homeschool families.  But sports take up a lot of time, so our plan is to let them try it out and then they will have to beg and plead to keep doing it long term... which hasn't happened yet.  I think once a year we'll pick something active, and maybe this year we can try rock climbing.

From the end of January to the end of May, there is a once a week science program for homeschoolers at Explora, the local children's museum.  It is truly an amazing marvel, even an adult cannot hope to try everything out in one visit.  It can be just has hard to pull an adult away as a child.  =)  This is our third year to participate and we just had our first class this week.  Everyone is very excited, and even though we haven't seen any of the same people, I notice the kids have a much easier time rushing in and finding a seat and making new friends even on the first day.  They have about five teachers that rotate, so the kids get both genders and a wide age range of instructors.  The classes are a little expensive, but the materials and props are well worth it!

And me?  I'm happy with the organization (wow!) and how this year is lining out.  The daily schedule works really well,  and I even feel like I have time in a day to focus on my own projects, from laundry to chickens to crocheting.... whatever!  The older they are, the easier it gets.

So far.