I actually imply to do these extra usually that I do as a result of in some way it’s been a full yr since I final posted about our homeschool journey. See all my homeschool journal entries right here.
And loads has modified. The ladies are a yr older, sure. 13 and 10 as I write this, but additionally our rhythms and a lot extra have advanced as effectively. Since my final homeschool journal we offered our dwelling, moved in with mother for just a few months, completed constructing our dwelling, moved in, joined a brand new co-op, and have been on a mission to seek out and create a neighborhood in our new dwelling in South Carolina.
It’s been an thrilling yr and loads was discovered past the books that we learn. We’ve discovered to embrace uncertainty, boredom at occasions, overwhelm at occasions, new challenges, and to develop into extra resilient. It’s been a yr of progress for us all and I’m so happy with our progress.
Because the bushes buds emerge, we additionally really feel like we’re blooming in our new setting. We actually don’t have all of it found out but, however we’re making strides in creating friendships, figuring out our method round, and discovering what commitments are working for us and which want tweaking. So whereas it is a homeschool-focused replace, it does embody a whole lot of normal life points as a result of that’s the great thing about homeschool- it’s all largely intertwined.
Homeschool Journal (April 2025- seventh & fifth grades) + Q&A
What’s Working in Our Homeschool
Charlotte Mason Ideas
CM is a type of issues I’ve dabbled with but additionally want I might have understood extra about 8 years in the past after we began. A core CM perception is that “We unfold an ample and delicate feast within the programmes and every small visitor assimilates what he can” (A Philosophy of Training, p. 183) and that one simply sticks with me. We’ve carried out extra of that this yr by way of our schedule of extra “topics” with shorter lesson occasions and mind breaks between the more durable ones. Doing this has allowed us to develop our studying to incorporate issues like artwork research, nature research, composer research, bible research, poetry memorization, and handicrafts. I’ve been happy with how a lot all of us take pleasure in this feast strategy.
Saxon Math with Nicole the Math Woman
I’m nonetheless singing the praises of Nicole the Math Woman (learn my full overview right here). Each women are thriving in math along with her instructing. We upgraded to on-line grading this yr and whereas it’s not good (received’t provide the appropriate reply to a missed drawback for instance), it’s a timesaver for me. I’m nonetheless largely current and plugged in with them throughout math to assist out (and overview the ideas myself, ha), nevertheless it’s such a present to have assist in math on this method. It’s a whole lot of work concerned in every lesson (quick info, heat up, lesson follow, blended follow) and we’ve been doing all of it, so we’ve been sluggish to maneuver by way of the teachings attributable to this spiral methodology. We’re decided to complete these books by Could although so we are able to advance to the subsequent ones.
Beginning at 9:00/9:15 AM
I’ve performed round with an earlier begin, however truthfully that is simply working for us. If it’s not broke, proper? This offers the women time to rise up, make breakfast, and be dressed and able to go by the point we meet within the homeschool room. It additionally provides me time to weblog, stroll Finley, make breakfast, and be dressed as effectively.
Extra Basic Literature (and Shakespeare)
I’ve actually loved experiencing extra traditional literature with the women this yr. We’ve learn Anne of Inexperienced Gables (LOVED), Little Ladies (actually loved), and Pollyanna (simply OK to us). The ladies usually learn/take heed to no matter books curiosity them on their very own, so it’s been good having these extra traditional books that stretch the mind a bit extra to learn and focus on collectively. I plan on studying The Hobbit with them subsequent. We’re such Harry Potter followers that I’m hoping the fantastical world ingredient will translate and have us all engaged. We’ve additionally been learning Shakespeare in partnership with our co-op and I’m stunned at how a lot we’ve loved it (Julius Caesar and As You Like It).
This is so useful to have for math work, spelling follow, and so forth. It makes it extra enjoyable for them!
MEL Science Kits and our subsequent Lovely Toes Historical past unit able to go.
Cursive for Children workbook and Cursive for Teenagers workbook have been nice for us.
What We’re Switching Up in Our Homeschool
Doing the Bulk of Language Arts Collectively
This may occasionally sound humorous due to the two 1/2 yr age hole however I’ve actually seen that the youngsters have a lot extra enjoyable after we do the topics collectively. I feel it’s their aggressive nature, however they’re engaged and energized whether or not it’s above or under what their common degree can be. We run by way of phonemes along with All About Spelling, overview fundamental ideas in First Language Classes, and take turns correcting and labeling in Repair it Grammar. Writing is separate, nevertheless it’s additionally been a bit completely different for us this yr as we took a break from IEW this spring. Hailey labored on ending her quick novel and is presently illustrating it for us to format and print. Kaitlyn will begin on IEW’s Construction and Model within the fall. It was an excellent match for Hailey, however I’m undecided Kaitlyn will take to it as effectively. We will see!
Switching Co-ops
We’ve got actually cherished the neighborhood on the co-op we joined after we moved right here. The persons are the kindest and the guts they pour into the co-op is unmatched. What doesn’t work for me is taking over a instructing position. I discovered myself spending Wednesdays making ready classes for Thursday’s co-ops, which made me much less accessible/engaged with our personal homeschool on Wednesdays, and because of this I felt we had been lacking an entire day Wednesday, full throttle on Thursday, and exhausted by Friday. In brief, it’s an excessive amount of on my plate and although it was exhausting to come back to grips with that actuality, I’ve accepted the truth that at my women’ ages (not younger elementary anymore- sniffle), I would like to have the ability to focus solely on their instructional journeys. I don’t have the bandwidth to be taking over instructing classes outdoors of that. We’ve discovered a Charlotte Mason model co-op for subsequent yr that isn’t parent-led. The ladies and I are in fact a bit nervous about it and actually hope to remain plugged in socially with our present co-op, however I’m hopeful will probably be an excellent match for us on this new age/stage.
Finish of Yr Testing
We’ve all the time carried out our finish of yr testing by way of a neighborhood good friend who proctored the Woodcock Johnson Examination. Effectively, we’ve each moved away at this level so now I’m left scratching my head questioning what sort of finish of yr testing we must always do. Discover a new individual that proctors in Greenville? Strive a distinct take a look at? Should you homeschool, what do you do?
Q&A
I put a query field on Instagram and listed here are just a few of the questions I acquired:
I’m having a tough time discovering a co-op; any recommendation?
After we knew we had been shifting, I began becoming a member of each Fb homeschool group close to our new city. If I discovered a thread of curiosity, I’d pull on it and see the place it led. That meant direct messaging somebody who gave the impression to be plugged in or asking somebody that was a part of a bunch I used to be all for for extra particulars. I want I might have carried out higher about asking to do a visitation on a day that they had co-op as a result of I really feel like that’s the easiest way to get an excellent really feel for what the group is like.
Additionally, it’s good to know precisely what you’re in search of to assist slender the search. Non secular or secular? Father or mother-led or drop off? Core courses (science, literature, and so forth) or extra further curricular (artwork, PE, and so forth)?
How do you pack all the things up on the finish of the day to keep away from visible litter?
We designed this home with a big room to function a playroom/homeschool room so more often than not I shut the door as a result of it isn’t essentially put again to perfection every afternoon. However even with that, provides find yourself everywhere in the home as a result of we don’t all the time keep in a single spot. For my sanity, I would like a clear kitchen space, so something left on the kitchen island/space on the finish of the day get’s moved close to the steps and the women should take up no matter is theirs and discover it a house. Different areas, it’s a compromise. I really feel like if I’ve my tidy kitchen I can embrace that on this season, there’s going to be graph paper and coloured pencils in the lounge and books piled on the ground. I’m OK with that; simply little reminders that we’re dwelling life on this dwelling.
My daughter rushes to be carried out and I do know she may put in additional effort. Suggestions?
We’ve been there! Have you learnt why she is dashing? Is she bored? Is it too difficult? For us, it was simply typically too drawn out and tedious in order that they wished to only get it over with.I discovered that rushed work results in decreased comprehension and fewer retention of fabric so I modified course.
For us, breaking classes into smaller chunks, utilizing a visible timer, and specializing in narration on the finish of the lesson helped loads! I adjusted my expectations from getting by way of a whole lesson simply to test a field to actually gauging whether or not they had been understanding. My children each responded effectively to figuring out we’d solely do XYZ for 20/25 minutes so long as they had been centered and placing forth effort. On the finish of the lesson I’d have them narrate (repeat again to me in their very own phrases) what they took away from the lesson and if it met my expectation, then we may transfer on.
What issues do the women do independently at these ages? Which do you train/oversee?
Math is essentially on their very own, although I bounce loads between them to assist with powerful issues. When Hailey did IEW, that was largely on her personal, however we shifted this yr for her to artistic writing which known as for extra mother involvement. Hailey additionally does a few of her present science for co-op studying and be aware taking over her personal. Aside from that, I’m largely concerned with most of it for the time being.
Doing most of our homeschool household model (collectively) lends itself effectively to my involvement and I’m truly actually having fun with most of it. They’re at superior ages for discussing historical past, geography, and science.
Do you suppose you’ll homeschool by way of highschool?
I do! However that doesn’t imply I’ll be instructing calculus. Homeschooling will be fully guardian led, however I’ve additionally discovered it may be extra of a personalized personal schooling. There are such a lot of choices for highschool from co-ops that cowl most of your wants in two days every week to at least one off courses for homeschoolers (like math or science labs) you’ll be able to join to twin enrollment. I don’t know precisely which path we’ll take but, nevertheless it’s good to know there’s a lot assist and so many choices accessible.
Ideas about children being in highschool and never separated from you socially?
The socialization factor is all the time a scorching subject and I get it; it was one among my first considerations after we thought of homeschooling Hailey for kindergarten. Having lived this life-style for 8 years now, I’ve zero considerations about “socialization.” My children are out and about on a regular basis and I feel interacting with completely different ages in actual life situations is a good way to be taught to navigate the true world.
They aren’t all the time with me; I feel that’s a typical false impression. Don’t get me mistaken, one among my favourite issues about homeschooling is the additional time now we have collectively, however on the identical time, they’re off enjoying with buddies most afternoons, they go to youth group, they do sports activities and different actions, they’ve co-op with different children and academics. Additionally, there are such a lot of alternatives for homeschoolers now like proms and golf equipment and aggressive sports activities alternatives.
How a lot time do you spend per topic?
It actually depends upon the day! A tough estimate is 30-40 minutes for math, 30-40 minutes for language arts, 30-40 minutes for geography, science, or historical past. Then add within the further stuff, and also you in all probability have about an extra hour or so.
Methods to homeschool two children and stability it with different obligations?
Some weeks I really feel like I’m rocking it and others I really feel like a rooster with my head reduce off. I remind myself that day-after-day being balanced is an phantasm, and as a substitute try for stability over the week (or typically the month). I’ve shifting priorities every day to line up with the best wants of that day.
Discover all my homeschool associated posts right here!
