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Homeschoolers' Corner
Topic: How is your year going?
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Since we are about a month or two into the new school year, I was wondering how everyone is feeling about this year's homeschooling so far? Are you feeling like you are on track, where you want to be, or already playing catch-up and staring that January burn-out dead in the face? Just curious . . . personally, I am already behind on record-keeping (grades for the ISP), and still adding new classes as they fit into our lives. Just started Spelling Power, and the kids love it! So, I guess you could say I'm alittle behind already, but not stressing out about it . . . Cindi (mom of maggie-11 and Jimmy-8) |
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Today I was able to evaluate how much my child knew. I was impressed- He is four years old and we started a kindergarten curricullum and I thought he was not grasping everything, Other kids may be better in cultures and history info but my son is the budding author. He loves to write his letters and today he showed off with his spelling of simple three letter words. I guess my non schooling attitude this month work. Maybe he does not need a strict curricullum.
Holly |
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LOL - I just can't wait to read some answers here! I'm still really new, as it's only our second month of this. I started out kind of slow, knowing that I would probably change my mind a few times early on. It's going well, so far. We started with U.S. History, English, music & PE.
They finished up Thomas Jefferson this week including a trip down to St. Louis to see the TJ Memorial stuff there. We're kind of going president by president, because that keeps them interested and on track. (I'm talking high school, by the way.) English was the biggie, one of their main reason for wanting to homeschool. We found a grammar book and a list of frequently misspelled words and started out with those and some required reading time and that seems to be working well. They complain about the grammar lessons, but are learning it somewhat painlessly and are sticking with it. What more can I ask! :o) It took us a couple of weeks to find an Algebra II book that worked for us, so Algebra II started a couple of weeks late, but it's going fairly well now. Music consists of practicing guitar and bass, recording stuff on Garage Band, and once a week watching a video tape from a nice set (from the public library) called Exploring the World of Music. This week's was titled "Music and Memory" and they tell me it was about rediscovered forms of vocal music and the search for disappearing forms of music. I'll have to find time to watch it this weekend. PE is still a challenge, as the weather is starting to get wet and cold. But, all in all, it's going well.
Now don't scare me with that "January burn-out" talk! ;o) Cindy P.S. I'm still trying to figure out how to use the Mac, sorry about the lack of spacing.
Hey, maybe I got it?! |
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Greeeaaaat! I made some changes this year so it was hard for me to wrap my mind around using some new curriculums, it was not as easy for me to adjust. I also started using some learning techniques for right brained learners for my older son. I changed the method and intentionally break my kids apart now to spend 1:1 time with each. This year they are cooperating with that rather than both demanding to 'do everything together' and at the same time. Back then I had not realized the source of some challenges with that was one is very left brained and one was very right brained and teaching 2 kids the same content with one approach was not then working for one of them. I also learned more about left brained learners and realized the other son was very left brained. So instead of teaching the method that is most comfortable to ME and what I seem to think is a superior method I am giving him work that is more left brained and more workbook based and now he is thriving more than ever. Also instead of procrastinating work until 100% of it was ready, I jumped in and did partial--because some of my programs and books were on back order and not here at Labor Day. It is against my personal style to do half the work, I used to wait until I was ready for 100% and then start in. But it worked out well to get back to the routine of HSing and adjust to new programs doing only 50% of the work. Then each week I added in one or two new things as I was ready and when they were delivered. It has worked great. All that has resulted in my two kids and me all feeling rejuvinated and energized about homeschooling. The kids are making good progress. I think what will end up happening is the subjects they are flying through content of we will finish up much earlier than June and then I'll focus on some of the other things that we have not done that I felt would be great to do (focus on poetry, do more music history and more art history and more 'fun-games' type of math work). |
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