Homeschool Journal (April 2025- seventh & fifth grades) + Q&A
I actually imply to do these extra typically that I do as a result of someway it’s been a full yr since I final posted about our homeschool journey. See all my homeschool journal entries right here.
And quite a bit has modified. The women are a yr older, sure. 13 and 10 as I write this, but in addition our rhythms and a lot extra have advanced as effectively. Since my final homeschool journal we offered our house, moved in with mother for a number of months, completed constructing our house, moved in, joined a brand new co-op, and have been on a mission to seek out and create a group in our new house in South Carolina.
It’s been an thrilling yr and quite a bit was realized past the books that we learn. We’ve realized to embrace uncertainty, boredom at occasions, overwhelm at occasions, new challenges, and to turn out to be 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 definitely don’t have all of it discovered but, however we’re making strides in creating friendships, figuring out our manner round, and discovering what commitments are working for us and which want tweaking. So whereas this can be a homeschool-focused replace, it does embody quite a lot of basic life features as a result of that’s the great thing about homeschool- it’s all largely intertwined.
What’s Working in our Homeschool
Charlotte Mason Ideas
CM is a kind of issues I’ve dabbled with but in addition want I’d have understood extra about 8 years in the past once we began. A core CM perception is that “We unfold an considerable and delicate feast within the programmes and every small visitor assimilates what he can” (A Philosophy of Schooling, p. 183) and that one simply sticks with me. We’ve finished extra of that this yr by means of our schedule of extra “topics” with shorter lesson occasions and mind breaks between the more durable ones. Doing this has allowed us to broaden 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 get pleasure from this feast strategy.
Saxon Math with Nicole the Math Woman
I’m nonetheless singing the praises of Nicole the Math Woman (learn my full evaluate 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 excellent (received’t provide the right 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 evaluate the ideas myself, ha), nevertheless it’s such a present to have help in math on this manner. It’s quite a lot of work concerned in every lesson (quick details, heat up, lesson observe, blended observe) and we’ve been doing all of it, so we’ve been gradual to maneuver by means 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 ladies time to rise up, make breakfast, and be dressed and able to go by the point we meet within the homeschool room. It additionally offers me time to weblog, stroll Finley, make breakfast, and be dressed as effectively.
Extra Traditional Literature (and Shakespeare)
I’ve actually loved experiencing extra basic literature with the ladies this yr. We’ve learn Anne of Inexperienced Gables (LOVED), Little Girls (actually loved), and Pollyanna (simply OK to us). The women sometimes learn/take heed to no matter books curiosity them on their very own, so it’s been good having these extra basic books that stretch the mind a bit extra to learn and talk about collectively. I plan on studying The Hobbit with them subsequent. We’re such Harry Potter followers that I’m hoping the fantastical world aspect will translate and have us all engaged. We’ve additionally been learning Shakespeare in partnership with our co-op and I’m shocked 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 observe, and so forth. It makes it extra enjoyable for them!
MEL Science Kits and our subsequent Stunning Ft 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 observed that the children have a lot extra enjoyable once 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 beneath what their common stage can be. We run by means of phonemes along with All About Spelling, evaluate 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 brief novel and is presently illustrating it for us to format and print. Kaitlyn will begin on IEW’s Construction and Fashion within the fall. It was a terrific match for Hailey, however I’m undecided Kaitlyn will take to it as effectively. We will see!
Switching Co-ops
We now have actually liked the group on the co-op we joined once we moved right here. The persons are the kindest and the center they pour into the co-op is unmatched. What doesn’t work for me is taking over a instructing function. I discovered myself spending Wednesdays getting ready classes for Thursday’s co-ops, which made me much less out there/engaged with our personal homeschool on Wednesdays, and consequently I felt we had been lacking a complete day Wednesday, full throttle on Thursday, and exhausted by Friday. Briefly, it’s an excessive amount of on my plate and although it was onerous to return to grips with that actuality, I’ve accepted the truth that at my women’ ages (not younger elementary anymore- sniffle), I want to have the ability to focus solely on their instructional journeys. I don’t have the bandwidth to be taking over instructing classes exterior of that. We’ve discovered a Charlotte Mason type co-op for subsequent yr that isn’t parent-led. The women and I are in fact a little bit nervous about it and actually hope to remain plugged in socially with our present co-op, however I’m hopeful will probably be a superb match for us on this new age/stage.
Finish of Yr Testing
We’ve all the time finished our finish of yr testing by means of an area pal 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 should always do. Discover a new individual that proctors in Greenville? Strive a unique take a look at? In the event you homeschool, what do you do?
Q&A
I however a query field on Instagram and listed here are a number of of the questions I obtained:
I’m having a tough time discovering a co-op; any recommendation?
Once 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 appeared to be plugged in or asking somebody that was a part of a gaggle I used to be involved in for extra particulars. I want I’d have finished 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 a superb really feel for what the group is like.
Additionally, it’s good to know precisely what you’re on the lookout for to assist slim the search. Non secular or secular? Father or mother-led or drop off? Core courses (science, literature, and so forth) or extra additional curricular (artwork, PE, and so forth)?
How do you pack every part 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 want 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 ladies 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 residing life on this house.
My daughter rushes to be finished and I do know she might put in additional effort. Ideas?
We’ve been there! Are you aware why she is speeding? Is she bored? Is it too difficult? For us, it was simply typically too drawn out and tedious so that they wished to only get it over with.I realized that rushed work results in diminished 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 quite a bit! I adjusted my expectations from getting by means of a complete lesson simply to examine 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 might transfer on.
What issues do the ladies do independently at these ages? Which do you train/oversee?
Math is basically on their very own, although I bounce quite a bit between them to assist with robust issues. When Hailey did IEW, that was largely on her personal, however we shifted this yr for her to artistic writing which referred to 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 in the intervening time.
Doing most of our homeschool household type (collectively) lends itself effectively to my involvement and I’m really 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 means of highschool?
I do! However that doesn’t imply I’ll be instructing calculus. Homeschooling might be fully guardian led, however I’ve additionally realized it may be extra of a personalized non-public training. There are such a lot of choices for highschool from co-ops that cowl most of your wants in two days per week to 1 off courses for homeschoolers (like math or science labs) you may 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 help and so many choices out there.
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 in all my first issues once we thought-about homeschooling Hailey for kindergarten. Having lived this way of life for 8 years now, I’ve zero issues 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 an effective way to study to navigate the actual world.
They aren’t all the time with me; I feel that’s a standard false impression. Don’t get me mistaken, one in all my favourite issues about homeschooling is the additional time now we have collectively, however on the identical time, they’re off taking part in with mates most afternoons, they go to youth group, they do sports activities and different actions, they’ve co-op with different children and lecturers. 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 will depend on 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 additional stuff, and also you in all probability have about an extra hour or so.
The right way to homeschool two children and steadiness it with different duties?
Some weeks I really feel like I’m rocking it and others I really feel like a rooster with my head lower off. I remind myself that each day being balanced is an phantasm, and as a substitute try for steadiness 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!
