Homeschool Journal (April 2025- seventh & fifth grades) + Q&A
I actually imply to do these extra usually that I do as a result of one way or the other 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 additionally our rhythms and a lot extra have developed as nicely. Since my final homeschool journal we offered our dwelling, moved in with mother for a number of 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 quite a bit was discovered past the books that we learn. We’ve discovered to embrace uncertainty, boredom at occasions, overwhelm at occasions, new challenges, and to turn into extra resilient. It’s been a yr of development for us all and I’m so happy with our progress.
Because the timber 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, realizing our approach 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 loads of basic life elements as a result of that’s the fantastic thing about homeschool- it’s all largely intertwined.
What’s Working in our Homeschool
Charlotte Mason Ideas
CM is a type of issues I’ve dabbled with but additionally want I’d have understood extra about 8 years in the past after we began. A core CM perception is that “We unfold an plentiful 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 carried out 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 take pleasure in this feast method.
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 ladies 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 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 assist in math on this approach. It’s loads of work concerned in every lesson (quick info, heat up, lesson follow, combined follow) and we’ve been doing all of it, so we’ve been gradual to maneuver by means of the teachings because of this spiral methodology. We’re decided to complete these books by Might although so we will advance to the following ones.
Beginning at 9:00/9:15 AM
I’ve performed round with an earlier begin, however actually 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 offers me time to weblog, stroll Finley, make breakfast, and be dressed as nicely.
Extra Basic Literature (and Shakespeare)
I’ve actually loved experiencing extra basic literature with the women this yr. We’ve learn Anne of Inexperienced Gables (LOVED), Little Girls (actually loved), and Pollyanna (simply OK to us). The women usually 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 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 component 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 many others. It makes it extra enjoyable for them!
MEL Science Kits and our subsequent Stunning 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 will likely 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 believe it’s their aggressive nature, however they’re engaged and energized whether or not it’s above or under what their common stage can be. We run by means of phonemes along with All About Spelling, evaluate primary 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 totally different for us this yr as we took a break from IEW this spring. Hailey labored on ending her brief novel and is at present illustrating it for us to format and print. Kaitlyn will begin on IEW’s Construction and Model within the fall. It was an awesome match for Hailey, however I’m undecided Kaitlyn will take to it as nicely. We will see!
Switching Co-ops
We’ve actually beloved the neighborhood on the co-op we joined after we moved right here. The individuals are the kindest and the guts they pour into the co-op is unmatched. What doesn’t work for me is taking up a instructing position. I discovered myself spending Wednesdays making ready classes for Thursday’s co-ops, which made me much less obtainable/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. In brief, it’s an excessive amount of on my plate and although it was arduous to return to grips with that actuality, I’ve accepted the truth that at my ladies’ ages (not younger elementary anymore- sniffle), I want to have the ability to focus solely on their academic journeys. I don’t have the bandwidth to be taking up instructing classes exterior of that. We’ve discovered a Charlotte Mason fashion co-op for subsequent yr that isn’t parent-led. The women and I are in fact slightly nervous about it and actually hope to remain plugged in socially with our present co-op, however I’m hopeful it will likely be an excellent match for us on this new age/stage.
Finish of Yr Testing
We’ve at all times carried out our finish of yr testing by means of an area good friend who proctored the Woodcock Johnson Examination. Nicely, 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? Attempt a distinct take a look at? When you homeschool, what do you do?
Q&A
I however a query field on Instagram and listed below 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 gave the impression to be plugged in or asking somebody that was a part of a bunch I used to be fascinated by for extra particulars. I want I’d have carried out higher about asking to do a visitation on a day they’d 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 on the lookout for to assist slender the search. Non secular or secular? Mother or father-led or drop off? Core lessons (science, literature, and many others) or extra additional curricular (artwork, PE, and many others)?
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 all around the home as a result of we don’t at all times 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 women need to 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 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 needed to simply 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 quite a bit! I adjusted my expectations from getting by means of a complete lesson simply to verify a field to essentially gauging whether or not they had been understanding. My youngsters each responded nicely to realizing 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 educate/oversee?
Math is basically on their very own, although I bounce quite a bit 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 referred to as for extra mother involvement. Hailey additionally does a few of her present science for co-op studying and be aware taking up her personal. Apart from that, I’m largely concerned with most of it for the time being.
Doing most of our homeschool household fashion (collectively) lends itself nicely 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 assume you’ll homeschool by means of highschool?
I do! However that doesn’t imply I’ll be instructing calculus. Homeschooling may be utterly father or mother led, however I’ve additionally discovered it may be extra of a custom-made 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 lessons 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 obtainable.
Ideas about youngsters being in highschool and never separated from you socially?
The socialization factor is at all times a scorching matter and I get it; it was certainly one of my first considerations after we thought-about homeschooling Hailey for kindergarten. Having lived this way of life for 8 years now, I’ve zero considerations about “socialization.” My youngsters are out and about on a regular basis and I believe interacting with totally different ages in actual life eventualities is an effective way to be taught to navigate the true world.
They aren’t at all times with me; I believe that’s a standard false impression. Don’t get me improper, certainly one of my favourite issues about homeschooling is the additional time we’ve got collectively, however on the identical time, they’re off taking part in with buddies most afternoons, they go to youth group, they do sports activities and different actions, they’ve co-op with different youngsters 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 a further hour or so.
The best way to homeschool two youngsters and stability it with different tasks?
Some weeks I really feel like I’m rocking it and others I really feel like a hen with my head minimize off. I remind myself that every single day being balanced is an phantasm, and as a substitute attempt 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!
