We are mid-way through the 2015-2016 school year so it is time to reflect on the first half and write where I see us going in the second half of this school year!

We began in mid-July and by the end of December, we will have completed over 100 school days! We are right on track to get our 180 school days in, have the month of June off and then start again after the 4th of July. I am LOVING our year-round school schedule. It allows for so much flexibility. We school 4-days a week (plus our Community Day with Classical Conversations), with the occasional 3-day week if we choose to take a day off for various reasons. Schooling year round makes me feel like I don’t have to cram everything into nine months so we can take three months off for summer. Instead, we have 11 months with one month of summer and random days off here and there throughout the year. It is so freeing and, at the same time, allows for life to happen (of which it WILL happen, ready-or-not)! At the ages my children are now, they need the structure school time gives them. School is just a part of our daily routine and we all thrive that way.

Here’s a brief overview of each child, where they are mid-year of the 2014-2015 school year and where I am headed with each one:

Little Bug ~ 6.5 years old

All About Reading Level 1

Little Bug’s reading has taken off! We are 33 lessons into All About Reading Level 1 and she is just about to complete the 2nd reader! I need to figure out how I am going to implement a reading time with her where she is expected to find a cozy spot in the house, curl up with a book, and read for a certain amount of time each day. The only way to get better at reading is to READ! The best time for this is probably going to be during her Independent Playtime while her siblings are taking their afternoon nap. My goal is to establish this time for her after the holidays. We will continue our AAR Level 1 lessons and will complete them at Little Bug’s pace.

Explode the Code Book 1

Little Bug is nearly finished with Book 1! Explode the Code seems to be a good reinforcement for what is learned in All About Reading, so she will continue on with Book 2 once she completes Book 1.

A Reason for Handwriting K

Little Bug is just a couple weeks away from finishing this handwriting book! It has been good practice for her. While she was never really interested in learning the proper way to form certain letters, it became a battle that wasn’t worth the fight with her. If she makes her letters and they are readable, that is what is most important. Her handwriting has improved since August so she has made progress with her handwriting. She found a notebook that she had written in earlier this year and, even she, noticed the difference! After finishing this book, I am thinking I will have her begin copywork as Leigh Bortins explains in The Core. I see the value in copywork and the satisfaction that can come in completing a task like that. I need to figure out what I will have her copy (I have some ideas!) and then we will begin this as well after the holidays.

Saxon Math 1

We’ve completed all the Addition Fact lessons from Saxon Math 1. Now, we are just working on getting these facts in her memory for good. We’ve been working on making a Lapbook of all her Addition Facts. The next thing I need to do is establish what steps we are going to take to have her practicing these facts daily so they do stay in her memory. I have found that we practice a set of facts well during the week, but then if a lot of time goes by, she will forget. So, I need to establish a way for her to practice her facts daily until they are cemented in her brain for life! (Again, I have some ideas of what I am going to do to accomplish this.) After the holidays, we will begin the Subtraction math fact lessons from Saxon Math 1. Our core math curriculum is Horizons Math K. We have shelved that while we learn basic addition and subtraction math facts, but I think it is almost time to get that out again and complete 1-2 Horizons Math K lessons per week as we continue to work on basic math fact memorization.

Sweet Pea ~ almost 4.5 years old

All About Reading Pre-Level

We’ve completed the Capital letter lessons and after the holidays we will begin the Lowercase letter lessons. I really need to take some time to pray and think about where I am going with Sweet Pea next. She will be Kindergarten-age next school year, but just like I was forced to do with Little Bug, I am thinking about delaying formal academics with her. By “delay formal academics” I mean I will delay beginning a formal curriculum with her (like AAR Level 1 and Horizons Math K) and instead continue to play phonics and math games with her until I see signs that she is developmentally ready to learn to read and begin a formal math curriculum. With her August birthday, she will be a very young Kindergartener so I don’t want to throw academics on her at such a young age if she is not ready. There is PLENTY of time for academics, but a child is only a child for so long. Let them play!!!

Ready-Made Preschool Level 1

We are just about finished with RMPK Level 1! We have just a few more lessons to complete and we will do so throughout the remainder of this school year.

Measured Mom Handwriting

I will continue to print handwriting/letter pages from The Measured Mom as these pages are perfect for the preschooler wanting handwriting practice. I will keep handwriting very informal with Sweet Pea for the time being. She loves to write her letters with our Dry Erase books too.

Measured Mom Math

We will continue to learn basic math concepts through play. The Measured Mom has so many fun games, activities and printables that we use on a weekly basis for Sweet Pea’s preschool.

Sarge ~ 15 months old

Independent Playtime

Independent Playtime is something I have taught all 3 of my children to do. I have seen many benefits for both child and mom throughout the years of our IP times. Sarge, however, is resisting Independent Playtime big time. I am in the middle of trying to figure this out. I need him to do IP happily so that when he drops his morning nap (in the near future), he can spend some of his morning doing IP while we are doing our structured morning school time. Sure, I could do school with a 1 year old running around getting into everything and distracting already very distractible girls even further, but I know IP for Sarge during (part of) school time will benefit us all, so I will preserver and attempt to try and discover how I can make this enjoyable for Sarge. My ultimate goal is 45-60 minutes of independent play in the pack n play (and very soon, in his bedroom). Right now, we are at 20 minutes of crying every IP time.

Reading Books

I haven’t been successful in implementing Independent Playtime with Sarge, but I have been extremely successful in getting him to love books! The boy LOVES books! He will find one and carry it around with him, stopping to look at the pages as he walks along. It’s adorable. I read to him before his afternoon nap and then whenever he brings me a book throughout the day. Once his morning nap is dropped and he has more time awake every day, I will add in another reading time to him in the mornings.

Together

Classical Conversations

I am so incredibly thankful to God that He lead our homeschool to Classical Conversations. It has made a difference already in every single aspect of our homeschool. It is setting the stage for what our homeschool will be defined by: knowing God and making Him known. I have a backbone for my children’s education as Classical Conversations has the road map laid before me. At the same time, I am in charge of this ship and ultimately, I can lead us where I want our homeschool to go with CC as my guide. I am loving the results from CC that I am already seeing in my girls after just one semester in CC. It’s simply amazing and beautiful and I am thankful to be on this journey with my children.

Read Alouds

I dropped Sonlight P 4/5 from our daily homeschool schedule because with CC, it was just overkill. I do plan to use Sonlight as a reference for good, living literature to read aloud with my children. Read Alouds are one of our favorite parts of homeschool. I love being able to get in my bed with my girls right before nap/rest time and read a chapter or two to them from our current Read Aloud. Often times, we will take a little 10 or so minute break between our phonics and math lesson and enjoy a chapter together from the Read Aloud. It is mid-December as I am writing this and we have read 23 chapter books this school year!

Summary

I am very pleased where the girls are academically. I love the freedom we have to just focus on the basics and leave plenty of time in our day for creative play and exploring the great outdoors. I would say my greatest challenging right now is managing and juggling the needs of my children. A toddler in the mix is a huge challenge and I am not sure what I would do if he wasn’t on such a good, predictable schedule. Even so, children aren’t robots and they don’t always go with your well laid out plans! I still feel like I am the diffuser of drama almost every single day and I am not sure that is going away anytime soon because I have very strong-willed, opinionated children! I pray I can take these traits they have and mold them for their ultimate good! I do know some of the drama will dissipate as they get older. Three kids ages 6 and under make for very lively days! That’s where I am in life right now, and even though some days I am ready for bedtime long before the clock says it’s time, I wouldn’t trade these days for anything. I recognize them as a gift even though the days are challenging! These children are a gift from God and I want to be found faithful in raising them to know God and make Him known.

- Elaine