Reflection on month one

We've completed one month in our 2009-2010 home education year. I don't usually analyse our home ed to this extent. We've had some changes this year though, children getting older and me planning to work out of the home this winter. Well it just makes me feel more in control to analyse, report, tweak and reflect!

First reflection, Less isn't more but it's do-able. At the start of this year and even in planning last May I scheduled in quite a few new things. In reality it was too much so some things will need to be set aside until spring. I am thinking of our year in three segments this year roughly by season. Fall, a good start, more "Mom intensive" projects and work. Winter, more independent work, focus on basics, lots of skiing for kids that wish to. Spring add back in more projects and perhaps the new things we were not able to fit in during the fall and of course all the wonderful nature study that spring presents.

Second reflection, schedules can save time. I am one who finds schedules very confining, something not desirable. At least in the past I have. This year though, with a high schooler, a middle schooler and two upper elementary boys I find a schedule is helpful. The children are not doing as much "all together" as usual and I need to keep track of what everyone needs to do and if it's getting done. Also with older children our outside activities are fewer but more intense in some cases. Scheduling for them and around them is important. The younger boys are in their final months as cub scouts and learning the things they need to know to earn their arrow of light is important. Hayley is in her first year as an older girl scout, those projects need to be well thought out to earn the interest patches. It's much harder than in younger levels. And of course the out of State animals class is only once a month but quite a trek. The closer to home monthly 3rd Wednesday mixed classes and third Thursdays HS group are not quite as much travel but also mean a day off from our at home work. Schedules keep it all running smoothly. I know we will do Spanish 3 days per week, Drawing once, language arts daily, math daily and science, history, bible differ depending on the child and how busy the week is

Third reflection, yes we can still have free afternoons even with older kids, hooray!

Fourth reflection, older children can have some say in their own schedules. What sounds difficult might actually work out very well.

So where do we stand. Trevor has now completed between 1-4 weeks of Algebra, Teaching Co. American History, Teaching Co. London History and Chemistry. I am weaving in British Lit. American Lit., art and music with his history courses. Trevor was having a hard time getting his year started. partly because he doesn't like change but also because he is now in a teen age type sleep schedule. He seems to naturally need to stay up later and sleep in some in the morning. We were finding that he would wake when I was right in the middle of working with the younger kids. I would need to have him wait and then would finally get him started just as the youngers were finishing their work. Trevor was disappointed that he then had 2 hours of work ahead of him when he would rather be playing with his siblings. Also they would get too noisy and Trevor doesn't retain information unless he has a relatively quiet atmosphere. The solution we came up with is that Trevor does his individual work in the evenings. Anything we do as a group he still works on with the others but 3/4ths of his work is completely separate to what the younger kids are doing. Evenings work great for him. The younger kids are watching a bedtime movie or having quiet play then and eventually going to bed. The house is quiet and he doesn't feel like he is missing out on anything. I initially hated this idea but it is working perfectly for Trevor! We have plenty of quiet time to discuss his lessons too if needed without brothers and sisters interrupting.

Hayley seems to have mixed feelings about Switched on Schoolhouse but does want to continue. I have gone in to the teachers planning for it and finally figured out how to take out certain lessons and mostly all the quizzes so that the work can be done in a more reasonable amount of time. Hayley is doing well perfecting her cursive with A reason for writing and she is enjoying the Spanish, Drawing and other things we do all together. I like that she can do some of her work independently this year. She is finding that working independantly often means she finishes faster too and then has plenty of time for all the crafts and such that she loves to do.

Colin and Tristan are doing well with their various work. We try to get their math and language arts (reading, spelling, handwriting, grammar)done first so that the fun stuff can take as long as needed after.

What had to go, Latin and Real Science 4 Kids had to go. I just wasn't fitting in Latin and then realised it would be confusing for the kids to be learning two brand new to them languages at the same time. Latin will be part of our spring time work instead. RS4K was just too repetitive of things we've already done. I decided to let science be child led and they do have all those science classes on a monthly basis too. History we are not getting to formally much yet, except for living history events. We will be attending another history event this weekend. I have a nice pile of history read alouds and some crafts which I know will get more use as we get into the colder weather. Somehow we always do more read alouds in the winter, nice and cozy to sit down with good books then. Geography, we are off to a slow start with my plan to study a country a week. I think that's mainly because the kids wanted to learn more about our US States and also Mexico which is the theme of the first level of our Spanish. That is fine there is no rush. I expect we'll get to Canada within a few weeks and then work our way to learning more about countries which are further and further away after that.

So far our basic days and weeks consist of three days per week Spanish language focus, 2-3 days Geography focus, Friday a long-ish session with Drawing basics (and Friday has neither Spanish or Geography). Hayley does her SOS, Trevor does his work. The younger boys are alternating math U see and CLE math at the moment. I'm thinking of having them do MUS Mon-Thurs and then do CLE on Friday. The CLE is almost completely independent and I love how they get so many different math topics. Yet I also feel they need deeper learning of the basics and the Math U see will be great for that this year.

Colin has CLE language arts and I give him additional spelling. Tristan has his two computer phonics curriculum's, we try to fit in earobics too and both boys have A reason for Handwriting. Colin is working on cursive and Tristan transitioning from print to cursive with the transitional book.

I think after 4 weeks we have made it to a good pattern now and not much else needs to change.