Homeschool Update

Well we are in FULL swing now! We started last week, so this marks 2 weeks down.......many many more to go. So far we are loving it! I have stocked our school room with fun and educational toys and games for both girls. We start each morning immediately after breakfast, usually somewhere between 830 and 9. School usually takes somewhere between 45 minutes and a little over an hour. I was surprised at how well the work held Kaylee's attention, because anyone that knows Kaylee knows that she is a very "busy" little girl. After their work is complete we usually eat a snack, do some chores or dance to music, then we play outside, have lunch and in NO TIME it is time for nap. I am amazed at how quickly our mornings fade away.

I was introduced to a very interesting blog by a fellow homeschool mom friend called Confessions of a Homeschooler. I love this blog, among others! I decided to purchase her Letter of the Week Curriculum to get us started on our homeschooling adventure. This program is really geared towards 3-4 year olds, but I didnt feel like Kaylee was quite ready to dive right into a full time 4K program (beauty of HS, tailor the curriculum and schedule around the child). I decided to try this one first and then move on to the next level. We are speeding through this one, completing not the suggested 1 letter per week, but doing 2 letters per week most weeks. I want to have this curriculum completed before Thanksgiving so that gives us a few weeks to transition into the big 4K curriculum before the baby arrives. I have also decided to use Confessions 4K program as well. I am about to purchase it and begin all the prep work that is involved with it. I have to say so far we have LOVED her curriculum. It did require a lot of prep (printing, cutting, laminating, etc) but both girls have been working on various pieces of it and seems to be doing well and like it. Also, when I move her up to the 4K curriculum I am going to try Math U See with her (Primer Edition). Kaylee seems to show an interest in math, and considering math was my strongest point in school, I would like to tap into it as early as she would like. I have also ordered the Muzzy Spanish to try it out too. I am hoping that the entire family can benefit from learning a language. Needless to say we have jumped right in with this whole HS thing, and have been pleased so far.

We do our calendar each morning and I have implemented a chore chart for Kaylee which has really helped out in many ways. We use the "workbox system" that Confessions recommends on her blog, and although we are only 2 weeks in this system has helped develop a sense of independence when it comes to doing her school work. There are activities that she completes completely on her own, and designated times where we do an activity together. I like the fact that I dont have to sit by her and "hold her hand" through each activity. I can bounce back and forth between Kaylee, Ainslee, my computer work, and things that need to be done around the house.

Kaylee and Ainslee are growing so fast (as all kids do) and i am so thankful that I get to let them grow up before my eyes and influence their growth, instead of them learning new and often undesirable things from children at school. There is a HUGE of list reasons why we made this decision and I am SO thankful that we not only made this decision but that we were able to do it.
I have enjoyed the discipline that HS has provided for both the girls as well as myself. I was really beginning to miss being in the classroom, and this opportunity has afforded me the ability to "feel" like Im back in the classroom, but with MANY more benefits!


Here she is doing a math counting/number recognition game

coloring her math page on the floor, cause these are the kinds of things you can do when you homeschool
Drinking a delicious smoothie while working on a unifix cube activity

Both girls doing their work on the floor

Math puzzle game

Ainslee working VERY hard on her do a dot letter "O" page

Check out the necklace she made

Check out her necklace, but ignore the crazy hair

3D feel and find game