A New School Year

August 13, 2012 was our official first day back to school. Like many kids, mine weren't too thrilled to say good-bye to summer. Home-educating allows us many freedoms and flexibility. Taking full advantage of this perk, I tried something new this year which is to start with a few subjects and add in a new one each week. In this way, the kids are allowed to ease back into their full days. Another new idea I'm implementing isn't really an idea, rather it's a method called "Self-teaching." It's more than just read and learn, it will involve the kids doing their own weekly planning; setting weekly, quarterly and yearly goals and, learning to mastery. The brain child behind this is a former public-school teacher and veteran home-educator,Joanne Calderwood.

Camille 's 10th grade year will be very full, as it should. Full, but good. I am excited to see her grow both spiritually and emotionally. The curriculum we've chosen for her will (hopefully) serve to strengthen her weaker areas (English) and stretch her solid ones(math and science).

Jude's 5th grade year will continue to have a heavy focus on the three R's. We've chosen his studies to allow for practice in both reading and writing while studying content subjects(history and science). Having learned from teaching Camille, I am now planning "backwards" by looking at where we want him to be at the end of his 8th grade year. Because we delayed formal math until he was 10, he is understandably behind, but steadily making great great progress. Many days he will be expected to complete 2-3 lessons.

                                                                Jude's 5th grade photo.