Homeschool Update...Hard Winter

I predicted last fall in a homeschool update that homeschooling this winter would be much harder since we wouldn't be able to be outside as much. Boy was I right.  Winter brought lots of yucky days stuck inside, a mildly sick but uncomfortable and tired pregnant teacher/mom, and lots of hard work to get along together inside all day every day.  But we grew together as a family and we learned LOTS. 
Before we even learned of our pregnancy with number six, we had decided that this year we would concentrate on making homeschool do-able and set goals that we could really achieve.  We would concentrate on the three R's (Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic).  We did add American History in for Bentley(11) and did a study of the fifty states with everyone.  We also added a really cool science program and of course Bible Reading/Character Studies.  On those days or weeks when we were doing our best to function we went back to Bible Reading and the three R's and many days this winter, we didn't get past that. We tried to keep extra activities to a minimum or limited to weekends so that school could be our main focus during the week.
We homeschool four to five days a week year round.  Mondays are always a lighter day when we clean house from the weekend and regroup.  Those days we sometimes enjoy art, a music study, or a documentary, usually related to something we have been studying. 

 Reading has been a huge focus and as you can see, even the littles enjoy "reading" alongside of their older siblings.  Payton (9) has logged over 2500 pages of reading for school so far, and Bentley(11), over 3000. This does not include books they read for fun which for Bentley probably equals the amount she reads for school.  Conner(7), who started out the year frustrated with reading, is now loving reading chapter books at a third to fourth grade level.  The older kids often read books related to historical periods that they are studying, and write book reports about what they have read.

Notice in all of these pictures the same little fella is always present.  I think we have another future reader on our hands! 

Math is not my favorite subject, so I have been extremely careful that we make it a focus daily.  I am not bad at it, I just don't enjoy it.  We are actually ahead in math and I am expecting all of the kids to finish math books/programs by the end of May.  The boys math books, Mathematical Reading by the Critical Thinking Co, have really challenged them in a good way and they have both excelled.  Bentley's math has been Switched On Schoolhouse, on the computer.  I don't feel as involved and the lessons are basically reading a text and answering questions.  She is doing fine but really connects better with a more hands on explanation and teaching.  We are looking carefully at what might work better for her next year and leaning towards Teaching Textbooks, which is still computer based but is taught first by a person and then each problem they miss is worked through with them so they get immediate feedback on how to do it correctly.  Bentley has tried a sample of the new curriculum online and it is wonderful to have a child old enough to provide feedback.  She is excited for Math next year.

Once we finish up everyone's Math and Bentley's history curriculum, I plan to focus more on Science and our state study for summer.  Our Science is Apologia Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day.  I love this science curriculum but it is on birds and insects and we had to stop for winter as many of our observations had flown south and experiments were no longer possible.  I am really looking forward to spending whole days on our bird and insect study and this summer it will help us return to a more outdoor and hands on approach to learning which we all love.  This summer will also be a good time to focus on Physical Education (i.e. swimming, bike riding, walking, horseback riding etc etc) and art (which will be lots of birds).  Payton is also looking forward to learning more with his dad about building things and car maintenance.  Everyone loves to cook and spend time with mommy in the kitchen so maybe a more intentional kitchen rotation would give them some great learning moments.

It is also that time to look forward towards our next school year.  We will school through the summer until the end of July when the baby is born.  We will likely take most of the month of August off and then resume school in September.  As I look ahead, much of our curriculum will change.  My preference is for all of us to do much of our learning together at different levels and this school year has given me time to follow many other homeschool moms and see what works for them.  I am also finding curriculum that will hopefully work with a new baby in the house.  Some have very detailed plans that won't require a lot of planning on my part.  Some even have Cd's of the books so that we can listen on the go or at home as I am dealing with the littles.  We will try to add back in some outside activities, such a maybe children's choir, an art class here and there etc. but we will be careful to not overdo it.  Our family time and school time has been important and we want to remain our children's primary influence and teachers.

We are happy to see glimpses of spring and look forward to returning outside for school.  We are all learning to find teaching/learning moments in the everyday and that learning does not only happen from eight to three monday thru friday but everyday, all the time we can find opportunities to listen and learn.