I have been homeschooling officially for 3 years now. I really feel like this past year was the best one yet! I have tried full curriculum, unit studies, "eclectic"...and enjoyed the way we did it this year best. I have had several friend ask me about homeschooling recently, so I thought this would be a good way for me to share what has worked for me.
First and most important is to trust that God will give you all you need to get through each moment, week, month and year! He is so good, and our children truly are a blessing from Him. So, when He gives you the desire to homeschool, he will also give you the grace and patience to be with your children 24/7.
To me, the second most important thing is to be scheduled, but flexible. Does that make sense? I don't think the two are mutually exclusive. I think having a plan for the year is great; it really kept me on track this year. I also have a "schedule" for the day (I will share mine, but do what works for your family!)
My kids are early risers, so from 6:30-7:30 they do their chores and we have breakfast.
7:30-7:45 is our opening (Pledge of Allegiance, Prayer, Psalm of the day, Song)
7:45-11:00 is Language, Math and Reading (While I teach each child their math, the others do quiet reading)
11:00-11:15 is recess while I make lunch
11:15-noon is Lunch (often I read something to them while they eat)
noon-2:00 is Nap time for anyone under 5 years old. That is also when we do our Science, History and Health classes.
That is the scheduled part of school. The flexible part is realizing that they are kids, and things happen. Kids get sick, the teacher gets sick, everyone loses focus, classes take longer...so be flexible. When you get off schedule, just try to get back on track as soon as possible.
I have struggled with curriculum for Language Arts, but was surprised to find some that I liked at Barnes & Noble this year (if you take the paperwork that the state sends you to B&N, they give you 20% off all "school" books). It is from Harcourt Family Learning. We used "Writing Skills" and "Creative Writing"
For Math, I like A Beka for Kindergarten through 1st or 2nd grade. For older elementary, I like Saxon Math.
I think that A Beka has the BEST phonics program for Kindergarten through 1st grade. Beyond that, for reading, I just recommend getting tons of books from the library, and encouraging your kids to read a lot.
We really loved our Science this year. (DinoDude and KarateChopper both said it was their favorite). We used Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day, by Apologia. It had a lot of pictures, a variety of experiments, and was very creation-centered. We also enjoyed a few nature walks to observe birds.
The History was amazing, and I cannot say enough about how much I enjoyed it. It is called Ancient Civilizations and the Bible, by Diana Waring. We learned about ancient history, from Creation to Christ, and how it related to God's people.
Whew!! I realize this post has become too long, but I am just so passionate about my kids and their education. If you have any questions, comment here or email me.
