Getting Ready For a New School Year

Hello again, friends!

It's been such a wonderful summer that my blogging has become less frequent.

But don't think that you all haven't been on my heart and mind!

I just love the connections I've made as a result of this blog, and you all have been so kind to tell me you're reading. 

So, it feels good to be writing again!

I hope you have had a lovely summer!

I've been a busy bee lately...

Finishing up our "Summer To-Do" list with the kids, AND getting the house and our curriculum ready for a brand new school year.

I am happy to say we are ready to begin!

This is our little "School Corner"...

I say corner because we don't actually have a school room.

We've always just used the kitchen and dining room tables.

But Micah made this little table (it's only 19 inches from the ground) for the kids to work at this year.

(Several years ago this corner was just a messy play room. It's fun to look back and see how the house has evolved based on the needs and growth of our family.)

This is the center table arrangement I put together with fresh crayons and pencils...

It's always important, as a homeschool mom, to sit down at the end of every summer and really think and pray over the next school year.

I do this before ordering books and signing my kids up for activities.

I think about the past school year and decide what worked for us and what didn't...

I think about the good habits we've developed that I wish to strengthen in the next year, and about the bad habits we accidentally settled into that I want to eliminate.

I think about the goals I have for my children... what I want them to learn... what I want them to be involved in.

I consider their weaknesses, and make a note to look for a workbook that could help with it.

Recently, I sat down with our daily school schedule from last year, and revised it.

I didn't need to change much.

Overall, I was happy with our schedule and it worked for us.

But I did make a few changes...

(The schedule sits a top our school bookshelf, and is for our "at-home" days.)

This year I've decided to look at our school day in three segments...

1. Arithmetic

2. Language Arts

3. Reading / Writing

I eliminated from last year their morning run and folder worksheets, and instead want to push to have all Arithmetic and Language Arts done by lunch.

That will really free up our afternoons for reading, writing, and playing.

Each child has two Arithmetic books, two Language Arts books, and a handwriting book.

(We're using these wooden file holders this year for their daily work. I had tried the cardboard ones last year and they just didn't hold up.)

I am excited about Nola's cursive workbook this year.

Abeka created a new 3rd grade handwriting book, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.

This is something I would have loved as a child...

Cursive ~ Journaling ~ Imagination ~ Truth

Isn't that great?!

One little tip I can share about Abeka, is to look ahead to the end of the books.

They will sometimes have supplementary worksheets and extra practice at the end.

I mention this because I didn't realize last year, in Nola's cursive book, that these pages were in the back until we were closing out our school year, and by then we missed it!

I never waste curriculum that I've paid money for, so I tore out all the pages and put them in a binder for Soren's handwriting practice this year...

Nola has really beautiful cursive handwriting, so I don't feel she's missed out on anything.

Plus, I've saved a little money not having to buy a handwriting book for Soren.

Perfect!

(We homeschool mamas can sure get creative at times, can't we? *wink)

As for the "extras"... Science, History, Art, Music, etc... We just fit them in here and there.

For example, my children take piano lessons, so I consider that their "Music."

We have History, Health, and Science text books that we use throughout the year. I will read aloud to all the children, or Roman will take a book that's suitable to his grade, and read it quietly to himself.

We also look for activities in the community to help us with these "extras", like STEM classes for Science, museums for History, etc.

We are lucky that we live near a nice community center that offers homeschool classes during the day.

This semester my children will take a sculpting class there once a week, and that will be their "Art."

(At Titletown last night for a little play time after STEM class...)

A new idea I am trying this year is something I'm calling "Sibling Helptime," you may have seen it on the schedule I wrote out.

This idea was birthed from some heightened conflict among the children this summer.

We've been working on deepening our relationships as a family, serving one another joyfully and looking at our homelife as our most important ministry.

So, I had the idea to carve out a little time each day for the kids to pair off...

Roman will take Elsa, and Nola will take Soren.

The older ones will help the younger ones with any school work they may have questions about, or they can use the time to read together.

I think this will accomplish several things.

First of all, my plate is full. I am using this as a way to delegate and have the big kids help me with the littles. Even if it's just 20-30 minutes a day, I can use that time to prep supper or finish the laundry.

Also, we all know that the best way to really learn something is by having to teach it. So, I'm hoping this will go both ways, and everyone will benefit.

And lastly, I want to give my older kids a little more responsibility in our family.

I think this may allow them to get a little skin in the game and feel they have purpose here.

I am really looking forward to this next school year!

My intention for writing about homeschooling on this blog is to not only have a record for our own use, but to also show that nothing special is needed for a homeschooling life.

Anybody can do it!

You don't need to be skilled. You just need to have a heart for it.

I hope that my posts communicate that.

I don't feel qualified or called to do it. I just have the desire to do it, and the Lord has blessed that.

"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act."

- Psalm 37:5 

Thanks for taking the time to stop by my blog today, friends.

How do you get ready for a new school year?

Maybe we can learn from each other!

xo,

~ Courtney ~