The Last Day of Homeschool Year Three
This might sound cliche but, I never thought I would homeschool my children….
As a traditional school graduate, I can confidently tell you that most of the time that I was hanging out with my friends in early elementary, we were playing school. In other words, I LOVED school. I was great at it, I LOVED my teachers, and at that moment in time the thought of not having my (future) children enrolled in the public school system would have been completely foreign to me.
While there have been changes in the landscape that most of us are uncomfortable with, I won’t touch upon the particular reasons that shifted my viewpoint in this post. I can simply say that one thought that has reigned true throughout our homeschool journey is this, if you can homeschool your children, you should…
What about this year (three)
Year three, while challenging, was one of the better years we’ve had here at home on the homeschool front. You might remember that year two was a bit haphazard for us, and I am excited to report that year three has had a much better flow. We implemented dedicated breaks, and were able to breeze through the material in our curriculum. In fact, our last few weeks were simply reviewing topics and concepts that were introduced throughout the year.
This aspect of our homeschool year felt great because in years past I had to introduce new material up until the very last week, and that left us all feeling a bit burnt out.
Another element that led to our success in year three was joining a homeschool community. At times I questioned our involvement but, overall our first co-op experience was a good one. Being surrounded by other homeschooling families on a weekly basis made homeschooling feel like less of a chore.
You know that whole “it takes a village” phrase? Well, it is 100% true. I loved that our girls interacted regularly with other homeschool parents, and children of all ages, and that they created some friendships along the way too.
However for some reason, the addition of a co-op day meant less time for adventures of our own. I truly miss our field trip Friday excursions, and I am hoping to include more of them on our homeschool calendar in year four.
A word of caution about homeschooling
When you are in the trenches of homeschool, and by trenches I mean sitting at the homeschool table day after day pushing through lessons. You might not see all of the educational strides your children are making. And, that’s because you are so heavily involved you might not get a good view.
After taking a step back, I realized that year three has been one of advancement for both of our girls. Nora is now reading books on her own, and eagerly filling out her summer reading log as you read this. When I think back to the days when it was hard for her to remember letters, I am continually amazed by how far she has come. Nora is currently reading multiple books at a time – The Magic Treehouse Series, any that she finds of interest at the local library (like the Babysitters Club), and books by my favorite childhood author, Roald Dahl.
Sadie, while still asking how to write letters every now and then, is confidently working at a first grade level in math, and reading comprehension. She is becoming a better writer, and artist. It’s crazy to think that there was a time that Sadie refused to draw because she didn’t think that her drawings would turn out very good.
Yes, both girls have grown this year, and one of the ways that we get to appreciate their success is by reviewing their portfolios at the end of each year. Basically, a three inch binder that houses every piece of work they have completed (aside from workbooks of course).
If you are thinking about homeschooling your children, I highly recommend keeping a portfolio. It allows us to collectively appreciate all of the hard work we have done together throughout the year, and appreciate how much your child has progressed from day 1 to 180.
Looking ahead to year four
Each year, I take stock of what worked for us, and what didn’t and I try to make the necessary adjustments. One thing that took a toll on me this year was the need to drive out of town for pretty much every activity the girls participated in. Our weekly drives into Knoxville took a lot out of me, and were a major source of contention when it came to our homeschool co-op.
- On the tough days, I questioned our involvement in co-op and seriously considered leaving before the year was out. But ultimately I made the decision to stay until the end of the year, and I am glad that I did. However, we will be switching co-ops in year four, more on that to come.
- Our days of instruction will be getting a slight adjustment as well, with our calendar changing to a quarterly view. The plan is to have 9 weeks of instruction, and 3 weeks off until we hit our 180 day requirement. But, truthfully after this year I may decide to transition to a year round homeschool instead.
- We are moving away from a boxed curriculum, which I feel is a major stepping stone in my homeschool journey. In year four, I plan to loosely follow Ambleside Online, and more of a classical, Charlotte Mason approach. This is something I am very excited about, and have already been collecting materials for next year.
- This point I introduced earlier but it bears repeating. Weaving more field trip Fridays into our homeschool calendar will be a priority. And, that’s because life doesn’t happen sitting at a table. Whether it’s a new hiking trail or a local museum, we are within an easy driving distance to so many fascinating places (the Great Smoky Mountains, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Nashville, and more) that I am eager to explore with the girls.
In conclusion
I can confidently say that each year I am drifting further away from modeling a traditional school, or someone else’s opinion of what our homeschool should look like, and creating a clearer picture of what homeschool means for our family. That in itself is very empowering, and it reminds me that the choice we have made for our daughters’ education is the right one.
