Our year in review, lessons learned!

Hi everyone,

Just thought I would briefly update about our year of homeschooling.  At the end of every year, I try to take some time to think about what has worked well, what hasn't worked, what we have learned, and God willing try to improve some next year!

I have to admit, this year had a very rough patch for a few months- I think mid-November through January?  Truth be told, it wasn't the school that was an issue those months, though our schooling was certainly affected.  One of my children went through a phase as I have heard other parents call it.  His behavior was so defiant that I felt like a total failure as a parent and a home educator.  But, just as suddenly as it started, the phase ended and we get back to relatively normal parenting.  So what did I learn from this?  Well, I suppose it was the same lesson that all new parents should take heed of and even the most experienced parent can forget sometimes: Its just a phase.  Sometimes children test and test and it feels like it will never end, and your parenting days will only result in either sending your beloved child off to boarding school (or worse) or perhaps checking into a "residence" yourself for a few months.  During that time I considered sending the aforementioned child to public school, if only for the sake of my own sanity, but I am thankful I didn't.  All things considered it has been our best homeschool year yet.

Curriculum:

We had some great finds this year for curriculum.

1. Christian Light Publishers complete Language Arts program.  Every day it included phonics, spelling, grammar, vocabulary, and handwriting.  Everything was taught it a logical, progressive, and spiraling manner so there was much opportunity for review.  At the end of each unit was a practice test and a test, which served him well when it came time for standardized testing, since I generally don't use testing as a way to assess learning..  It was quite challenging for him, but truly excellent in the results produced.  I can't believe how far he has come with his spelling and grammar in just one year.  The only down side: He hated it.  This is probably for the same reasons I loved it, it was challenging and forced him to extend himself way more than he would have liked to.  I am unlikely to stick with this program for next year because I don't know how with three under school age, including a newborn, I am going to be able to force him through it every day.  If I can wrap my head around that, I am still considering it.

2.  Writing with Ease: This is a great program for any child who struggles with writing.  Peter started the year struggling with about every aspect of writing: the spelling, mechanics, and trying to come up with something to say!  This is not a creative writing program, but rather a classical program where the disciplines of copy-work, narration, and dictation are applied to teach writing through the use of rich literary  texts.  The lessons are short but must be done perfectly.  For us, this program took a subject that was an absolute nightmare for both of us and turned it into an achievable task.  I am going to continue to use it next year.

3. Catholic Heritage Curriculum reading programs.  This year, I used the same reading program that I used two years ago with Peter to teach Charlie how to read, "Little Stories for Little Folks."  With Charlie, I changed up how I taught reading a little bit, supplementing the CHC program more with Seton's Faith and Freedom readers.  He seemed to need the practice and it made the learning process more enjoyable for him, since the CHC program progresses quite quickly.  Still, I love it, both for the method and content of the books.  Peter enjoyed reading through the Devotional Stories as well, for his second grade reading curriculum.   I will likely stick with CHC's program for both boys next year.

4. Serendipity blog American History Trail.  I would have as much luck getting my boys to learn history from a textbook as well, getting them to not jump on the couch for a day, or draw a picture that didn't have anybody getting shot or anything blowing up?    Actually, I would have to say the last two things are at least possible (in theory).   The Serendipity American History trail was a wonderful find!  It uses living books at each level to teach American History from Colonial Times through to the Civil War.  Peter said History was his absolute favorite subject this year.  The down side?  You have to be a bit organized to remember to reserve upcoming books at the library.  I suppose you could spend thousands of dollars and buy them all, if going to the library is too much of a pain.  Here is the link:

http://www.ebeth.typepad.com/serendipity/us-history-geography.html


Most of our other curriculum was fine, but nothing I feel I absolutely must pass on.
 

Methodology:

I am getting increasingly fond of Charlotte Mason's method's each year.  I wouldn't say I am a Charlotte Mason purist, but I have found her methods extremely helpful, and her philosophy of education enlightening.  Her methods especially allow us to teach more from living books.  I always keep handy the following booklists and try to reserve age appropriate books from the lists at the library so when we head there each week, we know we will come home with lots of learning to look forward to:

Honey for a Child's Heart  (Hunt)

For the Love of Literature (Maureen Whittman)

A Landscape with Dragons (Michael O'Brien)

Mater Amabilis (Online Catholic Charlotte Mason style curriculum)

Charlotte Mason preschool book list

Serendipity blog (Elizabeth Foss)

Though a lot of what we read isn't part of our "official" homeschool, the kids certainly learn as much or more from this habit then they do from their formal school subjects.



Other helpful hints I learned this year:

One thing I have found very helpful this year is to ease in and out of our school week.  By that, I mean I try to plan to do four full school days every week.  Tuesday through Thursday compromise three of these days.  Monday and Friday, I divide up our work so that together they equal one full day.

Success breeds success:  I find when I try to be overly ambitious, the kids feel a lot of pressure and they shut down.  They do much better when they are confident at the level I am teaching them, or even when they are a little behind where maybe they could be.  I have found comparison and trying to keep up with children and/or families with different needs leads to frustration and insecurity for all.

Consistency is your friend.  So is patience.  So is practice.

Little boys need to get outside every single day, no matter the weather.  It is worth the extra laundry.  It is worth mopping the floor a few extra times, the extra work of helping find gloves, hats, tie shoes, and crawl around looking for that missing boot.  Boys that don't go outside are not happy boys.  Boys that don't go out are like ferocious little wild things ready to do things like repeatedly stab a sharpened pencil into the soft fabric of the couch, or sled down the stairs in a laundry basket, or dump out all the laundry baskets so they can push each other around full speed.  Send them out.  There is at least a chance they will come in more civilized then before they left.

Things we are looking forward to next year:

Next year there are a few standouts on our curriculum that I am exited about:

Connecting with History: Volume 1.  We will be studying the period of human history from creation through to just a few decades before Christ.  Along with Scripture, we will study the major civilizations that built our human civilization in Ancient Times.  This program is literature based, but incorporates some classical components, such as poetry, timeline, and some memory components.  Though my initial glance through the curriculum is a bit overwhelming, I am exited about it!  

Tell Me About My Catholic Faith.  This cheerful book from Ignatious press integrates Scripture, Church History, Lives of the Saints, etc. all in a well written, engaging style.   But, it is worth a separate post talking about how we are trying to instill our beautiful Faith in our children.

Little Saints pre-school program.  This is a Charlotte Mason style Catholic storybook preschool program.  I am hoping to to get it for my beautiful four year old Jonas who loves storybooks more than just about anything else, except maybe tv, which he is rarely allowed to watch.



Overall:

I am gaining confidence in teaching my children.  I am learning to let go a little bit more each year to what society says children should learn and how they should learn it, as well as the desire to standardize and compare the education they are receiving to the "norm".   I am forming my own opinions and growing stronger in them.  My children are becoming happier in our homeschool.   While they don't love all their subjects all the time, they do love learning and are interested in many things, particularly history and science.  They are actually learning, and learning a lot..  While the edges are a little rough still, I see that my boys are developing kind hearts, the fruits of which will be seen in years to come.  There are days my patience in worn out and many, many occasions to grow in virtue (which I usually fail).  But, overall, I am happy with our decisions and looking forward to a new baby this summer, and a new year next year!  

Day of Rest....

I thought I would update my blog for once.  It isn't because I have time, I can promise you!  But, I did promise myself that while Gabriel is napping and the kids are watching their weekend movie, I would do something that is not at all productive- something I want to do, something relaxing with no other purpose than because I feel like doing it.  Oh, it is difficult!  How I envy my husband, who can shut down his brain completely when given the chance to relax.  I sit down and immediately think of 5 or 6 things that urgently need to be done- laundry that needs to be changed over, that book that I am in the middle of, prayers that need to be said, lunch for the kids that is a bit overdue, winter coats that need to be packed and stored away until next year, you get the picture...  

People are not supposed to live this way, don't you agree?   It is an interesting commandment that the Lord asked us not to work one day a week.   It reminds me of one of my favorite scripture verses, one that I go to when my type A personality gets the best of me:

It is in vain that you rise up early

and go late to rest

eating the bread of anxious toil

the Lord gives to His beloved sleep (psalm 127: 2)

Of course there are verses also that say:

A little sleep, a little slumber

a little folding of the hands to rest,

and poverty will come upon you like a robber

and want like an armed man. (Prov. 24:33-34)

I don't intend to make an intellectual argument here, it is just something I think about from time to time.  I wonder where the balance is, the right amount that is most pleasing to God.  I suppose is varies from person to person, and depends on the time and season of life...  Am I trusting in the Lord to be my provider, but working diligently when he asks me to, or am I relying too much on my own efforts?  I believe when we have the right answer we have peace...

On the same note, this peace seems at many times in my life to allude me, with one major exception.   For some reason, when I am pregnant- participating in the beautiful creativity of the Lord and lending my body to this exceptional task- I tend to be at peace.  This peace extends to so many areas of my life that in many ways, I prefer to be pregnant that not pregnant!    For example, when pregnant, if I am tired, I rest (or at least try to- hard sometimes with 4 little boys).  When I am hungry, I eat and know that my body needs to be nourished, as does that of the little person growing.  If I gain a little weight (or a lot), I buy bigger clothes and chalk it up to "Well, thats just how pregnancy goes!".  It is funny, whatever my other goals are, whether they be personal, or pertaining to my kids school, etc. I can put them in second place and say to myself, "Growing a baby is a big task.  Do those things when there is time, approach patiently, trust in God, it will all come together."  And you know what?  It does.  I actually usually get as much or more done/ accomplished that way.   Perhaps it is a particular grace that the Lord gives me when I am pregnant.  Perhaps others feel this way as well.  I don't know.  

Enough for now, Gabriel is up.  Back to work.  :)