Things that worked:
-Planners. Each girl had their own. I would write down their daily assignments and check them off as completed. I started with one of my own and kept up with it until February, when I switched to a desk calendar. I found that I got more use out of it because it was much more open and visible.
-Chromebooks. Not only could they easily access T4L, but they were able to play games, watch videos, and create documents. They were perfect for on the go learning.
-Getting out! With the convenience of the Chromebooks, we were able to school at various places- the library, coffee shops, car dealerships.
-Cutting Internet time. At some points during the year I got lazy about restricting online time. I found that once I did impose limits (no internet until quiet time, devices off at 7:00), they used the extra time in better ways; they played together, created and built, and just PLAY.
-Busy evenings. I was worried at first- we had something scheduled for every weeknight, something we could never manage when we were in public school. But because our days were not scheduled from 6am-4:30 pm, we could have busy evenings!
-Saying, "Yes." Whether it be to one more story before bedtime, snuggling for a few minutes, or extra kisses. Bedtime didn't have to be rushed because they could sleep as late as they wanted to.
-Time 4 Learning. It's a great program! Very interactive, comprehensive, and challenging.
-Giving them freedom. In school I would give my students a designated time to just read. I thought I'd implement the same at home. Turns out, the girls read so much on their own at various times through the day...before bed, in the van, in between classes at dance...Same with writing. They did a lot of it on their own. Abby liked to write song lyrics. They have a sister journal they take turns with. They made lists and wrote plans and schedules. Abby wrote and mailed a letter to a friend. Audrey started her autobiography :) I think if I had set aside a time to strictly read and write for a period of time, it wouldn't have been enjoyable. It's just something you get inspired to do. I really want to preserve that for them.
-Trying different activities. In the fall Audrey & Abby did Triple Threat (acting, singing, dancing.) In the spring we switched to piano. They still want to try gymnastics, karate, art classes, cooking classes, and more.
-Embracing everything. Abby wanted to learn Spanish, so we hooked her up with Rosetta Stone and all the library books she could carry. Then she became interested in coding so we ordered some books, & hooked her up with Scratch thru MIT. Audrey was more into the crafty things like sewing.
-Quiet Time. After we finished school and chores, the girls had to go, just go away. They could do something quiet upstairs...screen time, playing together, reading, WHATEVER. It's nice to have a break from each other.
Things that did not:
-Binders. I don't know why, but one of the first things I made was a binder for each girl. I guess I thought they needed a place to keep all their work. A simple folder would have sufficed.
-Too much Time for Learning. By the last couple months of school, I could tell the girls were reluctant to do their lessons. Audrey, at one point, even asked if they could try something new next year. Right then and there I decided we'd have to have a better balance.
-Workbooks. I ordered so many last summer! My plan was to use them as supplements with T4L. But T4L is pretty comprehensive, so I rarely looked at them. I will day that the math ones have been great for practicing skills after we finished our T4L curriculum.
-Science. We did a few cool things, but I feel like we focused so much on math and language arts. I know we can do better with this. Especially since science is so convenient to teach at different levels.
-Bedtime. For me, not the girls :) When i worked, I would get up at 4am to have my coffee, read the Interwebs, and work on lesson plans. This was such a peaceful time, with no interruptions. It also meant I was ready for bed by 8:00 pm. With our busy evening schedule, I would stay up late just to have some quiet time. I would watch TV and eat yummy snacks. NOT GOOD for my waistline. I'd sleep in until Chris left for work. Absolutely no solitary time in the morning. I've started going to bed earlier, I just need to work on waking up earlier :)
I'm sure I'm missing some from each category. Our first year went well, and I'm already planning for next year. Choosing to home school has been one of the best decisions we've ever made!
Comments
Post a Comment