Summer has gone by fast and perhaps many of y’all are getting back into the swing of crazy schedules especially with school for the kids.
I don’t know if I have mentioned this before but we do homeschool our little ones and for now it seems to work perfectly for our family.
I have had friends ask me how I manage stay sane having my little ones 24/7 and in all honesty, I wish I could laugh at that question because for me, it’s a blessing to have and be able to teach our children in this season of their lives.
I know everything always has its own challenges, homeschooling has its own as well but it’s worth it in every way. If I could describe it in one sentence, I would say it’s been the best learning environment for our munchkins.
So back to the homeschooling. How are we able to provide a legitimate education for our little ones? The answer is simple. Start by doing as much research as possible, ask those that have successfully homeschooled and be okay with mixing different curriculums for different areas to suit the needs of your children/students. Stay as organized as possible!
We usually do not take summers off except for needed breaks here and there throughout the year and that works perfect for us.
Our little ones are 6 and 8 which is 1st and 3rd grade this coming school year. That is not too important in our opinion because we focus on helping them to truly learn over the achievement of a certain grade.
Our homeschooling goals;
- To enjoy learning
- For our kids to learn independent study.
- To teach our children the practicality of what they study in books.
- To stretch our children’s imaginations beyond the little box of books.
- To teach our children that learning is continuous and not just for the classroom setting.
- To teach our children to be challenged.
So as far as this semester goes we have already been doing so much with our children, meaning that our fall semester is a continuation of what we are already learning.
Kindergarten/1st grade material
- Saxon math 1 (Our little one absolutely loves it. We use the same for our older boy and hope to use it throughout).
- Math learning wrap ups(addition and subtraction).
- A Beka kindergarten poetry (have loved these because each poem has questions at the end to help determine if the student understands the piece. But also makes it fun to discuss each poem).
- POP for Sight Words Game
- Kumon(my book of writing words)
- Christian Liberty Academy(Writing With Diligence) grade 1
- A Beka Blend Practice Cards(K5-2)
- The World God Made
2nd/3rd grade material
- Saxon math (2nd – 3rd grade)
- Math learning wrap ups(addition, subtraction)
- A Beka, Multiplication Flash cards
- A Beka, Spelling 2 and Poetry
- A Beka, All about spelling level 3
- A Beka, SeatWork Text Language
- A Beka, Enjoying God’s World Science Reader 2
- Spirit flier book series (Books 1-4, Books 5-8)
- A Beka, Our America(History and Geography Reader) 2
- Snap circuits(science projects)
- Alpha Omega, Switched on Schoolhouse Science 3
All in all, having chosen to teach our children from home, we strive at 3 major aspects for them;
- Knowledge; learning a wide variety of things beyond textbooks or classroom settings.
- Comprehension; being able to interpret what we teach them and what they read on their own.
- Application; for them to have the ability to explain to others and apply what they have been taught.
P.S. We don’t do Bible as part of our homeschooling because we believe that Bible reading should be part of their daily lives and not just part of school. They usually spend time reading their Bibles while I prepare breakfast or during their nap times in the afternoon and are free to read more in between school.
Our hope and prayer is that, they will desire to put God first above all academic achievements.
God bless.
Rhythm In Life 
Very well done and you should be proud of what you are doing!
I have not thought of home schooling before because i think schools are not just for education but also for socialising and developing their personalities.
Wishing you all the best
I really your thoughts. I agree that socializing is very important and it can be challenging for homeschoolers. We have found different groups/organisations in our community to be part of that fill that gap for our children. Thank-you again 💝
I love your take on Bible reading! I’ve been thinking something alone those lines lately (it’s been bothering me that I write “Read Bible” on my to-do list), but couldn’t quite put it into words. There we go. I just graduated high school and I was homeschooled my whole life. We did Sonlight mainly and then fluctuated between other curriculums for other subjects. My brother does Saxon math and it works for him, but it wasn’t my favorite (then again, no math curriculum was, lol). We haven’t tried A Beka, but I’ve heard good things about it!
Thank-you Hailey for your kind words🙏. Congratulations upon your highschool graduation. Remember that college is just a continuation of what you have been learning. Enjoy learning and challenging yourself💝. And don’t beat yourself up about Bible reading. I have been in your shoes before and it’s a constant process of yarning to hide God’s word in our hearts. Hugs🌹
Kudos to you for homeschooling. I am in perpetual awe of all teachers. I am NOT a teacher, so I have spent my life appreciating them. Our children went to a Christian school where Beka materials were used. They seemed to thrive on it.
Thank-you Miss Anne🙏. I was never homeschooled but my groom was. I am daily thankful for teachers. I now know that it takes a special person to be a teacher. I believe teachers are some of the most unsung heroes of our communities. We do have good Christian schools in our community and perhaps we will consider them if we ever need to. Thank-you again 🌹
I admire you for what you are doing. God bless you!
My grandchildren participate once a week in “Classical Conversations.” and do the rest of their studies at home. They are the most social children I know, so those ideas about social isolation are not holding true. They have a great deal of energy, especially my grandson, and would be severely hampered if they had to sit still for a good portion of the day.
Thank-you very much Miss Elizabeth for that clarification on social Isolation of homeschooled kids. Our children literally know no stranger. They enjoy meeting new people and quickly introducing themselves. There are so many outlets for our children to socialize and we are thankful.
Another thought on the “socialization” aspect; most homeschooled children learn to relate to all ages, not just people their own age. To me, that is true socialization. Proud of you and Michael and the way you’re raising “my” babies!!
We homeschool to, and we’ve always done you around this year is our last year doing it over the summer my son is entering high school and I want to prepare him for college and learning how to come back after brakes and be able to work diligently. You make a good point about not making Bible part of school I think the only reason I do is I know it will get done if it’s on his checklist or in her checklist
My husband was homeschooled all the way along with his 3 brothers. It’s always encouraging to know of someone who has walked this path. I believe that we can all learn from each other as we continue to guide our little ones through learning and growing in their walk with Christ.
this is so interesting to me! I did always wonder how homeschooling works. Its not the done thing here in ireland. its catching on but most kids go to a regular school and are taught that way. I think your teaching them a ton of great material! xxx
I was never homeschooled but my husband was and we now do. So far it’s been amazing even; the kids have enjoyed learning in the comfort of our home, at a pace perfect for them without unnecessary pressure. Being the teacher, it’s been fun being on the recearch side to find the best material suited for their academic needs.