My little 1st grader just completed her K year during which we moved very slowly and even completed some parts of the curriculum twice. She was only on the cusp of being ready for K work. Throughout the year, she really grew in confidence and maturity. She slowly caught on to concepts in math andRead more
I’m teaching 3rd grade for the 4th time. And this year, I’ve revamped my plan to try several new things, because I really need something new in our schedule. I’m changing up our language arts, science, and history. I think we’re going to have a great year with some new curriculum choices. My 3rd graderRead more
When we started out homeschooling we were doing all the fun little preschool things. We had a different theme each month and we finger painted and played in our backyard. I had sensory bins full of rice and beans and we would scoop and pour for hours. Ah those were the days! We justRead more
Math. Isn’t it everyone’s favorite subject? Oh come on, it isn’t that bad! I would like to boldly announce that I now almost kind of like math. It’s not love, but I definitely no longer hate it. After teaching math in our homeschool for the past 6 years, I have changed my mind. AndRead more
I’m preparing for my 4th Kindergarten student, and I’m looking forward to our fun year together. My little student is excited to learn more math and is asking daily to learn to read. She is very ready to join our homeschool. As I get ready for our next school year I’ve looked backRead more
Next year I will be teaching my 4th Kindergarten student. It’s always fun when one of my children becomes an “official” member of our homeschool. Yet, it’s often a little stressful to cram more things into our schedule. Let me tell you my Kindergarten philosophy and how that philosophy has changed over the years. WithRead more
I have a 4th grader this year. I’m still not quite over the fact that she is growing up and is so mature for her age. However, one of the perks to this growing up thing is that she can work independently in a few subjects. I never thought this day would come, but I’mRead more
Do you wish your children were independent learners or at least able to work on a few subjects independently? I used to tell people that one of my goals in homeschooling my children was to create independent learners who had a strong sense of personal responsibility. I’m now learning that this goal is a loftyRead more
With my oldest, who is now 9 and in 3rd grade, I started teaching reading and spelling together. I taught her rules and phonograms and we practiced and practiced. It wasn’t long before she took off with reading but her spelling was abysmal. I thought I had failed. Clearly there was something wrong with herRead more
In our homeschool we usually cover all of the main subjects each year. However, I’ve found that 1 or 2 subjects take priority each year. Choosing 1 or 2 subjects as a focus has really helped me feel less overwhelmed with planning. I know that each subject will have a year where it shinesRead more