A School Year in Review

 

 

 

 

Our second year of homeschool, is coming to an end, or maybe I should say, I can see the end in sight. This year brought many challenges as we were uprooted shortly after the school year began, and we have been traveling back and forth between Illinois and Wisconsin with my husband, for his job. Our number one priority (besides God) is family, and so this was the obvious choice.

I added a few extras this year, and I am more then happy with them. We did Song School Spanish and Typing Instructor. 4 of my kids, have received a certificate for successfully completing typing instructor and they are doing very well with this skill. Spanish has been very fun, and something I work on, with the younger kids 2-3 times a week. It's from Classical Academy and incorporates music with each lesson, so naturally my kids were drawn to this. I also had each child read as many of the classical books as they could fit in, such as: Charlotte's Web, Where the Red Fern Grows, Little Women, The Wizard of Oz, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Farmer Boy. The kids also read Helen Keller, Abraham Lincoln, Clara Barton and Harriet Tubman.  (Along with a few other books thrown in for fun)  

For my youngest in Kindergarten we are doing Hooked on Phonics.  He will repeat Kindergarten next year as well and we will continue with this.  I really do like the program, but wish he was more interested in it.  We haven't progressed as much as I would like, but I knew I would need to take it slow with him.   He doesn't love school and probably never will, so we will do everything we can to make it fun!

My absolute favorite online site that I use is http://superteacherworksheets.com Last year, this website was free, and this year I had to purchase a subscription for one year, but it was totally worth it. I print extra practice worksheets almost daily for my Kindergartner, 2nd and 3rd grader. I also bought a membership to http://ABCmouse.com and my two youngest use this daily as well. I am finding that these online sites are very educational and very fun for the kids and it introduces them to the computer as well.

Our family loves music. 4 of the kids play the violin, 2 play guitar, 3 play the piano,  most of us sing and we all love to sing and perform in church. Since we travel back and forth it makes music lessons hard right now. Maddie is giving guitar lessons to Menter and Molly has started giving violin lessons to the younger kids.  She has been taking lessons since she was 3 and enjoys it very much.

I still primarily use Bob Jones for my kids. I don't see any need to mess up a good thing, and so I will most likely stick with this curriculum as we have had success with it.

We also do many family projects.  My husband loves to build and the boys especially love to help him.  This year they built a shed, and a dog house.  These are life long skills they are learning at home and precious memories of working along side their dad.

Arts and Crafts are always a part of our day. 

The girls have been learning how to crochet for the past two years, and this year, they were very successful.  They made many scarves and a few hats.

Here is a look at our school room in Wisconsin:

I have to say, the funnest thing about this past year, was the fact that our home in Wisconsin is right across the street, from a ski mountain. We took full advantage of this, and purchased a family season pass. All 5 kids took lessons and learned how to snowboard. It was great fun, and a good way to get exercise.

It's been a great year, and I am so excited that we have (almost) made it through our second year!

♥  Shannon