Everyone (by that I mean no one) has been asking how homeschooling is going. People are clammering to buy my soon to be released how-to book entitled Starting Strong on Monday but Phoning it in by Thursday, How to Homeschool in 386 Steps will be published.
Just kidding! It’s more like 586 steps.
I spent HOURS UPON HOURS in July making a daily schedule. My goal was to have everything written out in great detail so if I got pregnant and was too sick to teach, it would be easy for someone else to pick up the load and know what to do. My color-coded, alphabetical order loving self was so proud of my handiwork. It got lost in the move and I could never recreate it to its former glory. Then I got pregnant and miscarried which eliminated the original need for such a detailed schedule so I went to a basic schedule. We do math and handwriting first because any subject with large amounts of writing are a trial for both of us. It’s not that she can’t write, it’s that she likes to form the letters her own way. Handwriting usually goes like this:
Me: Pay attention to which letters go to the sky (the top line) and which go underground (the bottom line). Some only go to the top of the house (the middle line). Do you see what I’m talking about?
Sesame: Yep. Can I have a snack?
Me: No. You finished breakfast half an hour ago. Write the letters.
Sesame: does some questionable lettering
Me: What is going on here? The top line is right here.
Sesame: I thought you meant this top line.
Sesame: I thought you meant this top line.
Me: No, this top line. The one that’s above the line you’re writing on.
Sesame: Whoops! Sorry, Mom! I guess I’m not really paying attention. I thought this was the top line.
Me: What’s happening now? K has straight lines.
Sesame: I thought it would look good if I added some swirls.
Me: Add swirls on your own time. Start at the top and do it the way I said.
Sesame: Hi, Lulu! What are you doing? Do you wanna play?
Me: What’s happening now? K has straight lines.
Sesame: I thought it would look good if I added some swirls.
Me: Add swirls on your own time. Start at the top and do it the way I said.
Sesame: Hi, Lulu! What are you doing? Do you wanna play?
Me: Lucy, it’s not playtime. Get off the table. Annabelle, do the K. Why is it going underground?! K’s don’t go underground!
Despite the very bumpy handwriting road, we’ve made some progress this year. She’s gotten to the point in reading and writing where she’ll sound words out and write pages of notes that are nearly impossible to read but so sweet. Our anniversary is coming up and she made this helpful gift chart for Christopher. No frogs. No snakes. Yes cats. She knows me so well.
The other day she lost the privilege of listening to her audiobook. She said she was bored so I told her to find something to do. She decided to write Classical Conversations Latin words.
We spend the rest of the morning and early afternoon doing a combination of grammar, geography, science, reading, history and art. Reading hasn’t fully clicked in her brain yet, but it’s getting better. Her new thing is to read the nametags of cashiers and baggers at the store then tell me their names in the car. It’s nice to know that all my hours of sounding out letters are sinking in.
I make as much of the learning as hands-on as I can. We do math and writing/spelling with chalk. We use acorns and pinecones for addition and subtraction.
AB has NO issues with drawing and art. She colors while eating breakfast all the way to drawing pictures when I read a story at night. She puts all her papers in a green basket and by the end of every week, we have to weed through because the pictures are overflowing. We’ve studied specific pieces by various artists then painted the same piece using acrylics or watercolor. She then paints her own landscape/still life/whatnot in their style. These are a Picasso head, Monet waterlilies under a bridge, and landscape.
For history, we read the American Girl looks and learn what was happening in the United States during that period. I found a website that has lapbooks for each character so we make those as well. So far we’ve read the Felicity, Kirsten, and Josefina books and next week we’ll start Samantha.
She also does swimming, piano, and ballet lessons all of which are currently suspended. My teacher’s paycheck is also currently suspended but I have access to the student’s father’s bank account so it should all even out.
There is absolutely no way that my parents would have been able to homeschool my sister and me so I applaud all your efforts. I love all her art and creativity
I'm just expecting you to open a Girl's School when this is all over 😉
I had Felicity and I LOVED her stories!! That art is impressive. The art teacher should probably get a raise this week.