The Big White Farmhouse

We’re on the home stretch of our school year!  To be honest, our homeschooling days look a lot different than when we started.  (You can find updates about the first twelve weeks here and here.)  We discovered that D had signs of dyslexia, so we trashed our curriculum and started again.  I’ve added new books and taken some away, incorporated more hands-on activities and omitted unnecessary busy work.  It could always change, but I think we’re finally hitting our stride.

It’s also important to note that during the past six weeks, I’ve found the excitement of teaching again.  Teacher burnout is real, both for homeschooling moms and public school educators.  I’m thankful to be back.    

What Books We’re Using & our Typical Weekly Schedule

M (2nd Grade)

• Math: Horizons 2
• We have used Horizons from the beginning and I like it.  The pages are colorful and the work challenging, but not impossible.  We do a math lesson every day.  We did slow down for a bit when he wasn’t grasping a concept and I supplemented with worksheets and games I found online.  Now he’s playing catch-up because he is determined not to do math during the summer!
• Reading
• I am fortunate that M loves to read and his nose is frequently in a book.  Because of this, we don’t have a specific “reading time” during school.  I do try to give him lots of options in many genres.  He loves to tell me about the latest twist or adventure he’s read, so indirectly, he does oral narration as well. 
• Writing
• This is another area where he loves to work independently.  He chose a nice journal and writes entries almost everyday.  We occasionally do formal reports and will increase that in third grade.
• History: Story of the World Volume One
• We do history on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  This changes, but the general plan is:
•  Mondays: We read the chapter and talk about it.  I ask a few questions to test comprehension.  We fill out the chapter’s map activity.
• Wednesdays: We review what we read on Monday.  I pull out any corresponding books or videos that go along with the topic and we look at/read those.  Sometimes we do a craft or activity.
• Fridays: I try to make Fridays really fun and that is generally when we do the bigger projects or crafts.  This is usually the highlight of the week.
• Spelling: All About Spelling 2
• We started this program recently and really like it.  We usually only have lessons twice, maybe three times a week.  M really loves writing his words on the dry erase board.
• Science
• I am still following Sonlight’s recommended plan and we are ending the year learning about space.  We are using this book, along with lots of activities I’ve found online.  We do science on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

D (Kindergarten)            

• Reading: All about Reading Pre-Reading
• When we first thought D was dyslexic, I did lots of research and this program came highly recommended for dyslexic learners.  We learn a new letter every day, repeating the process three times: uppercase letters, lowercase letters and then letter sounds.  The repetition has been good for D and he’s really catching on.  We play the “games” included and I sometimes add a craft too.
• We also read lots of picture books together.  We point out letters and talk about the words and sounds.  D is not reading yet, but he’s close.
• Math: ABeka K5
• Math comes naturally to him and he looks forward to his lesson every day.  We tried a more open-ended math program at the beginning of the year, but he definitely prefers workbook style. 
• Everything Else
• He is included in M’s science and history and enjoys both.  While I don’t think it’s necessary for him to complete all of the assigments M does (he is only in Kindergarten, after all), he often asks to participate or to listen to the stories.

I’m looking forward to finishing this year out strong.  Six more weeks to go!