Should I start my school year early or late?

This is very different for each family.  The local private schools went back midAugust around our location and the publics went back the 4th Week of August, with labor day this year still two weeks off.  I used to always start the day after labor day.  This year I sit here unprepared and not really wanting to get started.  I know the better organized I am the more we will get done and yet we never do what I organize so it sometimes look like a waste.  I watch the newbies get excited about curriculum and making bold choices to teach or not teach a certain subject.  I am again stuck with my personality wanting to be uber organized and output driven with work sheets and charts but knowing that the kids do not learn that way.   I know my kids learn even in an un-schooling fashion but I still stress and compare myself to others.  "Am I doing enough?  Do I require enough?  Will they be smart enough? What will so in so think if they find out what I do?"  You would think starting year 20 of this homeschool teaching thing would afford me a little more confidence.

I have 11 wonderful children.  The oldest 4 are finished with my instruction.  The oldest is literally a life-saver working as an EMT on an ambulance.  The next three are at community college working on transfer credits.  Most importantly I have raised wonderful people.  They are kind, giving, loving, and Christ centered people that understand HEAVEN is the goal.  That is what I need to focus on all the time.  Our family motto:  HEAVEN IS THE GOAL, EVERYTHING ELSE IS GRAVY!  OK now that I have reminded myself of what is important year 20 can begin with the right focus.

So when should I start my school year?  This year for me it will be soon.  It is important to realize and focus on the goal.  Remember that no matter when you start you kids will not learn everything.  You will never get it all done.  The most important thing to do in a homeschool family is to inspire a spirit of learning and a love of Christ.  Let the kids know their purpose as a child of God and then education will fall into place.  I am not saying that academics are not important because they are extremely important, but in their proper spot.  With the goal in mind, I will start school when it works best for my family.

Math Drills with IXL

We need something different for Math.  It needs to be something that I can monitor.  We have used Math-U-See on and off for years.  The kids learned but not as consistently as I would like. This is not their issue but mine.  I get so busy that waiting until tomorrow to correct todays paper ends up being a week without math.  This is no way to make progress.  I asked a friend to review Ron Paul's curriculum and part of the response was that he was very happy with IXL for math and for basic grammar.  I looked into it and I like that there is an audio version that reads the question out loud with a push of a button. 

 

 

I paid for access to the IXL site.  I included the grammar and was very disappointed that this is not on audio yet.  (YET, they tell me it will be soon.  I would not have paid for that part if I had known. If your children do not struggle with reading, then this might work well for you.)   Overall I am happy and I feel my money was well spent.  Click here to be directed to the IXL site.

What am I getting for my money?  Anyone can use IXL just visit the site as a guest.  The site will not keep track of your work.  When you pay into the access it then tracks it all and generates reports.  The site keeps track of the amount of time spent working as well. This is the part that I like.  I know the kids will make progress and remember more as we establish the habit of spending 30 minutes each day working on it.  My only problem with this site is that it just drills.  I feel that this is a I made them all start at the

 beginning and we are working 30 minutes each day.  Right now was are building the habit.

 

 

 

Where we started

(originally written in 2006)

Are you a new homeschooling parent and wondering if you will ever feel at ease with what you are doing? Have you been homeschooling for a long time and wonder if you will ever feel comfortable? Did your best friend convince you to try it and said you would love it, but you can not see why?

For me it took 10 ½ years before I felt completely at ease with it. I have had many friends start homeschooling and give up. It always makes me so sad. Why did we keep going while others get overwhelmed and stop?

I always knew that I was supposed to be homeschooling. It is my call. I had always wanted to be a teacher so when I found out that I was pregnant. My husband and I decided that I shouldn’t continue to take out student loans to learn to teach someone kids. I would have my own child to work on.

I had always wanted to homeschool. My husband didn’t want me to. We knew that we would be not using public schools. Our Catholic faith meant so much to us that we would do anything to see that their education was from the parochial schools, just as ours had been.

We prepared our first for the beginning of school and toured the facilities of our parish. We took her in for the state testing and in to the school for their testing. She had so much anxiety that afternoon. She faced it with Grace and style and she would prove to do as time went on over and over again. She would have handled school with ease if we had sent her. Her father stated to worry that she would not be challenged because she was clearly very smart. So just in case I also gathered some information about different homeschool programs as we prepared all the paperwork for her to enter the private school.

We received a note telling us about the expenses for the year, uniform fittings, and to send in payments by certain dates. In this same mailing was letter telling us that there was not a spot for our daughter because they had too many children in the class already. We had turned stuff in early and had jumped through every hoop. She was number four on the waiting lists. She should just wait until a spot opened. I was so upset, we had sat down with the pastor and discussed this very subject when we registered in the parish. At that time we were assured that every child would have a spot in the classroom.

We sat on that note for two weeks. We were very upset. Did the pastor lie to us? In retrospect I am sure he did not, but it felt like he did at the time. I sat there one afternoon looking over the packet of information I had just received from one of the Catholic Homeschool providers. My child would excel with these books. The cost would be much less. What would everyone say? My mind was spinning. Dad was home that afternoon. He came down to the kitchen to see me looking over these books.

When the phone rang he took my spot at the table and let me get the call. As it turned out it was the school. They were upset because I had not sent in my last required pre-payment for our daughter’s tuition. I asked what the payment was for considering they didn’t have a spot as of yet for my daughter. School was to start a few weeks later and they still had her on the waiting list at number 4. One student had dropped out but another younger sibling of a current student got that spot.

The secretary was rude as she asked for the payment and laughed when I asked why I should send payment in for class. While at the same time she was telling me that I needed to get our daughter registered for public school and let her go for about three weeks. By then a spot would open. That would be only if I had sent the next two payments in by the end of the week.

Looking back I am very thankful that the secretary was so rude that day. It was just enough to get my husband thinking. We knew that public school wouldn’t happen and we were now very angry that this school needed several thousand dollars by the end of the week to hold our daughter’s spot even though she didn’t have a spot. He told me, “Let’s homeschool one year. We will see how it goes and we can put her in school next year. If it works we will talk next year about what we should do.”

We have been on a “one year at a time” basis every since. Man that is a long way until retirement. So far I will be teaching until the school year of 2024-2025. I would give up at that thought alone if I haven’t seen all the reasons of why I do this. It feels like it will never end. We reserve the right to put them in school if it is ever needed. I pray that will never be the case. I love what we do and how we do it.

That is a huge investment. But it is more worth it that I could ever put into words. We have faced many challenges and I am sure God has many more in store for us. I am confidant that with his care we can continue on.

The proof really is in the pudding. We have spent years around other schooled children. We have seen the bad right along with those parents. I know we made the decision that we were supposed to make. The homeschool movement has changed so much over the past decade. I can only imagine where it is headed. Our children are well behaved, they love to learn, they are kind, gracious and smart. Those qualities will help them get into heaven. That is all the truly matters and that is what keeps us going.

Note sent to a new friend from the pool. 8-7-08

I just wanted to plant one little seed with you for right now. You seam very concerned that you will not teach them something that they need to know. The only thing that we really need to learn in life is God's love. Now the reality of learning God's love is by learning about his earth and everything in it. I get so excited that it becomes hard to pick my words. Forgive me. My point goes back to basic Baltimore Catechism. Why did God make you? God made me to know Him, love Him, and serve Him in this world so that I can be happy with Him in the next. (or whatever) The point is that all your children must truly learn is the path to heaven. Often the school setting (even a Catholic or private school) does more harm than good in that ultimate goal of heaven.

So before we even begin to talk about programs, tests, books, or even the social issues I encourage you and your husband to look at our faith. You will find the answer there. Read the promises that you make during your child's baptism. Study the graces that are freely given to the parents who bring their child to Him. Read the catechism on baptism. Read what JP II said about the parents responsibility on education of a child. Refresh your marriage vows. Look over them. During a Catholic wedding we promise to raise our children in Him.

The grace to know what to do is given to the parents. Only mom and dad will know what is best. Don't let a grandparent, aunt or friend make that decision. Ultimately I leave that to dad as head of the family. God gives him the grace not me. That doesn't mean leave it up to him it just means that you might be surprised that while you worry about the detaills your husband might become confidant one way or another. Don't fight his confidence get strength from him. You may start homeschooling right away and you may do it in two years, you might home school for one and put them back. Just be open. God will let you know.

It does sound like He is guiding you. Do not worry. You, the Mom and Dad of a child of God can not mess up. You are not doing this alone. You will not fail. God will never allow it. What ever happens will be guided as long as you are open to it. No one will ever care about the success of your children academically or spiritually as much as you two. In my opinion you two, dad making the major decisions and mom faithfully caring them out (Just like St. Joseph leaving in the middle of the night with Mary having to make a new home.) are the only ones qualified to educate your children. Degrees do not matter. Our beautiful faith tells us that the grace to care for a child is given to us at marriage. It is a promise.

I am not trying to sound all crazy but it is the truth. You will need to concentrate on how to carry out that education. Realizing that you are the parent is sometimes the hardest thing in making the decision. I am sorry to ramble. I am just so excited every time I hear that a faithful person is trying to discern homeschooling. It is a gift from God. I cannot imagine sending a child to a stranger to care for the details that come naturally to me. Our culture tells us the opposite. It makes me angry to think about it.

In short: YES you can do it, you are called to it by baptism and marriage, you will not fail, you will love it!!!! Don't worry. Enjoy the process. I have found that when God starts to pull at your heart. The best thing to do is sit back and enjoy it. The road may get rocky but the bumps are what make the ride fun, just ask the kids who sit in the back seat.