Thursday, September 29, 2016

New Home

My husband has been searching for a new place where he can be a pulpit minister.  Yesterday our search finally ended.  Now the serious packing must begin.  The home school must continue though for now it is a reduced day.  I could not sleep in the early morning yesterday so I worked again on just what curriculum to use and reworked our schedule.  I have found some wonderful blogs to help with getting our home school process going.  I am daily thankful to have my daughter at home and to teach her.  I will admit that at this time I am very thankful to not have the stress of getting her to school each day, dealing with homework at the end of the day, and sack lunches.  We are moving to a small town that is close to a larger city so field trips and exploring will abound.  I have decided on a 4 day teaching schedule and the 5th day will be used for field trips and hands-on learning.  More information on the curriculum we have chosen and the blogs I found most helpful will come later.

I hope to develop this blog and grow with it to find a way to earn some money through blogging.  I plan to change the name so if anyone has an idea I will welcome it.  I also pray that I will learn some skills through working on this blog that I can pass on to my daughter.  In many ways, we will be learning together.  That is one of the beauties of home school.

Blessings for your day as you enjoy the quietness or not-so-quietness of life today.

Susan

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Homeschooling

 This year we made the decision to begin homeschooling our fifth grade daughter.  The final decision did not come until about 2 weeks before public school started.  Since then I have spent countless hours researching to find the best curriculum to fit our family and her learning style.  I am told to be patient because homeschooling is a learning process and it takes a bit to settle in.  Along with beginning to home school we are also planning a move though we do not yet know where to as yet.  My husband is looking for a position as a pulpit minister with a Church of Christ.  I am also a substitute teacher so there have been days that my husband has taken over the home school duties.  It has been a challenge to keep up and pack too.  I fear I have not done well on most of the tasks.  Still, each day is a new day and I try again to keep up.

One of the challenges I have faced with the home school process is what to teach and what curriculum works best.  I am such a product of public school that for now I am aiming for the more traditional approach much like my daughter would learn in a public classroom.  This idea has proved to be more challenging than I thought in gathering materials to accomplish the goals without spending a lot of money.  As I research, study, read blogs and other home school helps I am slowly coming up with a plan.  So far I have only settled on a science curriculum.  Thankfully the university library nearby has textbooks used by the local school system that can be checked out by homeschooling families.  These textbooks are what we are using as I decide on a program and purchase the necessary materials.  With time maybe I can post my choices for my daughter's school and what schedule works best for us.  I was hoping to plan a 4 day schedule and am still working out the details. 

My prayer is that with time we will be on a regular schedule, learning the things a fifth grader needs to know and experiencing life in a wonderful and special way.

May your day be filled with joy and quiet, peaceful thoughts.

Susan