Mid Year Homeschool Update

As my children age, I blog about them less.

The reasons for this are two-fold: older children don't take quite as kindly to having their lives written about on their mother's blog, and the days of cute activities (that are fun for their mother to blog about) are diminishing rapidly.

Last year my daughter and I felt we had lost the WONDER in homeschool. She wasn't happy in her schooling and I had a persistent, nagging feeling  I had sold out on her interest led learning bent. We left Classical Conversations after Challenge II and decided to forge our own path. 

My son, however, after completing four years of Foundations and three years of Essentials, was ready and excited to continue into Challenge A. 

The biggest lessons I have learned are these: we MUST listen to our homeschool mom hearts. We MUST listen to our high school children. Never forget why you began homeschooling, and never let a method or a program become an idol.

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A Personal Update 

As my children have grown, my life circumstances have changed. I guess this is the cycle of life. Sometimes I long for the days of having littles curled up on the couch with a read aloud - but then I also appreciate being able to send them both to activities now with my oldest driving and me being able to STAY HOME!  

Life is funny.

My life has changed a lot in the past year. My children have made huge emotional and educational leaps. I know have two teens in the house. One of them is driving. 

My mom passed away last summer and now I am in the midst of helping care for my dad. I've had to be gentle with myself as I grieve my mom - she was my best friend and biggest supporter and there is a huge hole in my life without her.  My family is grieving, too. We've had a lot of tears, laughs, and good memories. 

My music appreciation business is growing by leaps and bounds and I'm working nearly 30 hours a week. The SQUILT LIVE! lesson academy has given me something to sink my teeth into - and hopefully this is something I can continue to sink my teeth into when my children are grown and gone.

My husband and I are actively involved in building a new church. He's been the president of our church this year, and this takes up a lot of our family time. 

God so graciously brought me to a place this year where my children are more independent and their schooling fits with our life perfectly. I have time to help them, but time to focus on other demands in my life as well. 

Homeschooling doesn't take up time, it gives us time. It gives us the freedom and flexibility to meet life's demands and to rest easy knowing WE are educating our children.

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11th Grade Homeschool Update

Our goal this year is to allow Anna to spend more time doing things she loves and to make her last years at home enjoyable and NOT tedious. 

My largest difficulty with the Classical Conversations Challenge was the ambiguity when it came to feedback from the tutor. The tutor was NOT the teacher, and in our home that did not work well. My child needed a TEACHER - an authority on a specific subject to give her feedback and GRADES. This is what motivates my child - other children may not need that motivation, but for us it was key.

The Challenge program may work splendidly for some children, but my oldest isn't one of them.

It is also my personal feeling that subjects like Latin and Chemistry (just two examples) need a skilled expert to teach them. Yes, my child can learn from a book on her own and also through discussions in a group, but her learning style is one where she needed motivation and accountability from a teacher.

(Again, my opinion - everyone is different.)

I am thankful for the many valuable skills Anna learned in the Challenge program - public speaking, integration of subjects, placing God into EVERYTHING, and personal ownership of her education. Our time in Challenge served its place and I think stepping out when we did was wise.

11th Grade Curriculum:

Pre-Calculus  - Mr. D Math  (oh how we love Mr. D and his class format!)

AP English Language & Composition - HSLDA Academy

AP European History - Memoria Press Academy

Chemistry - local Classical School

Piano, Ukulele, & Guitar - private & group lessons

Volunteer Work - Special Needs ministry through our church

P.E. - YMCA gym membership

Anna has also been babysitting A LOT - she loves children and wants to work with them someday, so I feel this has been a great investment in her education.

Another beautiful addition to Anna's year has been a BIble study with a dear friend of mine who mentors high school girls. She has been using the book GraceLaced: Discovering Timeless Truths Through Seasons of the Heart to guide the girls through so many beautiful activities. Anna has been learning calligraphy, is being encouraged in the "ancient" practice of letter writing, and is just being encouraged on so many levels.

More and more I'm witnessing Anna taking time to be creative, and I believe letting her have control of her schedule and allowing her to branch out this year is allowing that to happen. 

11th grade is a BIG YEAR, and I wanted it to be rigorous enough, yet allow space and time for my precious girl to develop at her own pace. 

We are thankful for the freedom homeschool provides, especially in the high school years!

Oh, and we've been making some college visits, too - I'll keep you updated on that as it unfolds. I will tell you this: it's not as hard as I thought it was going to be to get a homeschooler into college! 

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7th Grade (Challenge A) Homeschool Update

One word sums up Challenge A so far.

WOW.

From the first day of Challenge A I knew this was going to be a spectacular year. 

My son's group has 11 children who are highly motivated and encourage each other on a weekly basis. These children are the closest of friends, and our families have now grown close as well. We also have a tutor who loves and encourages the children. She is committed to learning and excellence, and is also a good disciplinarian. 

I've seen the motto of Challenge A, Personal Investment Builds Ownership, develop in each of the children in the past 15 weeks. 

Our kids like to have fun, too - here they are at a recent English Country Dance practice and bonfire:

We've followed the Challenge A curriculum exactly. It is such a rich year, packed with A LOT of hard work and knowledge. 

A few observations I have now that we are halfway through the year:

• The Latin presented in Foundations is ENOUGH to prepare a child to do well in Challenge.
• The Geography knowledge is incredible - and SO valuable.
• I can see my son beginning to organize his thoughts logically because of using The Lost Tools of Writing
• It is important to let your child fail a time or two - this is the only way they learn!
• A parent needs to be engaged! I've gotten an Audible subscription and listened to the literature books so I can discuss them with Grant. I've also tried to keep up with Latin.
• It is still important to let these kids be KIDS - I try to make time and space for my son to play LEGOS, play outside, draw, and do other things he loves. The work in Challenge could easily become an idol, and I'm trying to teach him to not let that happen. 

On another note -- I think my son has grown nearly a foot this year. He is now the GIANT of his class and almost as tall as his dad (6 feet). I still give him hugs liberally each day, even though I have to stand on my tip toes to do it! 

Our new puppy, Lucky, has also been a great addition to our homeschool! 

All in all, I'm very pleased with this year. Homeschooling changes a lot when your children are older, and I am thankful for the abundant resources available to us both online and in person to help us educate our children in a manner that is appropriate for our own family.

THAT is a blessing. 

I welcome any questions you have about our homeschool. Leave them in the comments below - it is my great joy to get to know readers and to encourage others with our experiences homeschooling!

 

You might also like:

29 Reflections from the First Day of Challenge A

Homeschooling Your Teen: Are You Missing the Most Important Thing?

3 Ways to Foster Independence in the Middle Grades Child

One of the biggest challenges that comes with homeschooling "big kids" is fostering independence.

The middle grades years are relatively "low stakes" and are the perfect training ground for independence.

My ears perk up when I receives questions like this from readers:

The biggest question for me right now is teaching independence. I'm trying to move away from the "I need to sit here while you do this work" mode. But of course I can't leap right to the "here's your pile of work, now sit down and get it done" mode either!

What steps did you/would you take to foster independence?

I don't claim to have all the answers, but I can share what we have done with our children in their middle school years.

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*This post contains affiliate links.

Relationship, Relationship, Relationship

When children are secure in their relationships, they are more secure in themselves and their independence.

Relationships with Parents:

Training the heart must come first. 

Kids in our house (and I am sure it's true in other houses, too) are more compliant, cheerful, and overall more willing when our relationship is strong.

During the middle grades years relationships can be difficult. It would be so easy to "check out" with our adolescents, but this is precisely the time they need us MOST. 

I've recently been re-reading a book that once changed my entire outlook on raising an adolescent. Hold On To Your Kids stresses the importance of the parent/child attachment and how this single factor determines so much of our children's values, academic success, and self esteem. 

Kids crave closeness with their families at this age. They may not show it or say it, but they do. Take every step necessary to make your family their number one source of comfort, fun, and safety.  We try to guide our children first and foremost, but also to be a source of FUN.  If our children's needs are being met at home they are less likely to look to have them met elsewhere.

The parent/child relationship is paramount to our children gaining independence. The world does not value or protect this relationship. Do everything you can to keep your children close - you are what they need MOST at this age.

Relationships with Peers:

We were (and are) extremely vigilant about the peer interactions our middle schoolers have.

(This is where I am SO thankful we homeschool - peer interactions in traditional school get more than tricky at this age.)

Do your children have peers who care about them and support them?  Don't accept the common notion that "middle schoolers can just be mean". This isn't so.  I'm here to tell you middle schoolers can be lovely young people who care about each other. Teach your child to be discerning as they navigate their friends at this age.

You, as their parent, will also need to set some very strict guidelines on what types of friends they can and cannot have.

Both of my children participated in the Challenge program through Classical Conversations, where peer relationships were strong. We know these families. We share similar values. 

This is also the age where many middle schoolers begin going to their church youth groups.  Be careful as your children attend their youth gatherings. Often times this is the place where many of the worldly influences sneak in. It's best to keep a close eye on youth group at this age. I know of some youth groups that are wonderful, and others where the peer influences just aren't good.

A Weekly Schedule with Accountability

The Schedule

A schedule made by my children (with my careful supervision and guidance) at the beginning of each academic week has been VERY helpful in fostering independence.

No matter your school situation, train your child to create their own schedule. Build in accountability and allow them to make mistakes along the way! 

In our situation my children were given all of their Challenge assignments in a guide book. After their weekly class meeting, we would sit down and plan out what each day would look like. They every.single.assignment and then posts their schedule above their desk.  

It is a simple sheet, which is copied each week and then filled in - you could have your child design their own form for even more ownership. We tried a fancy planner and it just didn't work for us. This one sheet worked best for both of my children.

 No matter your homeschooling method, program, or style -- you can model keeping a schedule and assist your child in creating their own schedule for increased independence.

 

A Dedicated Work Space

A dedicated work space can inspire organization and accountability in your child. It also makes your child feel that their work MATTERS and is deserving of a special place in your home.

As our children grew we decided to carve out a space for them in our basement. It is just around the corner from my husband's office (he works from home) - so the basement is definitely the "work" area.  

Here you see the desk and shared computer area: 

We also purchased bookshelves from IKEA to keep all of our homeschool books organized neatly. 

You would be amazed at what good organization and a dedicated space does for a child's independence! 

All of this is a work in progress.

Many days it's hard to follow a schedule, work in your dedicated space, and maintain good relationships. It's almost as if this is an ongoing process -  training the heart and independence issues. This, however, (from what I have gleaned from veteran homeschool moms) is NORMAL and NECESSARY.

Do not be discouraged if it is slow going, moms. You are doing important work which takes time and patience. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is your child's homeschool independence.

As I was talking with a good friend of mine today (who has a son the same age as my oldest) she mentioned something irresponsible/immature her child had done.  She said to him (jokingly), "What are you?  13?  Oh right. You are 13!"

We need to remember our children are exactly that - CHILDREN. Set your expectations high, but keep in mind their age and what you are asking of them. Remember to give grace and forgiveness liberally!  Sometimes we feel the weight of the world on our homeschooling shoulders. Pray, foster relationships, and love your children.

We have such amazing children we are nurturing! 

Do you have any specific tips for fostering independence in your middle grades child?

Please share in the comments below!

You might also enjoy:

Book Series for Middle School Boys

Homeschooling the Middle School Boy