Observations:
From Our First Year as a
Homeschooling Family

In this first year, a relatively "structured" daily plan seemed to work best for my children. Knowing that Bible Studies and Chores began our day, and Independent Reading closed school out, helped us to keep in mind what to expect each day and kept us moving ahead. Not every subject took the same amount of time each day, some days ended at lunchtime, while others continued past the end of the neighborhood public school program.
We were still flexible enough to "trash" the schedule on certain days...if there was a great special on PBS, we might watch that for an hour or two, or if it was a beautiful Spring day, we might decide to read out under the trees for the morning and skip Math and Science.
But, for the most part, keeping to a basic schedule was easier for Kevin and Erin, and for Mom too (especially with this being our first year).

*UPDATE (1999)* -- once we were settled into a regular homeschooling routine, and since the kids showed enough maturity and responsibilty to handle their own schedule, we really lightened up. We now have a weekly list of expectations and goals that I ask Kevin and Erin to meet. They are allowed to work at their own pace, filling out a weekly form that I use to keep track of their progress. As long as everything is being done, I no longer worry about what time they get up (within reason), or if math is first or last. Both kids are keeping to a fairly even schedule on their own, agreeing when they need to work together, and spacing out their work in a managable way.

I expected the children to be up, dressed, breakfast eaten and books on table by 8:00 each morning. Erin & I are not "morning" people (we find it much too easy to lounge in bed), so this was a real priority in my book for this first year.

Using the Public Library as a resource was a wonderful idea. We saved money by not purchasing books on subjects that would only take a month or two to research. The majority of our Social Studies, Science, and Fine Arts topics were more than adequately covered using library books, videos and CDs. I do have to admit this--our overdue charges have probably paid for the new wing that the Bedford Library has been building !! *G* (Luckily the Library now has an Internet connection, and I can renew books automatically on-line -Whew)

Because our "classroom" is also in the family dining area, we needed to have a portable, easy to arrange "desk" for notebooks, stickers, folders, pens and pencils. We used plastic storage containers with lids--measuring about 14 x 10 inches and 8 inches high. These worked just fine, everything was accessible, and putting schoolwork away was a snap. It also helped to keep our school shelves looking neat.
We also use the same sort of containers for art supplies, various odds & ends & works in progress.

*UPDATE (1999)* Since Pennsylvania requires a yearly portfolio and a list of books used throughout the year, we now have expandable "accordian" files, one for both Kevin & Erin and another for my records. We add completed "to keep" work to their files & update them about once a month (add in any graded papers, toss out stuff we decide not to keep after all, list any new books used/read).

Rewards for a job well-done went a long way--a family night out at a restaurant, or ordering pizza after a tough day of testing, our trip to New York to see "The Phantom of the Opera", and even simpler things like stickers or posting great papers on the board helped brighten our school year and let Kevin and Erin know how proud we were of their accomplishments.

Allowing Kevin and Erin to take turns as "Teacher" was great fun, and I think it may have helped them to remember those lessons better. Each week they would switch off and teach the Latin/Greek word for the day, while Mom dutifully recorded the lesson in their notebook. Occasionally I would ask them to prepare an oral report as a lesson in Science or Social Studies, and they would also read book reports aloud.
Our homeschool support group holds book report readings as a group activity 3 or 4 times a year--this is a great way for the kids to get ideas for new books, to meet with friends, and also is a chance for the children to feel more comfortable with public speaking. (*the most-common fear in adults is that of speaking in public*)

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THINGS THAT WERE SO-SO
(And Improvement Ideas)

Monthly Book Reports were a good idea, but I found that Erin was waiting until the last week to really buckle down and start working on her reports, and the quality of the reports suffered. I plan to ask for weekly updates in the coming year, with the books being read the previous month. I will expect a progress report by the end of the first week, an outline the second week, a rough draft the third and a finished draft by the end of each month. I am also going to require a report on at least one non-fiction book, one "classic" book, and one biography (or autobiography) this year, to prevent them getting stuck in the "rut" of easy-reading fiction.

I found that Art and Music studies would sometimes be "rushed" or even pushed aside on those days when we were not exceptionally inspired. CDs, tapes and books for some of the composers I had planned to study were not always available at the library, which led to a bit of a scramble. Art was great fun, but I did find that set-up and clean-up times need to be better planned for. This year, we will try to work a few weeks ahead, gathering materials and having "contingency plans" in case we come up empty.

A similar situation existed in our Physical Education classes. After all, on a cold, blustery day, who really wants to go out and jump rope for 20 minutes ? What would help here is to have alternate plans, perhaps a health curriculum for the coldest months, and some indoor activities (running stairs, free weights & aerobics, even "sock fights") We certainly make up for any lack of exercise in the summer, with constant swimming and outdoor activities.

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THINGS THAT DIDN'T WORK SO WELL

Copying large amounts of workbook pages for Grammar turned out to be a bit of a pain. I would suggest that you spend the extra 10 bucks and purchase a companion workbook when one is available.

In the Classroom - 1997

© donna donnell-1998/99

The Donnell House
www.oocities.org/Heartland/6565/