Anyone homeschooling this year?

[FloorCandy]

After last year’s craziness, we decided to enroll the kids in a good homeschool program this year. We were really concerned they would start school and then there would be a covid case or some kind of large crowd non compliance or whatever and school would be closed again. Last year the school did admirably to come up with a home learning solution in a short amount of time, but I felt like half a school year was overall wasted.

This year my kids are in first and second grade, this sets their whole trajectory for school in the future, and I want to be certain they learn what they need. We are not a homeschool family, no one in my family has homeschooled or been homeschooled, so I wanted a complete program, to make it as foolproof to administer for me as possible.

I chose Abeka, and I couldnt be happier! Ive kept in touch with a number of parents from school, many are homeschooling, some are using the school’s homeschool program and are very unhappy with it. I’ve been getting school emails, I’m still the list I guess, and it seems like it’s not going smoothly. The newsletters are worded like, it went fairly well, and then lists of new procedures. The kids at school have to sit alone at lunch, there’s no recess, the kids can’t touch each other, they have their temp taken all the time. It’s a very joyless experience. I’m so sad it has come to this, but I’m at least happy that my 2 have each other.

The school seems to have put up cameras so the home kids can watch the class. So far there’s been a ton of technical difficulties, last year the kids had a quiz bowl in 1st grade, and all the parents came, the kids were ready, and the computer teacher couldn’t get the program working and we sat there watching our kids sing along with one teacher while the others tried to fix it. This is what I was afraid homeschooling with them would be.

Abeka is a lot of work and very time consuming, but when covid closed schools last year, I learned that the kids had been working on all this stuff in class and my son didn’t know any of it. By April of kindergarten they should know how to start sounding out words, he didn’t know the sounds any letters made. We did the homework and he always seemed to have no trouble, math, writing his name etc. but they had a sight word list, with about 20 words we were told they already should be able to read and spell, my son couldn’t do any of them. By the end of school we had worked on it and he caught up, but he wasn’t the only one, and this was happening when they were in class, how would it be when half the class is at home?

We have been doing Abeka for a week and a half and last night he was reading me a pj masks book. He’s never read me a book before, picked out some words here and there, but not the whole thing. I feel really good about the program so far.

I’m interested to hear other people’s experiences with homeschooling or even dealing with school this year. It seems so crazy not to put them in uniforms at the crack of dawn or earlier, and haul them to school.

 

[sourland]

My children and grand children are grown - one senior in high school. If we had small children, we would be homeschooling. I think that you have made a wise choice.

 

[FloorCandy]

My children and grand children are grown - one senior in high school. If we had small children, we would be homeschooling. I think that you have made a wise choice.

Thank you! My husband and I really mulled it over, we waited til the end of July, paid their tuition etc (which I didn’t get back, yet keep receiving their emails to parents asking for understanding in these difficult times, typical not practicing what they preach). It was really hard telling the kids, they want to go back, but they are expecting a place that doesn’t really exist anymore. Many of the teachers were let go, the Spanish teacher was replaced with the Rosetta Stone program. There aren’t any assemblies or fun special things like ice cream lunch in the soccer field. And most of their friends aren’t there.

 

[Devyn Nagy]

We are! We're using My Father's World.

 

[FloorCandy]

We are! We're using My Father's World.

How do you find it to be so far?

 

[PioneerChicks]

We are using Science Olympiad, 4-H, and general life. We have been homeschooling for several years now. Sometimes the best thing to do is to learn from life. You don't always need a method, just follow the seasons. Nature school! Right now we are finishing up Summer Semester and going into Fall.

I hope this helps somebody!

 

[FloorCandy]

We are using Science Olympiad, 4-H, and general life. We have been homeschooling for several years now. Sometimes the best thing to do is to learn from life. You don't always need a method, just follow the seasons. Nature school! Right now we are finishing up Summer Semester and going into Fall.

I hope this helps somebody!

I have read a lot of people say things like that, but as a first timer it’s hard to just go with the flow. Perhaps with a year under my belt I’ll feel more confident to branch out.

 

[PioneerChicks]

I have read a lot of people say things like that, but as a first timer it’s hard to just go with the flow. Perhaps with a year under my belt I’ll feel more confident to branch out.

Yes, when we started we tried out several different curriculums. I highly recommend 4-H, and I have heard from a friend that Science Olympiad is awesome (we're trying it out this year)! And I have a couple friends who support Mr. C's History Class!

 

[notsopickychicky]

I am. Homeschooling at least until January my non-verbal 10 year old with autism and his little brother who is 7. Not using any particular program, but I got lots of workbooks and flashcards from amazon and the grandparents donated science and art subscription boxes.

So far, they seem to be doing well! I honestly feel like especially my younger son is thriving and will be ahead of schedule when he gets to go back. His handwriting was horrid and we've been working really hard on that since I'm able to give him more one on one than school would be.

They definitely both miss their friends I can tell. But my oldest also has an overactive immune system that landed us in the hospital for two weeks pre-COVID so we're not ready to take chances.

Good luck with your venture, it helps having chickens to tend to here and there throughout the day as a break.

 

[FloorCandy]

I am. Homeschooling at least until January my non-verbal 10 year old with autism and his little brother who is 7. Not using any particular program, but I got lots of workbooks and flashcards from amazon and the grandparents donated science and art subscription boxes.

So far, they seem to be doing well! I honestly feel like especially my younger son is thriving and will be ahead of schedule when he gets to go back. His handwriting was horrid and we've been working really hard on that since I'm able to give him more one on one than school would be.

They definitely both miss their friends I can tell. But my oldest also has an overactive immune system that landed us in the hospital for two weeks pre-COVID so we're not ready to take chances.

Good luck with your venture, it helps having chickens to tend to here and there throughout the day as a break.

We are looking to buy acreage in Pa, but until we do, I only have quail. They don’t need much tending, and when I try to get over involved, they’re “like mom we can mix our own sand”.