Planning for our summer session…

For the last couple of days, I have been working on a new plan for our summer school session. While exploring curriculum choices makes me happy and excited, that feeling doesn’t carry over into the actual ins and outs of the everyday school day. We are a relaxed homeschool family, but we function better and get more accomplished when we have some sort of plan ahead of us. So, 3 times a year, I work on a schedule to give us a guide for what we need to accomplish.  I like the idea of new curriculum but the implementation is so difficult for me.
I have had so many plans that have been unfulfilled over the last 6 yrs. of homeschooling, that it took lots of soul-searching to decide what were our family goals, what really would work for us and how to go about it. I came to the conclusion that I wanted my kids to “LOVE” learning as one of our primary goals, unit studies and chronological history using living books worked for us, and that we are really laid back and a relaxed style was what was needed in our home. No stress!

We’ve homeschooled for 6 yrs. now but every time I start looking at curricula for the next year or sit down to make a plan, I have to remind myself of what our priorities are and what works for us ~ because it all looks good from the outside!!

Do my kids study different things and do they need to? Well, when we started, I had only 1 child in school, DD played with play-doh and doodled, watched Sesame Street counting videos and pretended to read books from the pictures. So it was so much easier, and we also went that first year with basics for kindergarten. We followed that first year with Abeka, which is a great intensive learning curriculum ~ we liked some aspects of it like the math, but overall it wasn’t a fit for us. That led us to unit studies and Five in A Row… This is where we begin to really have our eyes opened to what worked for us as a family unit.
I found that it isn’t necessary or desirable for us to use different curriculum for each child. Some mothers are better at scheduling and can handle this. I can not… My brain will not allow me to have so many things floating around and stay sane. This may come as Earth-shattering news, but it’s true…
My kids study the same topics and subjects using slightly different information and intensity based on age. I try and plan for certain subjects based on grade level (like Math, English, Spelling)  to assure continuity and increased levels knowledge and understanding based on age and ability. .

We homeschool year-round, so we can still take breaks often but not have to repeat information that I spent weeks working on with them due to it being forgotten while we spent 2.5 months playing outside in the sun. For us, it works to be able to do both. They still have frequent vacations, just not for months at a time, and are able to get some school done everyday. And it is possible to do it all the while meeting the needs of your kids who are most likely at different stages of development. Another thing that I like about using one curricula is that it saves time, money, and sanity.

We are able to take field trips, do crafts and activities, and play games as they relate to our studies as a family unit. Not having one child be bored or uninterested because they aren’t familiar with what the other child is studying or what the field trip is about. Plus this allows for me to get our goals accomplished without overextending myself. Something that used to happen on a daily basis and left me tired, grumpy, and not enjoying the time spent with my kids.

There is no single curriculum that is going to answer all your homeschooling needs. Children in a family are at different ages, abilities, interests, and developmental stages. But you can develop a plan that suits your own family needs and can build on it to help aid you in your learning adventure. Take the time to build a library for your house, and encourage your kids to have fun while learning. By combining our studies, I have saved money (very important in this economy), my time (one of my most important posessions), and saved my sanity (at least for awhile). And the best benefit is that my family is growing, learning together and becoming a closer knit family. The best outcome of all.