Back on Track

We have found our groove.  This year started out so rough that I feared that Laura and I would have to make drastic changes.  In the last week, though, things have seemed to calm down and mellow out with only slight changes.  The first change was we switched from Singapore math to CLE math a couple weeks ago.  The results have been phenomenal.  Laura is nearly 100% independent in her math now.  I am only needed for some flash card or speed drills.  She also is really gaining confidence and is even starting to like math.  She is also doing at least two lessons per day for now, though I will slow her down later when it becomes more difficult.

The next change was that I decided to be very choosy in our reading.  Laura was doing two complete reading programs, and it just took too long.  I had to be selective.  I choose one program instead of two.  I love books.  It is easy for me to overload the schedule in this area.  Sticking with the Charlotte Mason philosophy of going though books slowly is difficult for me.  I am a book devourer.  I will re-read books, but it is not uncommon for me to read a book a day... or to have several books going at once.  If Laura does the same thing, that would thrill me, but I have learned that I have to let her do that on her own.  Instead, I have chosen some reading of high quality to be read through at a steady pace.  This seems to be working.

The next change is that I have added a missions focus to our homeschooling.  I feel that God has led me to see the world the way He desires.  He wants me to help instill a love for God's people all over the world in my children.  I have added in some biographies, starting with some of the Christian Heroes: Then and Now series written by Janet and Geoff Benge.  Laura is loving reading about Gladys Alward right now.

So far I have combined the missionary stories with Laura's extra reading.  Eventually, I will make Missionary Studies separate so that we can delve into the stories together.

Laura also reads through the McGuffey Readers.  We began this last year, but I cut it out when our schedule got too full.  I picked it back up again and Laura is finishing up the second reader.  The second reader is technically a third through fifth grade reading level, but the stories are of such high quality that I didn't want to pass them up.  When she finishes, we will immediately begin the third reader.  These books have such high quality.  They were written before the language was dumbed down.  They also have some amazing Godly, moral stories.  While the McGuffey's can be used for spelling and vocabulary too, I just have Laura reading the stories at this point.

For a while, our day seemed to be taking too long.  This concerned me greatly.  I cut out the projects in Creation to Christ temporarily.  This week, we went to our normal schedule.  Laura is doing wonderfully.  She is usually done by one in the afternoon with everything.  I think it just took some time to get her rhythm down.  We went back to the projects this week, though we pick and choose.  The project this week really helped Laura cement the plagues in her mind.  She can now look at her project and list the plagues off one by one.

I love that feeling when our year just seems to take on a life of its own and flow.  Laura is enjoying school.  Megan is making progress on her letters.  She is still needing a little work in fine motor skills before we begin writing letters, but we are working on it. 

I feared for a brief time that this year was going to be a wash-out.  Now, I am excited about our homeschooling once again.  Thank You Jesus!