Mid-Year Review of Laura

For all the years past, Laura was the focus.  I spent the most time on her schooling and her curriculum choices.  She was my first homeschool student.  We began our homeschool journey when she was in the third grade.

At the end of the school year last year, I was tired.  This wasn't an exhaustion caused from homeschooling alone.  In fact, homeschooling wasn't to blame at all.  It had just been a rough year.  My husband and I had been fighting for custody and homeschooling rights of his daughter after a year long roller coaster ride of an investigation into my step-daughter's life at her other home.  When we won not only custody but the right to homeschool, we were elated.  However, it didn't take long before I was living in fear.  What if I had to prove myself in court later?

We chose a traditional Christian program for my step-daughter that was recommended.  I had used it before.  Truthfully, the program is not a bad program at all, despite the negative reviews it has received.  Since I had chosen this program for my step-daughter, and I was struggling to put my own curriculum together, I decided to put Laura back into this program.

I don't regret that.  Laura needed the consistency in her math and English lessons.  Her spelling has improved with the Word Building curriculum.  No program is perfect, however.  I had hoped that by using Ace, this traditional program, Laura would finish early and have time to spend on her own interests.  Two things went wrong with this hope.

First, Laura didn't finish nearly as early as I would have hoped.  Instead, she took her time, knowing that she had all day.  Second, Laura lost any interest in doing things that she deemed "schoolish" when her work was completed.

The fact that using this traditional program was killing her desire to learn got my attention.  Laura says she likes Ace.  I think that what she likes is her check off sheet with her list of lessons that she can check off as she completes them.  However, last year she was having conversations with me that got to me.  She read about Albert Einstein last year.  She learned that she shares the same birth date as this great scientist and was instantly interested.  Finding out that he was homeschooled also sparked her interest.  She devoured the book on him.  She would run to me after reading and gladly tell me all that she had learned about him.  That is what is missing this year.

Last year Laura's great love, painting, was fed into with the poetry program.  As she studied Robert Frost she got to paint.  She learned techniques that she still uses.  She loved being artistic.  I still have every painting.  That is missing this year.

There were things about Heart of Dakota that Laura wasn't overly fond of.  She never was big on dictation.  We stuck it out for a long time, but she never liked it.  She wasn't big on the Rod and Staff English, even when we went through it together.  She also never really enjoyed the Singapore math selections.  We switched to CLE and then finally back to ACE.  Laura didn't enjoy the What In The World CDs.  However, she listened to them.  I think she learned from them.  For me, it was another sense being used to learn. 

Yes, there were things she didn't love.  But, in life, there are many things we must do that we don't love.  However, those "things" she didn't love didn't stop her from loving the learning process with Albert Einstein and Robert Frost.  Math and English programs can be switched out.  The What in the World CDs may become her favorite when she listens to a different time period.  Either way, I know when my daughter is enjoying learning, even when she doesn't want to admit it.

Laura has done okay with Ace.  This is the first year I have graded her work.  She has gotten A's, B's, and the occasional C.  She gets nervous when I grade her tests, as if afraid that she isn't going to measure up somehow.  I never realized that she was insecure until her work wasn't being evaluated based on how hard she worked but how well she performed.  Yes, grades will be a part of college life.  I just think that they are overrated.

I love the reading selections for Ace's Literature and Creative Writing.  I put Laura in the sixth grade reading selections because the seventh grade paces were not as detailed.  Instead, one pace was to encompass all the year's reading. The sixth grade paces has two paces per book.  I'm not sure why the discrepancy, but I want my daughter to be somewhat well read.  My opinion on what makes a great book is different than most, but I still love reading.  I own DITHOR for both the 4/5 and the 6/7/8 levels.  Yes, I think we will move over to Drawn into the Heart of Reading when our Ace paces are finished.

As I once again transition to Heart of Dakota from traditional materials, I am reminded of the grace of God.  No matter how many times I make the same mistakes over and over, He always forgives and teaches and guides. He is patient as i explore.  Every wrong move is not a failure, but a lesson in what works for me and what doesn't.  I was all set for the Unit study track, and couldn't make it work effectively. I was exhausted, and traditional, self-taught materials seemed like a chance to get my goals re-prioritized.  It worked.  God took me back to the beginning, gave me confidence once again to trust Him, and put peace in my heart.