Saturday, July 30, 2016

Simple Homeschool Planning


As the time to begin our homeschool year draws nearer, and my plans to begin college a couple weeks after become more and more a reality, I find myself looking over my carefully made plans with a bit more scrutiny.  Will I be able to get it all accomplished with my nine year old, keep track of the high schooler's lessons she is completing, and focus on my own work?  

A couple problem areas quickly caught my eye.  First, I may need to look carefully at all the "subjects" I have scheduled.  Before I knew I was going to attend college, I added some supplementation here and there for the girls.  That... May have to go to some degree. 

Then I realized that one problem area I have with my youngest is math.  She struggles and I always feel that it takes forever.  I schedule math first so she can get it done and over with, and then I find myself looking at all the stuff left in the day and wondering if we will get it all accomplished.  Math needs more time.  I want my daughter to not feel rushed because we have a jam-packed schedule.  I want her to understand math, to not struggle with it so overwhelmingly.  This means she needs time.  I am thinking of breaking up her lessons into two sections so she does half in the morning and half in the afternoon.  

When I think about what I want my children to know after they graduate, I want them to know God, and be well-grounded in the basics.  I want them to pursue the things their own interests and actually have time to do so.   I want them to be well read, with a love of reading.  I want them to have the skills in math and science and English to be able to strive for what they feel God has for them to do. 

Will that come with an overwhelming schedule that leaves them no time or energy at the end of the day?  Will they excel at the basics of all the extras take over?

I am praying for God to show me what to cut and what to leave.  


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