Starting School

We started our school year this week. Katie was very excited to begin kindergarten (let's see how long that lasts!), but Ryan was not so happy to end his summer vacation. After our first day, Ryan rated his day as "5 stars". He doesn't seem to complain when he's done with his school day by 1:30!

Many people ask what curriculum we use. I use whatever works. The nice thing about homeschooling is that if something doesn't seem to work, I change it. Since this is our third year homeschooling, I have settled in to a few programs I like. I do use a classical homeschooling approach to our history and literature. Ryan is currently reading a kid's version of Beowulf, which goes hand in hand with his history of the middle ages. He will also be reading the kid's versions of Shakespeare and The Canterbury Tales, as well as learning about Martin Luther and John Calvin. I love this method of homeschooling because it gets kids used to reading great works of literature early and actually enjoying them. He also loves to read the Magic Tree House books, as well as any books about Star Wars.

Katie is working with Hooked on Phonics, which is another program I love. She loves being in school and is working hard on her printing and math. She loves to create and can spend hours doing crafts on her own.

I am so happy with our decision to homeschool. It works for us. I love being in control of their curriculum and their learning. And yes, they are socialized with kids their own age...