We did it! We made it through our second year of homeschooling! And boy am I ready for a nice, long summer vacation!
I can't find my camera cord, so no photos of our last few weeks of school are forthcoming. By the time I find the cord, I probably won't feel like uploading any pictures.
This was a tough year, but I think I'm prepared to do it again. I think an extended break from anything even remotely academic will do both Dallin and I a great deal of good. And as for next year, I've already developed ideas and strategies that will hopefully meet his needs. We're going to try to move along faster in math, and we're going to incorporate more creative writing on topics of his choice.
This summer is the time for me to prepare. I've decided to go with a pre-packaged curriculum this time around. We'll be using the Christopherus Waldorf curriculum. It was a pretty penny, but as soon as it came in the mail and I began to peruse it, I knew it was the right move. I'll still have work to do to tweak it to our needs and get ready for September, but all in all the pressure on me will be so much less. I will still have to prepare first grade, however. A Waldorf-style first grade is so easy-peasy that I didn't feel I could justify paying for someone else to put it together for me.
In Waldorf education, children generally start first grade when they are seven or almost seven. I'm tentatively planning to start Sariah when she is 6.5, in January. We'll see how it goes, and if she seems not to be ready, we'll back off and finish another year of kindergarten. A Waldorf first grade is still very gentle academically compared to a traditional public school experience.
We've been having some adventures with Sariah lately that have culminated in her being diagnosed with ADHD. I really think that the holistic nature of Waldorf education will be fabulous at meeting her unique needs. I am skeptical that she would be able to function in a public school setting, and I'm fairly certain that it would be a confining and frustrating place for her, as much as she thinks she would enjoy it.
This summer my goal is to spend less time reading and researching and studying for next year, and more time tapping into the artistic side of myself. I want to tackle knitting, which so far has been my nemesis. It's not that I can't knit, because I have been teaching myself when time has permitted, and it has come fairly easily to me. It's just that I haven't had time to really sit down and get comfortable with it that I can turn around and teach it to my children. And handwork is a HUGE part of Waldorf education. I want to spend time painting and form drawing. I want to learn the play the pennywhistle so that I can begin teaching it to Sariah this fall. And I have plans to continue with needlefelting and to make a fun story mat and some fairy tale figures to help us tell stories this coming year. My other goal is to de-clutter my insanely messy house. It's funny to read the blogs of other homeschooling moms, because virtually all of them list summer de-cluttering at the top of their list of summer plans. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one whose house goes to pieces during the nine months we're schooling!
I can't find my camera cord, so no photos of our last few weeks of school are forthcoming. By the time I find the cord, I probably won't feel like uploading any pictures.
This was a tough year, but I think I'm prepared to do it again. I think an extended break from anything even remotely academic will do both Dallin and I a great deal of good. And as for next year, I've already developed ideas and strategies that will hopefully meet his needs. We're going to try to move along faster in math, and we're going to incorporate more creative writing on topics of his choice.
This summer is the time for me to prepare. I've decided to go with a pre-packaged curriculum this time around. We'll be using the Christopherus Waldorf curriculum. It was a pretty penny, but as soon as it came in the mail and I began to peruse it, I knew it was the right move. I'll still have work to do to tweak it to our needs and get ready for September, but all in all the pressure on me will be so much less. I will still have to prepare first grade, however. A Waldorf-style first grade is so easy-peasy that I didn't feel I could justify paying for someone else to put it together for me.
In Waldorf education, children generally start first grade when they are seven or almost seven. I'm tentatively planning to start Sariah when she is 6.5, in January. We'll see how it goes, and if she seems not to be ready, we'll back off and finish another year of kindergarten. A Waldorf first grade is still very gentle academically compared to a traditional public school experience.
We've been having some adventures with Sariah lately that have culminated in her being diagnosed with ADHD. I really think that the holistic nature of Waldorf education will be fabulous at meeting her unique needs. I am skeptical that she would be able to function in a public school setting, and I'm fairly certain that it would be a confining and frustrating place for her, as much as she thinks she would enjoy it.
This summer my goal is to spend less time reading and researching and studying for next year, and more time tapping into the artistic side of myself. I want to tackle knitting, which so far has been my nemesis. It's not that I can't knit, because I have been teaching myself when time has permitted, and it has come fairly easily to me. It's just that I haven't had time to really sit down and get comfortable with it that I can turn around and teach it to my children. And handwork is a HUGE part of Waldorf education. I want to spend time painting and form drawing. I want to learn the play the pennywhistle so that I can begin teaching it to Sariah this fall. And I have plans to continue with needlefelting and to make a fun story mat and some fairy tale figures to help us tell stories this coming year. My other goal is to de-clutter my insanely messy house. It's funny to read the blogs of other homeschooling moms, because virtually all of them list summer de-cluttering at the top of their list of summer plans. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one whose house goes to pieces during the nine months we're schooling!
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