Final Homeschool Blog Entry

We have now wrapped up our experimental homeschool year. I gave them the CAT (California Achievement Test). This is a test that many homeschool parents and private schools rely upon to evaluate the year's progress. It took about an hour or so. It was untimed and I put zero pressure on them about the results.

Henry and Charlie just finished first grade curriculum. Since I held them back due to their summer birthday, I went ahead and tried out the 2nd grade test. Henry's composite score was 3.8 (3rd grade + 8 months) and he was in the 99th percentile for 2nd grade. Charlie's composite score was 3.9 (3rd grade + 9 months) and he was also in the 99th percentile. Their reading is 4th/5th grade level and they only read chapter books now.

I gave Harrison the 3rd grade test. He took 3rd grade at a private school last year, but there seemed to be a lot of things that fell through the cracks there (I gave him an evaluation before choosing his curriculum), so I retaught 3rd this year. His composite score was 6.2 (6th grade + 2 months) and he was in the 99th percentile. He reads at an 8th grade level and loves reading even more than his brothers. He escapes to his bed at least once a day to read and I catch him laughing himself silly at his books. He has come a lonnnnnggg way! Homeschool has been great for him because you just can't beat 1 on 1 teaching. We also can zip through the lessons instead of having the day dragged out, where he tends to lose his focus.

We unanimously agreed to homeschool again for next year. Since their scores were high, we are going to skip them each a grade (which actually just brings them to their regular grade levels). If they go back to public or private school later, we can decide which grade to put them in at that time. Of course there are many factors that go into picking the right grade for them (I say "pick the right grade" because they are in that gray area birthday-wise where some parents hold back their kids - especially their boys). We will breeze through an outline of 2nd/4th curriculum before we skip it and then move on to the next grade in August or September.

We are enjoying some relaxing weeks of "summer" now. We have a trip to Grand Cayman in May/June and then Colorado in August. The boys are signed up for VBS and a stop motion animation camp. We also plan to do regular rock-climbing and indoor soccer. Since I turn the big FORTY next year, I am planning a big trip for us next summer to France, Monaco, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. And what better learning experience for a kid?? The boys have seen a lot of countries and I have been able to tie their experiences in with the lessons. I hear parents hesitate with taking their kids on trips, but just do it! These experiences are wonderful for a developing brain and personality. Their love of travel and different cultures will last a lifetime. We have also started a new raised garden and are growing squash, tomatoes, peppers, and blueberries. We also grow herbs, figs, and citrus (although the figs and citrus haven't been quite edible as of yet).

Here are a few little positives that I have noticed through the year about homeschooling.
- We wake up when we wake up. Granted, it is still early. But we wake up when our bodies have had adequate rest instead of being woken up by an alarm clock.
- Cheaper travel at better times - trips don't have to be planned around Spring Break/Summer/Christmas. If Adam gets a break at work, we can just take off and take advantage of great rates.
- Healthier food - no more trying to figure out how to pack a healthy lunch that actually tastes good by lunchtime!
- No buying random stuff throughout the year! No keeping up with a million emails from a million teachers and parent associations and field trip instructions and party instructions. We (the boys and I) control it all!
- The boys get to focus on their hobbies. I insert things they love into their centers, like Scratch (coding).
- More playtime outside.
- They are involved in some of the curriculum planning. I ask them regularly what they want to learn and incorporate those things.
- If there is a struggle (i.e. multiplication tables), I can focus unlimited time on that. If it takes 15 lessons to nail it, that's fine. On the flip side, if there are subjects that are already mastered, we can skip past those. Individualized instruction!
- I have set aside more time now for playdates, so the boys have at least 2 big fun playdates each week.
- No homework! When school is done each day, it's done and free time begins.
- Most importantly, we have more time together as a family and are closer than ever before.

I am so glad that we tried this experiment and I have learned just as many lessons as they have. Happy Summer!!!

March Update

I haven't posted in awhile because I haven't had much to say! All is well in our little homeschool world. We are entering that wonderful time of year where we can be outdoors more. The boys go out to play twice a day, usually before lunch and again in the late afternoon/early evening. We have created the ultimate backyard for them...a giant storage box full of balls and nerf guns, the pirate ship playground and playhouse, trampoline, ninja line, swurfer swing, hugglepod, and a lot of space to just run and play with the dogs. We spent some time by the lake on the first day of spring (which was perfect weather). Unfortunately Charlie took a hard fall on the playground but luckily it just scraped up his face and no broken bones (thank you Woodlands Park for having adequate ground cover!) Good weather means more little injuries, but it is what it is. They ask nearly everyday if the pool is warm enough to swim in. Not yet, but soon!

I have purchased the California Achievement Test to give them in May. This will help me decide what to focus on in the summertime and how to structure next year's curriculum. I tested their reading levels also. Henry and Charlie are 7 years old and tested at a 4th grade reading level. Harrison is 9 and tested at 7th grade. Reading/phonics/comprehension etc remains their strongest area academically.

We put in place some rules for video games that require them to either play outside for an hour or read for an hour to earn an hour of video games (not to exceed 2 hours/day). So far so good and they are reading like crazy. They are still doing their Scratch projects regularly and even convinced me to join so I can learn some coding. The boys have empty books that they write in daily that they can use however they wish. Harrison is writing a book series and its coming along really well. Henry and Charlie are playing soccer again. Adam is their coach. They scored 5 goals between them on their first game. I am still working on piecing together summer activities and camps but they will likely include swimming, rock climbing, indoor soccer/football and/or gymnastics, and VBS in the neighborhood.

The boys skied for the first time in Vail in February. That was quite the undertaking but they LOVED it. We hope to make it a yearly winter trip. We will wrap up school toward the end of May and celebrate with a trip to Grand Cayman and then a summer trip to Colorado in August.

All in all I am just super proud of them and love spending more time with them. I feel like I have a better understanding of all 3 of them. We decided as a family to extend the homeschooling one more year and then evaluate after that.

I have a unique perspective on education. My husband and I have combined our public school experiences with our kids experiences in public school, private school, and now homeschooling. We can really step back and see the strengths and weaknesses of all of them. With public school, the parents have to make sure the kids aren't getting lost in the shuffle, that they aren't overstressed, and that their individual needs are being met. With private school, parents have to make sure their kids are getting exposed to people that are different than them. Some private schools have a good combination of different kids, but its not the norm. And with homeschooling, parents have to make sure that their kids are being exposed to different kids/cultures/ideologies and are gaining the social experiences that are necessary before sending them out into the world. There has to be effort put forward for playdates and activities with other kids. As long as the parents are on top of these extra duties, all education can serve them well. If a child has parents that love them and are involved and are giving them a well rounded education and experiences, most kids will be prepared for what lies ahead.

I'll post again end of May. I am so happy that some of you have shown an interest in what we are doing. I am very happy to share if it helps and we welcome visitors to the classroom :)