Homeschooling: A Mid-Term Review

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While we haven't quite reached the halfway point of our first year of homeschooling, the extended break we took for Christmas and New Year's gave me time to reflect on our school year so far.  It has truly been a wonderful experience and I am looking forward to continuing in the coming months. 

I readily admit that not all the lessons have been learned by the girls!  Here's what I've taken away from our first few months.

1.  Homeschooling works best when each child's personality and learning style is considered.  Since our daughters had attended traditional school, they easily adapted to the DVD-based curriculum we are using. However, while one child can focus on her school work for long periods of time, the other needs more frequent breaks and positive reinforcement from me.

2.  It's okay to skip some of their written assignments or "homework."  As long as I am confident that they grasp the concept and are reviewing it enough to make it stick, they don't have to complete every single math problem or diagram every sentence on the page.  What a relief for all of us!!

3.  Homeschooling is hard work.  The three of us are together all day, most days of the week.  There are many fun, sweet times, but there are also times when we can make each other a little crazy!  In addition, I have to be diligent about overseeing their work, preparing for and helping with projects or book reports, grading papers, etc.

4.  They really are learning!  It's rewarding when they are introduced to new material and come to me to discuss it.  Seeing them develop an interest in subject areas like health, history, and science is exciting.  Talking through our morning Bible lessons and reading Christian biographies together at lunch time gives me more of an opportunity to talk with them about spiritual things.

5.  If the Lord leads you to homeschool your children, He will give you the grace and the strength to do it.

By the end of the school year, I hope I'll have learned even more about how homeschooling works best for our family.  I'll be sure to share a final report card!