Back to School...

We are heading into our 10th year of homeschooling our children.  WOW!  Like many families, we started that first year leaving the door open to return to a traditional school setting if it just didn't work out for us.  What we didn't realize then, was that homeschooling isn't just an educational choice, it's a lifestyle.  I can no longer fathom any other way of spending my days than teaching my daughters around our own school table.  Enjoying all the highs and enduring all the lows of each day, together as a family.  Watching the older ones teach the younger ones.  Wiping away the tears when something is just so hard to learn and seems so far out of grasp, then celebrating when, like a light switch, a child "gets it".  I wouldn't trade these days for anything.

We are still enjoying the last days of our summer break, but as the girls are riding bikes and scooters, and playing with their friends, I'm getting ready for our upcoming year.  My desk is covered with index cards, post-it notes, books, markers, my Bible, my planner, teacher manuels, paper clips, folders, library lists, field trip schedules, etc.  These are the days that I work diligently to make our school year enjoyable for both the girls and myself.  For those that know me well, they are probably scratching their heads about now, because I'm normally a "shoot from the hip" sort of gal.  We don't live by a strict schedule or routine.  However, I've schooled my children long enough to know that if my planning isn't done ahead of time, school days will just slip by with the bare basics at best.

This year we are doing something a little new... For my two littlest ones, I've decided to break away from our normal curriculum and enjoy a unit study.  In addition to our normal math, reading, spelling, and handwritting, we are going to use the Prairie Primer and spend the year going through the Little House on the Prairie books.  Unit studies are an amazing way to learn, as all your core subjects are studied in corrolation with the book you're reading.  Science, Health, History, Language Arts, Bible, even Reading, Math, Handwriting, Vocabulary, and Spelling (although I utilize our normal curriculum for those subjects to stay on task) are all learned in a seamless stream as you study each work of literature.  We will immerse ourselves in the pioneer period, learning to do things the way the Ingalls family would have and delving deep into the history of that period in time.

We are looking forward to starting our new school year on August 19th (early for us).  The girls already have their school supplies ready...folders organized and pencils sharpened.  We all love back to school time; not sure why, but there's just something exciting about a new school year and all the opportunities to learn new things.