If you had it to do over again...

[Melinda]

What would you do differently? Which programs would you use? What age would you start things like latin?

[Sarita]

Great question, Melinda! Since I'm also just starting my homeschool journey, I'll be eagerly watching for replies...you gals (and guys) are SO wise!

 

Sarita

[elegantlion]

We used a traditional box curriculum for the 1st 3 years of school. I would have re evaluated our decision after one year. I would have read again about the different methods of homeschooling. I didn't really understand them before we started homeschooling so I just followed what my friends were doing. I just assumed (and we know what that means) that what I had was going to be the best choice.

 

Well my friends are no longer homeschooling and I'm getting ready to move into a classical style next fall. I wish we had done it sooner.

[clwcain]

:lurk5:

We're just getting started, so I have nothing to contribute. ;)

[PeterPan]

If I had it to do over again, I'd be more organized and get her into a checklist (not so mom-driven or changing with energy) earlier. I'd be more consistent about getting her to say yes maam and no maam, rather than letting it creep up on me as a half-done job. I'd have made more time for ME, as in my exercise, my socialization, the things that keep me energized, rather than letting those take back burners.

 

No regrets on academics; we've always done plenty of that. It's the other things that will bug you.

[JessMcG]

I'm new at this so I really just want to subscribe to the thread.

 

But I wish I had a better hold on my patience before I started homeschooling (or being a parent ).

[LisaNY]

I'm heading into my 14th year of hs'ing. If I had it to do all over again, I would have begun my own self-education when I made the decision to homeschool my two dd's. Now, I have to fight the "early 40's fog". - LOL

 

I used the LC materials with my girls, but I would have used more of a reading-based curriculum, like Minimus and Lingua Latina.

[WTMCassandra]

I would do very little differently with my children, but I should have started Henle ahead. As it is, I will have to start it with them *next fall* and I am shaking in my boots. I would have self-educated in that area. That's my biggie.

 

In general, knowing that WTM was "home" early on has been a huge thing--being sure of my general path. I have since added some LCC principles and made sure every day that Math and Latin get done, but those things have only been refinements to the general path.

 

What curricula have worked: Phonics Pathways, Professor B Math, PL-->LC1-->LC2 for Latin, Pathway and Christian Light readers, Reason for Writing, SOTW+Biblioplan series, FLL, ABeka Grammar, then segueway into CW.

 

Some minor hindsight comments:

Spelling Workout was something the children enjoyed but I didn't see an improvement in their writing. Now I do spelling in conjunction with CW. If I were starting out I would seriously consider Susan's new writing program. In hindsight, perhaps I should have done Handwriting Without Tears for my oldest--she had a rough time learning to write.

[Melinda]

I would do very little differently with my children, but I should have started Henle ahead. As it is, I will have to start it with them *next fall* and I am shaking in my boots. I would have self-educated in that area. That's my biggie.

 

In general, knowing that WTM was "home" early on has been a huge thing--being sure of my general path. I have since added some LCC principles and made sure every day that Math and Latin get done, but those things have only been refinements to the general path.

 

What curricula have worked: Phonics Pathways, Professor B Math, PL-->LC1-->LC2 for Latin, Pathway and Christian Light readers, Reason for Writing, SOTW+Biblioplan series, FLL, ABeka Grammar, then segueway into CW.

 

Some minor hindsight comments:

Spelling Workout was something the children enjoyed but I didn't see an improvement in their writing. Now I do spelling in conjunction with CW. If I were starting out I would seriously consider Susan's new writing program. In hindsight, perhaps I should have done Handwriting Without Tears for my oldest--she had a rough time learning to write.

 

What is Henle?

[Chris in VA]

I'd go on more field trips, school outside more, and keep up with our Nature Notebooks and Latin.

[clwcain]

What is Henle?

 

A Latin course following a fairly traditional sequence of grammar-translation pedagogy. It is available from Memoria Press. Scroll to the middle third of the page. :)

[WTMindy]

Not differently, but I would definitely use SOTW again. We loved it so much and we did lots of projects along with it. I credit this program for my kids love of history now.

[Jill- OK]

What would you do differently? Which programs would you use? What age would you start things like latin?

 

There's not much I would do (am going to do) differently, this time around (I have two going into high school, and three 'Littles', so I really am getting another chance to reinvent my style, if needed).

 

Much is the same regarding philosophy (very, very relaxed until about third grade or so), materials (starting my second batch of kids on Rod and Staff grammar) and expectations (short lesson times, with the children understanding that they are to work hard and do their best for the length of time I ask them to work).

 

One thing I'm doing differently is focusing more on handwriting. I wouldn't change my lack of focus on composition in the early years...but simple handwriting practice? Yes. I really wish my older kids had better handwriting. :tongue_smilie:

 

As far as the Latin question, I might start earlier with these kids (second and third grade, instead of third and fourth), just to tie it in with our study of Ancients (I like to introduce Latin with Minimus). And because I'd like to experiment with some different early programs (I used Latin Primer before, and won't be using it again).

 

I can't think of anything else...but I know I believe now more than ever in our 'easy' start and relaxed early years approach. If anything, I was more relaxed for longer with this batch of kids, starting out, than the first. (Some of that might not be by design, though, lol...just out of overwhelmedness!) =-o

[MIch elle]

CLE math instead of R&S math

CLE reading from grade 4

R&S English has served us well but we'll be trying CLE LA 6this fall;

wish we started IEW writing sooner

wish we stuck with Latina Christiana I in grade 3 and just did it slowly with less writing than starting it again in grade 6 for older ds (younger started in grade 5)

wish I didn't worry so much about spelling and just drilled the Fry list until memorized & then drill incorrect words from writing

wish I stuck with Sonlight history for grades 5-8 but didn't try to do it all or did Ambleside Online from the beginning learning to eliminate what didn't work for us

wish I knew that Veritas Press books aren't for the grades they list them for

wish I hadn't bought SOOO many books!

[AmyTompkins]

I wouldn't stress out so much!

 

I wouldn't be so concerned with what others were doing!

 

I wouldn't buy everything that looked promising!

 

 

I would make first-time, cheerful, obedience my number one priority!

 

I would make more time for outdoor exploration.

 

I would spend more time serving others with my children.

[PollyOR]

I wish I had been a tortoise instead of a hare! We are playing "catch up" and it's not fun.

[Melanie]

We're finishing up our sixth year of homeschooling. We have learned so much and have had such a good time that I wouldn't want to change anything! However, if I suddenly found myself with a new batch of children, I'd start Latin much earlier. I would not fool around with trying to make math entertaining. I would let them spend more time in the kitchen and at the zoo, and I'd let them have a hamster.

 

That about covers it!

[Colleen in NS]

What would you do differently? Which programs would you use? What age would you start things like latin?

 

As far as programs and what ages I'd start things, I'm pretty happy with what we've done (mostly using WTM suggestions).

 

What I'd do differently is I'd start teaching myself skills and get way ahead of my kids....things like grammar, Latin, writing, outlining, literature analysis, and learning another foreign language. Logic, rhetoric. Then I'd use those to delve into science and history and literature and really get to know some more content.

 

I think I'd be a lot more efficient with my kids if I'd started this earlier. But live and learn. I can't beat myself up over what's gone under the bridge.

[Lori]

I am only on my 5th yr homeschooling but for my kids they need consistency. They need to know that each day they have chores, school and then play time. Otherwise they think every day is a play day.

[nukeswife]

Well we just finished our 2nd year so we're not far into the journey, but the one thing I wish I would have had was a copy of WTM. I didn't know about it when we started and just found it half way through this year we just finished up. I won't follow it exactly but at least it gives me a jumping off point. The other thing I wish I'd stuck with Saxon for math this past year. I got a bad case of the "grass is greener" syndrome and math this last year was a nightmare. We're back to Saxon and we'll stick with it until it doesn't work. I also wish I had found Growing with Grammar earlier, it would have saved me a lot of headaches from trying to do it with B&N workbooks since I couldn't find anything else that was secular.

[MicheleinMN]

If I could do it over again, I would make sure that my 4 younger dc were as well trained to obey with a good attitude as my first two were. I would work harder to train them to pick up more, complain less, and to not feel so *entitled* to things.

 

Academically....focus on learning good habits, short concentrated lessons, focus on learning those basic math facts down-cold.

 

Latin, Logic, and maybe Spanish starting a year or two after learning to read.

 

(and since my youngest is only 6....I do get to try some of these specific ideas.)

[rafiki]

.

[St. Theophan Academy]

Latin, latin, latin :) While my oldest is just finishing 3rd, so my experience is limited - I wish I had waited until now to start! We tried Prima Latina and Latin Primer in 1st and 2nd, but I realized this year, it is not the book, it just was not the time. So if I could do it over, I would wait until 3rd-4th grade before trying to add this to school. I will definitely wait with my others. I think starting too soon means it drags out too long, and I think that even with a child who is reading well (my son was an excellent reader by 6), it was just over his head and not worth the time we put into it. I am now ready for us to really dig in, I just wish I had not been in such a hurry.

[Beth in Central TX]

Well, I am starting all over again with my last son. It's taken me quite awhile to figure out what works and what doesn't in our homeschool. There was a lot of trial and error in the beginning, especially with my oldest, and that is what I regret the most.

 

With my youngest, I'm starting with the programs that my oldest boys are in now. He will do mostly R&S in the early years, and then I'll add other programs like Elem Apologia, Latin, Greek, & CW when he gets to the appropriate grade.

 

There are other (maybe better--I'm not sure) elementary Latin programs out there now, but I'm going to stick to what I know and follow the same route as before: PL, LCI, LCII, & Wheelock's. My youngest will start Latin and Greek in 3rd grade like his oldest brother.

 

Regardless of what curriculum I end up using, I know that I'll be a better teacher the second time around--well, at least I'll know what I'm doing...most of the time.

[swellmomma]

I am just finishing my 2nd year hsing, so far the only thing I would change if I was to do it over again is to hs from the start and never put them in ps like I did. That is one of my biggest regrets as far as schooling goes. On the other hand I likely wouldn't be quite so adament about hsing like I am if we did not have that experience.

[Staci in MO]

I don't think my philosophy has changed, and I've done literature based from the start, but I'd do a few things differently.

 

I probably would have started Tapestry of Grace sooner, just to get used to the curriculum.

 

I would have liked to have been more organized.

 

I would have done more projects, more science experiements, more nature study, more fun stuff.

[Parrothead]

I would have started MUS during dd's kinder year. I would have bought TWTM and FLL earlier. I didn't get them til mid way through dd's first 1st grade year. I wouldn't have started dd's formal school until she was closer to 5 instead of 4 - I think. That one is a hard call.

[dragons in the flower bed]

I'd be more consistent about getting her to say yes maam and no maam, rather than letting it creep up on me as a half-done job.

 

How do you do that, anyway?

[dragons in the flower bed]

In general, I'm happy with our "mistakes," because using a whole bunch in rapid succession taught me how to homeschool. I learned that it's not the curriculum that matters. It's the consistent, persistent, daily effort, or lack thereof, which matters. It's knowing my kids inside out, and applying that knowledge in teaching them, which matters.

 

I might start Latin earlier, though. Oh, and, definitely, definitely, I'd amp up the self-education, while I could still get away with calling an hour with Play-Doh "school."

[Zee]

Always homeschooled - we're heading into 6th grade.

 

If I were able to do it again, I would not have wasted so much time during the preschool and early elementary years searching for this or that on the internet, chasing every bunny trail of new curriculum that was coming out. I would have spent more time, actually implementing all the great ideas I had gathered or researched. I would have played more games with my son. I would have self-educated in areas that I was weak such as latin, grammar, logic, and upper level math. I would have read more of the of the great books.

 

If I were able to do it again, I would have had my son write more when he was younger and insisted that he not lay on the floor and complain about it. Woe to those who do not nip complaining children in the bud. The fruit is not tasty at 11 years old. I wish I had been firmer and less afraid to to engage in the battle with him over writing and math. His was not a case of being incapable. We are working on replanting the bulb, but it is hard to replant a garden at this point (though never impossible with God and so there is hope!).

 

If I were to do it all over again, I can't say that there would be a curriculum that I would have wanted to do. It would only have been to use what I had to the fullest. I tried to supplement too often, which caused too much redundancy, and we lost ground, where we were once ahead. It is impossible to fill every hole and every gap. Pick good curriculum and use it to the fullest. If I had followed this advice, we would be much further along in our latin studies.

 

If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't have read so much about homeschooling philosophies. There came a point where I was oversaturated with information and conflicting ideas. This led to a lack of clear direction and goals in some areas, caused me to second guess my methods too often, and led to the supplementing nightmare listed above. Being eclectic is a good thing, but trying to blend too many things has its pitfalls, too.

 

If I had to do it all over again, I would not have started three languages. I attribute this to my CM readings. I just didn't know what it would lead to in terms of time and difficulty as my son grew. In the end, we have failed miserably to date, to show much for all the years and effort we have put in (This is not really his failing, but mine alone!). On the positive side, my son has a love for languages and I think we still have plenty of time to make up for my lack of previous clarity.

 

Finally, if I had to do it all over again, I would have had a second child that I could homeschool perfectly because of all that I learned from his/her guinea pig brother. :) Sometimes I feel badly that my learning curve affects my son, but I've done the best that I can to date.

 

What will I do now? I will learn from my past mistakes and Lord willing, be a better teacher in the year to come, continuing to evaluate my performance from time to time and making adjustments as necessary.

[OnTheBrink]

I'd have listened to my instinct more about certain things and I'd have started dd with more of a CM approach than a classical one.

 

Classical worked well with my son, with my dd, not as much. They're just two very different people!

[mcmom4]

Jessie Wise has done a conference titled If I Could Do it Over Again. I have never heard the content of the talk, but her title made me very curious, so I contacted PHP to see if they had any cds of this. She spoke at a conference not long ago and is having this put on cd, which they told me would be ready for sale hopefully by the end of this month.

I am anxious to hear what she has to say and thought you all might as well.

[Carmen_and_Company]

I would have trusted myself and my minimalist beliefs 8 years ago instead of trying to fit a square family into a round whole. I always had LCC leanings, but felt I was not doing or teaching enough after a visit to the boards. So, I forced my eldest to sit through lessons, topics, and subjects that truly were busy work. I learned and now applying quality over quantity--less is more.

 

I love the time we now have to do whatever we wish, when we wish. I refuse to make the same mistake this second & third time around with my youngest two.

[LibraryLover]

I honestly don't have any 'regrets'. I feel I've soaked it up, and we've been together so much through the years. It's wonderful to know that. However, when I reflect on how quickly the time has gone by, I wish I'd read even more to the children. So now I am reading even more to them. :001_smile:

 

I don't think in terms of curric; more of something, or different of something, start or stop sooner etc. If my kids want more of something, or want to learn something we'd didn't cover to their need, they will get it; we've taught them how to fish.

[Lisawa]

Not to much, although... I would not worry so much in the K-3rd grade years. Focus on the 3 rs and finding out what makes them tick!

 

I have used unit studies and the literature approach since my oldest was in 4th grade.... The things we used each year we enjoyed, but I was searching for something... just didn't know what yet....

 

More exploring and outside time too probably. We lived in the city and I didn't let them out much then. They were just to little.

[King Alfred Academy]

Always homeschooled - we're heading into 6th grade.

 

If I were able to do it again, I would not have wasted so much time during the preschool and early elementary years searching for this or that on the internet, chasing every bunny trail of new curriculum that was coming out. I would have spent more time, actually implementing all the great ideas I had gathered or researched. I would have played more games with my son. I would have self-educated in areas that I was weak such as latin, grammar, logic and upper level math. I would have read more of the of the great books.

 

If I were able to do it again, I would have had my son write more when he was younger and insisted that he not lay on the floor and complain about it. Woe to those who do not nip complaining children in the bud. The fruit is not tasty at 11 years old. I wish I had been firmer and less afraid to to engage in the battle with him over writing and math. His was not a case of being incapable. We are working on replanting the bulb, but it is hard to replant a garden at this point (though never impossible with God and so there is hope!)

 

If I were to do it all over again, I can't say that there would be a curriculum that I would have wanted to do. It would only have been to use what I had to the fullest. I tried to supplement too often, which caused too much redundancy and we lost ground, where we were once ahead. It is impossible to fill every whole and every gap. Pick good curriculum and use it to the fullest. If I had followed this advice we would be much further along in our latin studies.

 

If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't have read so much about homeschooling philosophies. There came a point where I was oversaturated with information and conficting ideas. This led to a lack of clear direction and goals in some areas, caused me to second guess my methods too often, and led to the supplementing nightmare listed above. Being eclectic is a good thing, but trying to blend too many things has it's pitfalls, too.

 

Finally, if I had to do it all over again, I would not have started three languages. I attribute this to my CM readings. I just didn't know what it would lead to in terms of time and difficulty as my son grew. In the end, we have failed miserably to date to show much for all the years and effort we have put in (This is not really his failing, but mine alone!). On the positive side, my son has a love for languages and I think we still have plenty of time to make up for my lack of previous clarity.

 

If I had to do it all over again, I would have had a second child that I could homeschool perfectly because of all that I learned from his/her guinea pig brother. :) Sometimes I feel badly that my learning curve affects my son, but I've done the best that I can to date.

 

What will I do now? I will learn from my past mistakes and Lord willing, be a better teacher in the year to come, continuing to evaluate my performance from time to time and making adjustments as necessary.

 

 

Wow...thanks for sharing your heart, Zee. I am all :bigear:!

[Closeacademy]

What would you do differently?

 

I would not have wasted too much time putting together all sorts of elaborate curriculum plans for my dc in grades PreK through 2nd that included art, music, science, etc. I would have just concentrated on math, phonics and penmanship and let the rest of it come as it may.

 

I wish I would have found Spell to Write and Read earlier but then I may not have been ready to try it out and tweak it if I had not gone through so many other phonics programs.

 

I think ideally it would all look like this:

 

PreK--SWR phonograms with pictures, Singapore Earlybird Math

 

K--SWR phonograms with pictures, Singapore Earlybird Math, Copywork to learn how to write letters

 

1st--SWR phonograms with pictures & silly key word sentences, Singapore Primary Math 1a/b, Copywork

 

2nd--SWR phonograms with pictures & silly key word sentences, Singapore Math 2a/b, Copywork, some precis writing with Aesop's Fables

 

3rd--SWR spelling lists, Singapore Math 3a/b, Narrative composition, Latin

 

I would read through SOTW with the coloring pages but not make a big production of it. I think I would pursue more lapbooking/notebooking and let the dc pick topics to study from a list. I would spend lots of time outdoors and we would read a variety of books that were of interest to my dc.

 

Books I would use:

 

Dr. Suess

Mo Willems

Stuart J. Murphy

Ruth Heller--Grammar books

Jan Brett

Richard Scarry

Marc Brown

etc. All the fun stuff.:001_smile:

[8filltheheart]

Well, I have gotten to do over and over!!! ;)

 

I am definitely a firm believer in letting them spend their younger yrs playing, exploring, building, drawing, etc. Essentially zero academics prior to K and basically only phonics/penmanship/reading/math for K-2. Let them thrive on their interests, especially in science, until late middle school.

 

Don't stress about skills/lack of skills. All kids are not going to be brilliant in every subject. Make sure you focus on the individual child. Work with diligence on helping them progress. They are who they are. I used to compare my kids to what I thought they should be achieving. I would pat myself on the back for their successes (as in exceeding grade level) and panic about when they were behind. I have come to the great realization that as long as I am dedicated to teaching them (as in absolutely focused on goals/objectives and making sure that I am teaching appropriately)......I'm not really responsible of either extreme. All I can do is provide the tools/assistance/guidance. A large part of it is simply ability.

[Laura R (FL)]

I haven't read all the other replies...

 

Both of my girls struggle with spelling and my oldest is dyslexic. If I had it to do all over again, I would have been more consistent with phonics and stuck with one program. Also, with hindsight what it is, I would have chosen an Orton-Gillingham type approach.

 

One other thing I would have done is to be more organized and disciplined and not have let my kids off so easily when the work became harder. I think I was too easy on my oldest when she struggled instead of allowing her to work through issues which would have built up her work ethic in a different way.

[Zee]

There are notes from her talk on this somewhere on the TWTM website. Probably under conference handouts? Seems like I remember reading them a few years ago. You may want to look there for a sneak peek while you wait for the CD to come out. :)

[Colleen in NS]

Jessie Wise has done a conference titled If I Could Do it Over Again. I have never heard the content of the talk, but her title made me very curious, so I contacted PHP to see if they had any cds of this. She spoke at a conference not long ago and is having this put on cd, which they told me would be ready for sale hopefully by the end of this month.

I am anxious to hear what she has to say and thought you all might as well.

 

Oh, I'm so excited to hear this! I've so wished I could have a chance to hear this workshop! I'll be watching for the CD.....

[Rhonda in TX]

That's the biggest change I would make. Other than that, I wish I would have found Ambleside Online earlier. Also, once I did find AO, I wish I would have started it right away, rather than getting hung up on the 4-year history cycle.

 

I also wish I hadn't let IEW sit on the shelf for over 6 months before looking at it. :D

[mcmom4]

Actually, it is from me browsing and finding that conference handout that made me LONG to be able to hear the cd itself. So I emailed PHP awhile back asking about it, which they responded saying they didn't have it on cd. I wrote back telling them how important I think it is (and sad I think it is) that there are not enough of those who have gone on before us who can give us thoughts, ideas, WISDOM on how to make our journey a little less regretful. I think I have Pilgrim's Progress in my mind when I picture those seasoned homeschool moms who have just crossed over looking back and urging us on. Even though I have a 20 yr old who was homeschooled all the way through and is now in college, I still want to learn and glean from those older and wiser than me. At any rate, hopefully the cd will be out soon. Mrs. Wise had written to me and told me she was speaking at a conference in Cincinnati and was taping it. Then Kim from PHP wrote and said they have the speech, it was of good enough quality to record and sell and it should be ready by the end of the month.

Yay! I'm excited, too, Colleen!!

[profmom]

What will I do now? I will learn from my past mistakes and Lord willing, be a better teacher in the year to come, continuing to evaluate my performance from time to time and making adjustments as necessary.

 

I love this from Zee. :)

 

I don't have many regrets. I think much of what you do in the beginning (mistakes and all) is necessary to finding your way. I think that starting and reading threads like these can help you minimize some of the mistakes though.

 

I am definitely more focused now than I was in the beginning. Part of this is probably due to experience and seeing things from a little bit bigger picture (which is much clearer for the younger years, bit is still foggy for the older years). Part of the increased focus comes from reading books like LCC -- "much not many!" There really isn't time in the day to cover every subject with the same level of depth, so it's imperative to prioritize.

 

My advice, which is easy to say and difficult to do: read, research, and read some more, but then pray about curricula & educational philosophy decisions and go with God's leading in your heart (even when, or especially when :) , it conflicts with your ideas of what would be best). Once you have this direction, rest in it and focus on making consistent progress. (And here's an extra "note to self:" don't get agitated if a dc isn't making the progress and moving as quickly as you'd like to see! Focus on consistent progress, as patiently as possible. :chillpill::))

[rafiki]

.

[...................]

I have loved this thread! Zee, I especially enjoyed your post. It seems there are a lot of moms who would focus on the 3R's more, and worry about peripheral subjects less.

 

Here is mine if I had to do over with K (and I can do it over b/c I have another child! YAY!)

 

1. Don't start early. It served no purpose starting early. I will wait till her actual ps K year- where she'll actually be closer to six.

 

2. I will use one complete program. For me K was not fun for mix and match. It was too hard to create a nice balance between exploration, play, God, and academics. So for my next child we will use MFW or HOD depending on her interests and level.

 

3. I would go to all the story times I could find, and all the museums, activities, and zoos, and not try to get my kids into athletics, gymnastics, sports, or anything like that. We've had much more fun this year and my kids grew more as little people since I've tried to focus on hands on, fun, interesting learning rather than activities. And most of these things are either free or cheaper than sports anyway.

 

So that's it for K.

[5wolfcubs]

Wow! Just finished reading this thread! I could have said most of what Zee said, too. And the fruit of not requiring writing doesn't get any tastier at 13. :glare:

 

The 2 biggies I have learned so far on our journey are:

 

*Consistent use of curriculum, a few things done daily are better then a whole bunch of wonderful things on the shelf/downloaded and a "we didn't get to it today" attitude.

 

*Writing, bought ONE program and used it, consistently -- not thinking "this will be the one!" or "I can do this myself, cheaper" (because, as I've discovered I can't).

 

I love reading about what others are doing, but sometimes that has to be enough for me...I can't to do it all (even though it sure looks fun!).

 

EDITED TO ADD:

Oh, I didn't remember you asked about programs or Latin:

Programs I've used for more then one child or more then one year (or plan too!): Math-U-See, Singapore's Challenging Word Problems, First Language Lessons, Five in a Row, Handwriting without Tears, Lively Latin, Minimus Latin, Story of the World...hopefully add Christian Light Education to this list! :)

Latin would be Lively Latin in 2nd or 3rd grade, whenever the child is reading and writing well. I'd do Minimus the year before or alongside -- for fun!

[SkateLeft]

My oldest will be an 8th grader in the fall, so I've not yet graduated anyone. My kids have never been in traditional school.

 

At this point, I honestly can't think of what I'd change. Every year just gets better and better. :D The only thing I can say is that I do wish my kids had more unstructured social opportunities, but we just don't have an active homeschool group nearby. I try to solicit feedback from my kids about what they like and don't like each year, and what they would like to learn the following year. I don't always change things, but I try to make them feel like they have a say in the course of their education.

 

Ask me years from now, when they're pursuing their chosen careers (or can't get one! eek!), and we'll see what I think then. :lol:

[Rosie_0801]

I'm new at this so I really just want to subscribe to the thread.

But I wish I had a better hold on my patience before I started homeschooling (or being a parent ).

 

Lol :) Pregnancy teaches patience.

Rosie

[Mama Lynx]

Based on what I did with my olders, here's how I'm changing things for my youngers:

 

* More fairy tales

* Not going to stress about history retention, not at all

* Going to do what SWB says to do for early writing. She's right, I was wrong.

 

Everything else, I'm keeping :)