UrbanSue Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 We school year-round and the best thing I ever did was to sit down and schedule my 5- or 6-week terms in advance with a week-long break after each. I used to take breaks when we needed it and then always feel guilty about it. Now I see clearly when we need the break and it motivates me to push through the last week before. And then I can really enjoy the week off. Today was our last day before a break and I needed it so badly. As soon as I finished that last math lesson I put on a science video, lay down with a book, and took a nap! And next week: attic cleaning, tax filing, curriculum planning, and lots of reading. So looking forward to it. What have been your best homeschooling moves? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xixstar Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Glad it has eased a lot of stress and is working well. I'm debating the year-round approach because I really like consistency and am pretty sure I would work better with keeping going without an extended break and being able to break our schedule into smaller chunks would also be easier to manage as well. Just a matter of figuring out when I should start... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briansmama Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Sounds lovely but I would have mutiny on my hands if I even suggested homeschooling through the summer when all of the neighborhood kids are out of school. We really love our summer break around here. I do envy your weeklong breaks every other month though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Move group/content work to mornings and one-on-one skill work to afternoons. That, combined with incorporating writing across the curriculum and combining subjects whenever possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 I love your idea. Recently my son and I had a heart to heart, and I am trying to bring us both more joy about this whole process. We school year round as well, and I love that I don't really feel guilty when we decide to take vacation during the school year, take off while the grandparents are visiting from out of state, or if we miss a few days with some significant sickness. However, I realized my son doesn't really know that he has downtime or wiggle room unless it is scheduled. So I talked with him about putting up 1-2 days on the calendar as "off" days every 3 weeks or so. That way he can see them coming :) We started off unschooly and I actually think in many ways that is a wonderful fit for his personality, as he's always exploring, reading, etc. So I asked him if it would bring him more joy to literally schedule a day every 2 weeks or so that he can have a free day to explore his own interests. He was thrilled at that idea. I am hoping these bring some joy to both of us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freesia Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 We school year-round and the best thing I ever did was to sit down and schedule my 5- or 6-week terms in advance with a week-long break after each. I used to take breaks when we needed it and then always feel guilty about it. Now I see clearly when we need the break and it motivates me to push through the last week before. And then I can really enjoy the week off. Today was our last day before a break and I needed it so badly. As soon as I finished that last math lesson I put on a science video, lay down with a book, and took a nap! And next week: attic cleaning, tax filing, curriculum planning, and lots of reading. So looking forward to it. What have been your best homeschooling moves? This is almost exactly what I do. Except I do 4 or 5 weeks on, one week off (either light, which means 1 subject or catch-up OR completely off.) I still do 6 weeks off in the summer. Six weeks is just enough for us in the summer. I love, love, love it. I can get things done around the house, focus on my 3 year old, get a mental break, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Funny you say that. I had to go look just now to see when our week break was coming. It's next week!!! But actually I don't know if I want to take it yet... we're having fun. When we don't do school during the day everything seems chaotic and the kids aren't happy. I think I'll put that break on hold for a while. Maybe. Best thing I ever did for our homeschool was fill my bookshelves with really good books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbanSue Posted February 8, 2013 Author Share Posted February 8, 2013 Funny you say that. I had to go look just now to see when our week break was coming. It's next week!!! But actually I don't know if I want to take it yet... we're having fun. When we don't do school during the day everything seems chaotic and the kids aren't happy. I think I'll put that break on hold for a while. Maybe. Best thing I ever did for our homeschool was fill my bookshelves with really good books. I was saying on Monday of this week that maybe I'd skip this break because I'm eager to start some new things. But by Wednesday I was glad I had a break coming! I, too, am grateful that dh and I have haunted library sales for over ten years to build a good library at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeindeed Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 OP, that's a great idea. We school year round, but we just take breaks here and there. I really like the idea of a 5-6 weeks on & one week off rotation. That would be a nice break b/w schooling times, plus it would give me a built-in week for doctor's appointments, deep cleaning, etc. One thing I've done that I consider to be wonderful for homeschooling is becoming a member at Paperback Swap. I've gotten so many books that way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 I scheduled a rotation like that this year. We were supposed to be off this week. BUT, we have been cruising through work without burning out. While I would love the break, I'd love to take the extra week in April when I'm supposed to have a baby. So this supposed week off will shift two months later. Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissKNG Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Can homeschooling itself be the best homeschooling thing I ever did?!! Hehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbanSue Posted February 9, 2013 Author Share Posted February 9, 2013 OP, that's a great idea. We school year round, but we just take breaks here and there. I really like the idea of a 5-6 weeks on & one week off rotation. That would be a nice break b/w schooling times, plus it would give me a built-in week for doctor's appointments, deep cleaning, etc. One thing I've done that I consider to be wonderful for homeschooling is becoming a member at Paperback Swap. I've gotten so many books that way! I keep meaning to try paperback swap. Thanks for the reminder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I keep meaning to try paperback swap. Thanks for the reminder. I started having so many bad deliveries that I quit. Books reeking of smoke, lots of water damage and/or writing, pages falling out, etc. I was constantly trying to get my credits back. It was fantastic at first, though. Just wanted to give a warning in case there are people with allergies in your home (mold, smoke, etc). :) ETA: One of the best homeschooling things I've done is quit paperbackswap....lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2boys030507 Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 The best thing I have ever done is to start making weekly assignment sheets for my boys. They get excited to see what is on them and they know each day what they are expected to complete before they can have free time. Works great for my schedule loving boys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFM Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 We school year-round and the best thing I ever did was to sit down and schedule my 5- or 6-week terms in advance with a week-long break after each. I used to take breaks when we needed it and then always feel guilty about it. Now I see clearly when we need the break and it motivates me to push through the last week before. And then I can really enjoy the week off. Today was our last day before a break and I needed it so badly. As soon as I finished that last math lesson I put on a science video, lay down with a book, and took a nap! And next week: attic cleaning, tax filing, curriculum planning, and lots of reading. So looking forward to it. What have been your best homeschooling moves? So when do you begin? I want to school year round as well --- I think it would be less stressful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbanSue Posted February 9, 2013 Author Share Posted February 9, 2013 So when do you begin? I want to school year round as well --- I think it would be less stressful. We still begin in the fall. Dh is a professor so we start our new year when he starts his new year. Our summers end up more broken up than the traditional school year because we usually take at least two significant trips. But we just fit in school during the weeks when we're home without ever doing more than six weeks at a stretch. Most of our curriculum we just do one level when we finish the previous though I do promote the kids in the fall and use their "official" grade level as a benchmark for overall progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybear Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Hard to pick one thing, but I think the best homeschooling thing I ever did was to stop unschooling. I know unschooling works wonderfully for some families. I even think one of my boys could do quite well with it, but for my older ds he wants and needs structured school time. Best thing I ever did was to make it more like school at home for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 For us, it was music. My dh wanted them to learn an instrument and was not convinced. But he was sure it would be good. He was right; they love it. And it allows them to work through a non-academic / non-textbook subject incrementally and systematically, with obvious improvement every year. It gives them an outlet to express themselves, and has radically improved my older boys "hearing." He had been diagnosed with auditory processing issues at age 6, and just scored top points on the auditory part of a very advanced violin exam. Overall, a huge win in this math and science family. Ruth in NZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Not a popular answer around here, I'm sure, but I'll go with being a part of our co-op. It's small and purposeful and very special. We used to have two and it got to be too much... but both those groups of friends have been so precious to us on our homeschool journey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbanSue Posted February 9, 2013 Author Share Posted February 9, 2013 Not a popular answer around here, I'm sure, but I'll go with being a part of our co-op. It's small and purposeful and very special. We used to have two and it got to be too much... but both those groups of friends have been so precious to us on our homeschool journey. True that I mostly hate co-ops. But I can imagine a good one out there and I certainly wouldn't judge your enthusiasm for one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I always gave curriculum at least a full month of using it as advrtised before I made a call about it. Consistency is key. Using what you have every day is better than drooling over something new. You always lose ground when you change something. Minimize screen times as much as possible, especially when they're young. Relationship. Relationship. Relationship. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Audiobooks. I used to absolutely hate even the idea of them, but DD really enjoys them (seriously, she'll sit and listen for 2 hours at a time if she likes the story) and it gives Teacher's voice a break. I also like that it gives her lots of models on how to read aloud herself, instead of one or two people. Adding CM-style narration after books I use for a specific subject (usually either history or science) boosts retention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipitous journey Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 found these boards. really. I don't know how we would have survived the first two years sane otherwise ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivingHope Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 We bought a kindle and an ipod shuffle for each child. We have the Yesterday's Classics ebooks Collection and request lots of audio books from the library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Practiced on other people's children! Since I had tutored phonics for years before homeschooling, mainly one-on-one but also a few small classes, that made homeschooling really easy. I tell people half-jokingly that I should have practiced on other people's children for math, too. I had done some algebra and trig tutoring and can explain those very simply. However, elementary math is different. Reading Liping-Ma's book and switching to Singapore math had to substitute for practicing on other people's children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarynB Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Not a popular answer around here, I'm sure, but I'll go with being a part of our co-op. It's small and purposeful and very special. We used to have two and it got to be too much... but both those groups of friends have been so precious to us on our homeschool journey. I wish we had a good co-op around here. I'd settle for good, wouldn't even have to be great. If most co-ops were good, they'd be a lot more popular! You're very fortunate! ETA - Most of the things I can think of as my "best things" have already been mentioned. I'd also add: teaching DS to type at a young age, and getting him a trampoline to burn off the excess energy in a short amount of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weederberries Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 The best thing we've done has been educating our children like individuals. We're blessed to live in a state that allows it fully. Ways we do this: I started school with each of my children when they were developmentally ready, whether the state or the curriculum said they were the right age or not. We've made school work for us...our school year starts in January and ends in November. We take a month-long trip overseas in October and experience the world and history for ourselves. It doesn't look like school, but it's the best education they could ever get. Wow, that sounds preachy. :-/ The simplest change we made this year was to eliminate screen time on weekdays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lily_Grace Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Best thing I ever did was to start making scrapbook-style videos for my son. They let me go through the year and remember all the really cool things he did and how much he's grown, and they're uber portable- a huge plus when we moved and and lost the contents of our home at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Well, I have only been at this since August, so I am probably not even qualified to give a valid answer:) The best thing that I have implemented since August? Having my groceries delivered! Grocery shopping has always been my nemesis, but once I started homeschooling I had to streamline this dreaded chore. It takes me less than an hour online to put my order together, and I only pay the equivalent of $6 for delivery. I am not exaggerating to say that this one thing has totally rocked my domestic world and consequently our homeschool:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbanSue Posted February 9, 2013 Author Share Posted February 9, 2013 Audiobooks. I used to absolutely hate even the idea of them, but DD really enjoys them (seriously, she'll sit and listen for 2 hours at a time if she likes the story) and it gives Teacher's voice a break. I also like that it gives her lots of models on how to read aloud herself, instead of one or two people. Adding CM-style narration after books I use for a specific subject (usually either history or science) boosts retention. I like this for myself, too! I used to hate the idea of them and now I think it's awesome that I can catch up on some of the classics I missed while cleaning the house. Long story, but we just ended up with an extra iPod and our first thought was, "Now ds can have his own audiobooks on road trips!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbanSue Posted February 9, 2013 Author Share Posted February 9, 2013 found these boards. really. I don't know how we would have survived the first two years sane otherwise ... These boards can be dangerous but when I really started using them to get help with curriculum I had a much easier time. (I lurked forever using the search engine--I wish I'd known how much easier it was to search as a member!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbanSue Posted February 9, 2013 Author Share Posted February 9, 2013 We bought a kindle and an ipod shuffle for each child. We have the Yesterday's Classics ebooks Collection and request lots of audio books from the library. I have long felt about Kindles as I used to about audiobooks, but I might be starting to crack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbanSue Posted February 9, 2013 Author Share Posted February 9, 2013 Well, I have only been at this since August, so I am probably not even qualified to give a valid answer:) The best thing that I have implemented since August? Having my groceries delivered! Grocery shopping has always been my nemesis, but once I started homeschooling I had to streamline this dreaded chore. It takes me less than an hour online to put my order together, and I only pay the equivalent of $6 for delivery. I am not exaggerating to say that this one thing has totally rocked my domestic world and consequently our homeschool:) That's great! For various reasons, I finally have a reliable, workable routine for most of the essential household chores. Part of it is that my kids are finally old enough to provide real help! It makes such a huge difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 We school from August to the end of May, We do 6 weeks on, 1 week off. It has been great. This is our 2nd year really following that schedule and I love it. I spend most of our break planning, he spends most of his break staying up late and sleeping in. We both win. It can still be done in a traditional school year and get 36 weeks in. We don't take off single holidays, only 2 days at Thanksgiving, 2 weeks at Christmas, those are the odd break times. The best thing we've done is allow ds to be himself and grow at his own pace. At one time his ability spanned about five grade levels. As he's gotten older, he has more say in his education. Maybe that's the best, knowing that this is HIS education, and be willing to be flexible to accomplish it in a way that fits him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SorrelZG Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I'm not a "listen to your heart" type so that's not exactly what I mean when I say this but the best thing I've done so far is to stop listening to so many voices about how to homeschool so as to do best by my children (or rather, stop giving them so much weight in my mind and so much of my time reading/listening to them) and turn my eyes, ears and time to focusing on my own family, core values, circumstances, strengths, children, etc. and "trusting my instincts." It's made me a lot more discerning about what information is useful for us and what to pass over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Not a popular answer around here, I'm sure, but I'll go with being a part of our co-op. It's small and purposeful and very special. We used to have two and it got to be too much... but both those groups of friends have been so precious to us on our homeschool journey. Agree with this. We participate in a tiny co-op with just two other families, but it has been a wonderful experience for us. I don't think I could handle a larger group very well. I originally thought we'd never participate in a co-op, but our little group works well for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhudson Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I think one of the best things we have done is to match vacations with what we are learning in school, play games based on what we are learning and have learning be more hands on. I am by nature a "get it done" or "read a book about it" learner and educator but I found when we put some real life experiences or made learning come out of the school room my kids enjoyed it more and retained far more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I'm with the PP who said deciding tho HS was the best HS decision she has made. :hurray: I haven't been doing this for long enough to have any tips or tricks, except to say that in the brief semester I have been working with my son, I have gained a lot of confidence in letting curriculum be a general road map and not a chiseled-in-stone program. Also, I think your idea is great OP!!! I am going to incorporate 6 weeks units. We were already planning to do year-round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEVmom Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 We take a month-long trip overseas in October and experience the world and history for ourselves. It doesn't look like school, but it's the best education they could ever get. Wow, I want to know more about this. Where do you go? How do you do it? I'm drooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 It's early yet to declare it the best ever but frankly, buying my son a tablet and letting him do most all of his writing on that or on the computer has been life changing in just the week since I bought it. Writing a paragraph with a pen and paper for him is so slow and hard. I realized this was not a sign he was a bad writer (which given his story telling ability made little sense) when he used his iPod touch to tap out a 1.5 page speech on the transcontinental railroad that was both funny and informative. We went with a Nexus 7 and he has finished more writing assignments in the last week than he did in a month or more before, in both LA and in Science. Such a relief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebacabunch Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Carschooling! I love SOTW on audiobook. This guarantees that we stay on track! Family membership to the gym. When we are all grouchy we go to the pool. Art. If I have hit a wall in a subject we make an art lesson to cover it. We make grammar posters, math sculptures, history coloring books, etc. My kids mellow out whenever we do art. We invest in good quality art supplies. Doing mapwork is so much more fun with good quality watercolor pencils. :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Art. If I have hit a wall in a subject we make an art lesson to cover it. We make grammar posters, math sculptures, history coloring books, etc. My kids mellow out whenever we do art. We invest in good quality art supplies. Doing mapwork is so much more fun with good quality watercolor pencils. :laugh: LOVE this approach! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingmama Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 The best thing I did so far was buy an IPad. I thought I didn't need one till I got one (unasked for) for Christmas. It has cut down on wasted time considerably because I buy most of our curriculum as PDFS being overseas and now it's all at my fingertips. Plus we can all sit on the couch instead of huddling round the computer screen and I don't have to print anymore lessons I can just follow them off the IPad. I can also download all the Ambleside readings and listen to them while we are eating. I love it so much I am thinking of buying one each for my kids because then I don't have to share mine and they can do their work on it. I could go on and on about how much I love the thing. I would never be without it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyndiLJ Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Stopped testing and started learning. Stopped grading and started learning. Stopped worrying and started learning. Once I internalized that it didn't have to look exactly like school, we finally started getting somewhere. Once I realized it was OK for it to sort of look like school sometimes, we got somewhere. Basically, when I realized I could create my own sort of hybrid was when we hit the sweet spot for us. But probably the single most important thing I ever did was eventually really internalize just how much my kids could learn with the right curriculum, and when turned loose to explore. I thought it had to be more rigid, I thought I had to be more of a dictator. Once I trusted them, things go so much better. It just took me awhile to get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 I stopped looking at curriculum posts after I made my purchases for the year :) Last year I ended up with too much because I kept hearing about great things on the curriculum boards. What we have works, so I try to avoid the curriculum posts until I start planning next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delaney Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Relaxing. After teaching in public school it took me a long time to drop the 9-3, September thru June mentality. Each kid learns differently, I can't make my oldest daughter love to read, and if the younger daughter wants to stop, drop, and write a paragraph then I let her. Letting to the strick control has been huge and finding interactive computer stuff to supplement has been great as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 We've been year-round since we started in Kindergarten. It's too hot to do much outside in the summer anyway. We might as well do school then and take more time off in the spring and fall when it's decent. Best homschool thing I've ever done, after making my schedule work for me, would be making afternoon tea a big deal. We say our poems, have our tea and cake or toast, and that gives us energy to tackle the afternoon work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Best thing I ever did was to start making scrapbook-style videos for my son. They let me go through the year and remember all the really cool things he did and how much he's grown, and they're uber portable- a huge plus when we moved and and lost the contents of our home at the same time. I love this idea!!! I have thought of doing something like that, but haven't been about to think through the how. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Giving up on "school at home" to become more child-led/flexible and allow them to follow rabbit-trails and interests. Along those rabbit trails is where the real learning seems to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 The best homeschooling decisions I have made, in no particular order, are: Releasing myself from worrying about what the PS students were doing. I have intentionally chosen something other than the PS model in so many areas (writing especially comes to mind) so why should I waste precious time and energy fretting that our output looks different than the PS classroom. Schooling year round. We started out schooling 40 weeks a year and each year the number seems to creep up. (This year we are planning on 50 weeks.) We usually have some sort of school going 6 days a week, but because we work year round the days can be lighter and we do not stress when we need to take a day off. Structuring our learning for the real children I have not the imaginary students I thought I would have. We hit a point a few years ago where my preconceptions about how our schooling would look were coloring my outlook about our reality to the point that I was missing all the joy. I was so wrapped up in trying to get to what I thought we should have that I was practically ignoring all the really excellent things we already had working for us and I was so stressed that the kids were not doing what I thought we would be that I was beginning to suck all the joy from their learning. I think almost every other positive choice made in this homeschooling journey has hinged on one of the three big decisions listed above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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