Who Let The Homeschoolers Out?

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 Sometimes you just have to laugh.

This week a very well meaning person started talking with me about all of the homeschoolers they see "out in the stores" during "regular school hours".  Those poor children! Someone should really take the responsibility of teaching them seriously and just STAY AT HOME SO THEY CAN LEARN.

Where do you even start with this? 

I believe it is a slow process... of convincing the critics (if you care enough about their opinion to convince them) that learning can be done at ANY TIME and in ANY PLACE. 

Old stereotypes die hard, don't they?

You will be happy to know that we actually stayed at home A LOT this week, but we did venture out a few times for fun times with friends, a few errands, and (gasp) lunch out in the middle of the day!

This Collage Friday is dedicated to the balance in our homeschool between staying home and getting it done and venturing out and getting it done, too!  

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Writing & Latin

I no longer have little ones at home. My children are capable of sitting for longer periods of time and accomplishing a lot of "book work". 

 

This was Grant's first week of Essentials, and he did quite well. He completed a keyword outline and paragraph in his U.S. History-Based Writing Lessons from IEW. He insisted on typing it all himself and was very diligent about adding his -ly words and vocabulary words, too. 

My son loves TASKS, and he loves a checklist. I am so thankful, because this makes Essentials that much easier and enjoyable!

Do you see that smile in the photo above from Anna? We are having FUN with Latin. She is working through Henle Latin at her own pace this year (which is pretty quick, I might add). She's pointing out Latin derivatives in our read-alouds, and she's noticing Latin in movies and television shows. 

It is so gratifying to sit across the table from her and have academic discussions. It isn't a "teacher-student" relationship, rather a peer to peer learning relationship. I'm learning right with her. This is why I adore the Classical Conversations Challenge program!

Grammar, Math, Geography, & History

We're still settling into our daily routines, and to be quite honest - each day is sometimes very different from the one before. 

My kids know that certain things always come first (devotions & math) and that sometimes they may have to work on a subject that doesn't require mom's help while I am helping their sibling. 

Our homeschool didn't always function this way. It's much easier to have this kind of schedule when your children are older. 

Grant has been memorizing Chart A in Essentials (all about sentence types, structures and patterns). He's recreated it with LEGO bricks, cut apart a chart and put it back together like a puzzle, and filled in a blank chart. Hopefully, he will be able to recreate the chart from memory on a blank piece of paper in the next few weeks.

Saxon math continues to work VERY WELL for both of my children. This week Anna started grading Grant's lessons and helping him with any he missed. I've found that she is working on the exact same concepts he is, just a few grade levels ahead. She learns so much by TEACHING him, and I love that he is accepting this instruction from her. 

The geography memory work this year is all about the 50 states. In addition to memorizing capitals, I have Grant complete a few pages in the Kids' Road Atlas and also a notebooking page  for each state we are studying.

History consists of memorizing the weekly history sentence, which we then research and expand upon during the week. Grant loves the PreScripts from Classical Conversations, which helps him practice the sentence and also work on his handwriting (along with a simple art lesson each week).

Homeschool P.E.

Please don't tell, but we left our house this week.

Our membership to the YMCA has been put to good use recently. 

Last week we met friends for shooting baskets and jumping rope. This week we picked up a friend from Grant's Foundations class and she came swimming with us for a few hours of P.E. 

You wouldn't believe how QUIET the YMCA is at 2 p.m. The sweet lady at the front desk asked all of the kids if they liked being homeschooled and my darling Anna replied, "Yes, I love it! I can get all of my work done and then have time to come here and swim while everyone else is still in school!"

God bless that child of mine. 

Ethiopia and Honduras

After my trip to Ecuador last December and my husband's trip to Honduras in March, we feel very strongly about opening our children's eyes to the needs of children around the world. 

Anna and Grant have been busy making bracelets for our friend Andi (pictured left), who is traveling to Ethiopia NEXT WEEK!  She will be going with Buckner Ministries and Shoes for Orphan Soles. I am so excited for her I can't stand it!  

Another friend, Christine, is a missionary at Loma de Luz medical mission in Honduras. My husband worked alongside Christine for a week in March and has a special place in his heart for the people at Loma de Luz. We loaded Christine down with bracelets so she can take them when she returns to Honduras soon.  

{If you'd like to support Christine, which I highly recommend, you can read more about her through her sending organization, CornerStone International.}

That Delicate Balance

I'm learning that we must have a delicate balance of being at home and being out and about. 

Our schoolwork is very demanding this year, so we MUST be at home much more than in the past to get everything accomplished. I have reduced our outside commitments so this can happen.

Now that our outside commitments are reduced, we have much more free time to have our OWN fun. Going to the YMCA, taking part in volunteer activities, and just getting together with homeschooled friends is much more possible this year.

I feel like I AM DRIVING THE BUS this year - it isn't driving me. Know what I mean? 

I'm curious. Have you found that balance in your homeschool? How do you feel about the balance you have between being home and being out and about? 

Please join me by linking your photo collages! 

If you'd like to link, you can do so in a couple of ways:

• Enter your link below. Be sure to link to your post with photo collages and link back to this post (or include the Collage Friday button on your blog).
• Share your photo collage(s) on Instagram, FB, G+, or Twitter - use the hashtag #collagefriday so I can find you!

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