Welcome to the jungle! This should have been what other homeschooling moms said to me before I started. Yes, it's been a little rough, to say the least. However, I am committed and happy to be taking this journey. I only wish my 6 year old first grader would welcome the freedom we have instead of expecting to never do school and always want to play. That has been the biggest challenge. I was warned the first year would be rough. I wasn't warned as to why it would be rough. It is definitely harder than I thought it would be. It's tough because I don't have much of a network yet of other homeschooling families and I have definite focus issues with my son. On top of that, lesson preparation takes up my nights and I have been tired more than usual. This could also be in part to my 2 year old son who is constantly into everything and keeps me busy.
So we are in week three. Things are moving along okay but we are having issues with the short vowel sound \e\. I read that this is a common problem where some kids confuse the \i\ with \e\. So we will stay where we are until this confusion abates. No worries. His spelling isn't bad and his reading is coming along. We have also added writing into the mix this week, as I am having him write me little stories of his choosing. It is an exercise he has shown enthusiasm for, as long as I allow him to write it with markers. I am choosing my battles and will allow this for now. I must invest in more notebooks though, as he tends to write in larger letters this way. I am impressed that his stories follow the correct structure. He also realizes that his stories may be exaggerated. He told me today that his tiger could see underwater, but that's because his story is fiction. Gave me a chuckle. I love to see his excitement when he's working on his stories. Usually I let him try to figure out spelling and go over it later to correct it. Sometimes he'll ask me how to spell things and I will help him but first ask him how he thinks it should be spelled. His misspellings will usually be close enough for me to figure out what he meant, as he is spelling it as it sounds to him.
My one failure so far has been to not do any art projects with him, if that can be considered a failure. We just haven't had the time. I have found some things for us to try and have most of the supplies for our first project. He will also be working on a project for his volcano study, making a paper mache volcano with his Dad. That will mark the end of our unit study on volcanoes. I am looking forward to our next one on the 13 colonies, although Josh wanted it to be on sea creatures. I am saving that one for the spring though, right before we will probably take our next trip to South Carolina. Getting everything in can be a challenge, especially with a 2 year old to worry about. Most of our real studying comes when he's napping, which isn't long enough to get as much done as I'd like. However, I am impressed with what we have done and I am enjoying learning with my son. Last year, when he went to kindergarten, I would ask him at night what he did that day in school. Most of the time, he'd give me the typical response, "I don't know." Frustrating but common, so I hear. I never felt completely connected to his learning process. We'd work on things at home but still didn't really know what he was learning in school. Things are different now, as I am well aware of what he is studying and what he is retaining.
So the journey continues. Next week will be the last week of our first month of schooling at home. It isn't easy but I think it is worth it. Nothing can replace one-on-one instruction. Plus we get to choose what he learns, not have others tell us what they think he should know. I know, many out there may think that parents don't necessarily teach their kids enough of the stuff they need to learn. We here in PA have certain things we have to teach, but teach them as we choose. I am also letting Josh pick things he'd like to learn about, and that is where the unit studies come in to play. He chooses some topics and we decide the rest. I think it is only fair that he has a say in his own education. So far, it seems to be working for us. It is going to be a bumpy ride but I have always liked roller coasters. So if you do too, hop on and enjoy this ride with us. It is an adventure I never thought I'd take but am happy to be on.
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