Emma is a fellow homeschool graduate now homeschooling her four children on Vancouver Island. Because her kids are just ahead of mine in school, she’s a mom I often turn to for advice about curriculum, motivation, and more. Today, she’s sharing some of the things that have changed with each of the four years that she’s homeschooled.
Homeschooling Year 1
The first year I homeschooled I had a kindergartner, a 4-year-old, 2-year-old and 1-year-old. We set up a room in the basement with school stuff and a table. I liked being able to close the door and keep the kids out so it stayed tidy.
The 1-year-old sat in a highchair at the table and the other kids all had chairs as did I. I made extra copies of what we were working on or had colouring pages so everyone felt included, but never required the younger children to participate. We didn’t spend much time “doing” school—maybe an hour and a half, sometimes more, some times less, sometimes none at all.
Homeschooling Year 2
The next year I had two in Grade 1 as my second had done Kindergarten with her sister the first year. It made it a lot easier for me to plan. Again I kept the other two busy with all the manipulatives I had acquired, and felts, crayons and paper and stickers.
It was during this year I made a point of telling the younger two that they needed to give me the time to work with their sisters! I had to be able to say “No, not right now” to them.
Homeschooling Year 3
In our third year, I was teaching Grade 2 and a grade 1-2 split. I discovered doing school on the couch which was short lived because I realized I hated being squished by four kids while trying to read school material!
So we headed to the dining room table. I read everything sitting at one end with the kids on either side, but I got uncomfortable. I started sitting in the one arm chair we had and refusing to have kids leaning over my shoulder, so I showed pictures whenever there were any. (Some would say it would have been better to have let the children see the words as I read, but I figured it was better to have a peaceful environment!)
Again the younger kids were in and out never too far away.
Homeschooling Year 4
This year we are doing a mix of couch (but don’t crowd me) time and dinning room table time.
My youngest is 4 now and he informed me at the beginning of the year that colouring books were NOT school books. So I found him some of the KUMON books to work on. The tracing, cutting, and maze books have been great to keep him occupied.
My third is flying through kindergarten—it is her third time after all—and the other two are plugging along.
I don’t do school at a specific time every day, I find we work better in the afternoon, but we do school were it fits.
Do What Works
What I guess I’m saying is make it work for you. Some things work one year but not the next. I had to let go of my grand ideas of homeschooling.
One year I bought the Catholic Heritage Curriculum program. I was sure I would never do that, but I needed the help. This year I learned that I need text books. I need to see the progress we are making. I feel uncomfortable and inadequate when I can’t see our progress.
Thanks, Emma! I’ve also noticed changes in our homeschool routines and curriculum in the two years I’ve been homeschooling. My mantra is that we do “what’s right for the child at the time” and that might change from year-to-year.
Has your homeschooling routine or curriculum changed over the year? If you’ve been homeschooling for a few years, what would you add to Emma’s comments?
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