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I have been wondering when to start our new year of homeschool, and this is the week. Baseball season is over. Our oldest made it to the All-Star team and went to State. Then we had family come to visit. I wanted to start in July, but life got in the way. And that’s okay.
One of the beauties of homeschooling is the chance to learn life lessons. Each state requires a certain amount of time or days per school year (it is 180 days for our state). There is not a mandatory start date, nor an ending date. As long as you get your days in, everything is good.
In previous years we have started our homeschool earlier, but one year we didn’t start until September. I like to take a shorter summer break so then we can take more breaks throughout the year. The heat and I don’t agree. I like the cool months much better, and the boys seem to as well.
It also finally occurred to me that Crown Academy (our homeschool name) is now a high school only! High school?! How did we get here? It just seems like yesterday that we started our homeschool journey.
One plus of having all high school: more independence. I am steering more into the category of guidance counselor instead of full-time homeschool teacher. There are times I miss the hands-on time, but I enjoy watching each of my boys blossom and develop their own uniqueness.
Over the coming weeks, I will post on different topics and life lessons we have learned over the years. I will share curriculum that has worked for us, and some that hasn’t.
Just remember, each child is different. What works for one may not work for all. I have 3 completely different boys. They enjoy most of the work, but a few subjects they just don’t want to do. And I frequently have to tell one of them that lunch is NOT a subject when he is asked his favorite subject.
One thing I still enjoy doing with the boys is reading a novel. Sometimes it is classical, sometimes just something fun. The one I picked to start the year is Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan. It is about a homeschool family (or unschool) that takes in a 13-year-old boy (Jake) who has been kicked out of many schools and whose parents are both in jail. We are only 4 chapters in, but it has already captured the attention of all of us. I’m surprised I haven’t read it sooner.
A Few Resources:
One source I absolutely love? Amazon Prime! I have been able to buy a lot of homeschool books through Amazon and love the free shipping. Also, we use the Prime Video to watch different shows. We don’t watch too much tv, but we love watching the Star Trek series as well as the original Mission: Impossible just to name two. If you haven’t tried it, Amazon offers a 30-day free trial. I know they have many other features including music, kindle books (limited selection through their lending library), photo storage. They continually add new categories. We have been members for 3-4 years now and have loved it!
If you love reading and want a wider selection, Amazon also has Kindle Unlimited. They now have over a million books you can read. One drawback, you can only “rent” 10 books at a time. So if everyone uses the same account and likes to read multiple books at once, it can be a juggling act. We were members for 2 years, took a break, and just recently signed up again. It is cheaper than buying individual books, especially if they will only be read once. And there is the convenience of the computer instead of going to the library to check books out. I think it is a great addition to our homeschool.
One last resource comes from our own etsy store, TreasuredFC (short for Treasured Family Creations). We make customized laser-engraved products, including these engraved pencils. The bible verse set is our #1 seller! If interested, click and take a look.
Until next time, enjoy what is left of summer, or good luck with your new homeschool year.
Kim.
