We are in the home stretch here in our homeschool. Middle school years are almost over. As I look the last 8 years of schooling in the rear-view mirror, I am struck how much things stay the same. When the kids were in their elementary years, I dreaded the planning I would need to homeschool middle school. I wasn’t sure if I could do it, but somehow it happened. I wasn’t sure how we could manage all the materials and curricula we would need, and yet it took care of itself. And now, here we are on the cusp of high school and yet again I am worried. I know that one way or another, we will work it out. I have faith that we are making the right choices for our kids and that they will get the best education possible – one that meets their needs and stimulates their interests. But it will be a struggle for me for a bit, just as middle school was.
We have started working on some of the high school materials already, which is really exciting for my kids, who frankly cannot wait to grow up and be adults. I, however, am hoping that the next four years go as slowly as possible so that I can savor the last bit of this phase of my life.
Our Weekly WrapUp (May 29- Jun 2)
This week was a short week for us, as Memorial Day was Monday.
Here are a few of the books we used this week:
The Mabinogion (4th book, the story of Math – great cause I get to practice my Welsh accent even though I have only met one Welsh person in my life… fun to read aloud!)
Leonardo the Florentine by Catherine Jaime (A wonderful historical fiction book series we just started reading for a review.)
Constitutional Law for Enlightened Citizens by Michael P Farris (It is slow going, but makes for great learning and discussion time.)
The High School Handbook by Mary Schofield (I really like this book and have been using it for a couple of years ago as I prepare for the high school years… This week I completed the first semester pacing guides for all the subjects, assigned units to the non-electives, and started on Course Descriptions. And I am not even sure pre-planning everything is the way to go for us. Can you tell I am channeling my overachiever here?)
Mathematics, A Practical Odyssey by David B Johnson and Thomas A Mowry (One child is working through the chapter on Exponential and Logarithmic Functions. This is a wonderful text for kids who need to see the applications of math in order to understand and is written for people who have finished Algebra 2 and Geometry as a way to teach Trig and introduce Calculus)
We did a lot of other things besides reading, though
Then, there was also a flurry of Java programming, Typing Coach, Karate classes, weight lifting, a Court of Honor, and a lot of discussion.
Reviews We Are Working On For June
Nature’s Beautiful Order from Memoria Press (June 5)
Internship for High School Credit by Apologia (June 13)
Lightning Literature & Composition Pack – American Christian Authors from Hewitt Homeschooling (June 27)
Chemistry from Novare Science & Math (June 26)
Interested in reading other highlights from the homeschools of some really great families? Click through to the Homeschool Highlights to read on, a LinkUp hosted by my friend at Homeschool Coffee Break
2 Responses
Thanks for linking up with Homeschool Highlights and sharing about your week! I found that homeschooling through high school wasn’t much different from all the homeschooling I’d done so far – a little more focused and a bit more care given to keeping solid records. 🙂
That is good to know. I was on the cusp of planning the whole year out, day by day, when I realized that homeschooling really is the education of one child at a time and that allows you to customize and adapt and how could I adapt when I had planned all the details out? Thank you for the advice. We will just take the framework for the year and take it one day at a time…
And, thanks for hosting the Homeschool Highlights! I really enjoy reading about everyone’s activities!