This Is How WE School

This is how we school is simply how our family schools our children.  I (Amy) have 5 children. The big kids are 21, 20, and 18. The little kids are 13 and 11. The older ones are the products of public school. The little ones started as public schoolers and are now homeschooled.

We began homeschooling when JoAnne was in 4th grade (now 7th) and Abigail in 2nd grade (now 5th). That year the curriculum had again changed and my 4th grader was so confused she couldn’t even handle simple math. She began to have anxiety over just going to school. We changed from public to a charter school and lasted about 3 months. We decided to try our public schools virtual school program.

That was a great program at first but it didn’t last long. Soon we were scrambling to find worksheets for the girls to complete daily. We attended the Florida Homeschool convention in Orlando strictly looking at different curriculum with my girls. It took us 2 days to figure out Language Arts, Math, Science, and Art. About 3 years later we are still using these and are happy.

As we get closer to High School and credits, I get more nervous about teaching them the proper materials. JoAnne has started back toward public school. Not that she will ever attend a day in school again, but she is doing virtual school and will receive a diploma from the state. Abigail will be there soon as she finishes her elementary school!

So why did we make these changes? It was for many reasons. The one I mentioned above (curriculum changes) is one of the biggest reasons. Another was that my children just weren’t fitting in. School these days is all about fashion and acting older than they really are. When JoAnne was Kindergarten there were about 5 girls that regularly didn’t get to play at recess because they had on heals or other inappropriate shoes.

Barbies (marked on the package as 5+) are not appropriate for kids to play with in elementary school. All the girls have to secretly like barbies so everyone doesn’t think she is a baby! By 10 years old they are already interested in having boy/girl friends. And not the hang out and chill side but the kind that holds hands and more!

Another reason is RECESS! By the time Joanne reached 2nd grade recess was playing in the parking lot with some jump ropes and a few basketball hoops. They actually tried to take that away too but us parents won!

So now we are homeschooling and loving learning again! It took sometime though. When we started I took both girls back to 1st grade and we relearned everything together! The girls hated it but I put my foot down. They are now working at grade level and growing into confident young women. We have more time on our hands because teaching 2 takes much less time than 18. If we struggle with a concept we skip it for the day and do extra in another subject.

We do our school all over too! Our favorite place for science lessons is at Steak N Shake.  English is usually laying in the family room, math at the kitchen counter and LOTS of field trips! We have a great group of friends that we usually hang out with weekly. We have kick ball games, nature walks, and good old running and playing.

We also have time to learn other things like cooking, sewing, managing money, and even quiet time with God.  The girls are again loving to learn and I LOVE that

We plan to use this blog as a place for JoAnne and Abigail to share what they do for school and journal some of our lives with you all. Its’ also a great way for them to practice some of their English skills. Please remember that these are young ladies not full grown women! (I will be monitoring) I hope you enjoying This Is How We School!