Day 1 of Homeschooling: SUCCESS!

Yesterday was our 1st day of homeschooling and it went well! The boys enjoyed being at home. We read a book that had a lot of "pointillist" artwork in it. (The artist uses dots to make a picture, rather than brush strokes. All of the dots together form a picture). We got out some paint and made our own pointillist paintings, which are now beautifully displayed in our living room. I also had them practice their math skills. Bible time is a part of each of our lessons, and the boys really enjoy it. I'm glad I get to teach them at home because they get to learn at their own pace, instead of being forced to learn many things in one day. Homeschool rocks! :)
 

Five In A Row

So last Sunday, I posted about getting the kids enrolled with K12. Well, after talking with a couple other Homeschooling Moms, and doing a LOT of research, I decided to go with Five In A Row instead. I love reading, and I believe books are SUPER important! Five In A Row bases all lessons on books. You read one book every day for a week. Each day, after reading the story, you pick a lesson or two. So Monday, you may choose Art and Science. You can do an Art activity and Science activity based on the book. Tuesday, you may opt for Geography and Math, and so on.

The books are selected by the Five In A Row creators, and they choose stories which deal with strong family relationships, perseverance under trial, and other important values that children SHOULD be learning, but don't seem to be being taught in public school. They are only focused on the actual academics, but seem to not care less about other important values. Yes, I know this is the parent's job to teach, but I believe schools should reinforce these core areas.

I think Five In A Row will be awesome for the boys because they already love to read. Well, Robbie does. Zach doesn't know how to read yet, but I know he'll love it once he grasps it. I'm really glad I found Five In A Row, and am anxious to get started. I went to the school today and withdrew the boys, and tomorrow starts day 1 of homeschooling. Yay! :)

Homeschooling with K12

I have always wanted to homeschool Robbie, but I've always been talked into keeping him in regular school "for the socialization". I don't see how they can develop socialization skills when they have to sit in class and listen to the teacher, and then do work on their own. If they talk, they get in trouble. The only time they get to socialize is at recess. Both boys would have more time for socialization by staying at home and playing with the kids down the street. 


Robbie's in 2nd grade now, and I've noticed a lot of things that make me want to start homeschooling this year. First, his attitude seems to be getting worse. He'll smart off to me, yell at everyone in the family, and whine when he doesn't get his way. Second, this past Tuesday, I had to keep him home from school because Monday, a boy in his class told him he was going to kill him. Then on the way home, a boy on his bus called him the "F" word.

I went to the school Tuesday morning and talked to his teacher, and then the principal. His teacher understood why I was keeping him out for the day. The principal wasn't so understanding. She kept telling me that he needs to be in school. The way I see it, if his life is being threatened, he does NOT need to be in school. I spent a good part of the day Thursday, researching homeschooling. The one I found to be the best for the boys was K12. A friend of mine uses K12 for her son and she loves it, so now it's my turn to try. I filled out an application for both boys, and submitted all the required documents. 

I just got word today that all documents were received and approved, and the boys were put on a wait list. From what the guy told me the other day, if everything goes through in time, the boys could be set to start January 16th. I hope they get approved for that slot because I am so ready for them to start homeschooling, especially since I found out that Zach got punched on the bus today.  Come on K12!