“Caude. Caude Monet!”

I whipped my head around to look at my two-year-old son. I was baking cookies that afternoon–something I do about four times a year–and he had plopped himself down on the kitchen floor to play with his cars. Had I heard him correctly?

“Caude Monet. Mommy, why is he called Caude Monet?”

For real?

Our first week of homeschool went smoothly, but the second and third weeks were frustrating, mostly because two-year-old Mac has been terrorizing Molly and me during school time.

I was exasperated that very morning during our morning basket read-aloud as Mac walked around with his toy chainsaw, which is quite realistic in both appearance and volume. To document our daily struggles, I snapped a picture of Mac’s attempt at sawing my book in half and his waving the chainsaw in Molly’s face while she colored. He was told to take the chainsaw somewhere else. How can anyone learn anything like this? Is Molly even able to listen? Maybe we need to change our routine again and find a way to do morning basket when Mac is occupied, I thought.

Mac will play independently for long periods of time in his room, and while I thought I could capitalize on this last year, I learned that as long as Mac knows we’re doing something without him, he’s unhappy. He’s excited for morning basket in the living room and for “lessons” (phonics, math, and Spanish) in the basement. Sometimes he plays well by himself on the floor next to us, but sometimes he constantly interrupts.

Dave is also concerned about Molly’s ability to focus because of Mac’s bothersome presence. The truth is, reading and math aren’t coming easily to Molly, and when she’s distracted by Mac, it takes a lot of effort for her to refocus. There are many reasons why we can’t use Mac’s nap time for reading and math, so we’re kind of stuck with having to do them while he’s awake.

I don’t think it’s wrong for Mac to be required to have some room time where he plays with only a small selection of toys. I actually planned these times for Molly (“room time”) when she was one and two years old because I believe there is value in training children to play independently with toys that have been selected for them for increasing increments of time. This helps them to develop the habits of attention, concentration, and even obedience, free of household distractions.

However, there’s also value in his participation. Claude Monet reminded me of that. While I was questioning the necessity of picture study in our first grade curriculum because Mac was practically damaging the pages of the Claude Monet book with his chainsaw, he was taking in the words I was reading. Do I really believe he can tell me who Claude Monet is? I doubt he can. But he is familiar with a few of Monet’s paintings and knows there’s at least a connection.

In fact, there is a lot he has picked up on since Molly started kindergarten last year.

I haven’t made any new decisions yet about what routine would be best for us. These are just the things I’m considering while trying to figure it out. I was reminded this week that I need to view Mac more as another student and not the toddler who needs to be kept occupied so I can focus on Molly. My eyes were also opened to the reality that Molly may need alone time with me for 40 minutes so we can at least do reading and math without disruptions.

I’m going to need to be more strategic in how I carry out lessons so that Mac also has something he can do, and I’m going to need to encourage–or even require–that he begin to have independent play time in his room, which would be for his own benefit as well.

I’m going to need to remember that this isn’t about solidifying a routine that will work for the year. Each day may look different! The general routine may change from month to month, or even weekly if need be. I have no idea!

And I’m going to need to trust that there is value in everything we’re doing. It may be frustrating, but I do know I want Mac to be a part of most of what we do, in whatever capacity is appropriate for him. I want him to have the freedom to be the little boy God created him to be.

And to Mac–of all the things we learned about on Friday that you could have randomly shouted out, I’m glad it was Claude Monet. It made you sound like a genius and like I was doing something exactly right, even though we both know it isn’t quite true. 😉

We’re eight days into our second year of homeschooling, and things are going swimmingly! There has been the expected frustration, impatience, and quick-tempered words, but we’ve extended grace to one another and as well as to ourselves. Each day I’ve made the decision to enjoy the doing and not just the “getting done.” While I naturally have expectations, they haven’t been a determining factor in what makes a successful homeschool day.

With Molly now being in first grade, we’ve added world history to the curriculum, as well as new components to our morning basket. This has changed our daily schedule a bit, and like last year, we might have to try different things until we find what works best for our natural family rhythms. What I love about our current schedule, or routine, is that it kind of fell into place as we implemented both familiar and new tasks. I, of course, started with an idea of time allotments and then revised and tweaked until we could move through the day with clear direction and freedom, making the time work for us rather than being slaves to the clock.

Families develop rhythms whether intentionally or not. There were certain habits and patterns we just fell into, while others began with a specific goal or ideal and were deliberately implemented until the habit was formed.

(For example, my children used to watch TV as soon as they got up in the morning. I didn’t love the idea, but it seemed to work well for us. It never sat right with me though and so, fighting my fear of push-back, I announced one night that the television would not be turned on in the mornings. Instead, I would have their breakfast ready for them at the table when they woke up. Feeding them right away satisfied them, and I desperately wanted this to be our routine when school started last year. However, I realized that both of my children craved a softer start to their day and thrived from connections we made during picture book read-alouds. So now “snuggle time” is very much a part of our daily homeschool routine. That read-aloud sets the tone for the day and greatly impacts the kids’ attitudes hours later when we’re in the thick of reading and math lessons.)

We’ve discovered how we best function as a family–when our minds are most alert, when we have the most energy, when we need some down time, when we need a story, when we need some snuggles. Our school schedule is based on our family culture and woven into our daily rhythms over the course of the entire day, which is why it can be difficult for me to show the amount of time devoted solely to schooling.

Our routine typically looks like this:

5:00-7:00	I read my Bible and get ready for the day.
7:00-7:15	Snuggle time and picture book read-aloud
7:15-7:45/8:00	Breakfast, Bible, morning basket readings (hero tales, famous stories, Aesop’s fables, fairy tales, tall tales, magazines, American history stories)
8:00-8:30	Clean up kitchen, kids get ready for the day
8:30-9:00	Morning basket (hymn, prayer, memory verse, poem recitation, manners, Spanish poem, Spanish song, singing lesson, picture study, composer study–on a rotating basis)
9:00-9:20	Phonics lesson
9:20-9:40	Math lesson
9:40-10:00	Spanish lesson
10:00-11:00	Play outside
11:00-11:30*	Lunch and chapter book read-aloud (and maybe a history lesson squeezed in)
11:30-12:30*	Play
12:30-1:30	Rest time (Mac naps from 12:30 to 3:00)
1:30-3:00	Afternoon “studies” (nature study, history, art–one per day); household chores; play
3:00-4:00	Snack; play; clean house
4:00-7:30	Regular evening things, like dinner and family time until the kids go to bed at 7:30.
7:45-8:15	Chapter book read-aloud in Molly’s bed

The new things we’re loving this year are:

World History

I still doubt whether we should’ve started with ancient history instead of American history. In fact, just this morning I was making plans (again!) to scrap the ancient history and do a literature-based American history study. But then Molly said to me, “I love learning about Egypt!” Besides, the plans have already been made; it’s probably best we stick with it.

We have been enjoying it. Really! The readings are simple and short enough for her to understand, and Molly has particularly liked the activities we’ve done, though we don’t do every activity from the activity guide.

The Binder

Molly has a binder divided into sections to store her work. I’m trying to put everything in it that she will need so that when we get to the lesson, she can open it up and work directly in the binder. Next year, I’ll get her a trapper keeper so she can keep her colored pencils and other supplies in it, making it much easier to transport everything she needs for her lessons, whether it’s to another room in the house or to the car for a trip out-of-doors.

Coloring Pages

I’m pretty sure this is Molly’s favorite thing. I have a history of not only underestimating coloring pages but also dismissing them as ineffective and superficial learning tools. However, with a lot of the teaching/learning involving read-alouds from picture-less books, coloring pages have helped provide a context for historical narratives. Plus, we all benefit from Molly having something to do as she participates in morning basket and listens to read-alouds. She gets excited about her new coloring pages. Just this morning, I ordered five more Dover coloring books to supplement our history lessons!

Picture & Composer Study

Last year we randomly viewed art pieces, and we frequently listened to the Beethoven’s Wig albums. We definitely gained an appreciation for art and classical music, and it’s one of the things I’m most thankful for. But this year we’re going to take a closer look so we can begin learning the names of the people who created these works of art.

So far, we’ve covered only Monet’s water lilies and Beethoven’s 5th symphony, but I’m already loving how simple and meaningful our approach is.

The “Curriculum Map”

The plans for the year took HOURS and HOURS to map out. I wondered if it was actually fruitful to spend so long this past spring and early summer to plan everything out. Of course, I’ve known all along that I may want or need to change the plans during the year, but I desperately wanted to have a plan for the topics of study for each week.

I think it was totally worth it. It was hard work, but there is so much freedom in opening up my own homeschool binder to see what we’ll be covering each week.

Reading/Language Arts

Foundations C by Logic of English. We will probably begin Level D mid-year, but we’re going to take it slowly with C.

Math

Dimensions Math, Levels 1A and 1B by Singapore Math

Spanish

• Calico Spanish (online subscription)
• First Thousand Words in Spanish
• Spanish English Bilingual Visual Dictionary
• Use Spanish at Home phrase book by TalkBox.mom
• ¡Pío Peep! Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes

Nature Study

• Exploring Nature with Children. There is one topic per week, and included with each topic are lists of living picture books. I get most of these from the library.
• The Handbook of Nature Study. This is a hefty little book that overwhelmed me at first. It took me a year before I realized how to use it! This is FULL of information with simple lessons that accompany Exploring Nature with Children very well.
• Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World
• National Audubon Society Field Guides. I grew up with all of these, and I loved flipping through them. I’ve collected my own copies (my parents still have all of theirs) over the past few years–some new, some used. I’d like to get more as we continue nature study.
  • North American Birds: Eastern Region
  • North American Trees: Eastern Region
  • North American Wildflowers: Eastern Region
  • Rocks and Minerals: North America
  • Insects and Spiders: North America

History

• The Story of the World, Volume 1: Ancient Times
• The Story of the World, Activity Book 1: Ancient Times
• Timelines of World History (Usborne)
• The Usborne Internet-Linked Ancient World. I already had this book, so I bought the others–Medieval World and The Last 500 Years–to go with it. These smaller books are the same as what you’ll find in the single The Usborne Encyclopedia of World History, if that makes sense. I really like The Usborne Book of World History, sold only by Sonlight. Both of these books would accompany the entire Story of the World series.)
• World history timeline or “Book of Centuries”. I printed a free one I found online. This isn’t a requirement for the Story of the World curriculum. I thought it would be a nice addition. We’ll add the major events and historical figures as we study, and we’ll add other events and people that we learn about in other subjects.
• Homeschool in the Woods Timeline Figures. I went ahead and paid $74 for these. It was more than I wanted to spend, but we can use them all the way through 12th grade! There are other options for adding images to your timeline, such as drawing your own or using free ones online.

Bible

• The Children’s Illustrated Bible. We’ll use this Bible for the majority of the stories we read, but we have other Bibles we might use. We’ll also read from an actual Bible, especially when we read Psalms and Proverbs.
• Ambleside Online Bible schedule
• My Bible Coloring Book. We MIGHT use this again. Molly used it last year when we read through The Jesus Storybook Bible and The New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes. Or we may just stick with reading the Bible stories before Molly gives a narration of each. Either way, I’ll probably be purchasing a second copy so Mac can at least have one for himself. We loved this coloring book.
• Our 24 Family Ways. We will be using this as a family for virtue and discipleship instruction. This will cover the first 24 weeks of the school year. Our memory verse for each week will come from this book. When we finish it, we will memorize The Lord’s Prayer.

Morning Basket

I have spent years preparing for homeschooling and hearing all about morning basket/morning time/circle time/morning meeting/symposium–whatever you want to call it. I have scoured the Internet in search of the best morning basket materials and soaked up podcast advice about how to implement it. We started it last year, and it was a trial-and-error endeavor until we figured out what worked for us. There are SO MANY things I want to share with my children, and the more our homeschool takes a Charlotte Mason approach, the more these things become necessary.

However, if you are new to homeschooling, please do not feel overwhelmed by the following list of resources! You do not need to buy it all up, or any of it for that matter. I’ve collected these books over time and have found several used copies online. I want to emphasize that many of the following books, as well as the ones above, can and will be used for multiple years. I do not spend thousands of dollars each year on curriculum and materials!

Here are my morning basket plans for the first six weeks, just in case anyone wants to see how I’m going to (try to) make it work for the school year. I put M/T/W/R/F in each block so that I can either circle the days I plan to cover it or circle the days we actually did it.

Frustratingly, I keep thinking of more books I want to add, but I just don’t know how to make that possible. I might have to wait until next year. I really want to do it ALL! But no one can . . .

Levels A and B

Foundations by Logic of English is “a systematic language arts curriculum for grades K-2”. (It includes phonics, spelling, handwriting, and composition.) I loved the program and its unique approach to phonics. I was taught differently in my college courses, and I taught phonics differently as a teacher. I think I remember hearing something like less than half of the English language is phonetic. Well, according to the book Uncovering the Logic of English, 98% of it is actually phonetic.

…the 26 letters of the Latin alphabet are inadequate to describe the 44 spoken phonemes or sounds. To solve this discrepancy, English adds 49 multi-letter phonograms. …When we only teach children the alphabet, even if we include long and short vowel sounds, we give the false impression that English has only 31 sounds. …To provide students with a more complete understanding of English they must master not only 26 letters but the 75 basic phonograms.

Eide, p. 16

Logic of English teaches students 75 phonograms and 31 spelling rules, giving them 106 tools to decode words.

I knew Molly would learn all the sounds (phonemes) for each phonogram (letter or combination of letters), but I’ll admit I was a bit apprehensive. How in the world would she learn all three phonemes for letter a and then more in the very next lesson? There’s no way she would remember all that.

Boy, was I wrong! I’m still in awe every time we go through all the flash cards and she can spout off all the phonemes in a matter of a couple minutes. I definitely underestimate what young children are capable of learning. The books Doodling Dragons and Whistling Whales, as well as their accompanying songs, also aided her learning.

I had to remind myself to trust the process and remain committed. There were times I struggled with teaching it the way it said because I didn’t understand a particular phonics rule. I was tempted to teach my own rule and veer from the program here and there. Fortunately, I stuck with it, and most of the time I eventually learned the reason behind the specific rule or instruction.

I believe it’s important to settle on an approach and then to strictly follow the instructions. There are multiple effective ways to teach a child to read, but jumping back and forth can be detrimental. Choose one and commit. And then TRUST THE PROCESS.

Reading Uncovering the Logic of English by Denise Eide wasn’t necessary to teaching the method, but I’ve found it helpful, especially because I tend to question everything. As a former public school teacher who was trained drastically differently, the book was eye-opening and served to reeducate me.

Molly completed levels A and B. This is somewhat of a regret. If I were to do it again, I would go more slowly through the levels. Logic of English isn’t geared toward grade levels; you go at the child’s pace. Each level has 40 lessons, and those lessons are to be completed as needed. Some may finish a lesson in a day; some may need three days. Because I had read that many children complete levels A and B their first year, it kind of became a subconscious goal of mine, despite having told myself we didn’t need to finish B before the end of the school year.

I feel that Molly would have benefited from moving more slowly through the lessons. We typically took two days to complete a lesson, and we should have broken them into three parts. The more I read about the Charlotte Mason approach, the more I got on board with shorter lessons. I saw first-hand how Molly seemed exhausted after only 20 minutes. I wish I hadn’t have pushed her the way I did.

Next year I’ll set a timer for 20 minutes, and we’ll end our reading lesson at that time no matter what. I purposely didn’t order level D yet. I want to see the rate at which Molly moves through C.

Visit the Logic of English–Foundations site to learn what is covered at each level and to see sample lessons.

(I apologize for the poor photo quality!)

I’m going to preface this by saying I spent a lot of money on materials, and I certainly didn’t choose the easy route to create a complete curriculum. I discovered the all-in-one curriculum by Sonlight early in my research, and I loved the idea of it but thought it might be too expensive. I realize now that it would have been easier and cheaper than what I’ve done!

A lot of people have asked me what curriculum we used for kindergarten. This has kind of become a hobby for me, and so I’ve actually loved piecing together an entire curriculum covering all subjects, including the many covered by the Charlotte Mason approach to homeschooling. It’s typical to make reading and math the core of a kindergarten curriculum, adding science and social studies through little activities and literature throughout the year. So had I stuck to just reading and math, I wouldn’t have spent entirely as much as I did. But I want to own every good book that is out there. This is not necessary!

Please do not feel overwhelmed if you came here looking for an idea of what you would need to purchase to homeschool your kindergartner. There are too MANY options out there. I personally like the all-in-one literature-based programs, including Sonlight and My Father’s World. (For a non-religious version of Sonlight, check out BookShark.) There are others I considered (and am still considering for future years), such as Master Books. They’re definitely worth taking a look at.

Edit: I forgot to mention Ambleside Online. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard of it until after we had begun our kindergarten year. Oh, how I wish I had! The purpose of Ambleside Online (AO) is to offer a free curriculum that is as close to that which Charlotte Mason used in her own schools. It’s not a curriculum in the sense that most of us think about; it’s a thorough guide to quality books and when to include them for the various subjects. The plans are organized by weeks and terms. Because Charlotte Mason didn’t begin formal academics until age 6, AO suggests introducing gentle academics for kindergarten and provides a great list of book suggestions. I’m using the AO plans for Year 1 (first grade) to complete our curriculum for the coming year.

Don’t be fooled by Ambleside Online’s very simplistic, modest website. (They have a reason for the simplicity.) It is an excellent resource with high-quality literature.

Morning Time

Bible

For our Bible lessons, we stuck with the original plan to read through The Jesus Storybook Bible, focusing on one story each week. There were a few weeks when we had to double up on the stories. This worked out well since the stories about Jesus’ birth fell in December, and the ones about His death and resurrection fell around Easter. We began the week with the story and then the rest of the week we would read from a devotional, the actual Bible, or Psalms or Proverbs. We also often read other Bible stories from The New Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes. Before we began our reading lesson, Molly colored the corresponding page in her Bible coloring book.

Our Bible lessons took place at the table during breakfast. I loved that we started this way, making the Bible a part of our everyday lives and not just another school subject.

Memory Verses

At the beginning of the year, I didn’t approach this well. I treated it more as a quiz. Then I listened to Cindy Rollins describe her morning time and realized all the memory work we do should be a family endeavor. We needed to be reciting it together. I would often pause and let Molly fill in the blanks, and she often demanded to recite the verses herself. In the end, we both learned all of the following verses. And even two-year-old Mac can fill in a lot of the blanks!

• Psalm 19:1
• Genesis 1:1
• Romans 3:23
• Psalm 128:1
• Hebrews 10:23
• Psalm 34:18
• Romans 8:28
• Isaiah 41:!0
• 1 Chronicles 16:34
• Mark 12:30-31
• Psalm 23
• John 14:6
• Matthew 6:21
• Matthew 6:33
• John 14:15-16
• Ephesians 2:8-9
• 2 Corinthians 5:17

It was so important that this be an enjoyable experience. Every morning during Bible verse recitation, I reminded myself that I wanted adult-Molly to have positive memories of this part of her childhood. It should in no way feel like drudgery.

We use this very effective method for memorizing.

Breakfast Time “Readings”

There was a stack of books on the dining room bookshelf that we rotated through after our Bible lessons. It was the perfect way to add those readings that were difficult to fit into our school routine and a struggle to pay attention to during our other morning basket activities. Our favorites included:

• A Child’s Garden of Verses
• The Real Mother Goose
• The Aesop for Children

Hymns

I always liked the idea of teaching my children hymns since they’re not exposed to traditional hymns at our church and because of the rich theology found in the lyrics. I didn’t begin the school year with a clear plan, but a couple months in, we opened our “morning basket” time with a hymn and stuck with it, changing the hymn each month. There really is nothing to it.

• Happy Hymnody
• Hymns at Home

Truth be told, it felt a little awkward at first, but now it’s one of our favorite parts of the day. I use the following resources to choose hymns, and we sometimes watch the videos to learn them. For the most part, though, we just sing them a cappella. Well, more accurately, Mac and I sing them and Molly does ballet. 😉

Hymns for 2019-2020

• “Holy, Holy, Holy”
• “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
• “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”
• “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”
• “Be Thou My Vision”
• “In Christ Alone”

Poetry and Other Memory Work

Like the hymns, I didn’t start with an actual plan. We just read the first poem so many times that we memorized it. Then I added a poem as went. There was no deadline for memorizing them; we just recited them regularly. Memory work also included other important information.

• “Try, Try Again” from The Children’s Book of Virtues
• “God, Make My Life a Little Light” by M. Betham-Edwards
• “Father, We Thank Thee” by Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “Who Has Seen the Wind?” by Christina G. Rossetti
• “All Things Bright and Beautiful” by Cecil F. Alexander
• “La Primavera” by Antonio Machado
• Psalm 23
• The Pledge of Allegiance
• Address
• Mom and Dad’s phone numbers

Music Lessons

We were a ways into the school year before we started using the videos from the Children of the Open Air YouTube channel, which I had heard about on the Your Morning Basket podcast. Closer to the end of the school year, we began the singing lesson from Sing Solfa. The Sing Solfa lessons actually incorporate some of the videos from Children of the Open Air. We liked the short lessons from both of them. They’re well organized and were very easy to include during morning basket. This coming school year, we’ll start over with Unit 1 from Sing Solfa.

Spanish Songs

Later into the school year, we began adding a Spanish song to morning basket. Most of them came from Whistlefritz albums.

• “Baila, baila, baila” – Whistlefritz ¡A BAILAR! (Amazon Music)
• “Me gusta viajar” – Whistlefritz Cha, Cha, Cha (iTunes)
• “Los números” – Whistlefrtiz Cha, Cha, Cha (iTunes)
• “Mi dia” – Whistlefritz ¡Sabor! (Amazon Music)
• “Buenos Dias” – Caramba Kids by José-Luis Orozco (Amazon Music)

Manners

After hearing Jamie Erickson speak on a podcast, I was inspired to include manners and etiquette to our morning basket. I’ve always believed manners need to be explicitly taught, but finding the time to do it and being consistent is difficult if it’s not already a part of a regular routine. Morning basket was the perfect spot for this.

• List of 100 Manners to Teach Your Kids (digital download for $2.99)

Reading Instruction

I loved Foundations by Logic of English and its unique approach to phonics. Molly completed levels A and B, though she probably would have benefited from moving a little more slowly through the lessons and finishing level B next year. I say more about Foundations here.

Before settling on Foundations, I almost went with All About Reading. It’s also a quality program very similar to Logic of English. It’s worth checking out.

Math

Molly completed levels KA and KB of Dimensions Math by Singapore Math. I knew this curriculum was considered top-notch, and I’ve been completely satisfied with it. I will say more about Dimensions Math in future post!

Spanish

Several weeks into the school year, I made the decision to switch from Whistlefritz to Calico Spanish. I think that was a good decision. Calico Spanish is super easy to follow, and Molly loved the different characters. The curriculum is perfect for lower elementary. I purchased the online subscription and printed materials as we needed them. There are currently four levels available, and I believe a fifth level is in the works. We completed level A and are about halfway into B.

We also periodically watch the Whistlefritz videos that I had already purchased with the curriculum. The videos don’t follow the curriculum, and so they’re good to put on for fun. Molly and Mac both enjoy them.

I tried incorporating other activities, like a game here and there. We did some of the math lessons in Spanish. It took some prep-work on my part, as I had to write down phrases in Spanish and translate the objects on the workbook pages. For example, I’d ask, “Cuantos peces hay?” for “how many fish are there?” and she’d have to count them in Spanish and say it in a complete Spanish sentence. I hope to do this more next year.

Nature Study

For science this year, we did nature study using Exploring Nature with Children. Throughout the year I worried that we weren’t doing enough. I repeatedly reminded myself that we were already doing much more than is required for science in the public schools. I also worried that we should spend more time on the scientific method and experiments. But for now, nature study is enough. It has been the perfect way to introduce Molly to to the world around her. Science starts with observation and inquiry, and nature study has trained Molly (and myself!) to pay attention, engage all of her senses, take note of details, and ask questions.

I’ll be honest: I wasn’t quite sure Molly was learning much through nature study. Sure, it was “pretty” with the nature walks, beautiful living picture books, and nature journal filled with sketches, but I didn’t know it was making a real difference because there was no real way of measuring it. However, I now notice Molly talking a lot more about nature and what she knows about it. She points all kinds of things out when we’re outside. She constantly asks questions. She enjoys being outside a lot more than she did last year. (She used to complain after a short amount of time, and she didn’t care for hikes. Now she loves it all and could be outside all day.)

So I think nature study was a real win! I plan to use Exploring Nature with Children again for first grade. I might pull in other activities to explore the scientific method a bit, but I’m not going to feel bad if we don’t. I’d like to do a lot more with the nature study curriculum and to expand on what we did last school year. We might have an actual science curriculum for second grade, and if not, then definitely in third grade.

Social Studies

I had no real plan for social studies. Molly learned a lot through the books we read. For first grade, we’ll be studying ancient history and will have a concrete plan.

Art

The goal was to do an art project once a week, but there were some weeks we didn’t get to it. I planned art lessons based on what we were learning that week. They usually went with either the nature study topic, a holiday, the season, or a book. I used the following helpful resources to find ideas.

• Deep Space Sparkle
• Hodgepodge: You ARE an Artist
• Art for Kids Hub
• Pinterest

Learn More About All Your Options

Watch curriculum reviews on YouTube. I found these to be THE BEST way to see inside the books and how they’re used.

Follow the companies on Instagram. I’ve found their posts to be super helpful.

Probably not the end of this post…

I’m having a hard time organizing my thoughts this summer. I’m sure I didn’t include everything we did this year, but I want to go ahead and get this posted for everyone has been asking me what curriculum we used this year. I’ll add to and edit this as I think of more. I hope this has been a little helpful!

I am completely satisfied with our first year of homeschooling.

I hope you can feel the weight of that sentence because, truly, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the gift of this past year. It’s the fullness that comes when something is a struggle but brings delight at the same time, when false beliefs of defeat are eclipsed by small victories. We look back and see how the stumbles and mistakes were necessary to the growth process, that the toil and sometimes painful pruning brought forth beautiful and satisfying fruit. Our lives are much fuller having lived these last nine months together.

Before the school year began, I tried piecing together a home education mission statement:

We educate our children at home in order to shape their heart and strengthen their mind. Recognizing their individual needs, we tailor instruction to best foster their growth in basic learning skills, character development, communication, literature appreciation, the study of fine arts, real-life experiences, and biblical truths. For us, education is a lifestyle, in which we—most importantly—seek relationship with God and each other. We learn together and we grow together—intellectually, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually.

I hadn’t actually read that since August before we began this journey. Reading it now, I could cry. I have my regrets. Mistakes were made. Angry words were exchanged. Unfair pressure was placed on my five-year-old. But the truth is, this was not the majority of the experience. The truth is, Molly and I both grew in all those areas. Our whole family grew. And now I’m overwhelmed with humility as I ponder each part and wonder how each was fulfilled. I’m humbled because I know God provided me with the perfect tools—whether it was inspiration, a resource, a curriculum, or motivation—to see it through.

Basic Learning Skills

I am confident Molly acquired the basic learning skills needed at her age. To me, grade levels are less about a set of expectations and standards that must be met and mastered and are more a marking of time. We will call next school year “first grade” even if she’s still working on kindergarten skills. Because reading and math are systematic and sequential disciplines, I trusted the process and the curricula to do the job. We never progressed if she hadn’t mastered a skill or concept, and now that she is finished with the books, I know she’s ready to move on to the first grade curriculum.

I previously subscribed to the common belief that reading and math are the only necessary subjects in kindergarten to second grade, but as I’ve learned more about the history of education and its various changes and movements as well as other educational approaches, I’ve discovered how very utilitarian mainstream schooling is here in the U.S. and I believe it’s not only a disservice to our society, it’s also dangerous. “College and career readiness” seem to be the end goal of public education. In 1923, regarding the general consensus toward education at the time, Charlotte Mason said:

…we get the notion that nothing matters but physical fitness and vocational training. (p. 5)

But the people themselves begin to understand and to clamour for an education which shall qualify their children for life rather than for earning a living. As a matter of fact, it is the man who has read and thought on many subjects who is, with the necessary training, the most capable whether in handling tools, drawing plans, or keeping books. The more of a person we succeed in making a child, the better will he both fulfil his own life and serve society. (p. 3)

Mason, Charlotte (1923). A Philosophy of Education.

I do NOT think public school is an evil! (I love what good friends of mine are doing as public school teachers, and I loved being one.) I just know that if it was the route our family had taken, I would need to supplement my children’s education. I want my children to think on “many subjects.” I don’t want the purpose of their education to be to prepare them for earning a living; I want it to prepare them for LIFE.

The “Extras”—The Balance of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty

Reading and math were my primary concern when choosing a curriculum, and I was tempted to focus solely on these two subjects for the kindergarten year. However, I saw homeschoolers doing other subjects quite well, even at the kindergarten level. If homeschool families choose to do only reading and math in the early years, that’s fine too. They will cover other things in the routines and traditions of their everyday lives. I appreciated having a plan, such as our morning basket activities, to ensure that we covered the subjects I easily forgot. Singing lessons, hymns, poetry memorization, and manner lessons might be the things that get pushed back if our schedule is thrown off for some reason, but I no longer consider them to be the nice-but-unnecessary parts of homeschool. I no longer look at our homeschool routine as reading and math and then the “extras.”

Despite our inconsistency in focusing on a virtue each month, Molly learned about virtues and grew in character. I think we both did. My well-planned virtue lessons which included a selection of applicable read-alouds turned into more organic discussions through literature as we encountered heroes, villains, characters with dilemmas, people of the Bible, the animals of Aesop’s fables, and poems that taught morals. The poem Molly memorized about perseverance drove her during times of frustration and disinterest. She also grew in confidence, peacemaking, gentleness, contentment, and having a good attitude. Homeschooling has allowed us to address these virtues frequently and in a natural setting where each of us strives to apply them to a genuine situation.

I originally viewed Bible verse and poetry memory work as an assignment of Molly’s, but it became a family endeavor. Reciting Scripture and poems together now feels very natural; it’s become a part of our family culture. We also sang a hymn and prayed together every morning. What first felt awkward became the most natural thing in the world to us. At the start of the year, singing and recitation felt forced, like I was merely trying to mimic the homeschools I saw online. But now family worship feels normal, and that might be the greatest reward of our first homeschool year.

We did art projects, listened to classical music regularly, viewed classic works of art, and had poetry teatimes. To be honest, there was a time I rolled my eyes when people mentioned doing these things as a family. These people were pretentious, idealistic, or just weird. It kind of felt weird when we started, but I promise it feels completely normal now. I don’t feel like I’m pretending to be someone I’m not!

The Gift of Homeschooling

Homeschooling has been one of the best gifts I’ve ever been given. Not that I’m gifted in it. I mean that my heart bows down before the Giver of every good and perfect gift in gratitude, and I recognize that He alone was my strength, my sustenance, and my motivation. He was my Helper, my Advocate. And He was ever so faithful.

I did not believe that I had particularly been called to homeschool. I wrestled with the meaning of that word—called. I knew what was clear in Scripture about what He has called me to do as a follower of Christ and as a mother. I still view homeschooling as the option Dave and I have chosen to best answer the calling on our lives—the option that is most practical and effective for us as a family. However, I now believe specific callings on our lives as individuals can be apparent by looking at various factors: interests, gifts and talents, wise counsel, passions, and circumstances. All of these things can affirm the truth of His Word and align in a way that leads us down a particular path. Since August I’ve seen the His truths comes alive for our family, I’ve seen us grow in spiritual maturity and in relationship with one another, and I’ve felt fulfilled because I’m doing something I’m passionate about. Those are gifts!

Now we will bask in the gift of summer break. And we look with anticipation to what the next school year brings.

It’s really no surprise I haven’t kept up with my blog, though I wish I had! I’m currently working on an end-of-year review post, but I thought it would be good to go ahead and post my answers to a questionnaire given to first-year homeschool moms at our local co-op back in January.

We are halfway through our first year and what have you learned?

I’ve learned that homeschooling is more than school at home. I had very clear reasons for wanting to homeschool, but I wanted to view it as just one of many choices we’ve made for our family—simply a way to educate our children. I felt strongly that I didn’t want it to seem like an entire way of life or my purpose. (Truthfully, I didn’t want it to set us apart from other families and make us irrelevant to other Christians.) But I’ve found that for our family, it is a way of life. And it’s SO MUCH MORE than a “schooling option”; it is shaping our family culture. The more I learn from other homeschooling families, the more I recognize that education is exceedingly more than academics. It’s about my children’s whole hearts and our purpose as a family. Halfway into this first school year, I see how the goals my husband and I already had for our children have been refined—becoming more specific and even more attainable. Homeschooling does set us apart, whether I want it to or not. But I’m learning how I can still relate to others and to remain confident yet humble.

What has surprised you for the good that you didn’t expect?

I shouldn’t have been surprised by this because I know it is how children learn, but I’ve been amazed at how sudden some of the learning has been. It can be so frustrating day after day, teaching the same thing, especially when that thing seems so simple for me. Handwriting and letter formation. Blending sounds together to make a word. Things for which I’ve run out of ways of explaining and I feel helpless. And then the next day, it just clicks for my daughter and she takes off. My mantra has been “Trust the process.” It’s amazing how well the process works when I give up control, do my job to teach, and let the learning just happen in its own time.

What has caught you off guard that you didn’t anticipate?

The hunger. I did not expect that teaching for such a short amount of time in the mornings would make me so hungry! And the hunger made me angry. So to fix it, I ate. And ate. And ate. Snacks kept everyone happy, including me. So my daughter gained knowledge and I gained weight. We’ll call it the “first-year fifteen.” Fortunately, we moved our school room to the basement after Christmas, and I’m no longer close to the kitchen!

What scared you the most going in and how have those fears subsided…or have they?

My biggest fear was that it was going to be extremely difficult with my 1 ½-year old present during school time. That fear was immediately realized, and the activities and toys I had prepared ahead of time did nothing to hold his attention. He only wanted held and to be literally on my daughter’s lap during her lessons. It was frustrating and I didn’t handle it well. However, it took only a couple months before this didn’t seem to even be a problem anymore. I’m not sure if we got used to him, or if he got used to us doing our own thing. It’s probably a little of both. I’ve been better at stopping to meet his needs, and he has lost interest in what his sister is doing. A few more months of maturity for a toddler also make a huge difference.

What wins have you seen in your own life, kids’ life? Character, education, relationships?

The first couple of months were tough. While we enjoyed homeschooling, I noticed a change in my daughter’s overall attitude. She seemed to sulk a lot more, to be more tired, and to just have a bad attitude. Reflecting back on that, it’s obvious to me that she had been feeling the weight of having her first schooling experience, learning many new things at once, giving up her afternoon naps, and the pressure I was putting on her with my impatience and frustration. I’m grateful we’re past that now. Being my daughter’s teacher this year has given me the opportunity to learn much more about my daughter than I knew before. I’m seeing her in a different context, and I’ve discovered more about how she deals with her emotions. I’ve been forced to try to see everything from her perspective and to understand what’s going on inside that mind of hers. Homeschooling has allowed me to better see my daughter for the little girl God created her to be while simultaneously envisioning the woman she will turn into. I feel like my perspective as a mom has changed. 

Do you feel you have found a community of support in your journey? If so, how has this helped?

For sure. I can’t even begin to imagine where I’d be without the community of other homeschoolers in my life, and I’m thankful I got to know many of them years before we began. I’ve appreciated their stories, advice, and encouragement. I’m so thankful for THESIS, where we see different types of families who use various homeschool approaches but who share common goals. It’s reassuring to know that there are many others doing this too, because the truth is, it’s scary to step out and make that counter-cultural decision to be responsible for your child’s total education. I’m also especially grateful for the THESIS book club where I’ve heard novice homeschool moms and veteran homeschool moms share their heart and tell of their own struggles and victories. They’ve given me hope and renewed vision.

I love homeschooling because…

Oh, there are so many reasons! Here are just a few:

1. I get to be with my children.
2. My children get to be with one another.
3. I get to learn alongside my daughter.
4. I get to buy curriculum! And lots and lots of books.
5. The curriculum and learning plan are tailored to meet my daughter’s specific needs and interests.
6. The instruction of the Lord isn’t something we’re having to squeeze into our lives; it’s what guides everything we do.
7. We have freedom with scheduling and prioritizing.
8. The learning is so much richer and deeper.

Most of all, my kids like…

If asked her favorite subjects, my daughter would say reading and art. But I know she likes playing most of all! We finish school well before lunch, and the rest of her day is filled with play. And of course, we all know how important play is to a child’s development!

My biggest struggle is…

My biggest struggle has been a spiritual one. I am not gentle, patient, or easy-going by nature, and I worried that I might be too controlling and critical. I tried to prepare myself for that possibility. However, I was surprised to see just how intense those emotions became when homeschooling began. Fortunately, I was never left feeling as if I weren’t cut out for it. I’ve always struggled with anger and have learned to deal with it, but I was new to homeschooling and the anger found new ways to manifest itself. I just reminded myself that these character flaws or weaknesses were not new; they didn’t come about because of homeschooling. Whether I had chosen to homeschool or not, I would still have these “issues,” even if they weren’t very evident. It’s just that homeschooling forced me to confront these weaknesses. I’ve had to learn what it means to give up control, to renew my mind with Truth, and to rely on God’s grace for transformation. And there really has been transformation. It feels as if we’re completely over that mountain, and now there’s peace.

Where I could use the most help or advice from other homeschool moms would be…

I appreciate the logistical advice, such as scheduling recommendations or ideas on how to care for a toddler. And I mostly love just being asked how homeschooling is going. Thankfully, all the homeschool moms I’ve talked with have been super encouraging, and this makes all the difference.