The ending of a calendar year is always a time for reflection. My husband and I look back on the year and discuss all that went on. We also wonder what the new year will bring. As a homeschooling mom, it is also a good time to evaluate where we are in the school year. We have finished up our first quarter. The kids are on a break. It is time to shore up the weak spots, tweak our schedule a bit, and hit the new year running again.
A part of this process is evaluating the curriculum we are using. Some years we try new things and this is a good time to decide if it is working as well as we hoped. While I usually like to give new curriculum a full year before making a change, if it is an absolute disaster for a particular child, now is the time to make the switch. It is also a good time to order supplemental material to help a struggling child or to challenge a more advanced student.
So what are some New Year changes being made in the Pratt household? We are working on setting up a school room downstairs. It would be great if we could get it done before January 4th. We have expanded our family quickly (4 little guys ages 5 and under) and with so many little ones running around, it is loud and distracting for our school aged kids. Randy has decided to take over the grading of tests in order to free me up to do more with Pennywise Learning. We need to set up a schedule and system for that. I think our curriculum is all good this year. No adjustments needed there.
What kinds of changes are you making in your homeschool to insure a successful year?
The theme for all of the holidays we celebrate is simplicity. We have scaled back our traditions considerably in order to keep our sanity and actually enjoy the time we spend together as a family. This year we didn’t wrap the majority of gifts. We bought gifts for the family in a variety of age ranges rather than focusing on each individual, although we did get each child a small gift of their own. Decorations were simple but pretty. We spent time together as a family playing games in the evening after the dinner chores were done. We enjoyed the season so much more this year by staying flexible and keeping it simple. Does your family have unique or special ways to keep holidays memorable but without the stress?
Thanks Randy and Tom for getting this up and going. What would Pennywise Learning do without the 2 of you? They are the backbone of our website, creative geniuses!
I am married to Randy and we have 9 terrific kids. The oldest is 19 and the youngest is a baby. We have 3 girls and 6 boys. I tell the girls they are like diamonds. There are fewer of them so they are all the more precious. We were blessed with 8 by birth and one through international adoption. Our adopted son is also special needs. We have homeschooled since our oldest was in 1st grade. We began our business, Pennywise Learning, in 2002. We are actively involved in our church with leadership responsibilities. I even have a hobby, scrapbooking. I call my style speed scrapbooking since I don’t have time for the intricate creations seen in many scrapbooks. As you can see, we have a pretty full plate. Part of the purpose of this blog is to encourage families that they can homeschool, even with busy and complicated lives. I hope you are blessed and encouraged along the way. Homeschooling is a wonderful lifestyle. Our family has been blessed beyond measure because of our decision to go this route. May your family be as blessed as ours in your homeschooling journey. I hope to hear your stories as an encouragement as well.
Kristen
