Rethinking the plan.

 

Another school year is coming to an end (can you believe it?!?!)  When the next year starts, I will have one in 3rd grade and one in 5th (not to mention a college senior!). 

I’ve spent quite a few years using certain curriculum and it has worked well for them.  We’ve done Story of the World, First Language Lessons, Writing With Ease, Math U See, and other miscellaneous stuff.  I’ve checked a ‘typical’ course of study and both of them already know the majority of what they should for next year already. 

I’m feeling rebellious.  I cannot sit here and pull out another textbook; I may lose my mind or stick my head through the wall – or both!  Certainly my brain would shoot out of my head if I put it through a wall, right?  Hey, there’s a good physics lesson!  I think they might go crazy, too.  We’ve mastered the art of diagramming sentences, learning verbs, nouns, pronouns, adverbs, etc., etc.  It’s time for a change. 

We have 2 co-ops that we belong to and they have been wonderful.  The girls have made some great friends (as have I), learned many things, and had a great time playing.  I know I will keep up with at least one of the co-ops, as it’s a much needed part of our homeschooling. 

However, I am ditching the textbooks next year.  Be gone with you, stinky textbooks!  Okay, I am keeping our much-loved Math-U-See, but the rest is going.  Instead, we are going to do unit studies on a variety of subjects – history, grammar, geography, and ancient civilizations.  I asked the girls what they wanted to study, and Hannah wants to study animals and biology.  Kali is my history nut, so she is happy already.  Hannah also wants to learn to sew and she will keep up with Spanish on Rosetta Stone. 

Animals, huh?  Different countries?  Those who know me best – can  you see where this is going?!  I have now justified Disney passes as curriculum!  Oh yeah!  Kali has already told me she wants to be an Imagineer when she grows up.  She is constantly building and creating things.  (Some of which I inadvertently step on and try to scream silently - ouch!) 

If our most-awesome tax return comes though, I may just be able to swing it. 

These girls are growing up so fast.  I think now is the perfect time to have a year of out-of-the-books homeschooling.  Before I know it, they will be going off to college.