I love what you said about planning for the mom that we are!❤ The fact that you purposely chose game based curriculum to engage with your little ones is so inspiring. You are doing such an amazing job!❤
Oh, thank you Dayana! Each of us is unique, and I think it's so important to keep ourselves in mind as we do the planning--because our kids needs' and our own combined are major shaping factors in our homeschool.
Yes! I feel like I have made plans for a fantasy version of myself who would do all the art projects and science experiments. But that's not me. I am not artsy and I don't enjoy experiments. I like documentaries and puzzles and beautiful books. So it is good advice for me to be more realistic about who I am, and not plan for who I wish I was.
9:46 That's a beautifully patient and compassionate approach. It's so different from school settings, though. For me, it has always been hard to deal with tutoring clients that I have taught from middle school to college who forget procedures that we covered multiple times throughout the years because they are forced to learn so much information in a short amount of time in ways that do not reinforce mastery in the respective school subjects. It has taken me two decades to fully embrace that that is the nature of learning when certain information is not prioritized and to allow the expectation that a student will recall things like how to factor difference of squares polynomials without a hint or a gentle reminder to finally dissolve. I now see it as a reminder that there are other things I want to do with my time rather than repeating the same concepts again and again for students to jump the same old academic hoops. The money is nice, and I love working with great clients, but I also want to do work that has more lasting power.
This has been such a timely message for me. Currently ending my first year homeschooling and feeling in the dumps that im not doing it right. I work from home and had my third child, plus homeschool. Was getting discouraged that I was failing everyone. After listening to your top 6 it gave me clarity in how to rethink how i am homeschooling thank you!
Oh, I'm so glad that it's timely! Congratulations on baby #3--that sort of addition was also a big part of this school year for us, and these wonderful additions definitely shape everything! I hope you have clarity in considering how to homeschool in a way that works for your specific family!
Love this! I'm finishing my homeschool journey soon (in about a year) - but these are the EXACT same practices and habits I would endorse. You're doing a great job! Looking at it from the other end - these things really work : )
I loved what you said about thinking about yourself as teacher when choosing curriculum and what curriculum will work for YOU. You are so right that if we choose a curriculum that we are going to dread pulling out every day, it is going to be difficult to be consistent with using that curriculum. It is important to pick curriculum that will work for the child but it also needs to work for Mama and the season she is in! And then consistency!!! YES YES YES to what you said about consistency. I am the same way. My kids just know we wake up, eat breakfast and then start lessons. There are never questions about whether we are "doing school today". We school 4 days a week and they know it. Consistency makes such a difference in learning and, like you, I like to start early at around 2.5 with formal "learning time". My kids don't remember ever not doing school. It is a part of their routine from the time they are toddlers! I loved all 6 points but those two especially stood out to me.
Rachel this is my new favourite video! “it’s my job to teach until mastery occurs.” Without worrying about when that will be! I feel like a huge load is taken off my shoulders, particularly with my daughter who has learning challenges. On we go♥️
Oh, I'm so, so glad! In reality, the pace of mastery is not in our control, but we can keep on doing our job--whether learning a particular skill takes 5 weeks, 5 months, or 5 years. I have worked with students with learning challenges for the past decade--stressing about when milestones will ever be met doesn't help--but faithful work does produce fruit, even if it's ever so slowly.
@@SevenInAll yes! I think that feeling like it’s your job to get it done in a certain time frame actually impedes progress, as you flip flop and change curricula, in the search for the magic bullet. Rather than calmly teaching something until mastery occurs.
I love #3, planning for the mom that you are. So true and i completely agree! For me I would say: 1. Ever since we chose to homeschool I have learned as much as I can about different homeschooling methods, curriculums, pedagogy, and child development. I have learned SO much in the last couple years and it really helped me teach my little guy with confidence this year! 2. Reading aloud consistently and selecting excellent books to read aloud. 3. Having a consistent rhythm to our days and then occasionally sprinkling in some new things to switch things up! My kids love this. Thanks for the video!
Your first point--learning as much as you could--what a wise decision, and a great way to set yourself up for a strong beginning to the homeschool journey! And #3, yes, that's what I aim for--consistency in our daily rhythms, but also room for a fun extra or adventure here and there. :)
Schooling year round so that we can flex breaks as needed but the information is fresh always. Breaking my prep work into terms so I can prep the next term while we do the current term. Trying to buy books a year in advance for the curriculum so I can hunt for good desls
My eldest child is special needs and has medical diagnosis that we have weekly appointments that are unavoidable. So we homeschool in the car a lot. We just make it work.
I have many dear friends who love how homeschool fits their lifestyle with a lot of time spent in the car and at weekly appointments--that's what's very special about homeschool, how adaptable it is to a vast variety of needs.
I’m glad I buy digital curriculum as it’s awesome for travelling and I’d agree with not over scheduling as it helps with travelling as we have time for field trips and play!!! We have a slower pace of life even though we are travelling!!! I started teaching my older kids before they went to school and now wished we had moved onto bookwork Instead of sending them to school!!! I’d agree that I’ve had to grow when homeschooling!!! I love planning for me and my kids!!! I’d never buy a math game as it looks boring but I buy math curriculum wiv games!!! My older kids love seeing me grow and still be me!!! I’m showing them it can be done!!! I’ve noticed I trust the process better than when they where at school but then schools don’t teach it as much!!! I’d agree that being consistent has been a good thing for us!!! I get to watch sports comps in my work and my kids often ask to join me and as they can I let them!!! I love that we have a homeschool community with my work and as we are travelling together we are in the same locations!!!
Next year will be our third year homeschooling, and my #1 goal is consistency! I know it'll make a difference in our days, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the year goes with that focused effort.
Consistency definitely makes a huge impact in the way days go when managing the wonderful-but-oftenchaotic adventures of raising and educating young children. :)
Love all your tips! Especially the 'intentional learning time with mum' we are just starting our homeschool journey and I'm working on a better schedule to ensure I don't get caught up in my own work constantly and make the time for reading or activities.
Great points to all! I started going to a co op once a week (mostly just enrichment/religion classes) and the friends ive gained already and resources i find/ offer to me also including children clothes is amazing . I only started last September too! Great video !
That's awesome that you've found that community and connection! I have also benefited so much from generous hand-me-down clothes from my fellow boy moms with slightly older kids. :)
I need a little help with 5th grade English. I have Fix It Grammar, Evan Moor Spelling, Spectrum Writing, and Root Vocabulary. I also have Good and Beautiful incase the above isnt enough. Is the above enough without adding Good and Beautiful, im trying to step away from it but afraid it wont be enough. Also how would you break all these parts up into a week. Should I do spelling, writing, vocab, and fix it daily? Struggling to make a decision for this aspect. Thanks
Have you already seen my video on planning Language Arts for 5th-8th Grade? In case you haven't, it's here: czcams.com/video/p_ild3jqaOg/video.htmlsi=fTWmJ2XQ6ZUXmQMC It sounds like you have the "workbook" side of LA pretty well covered. I don't think you would need to add TGATB since that covers a lot of what you're already covering. I don't know much about the Spectrum Writing program, and I don't know if you might want to add in another other writing projects or possibly presentations (could be presentations related to history or science topics studied that year). Then the big thing that remains is reading/reading comprehension. You can follow a booklist for assigned reading or take a DIY strategy. You can opt for literature guides to go alongside some books, or have a child have a reading journal or reading notebook---at this age I definitely recommend getting in the habit of doing some kind of "work" with the books they read for school, even if it's just writing short summaries or reflections in a reading notebook.
@SevenInAll Thank you for your time, I love the ideas you've sprouted. I am glad I found your channel it has been super helpful. Your personality really vibes with mine. This will be my 5th year homeschooling- I've finally committed to doing it for the long run. I was thinking they may go back to public the first few years, now I have decided that I want to go the whole way. Mine are in 5th and 1st. I do want to get the most out of this journey, whereas in earlier years I focused on just keeping them close to where "they should be". Now I'm looking at a bigger picture... getting them close to where they "could be". Good and Beautiful is fun, easy to follow, but not quite right for us anymore. Love your approach. Thanks for the inspiration and tips. 🙏
Fellow introverted mom here! Prioritizing where we spend our energy is so important!❤
Yes it is!
I agree!
I love what you said about planning for the mom that we are!❤
The fact that you purposely chose game based curriculum to engage with your little ones is so inspiring. You are doing such an amazing job!❤
Oh, thank you Dayana! Each of us is unique, and I think it's so important to keep ourselves in mind as we do the planning--because our kids needs' and our own combined are major shaping factors in our homeschool.
Yes! I feel like I have made plans for a fantasy version of myself who would do all the art projects and science experiments. But that's not me. I am not artsy and I don't enjoy experiments. I like documentaries and puzzles and beautiful books. So it is good advice for me to be more realistic about who I am, and not plan for who I wish I was.
10:42 This is so emotionally mature, well thought-out, and solution-oriented! 🤩 I love it.
I'm all about the solutions, not the drama. :)
9:46 That's a beautifully patient and compassionate approach. It's so different from school settings, though. For me, it has always been hard to deal with tutoring clients that I have taught from middle school to college who forget procedures that we covered multiple times throughout the years because they are forced to learn so much information in a short amount of time in ways that do not reinforce mastery in the respective school subjects. It has taken me two decades to fully embrace that that is the nature of learning when certain information is not prioritized and to allow the expectation that a student will recall things like how to factor difference of squares polynomials without a hint or a gentle reminder to finally dissolve. I now see it as a reminder that there are other things I want to do with my time rather than repeating the same concepts again and again for students to jump the same old academic hoops. The money is nice, and I love working with great clients, but I also want to do work that has more lasting power.
"to do work that has more lasting power." That is what so much of us want!
This has been such a timely message for me. Currently ending my first year homeschooling and feeling in the dumps that im not doing it right. I work from home and had my third child, plus homeschool. Was getting discouraged that I was failing everyone. After listening to your top 6 it gave me clarity in how to rethink how i am homeschooling thank you!
Oh, I'm so glad that it's timely! Congratulations on baby #3--that sort of addition was also a big part of this school year for us, and these wonderful additions definitely shape everything! I hope you have clarity in considering how to homeschool in a way that works for your specific family!
Love this! I'm finishing my homeschool journey soon (in about a year) - but these are the EXACT same practices and habits I would endorse. You're doing a great job! Looking at it from the other end - these things really work : )
Glad to hear that from the "other side"!
I loved what you said about thinking about yourself as teacher when choosing curriculum and what curriculum will work for YOU. You are so right that if we choose a curriculum that we are going to dread pulling out every day, it is going to be difficult to be consistent with using that curriculum. It is important to pick curriculum that will work for the child but it also needs to work for Mama and the season she is in!
And then consistency!!! YES YES YES to what you said about consistency. I am the same way. My kids just know we wake up, eat breakfast and then start lessons. There are never questions about whether we are "doing school today". We school 4 days a week and they know it. Consistency makes such a difference in learning and, like you, I like to start early at around 2.5 with formal "learning time". My kids don't remember ever not doing school. It is a part of their routine from the time they are toddlers!
I loved all 6 points but those two especially stood out to me.
Consistency helps every single person in our family so much--meets the need for routines and peace about what is going to happen each day.
Rachel this is my new favourite video! “it’s my job to teach until mastery occurs.” Without worrying about when that will be! I feel like a huge load is taken off my shoulders, particularly with my daughter who has learning challenges. On we go♥️
Oh, I'm so, so glad! In reality, the pace of mastery is not in our control, but we can keep on doing our job--whether learning a particular skill takes 5 weeks, 5 months, or 5 years. I have worked with students with learning challenges for the past decade--stressing about when milestones will ever be met doesn't help--but faithful work does produce fruit, even if it's ever so slowly.
@@SevenInAll yes! I think that feeling like it’s your job to get it done in a certain time frame actually impedes progress, as you flip flop and change curricula, in the search for the magic bullet. Rather than calmly teaching something until mastery occurs.
I love #3, planning for the mom that you are. So true and i completely agree!
For me I would say:
1. Ever since we chose to homeschool I have learned as much as I can about different homeschooling methods, curriculums, pedagogy, and child development. I have learned SO much in the last couple years and it really helped me teach my little guy with confidence this year!
2. Reading aloud consistently and selecting excellent books to read aloud.
3. Having a consistent rhythm to our days and then occasionally sprinkling in some new things to switch things up! My kids love this.
Thanks for the video!
Your first point--learning as much as you could--what a wise decision, and a great way to set yourself up for a strong beginning to the homeschool journey!
And #3, yes, that's what I aim for--consistency in our daily rhythms, but also room for a fun extra or adventure here and there. :)
“I plan for the Mom I am”- gold. This is a great video, loved hearing things you’ve done!
So important to recognize the moms we really are vs some hypothetical version.
Schooling year round so that we can flex breaks as needed but the information is fresh always.
Breaking my prep work into terms so I can prep the next term while we do the current term.
Trying to buy books a year in advance for the curriculum so I can hunt for good desls
Buying in advance has definitely been helpful for our budget as well--allows me to keep an eye out for books on my list on the used book sites.
My eldest child is special needs and has medical diagnosis that we have weekly appointments that are unavoidable. So we homeschool in the car a lot. We just make it work.
I have many dear friends who love how homeschool fits their lifestyle with a lot of time spent in the car and at weekly appointments--that's what's very special about homeschool, how adaptable it is to a vast variety of needs.
I’m glad I buy digital curriculum as it’s awesome for travelling and I’d agree with not over scheduling as it helps with travelling as we have time for field trips and play!!! We have a slower pace of life even though we are travelling!!! I started teaching my older kids before they went to school and now wished we had moved onto bookwork Instead of sending them to school!!! I’d agree that I’ve had to grow when homeschooling!!! I love planning for me and my kids!!! I’d never buy a math game as it looks boring but I buy math curriculum wiv games!!! My older kids love seeing me grow and still be me!!! I’m showing them it can be done!!! I’ve noticed I trust the process better than when they where at school but then schools don’t teach it as much!!! I’d agree that being consistent has been a good thing for us!!! I get to watch sports comps in my work and my kids often ask to join me and as they can I let them!!! I love that we have a homeschool community with my work and as we are travelling together we are in the same locations!!!
Glad that you've found an educational approach that fits your traveling lifestyle!
Next year will be our third year homeschooling, and my #1 goal is consistency! I know it'll make a difference in our days, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the year goes with that focused effort.
Consistency definitely makes a huge impact in the way days go when managing the wonderful-but-oftenchaotic adventures of raising and educating young children. :)
“I homeschool like me!” That’s so powerful! ❤
I hope that's what each of us gets to do--bring our own unique set of interests and strengths to our homeschools!
Love all your tips! Especially the 'intentional learning time with mum' we are just starting our homeschool journey and I'm working on a better schedule to ensure I don't get caught up in my own work constantly and make the time for reading or activities.
Having a schedule and routine is so helpful for making sure that time of learning together is actually happening.
Great points to all! I started going to a co op once a week (mostly just enrichment/religion classes) and the friends ive gained already and resources i find/ offer to me also including children clothes is amazing . I only started last September too! Great video !
That's awesome that you've found that community and connection! I have also benefited so much from generous hand-me-down clothes from my fellow boy moms with slightly older kids. :)
I overscheduled and can’t decide what to drop. 🤦♀️
I know that must be really hard! Once you've begun and made those relationships and the fun in different commitments.
I need a little help with 5th grade English. I have Fix It Grammar, Evan Moor Spelling, Spectrum Writing, and Root Vocabulary. I also have Good and Beautiful incase the above isnt enough. Is the above enough without adding Good and Beautiful, im trying to step away from it but afraid it wont be enough. Also how would you break all these parts up into a week. Should I do spelling, writing, vocab, and fix it daily? Struggling to make a decision for this aspect. Thanks
Have you already seen my video on planning Language Arts for 5th-8th Grade? In case you haven't, it's here: czcams.com/video/p_ild3jqaOg/video.htmlsi=fTWmJ2XQ6ZUXmQMC
It sounds like you have the "workbook" side of LA pretty well covered. I don't think you would need to add TGATB since that covers a lot of what you're already covering. I don't know much about the Spectrum Writing program, and I don't know if you might want to add in another other writing projects or possibly presentations (could be presentations related to history or science topics studied that year).
Then the big thing that remains is reading/reading comprehension. You can follow a booklist for assigned reading or take a DIY strategy. You can opt for literature guides to go alongside some books, or have a child have a reading journal or reading notebook---at this age I definitely recommend getting in the habit of doing some kind of "work" with the books they read for school, even if it's just writing short summaries or reflections in a reading notebook.
@SevenInAll Thank you for your time, I love the ideas you've sprouted. I am glad I found your channel it has been super helpful. Your personality really vibes with mine. This will be my 5th year homeschooling- I've finally committed to doing it for the long run. I was thinking they may go back to public the first few years, now I have decided that I want to go the whole way. Mine are in 5th and 1st. I do want to get the most out of this journey, whereas in earlier years I focused on just keeping them close to where "they should be". Now I'm looking at a bigger picture... getting them close to where they "could be". Good and Beautiful is fun, easy to follow, but not quite right for us anymore. Love your approach. Thanks for the inspiration and tips. 🙏