Last week when there...

was so very much going on for us personally, I was very thankful for our family's decision to homeschool. When we started back in December, our idea was to expand a nine month learning year into a twelve month learning year. Not ever having done this before, the idea sounded good in theory but application was the real test.

Last week was the test. Boy oh boy, was I pleased with the test results. The boys had almost all the month of May off from school because we had completed the 180 day requirement earlier in April. We scheduled our year to begin on June 1st. It did, and we were off and learning. Providentially, the way vacations and various trips worked out, it ended up that the boys had 3 weeks of school with 1 week off June through August.

By the time we hit August 31st, we had completed one-third of our curriculum. I've all ready had to order the next grade level for my youngest in math and my older two in reading comprehension. We will be on target through the year for history and grammar because those subjects can ebb and flow in level and depth of discussion and exercises. But, as we had hoped, the goal continues to be spending time on those areas where extra instruction is necessary and moving quickly through those areas that are well understood.

As to the high demands of last week, privately and publicly, I was able to make up lesson plans for the boys that concentrated on necessary review work and then some subjects that we consider supplemental to their regular curriculum (critical thinking/logic/brainteasers, map skills, word puzzles, etc.) The boys had extra time for reading, and as a result, requested an extra trip to the library because they were finished with their usual two week supply of books!

And one day, my oldest was able to accompany his dad to work, receiving some great one on one time. I know that homeschooling is not everyone's choice or plan; however, for our family its benefits and perks have greatly outweighed the costs.