I am excited. September 15th is coming. God has been preparing my heart and my head for this day for a long time. September 15th will be the official first day of school for the Hilton Home Academy. I've been practically homeschooling for three years now (via university model schools and cyber school), but for the first time we are official, registered with the district as homeschoolers and I am 100% in charge of how and when and why and what we will study. Whew!
It takes me forever to process any given situation, which is why I didn't start homeschooling right out of the gate. But as I look back over our educational journey, I see how each administration worked for our family at that particular time and place and how they have contributed to shaping my hopes and dreams for our family.
There are a few resources that have played a significant role in my Plan-making. A Well Trained Mind by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer - INVALUABLE! This book walks you through the classical education, suggests how to tackle various subjects (including how you could organize notebooks), and offers a huge list of books and websites. It, along with the website askpauline.com, a site dedicated specifically to the home education laws in the state of Pennsylvania, became my guide as I mapped out what subjects we would tackle and what curriculum we would use.
Second, my new favorite blog to read, Amongst Lovely Things. I found this fantastic blog when July 1st hit and I realized that it was time to start putting all my well laid plans into place and freaked out just a little bit. I randomly typed a question into Google, something about how to give assignments and found Sarah Mackenzie's super simple spiral notebook idea. A light bulb clicked on in my head and I have been hooked ever since. Sarah's blog articulated some things about planning and the overall home culture that resonated with everything I had been dreaming up. She also opened my ears to the world of audio books through her podcast Read Aloud Revival. I am not a podcast person, but I started listening one day while I was doing the dishes. Now I not only listen to podcasts, but I have audio books. We've started reading aloud at the lunch table, and before bed. I've always been somewhat sporadic about reading to my kids. I love reading, but not always out loud, especially when they are not sitting angelically by my side, listening with rapt attention! I had almost given up reading to Brooklyn altogether because she can read herself and since she can, shouldn't she? But listening to the podcast has impressed upon my heart the inherent value of reading aloud, especially as they get older, and I have seen a difference in just the few short weeks that I have made it a priority. It's not easy or perfect, but it will be an essential piece of our Home education.
All that to say, I have a Plan. I'm excited about this year and where it will take us. I know it won't work out perfectly the way it is in my head. But I'm excited to get started.
It takes me forever to process any given situation, which is why I didn't start homeschooling right out of the gate. But as I look back over our educational journey, I see how each administration worked for our family at that particular time and place and how they have contributed to shaping my hopes and dreams for our family.
There are a few resources that have played a significant role in my Plan-making. A Well Trained Mind by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer - INVALUABLE! This book walks you through the classical education, suggests how to tackle various subjects (including how you could organize notebooks), and offers a huge list of books and websites. It, along with the website askpauline.com, a site dedicated specifically to the home education laws in the state of Pennsylvania, became my guide as I mapped out what subjects we would tackle and what curriculum we would use.
Second, my new favorite blog to read, Amongst Lovely Things. I found this fantastic blog when July 1st hit and I realized that it was time to start putting all my well laid plans into place and freaked out just a little bit. I randomly typed a question into Google, something about how to give assignments and found Sarah Mackenzie's super simple spiral notebook idea. A light bulb clicked on in my head and I have been hooked ever since. Sarah's blog articulated some things about planning and the overall home culture that resonated with everything I had been dreaming up. She also opened my ears to the world of audio books through her podcast Read Aloud Revival. I am not a podcast person, but I started listening one day while I was doing the dishes. Now I not only listen to podcasts, but I have audio books. We've started reading aloud at the lunch table, and before bed. I've always been somewhat sporadic about reading to my kids. I love reading, but not always out loud, especially when they are not sitting angelically by my side, listening with rapt attention! I had almost given up reading to Brooklyn altogether because she can read herself and since she can, shouldn't she? But listening to the podcast has impressed upon my heart the inherent value of reading aloud, especially as they get older, and I have seen a difference in just the few short weeks that I have made it a priority. It's not easy or perfect, but it will be an essential piece of our Home education.
All that to say, I have a Plan. I'm excited about this year and where it will take us. I know it won't work out perfectly the way it is in my head. But I'm excited to get started.
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