Reply to thread

My eldest son is taking a few classes at the high school (physics, advanced pre calculus and French 2) and we are homeshcooling the rest of the subjects.  My middle schooler is completely homeschooled.

This is our 2nd adventure in homeschooling.  The first time was at the beginning of their education.  Our approach at that point was completely different.  I was very uptight about making sure that we were following a set curriculum and grading their work.  This time we our taking a more creative view.  The only set curriculum we have is in Math.  We're using Key Curriculum Press booklets for Algebra and Geometry.  It only takes about 20 minutes to cover a couple of lessons.  I explain it to him, and watch as he works to see if he understands the concepts.  It's pretty obvious if there is a gap and we need to continue to work on it.  I don't worry about grading.  I feel that the point of education is knowledge, not grades.  At the end of each booklet is a test.  If there are any blocks of problems that he missed, then we reteach those areas.  We also combine science and history at this point, through Joy Hakim's science books.  This year we will also be working on some ecology projects on our property.  I'm a big fan of applied learning.

For my oldest son I am teaching him how to cook and we will be challenging each other in creative writing assignments.  We are also taking turns choosing a book to read each month.  He chose "Shadow Country" this month, which is very dense and rich in history.

To get the most out of homeschooling, we are taking a more creative approach.  If you are up until 2 in the morning prepping and  grading, I think it may be time to rework your schedule and figure out if it's time spent with quality learning happening or if you are making yourself crazy with busywork.  You have to do what will work for you and your family for the long term.