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Saturday, December 20, 2008

Thinking about Next Year


Can you believe that its only the middle of the school year and I'm already thinking of what we will be doing for school next year? I can't believe it either but I am. I have been really considering homeschooling my oldest two on my own next year. They are definitley getting burnt out from taking the PSSA's. They just cringe when they hear the word even. My oldest is begging to be homeschooled without a cyber for next year so I have talked it over with Tim and I've really been thinking about it and we just may take the plunge. Katie isn't so sure. She thinks she might want to go with Agora but with all the problems and strange changes that are occuring I don't think we will go that route. If she wants to use K12 like her third sister then I may go with PAVCS or some other K12 school. But not Agora. Unfortunatley the school is just burning kids out and I don't want that. I do though feel that Katie will like being homeschooled on her own.
I do need the break of schooling at home. You ask , what is the difference? There is a big difference. With homeschooling you can use your own curriculum, take the time that you need to learn concepts, and just enjoy learning. With schooling at home you are basically bringing a public school in your home, and its just more demanding. We have to keep plugging along wether they get it or not. Of course I know one isn't really any easier then the other. Homeschooling in Pennsylvania requires a lot of paperwork on my part. Keeping portfolios, doing evaluations, keeping Physical Education logs. So I would be trading the ease of the cyberschool keeping all that paperwork for me versus to having to do it myself next year. But if this helps keep the love of learning for my girls , that's what we will do.
I haven't decided if I will keep Hannah in K12 yet. I just may and do it as long as it works for her. So far K12 seems to be working really well for Hannah. I wish I could purchase it myself but it is WAYYYY to expensive. Totally out of our budget. So I will need to use a cyberschool in order to use K12. At this point I feel as long as its not broke with Hannah we'll stick with it until it doesn't work for her or if I get burnt out. Which ever one comes first.

I haven't yet set a curriculum for Marilyn and Katie yet. Other then I know I want to use something a little more self paced. Something that doesn't require to much prep time or very little. Something they can use on their own and come to me if they have any questions. So I have boiled it down to Christian Light and Ace School of Tomorrow. I think I may use both curriculums and add in some great living books to read. Of course this isn't all set in stone. This is just what sounds really, really good to me at the moment. Actually I wish I could do this all right now. Because I'm really burnt out myself plus we have to go to Cincinnati in Feburary and the thought of having to drag all these books and computers with us just makes me feel tired thinking about it.
While I'm typing here I'm asking the girls if that sounds like a good plan and they definitley think so themselves. Sounds good to me.

2 comments:

Dominika said...

Merry Christmas and a happy new year

Lindsey said...

Tracy, I found your blog through WTM forums and wanted to leave a comment and say your blog is great. We have the same music on our blogs :) Love it! We also both use CLE for our girls and that's what led me here. I have an up and coming fifth grader and was checking out curriculum options when I noticed your post on what you use. I am going to look further into a couple of things. Thanks for your post!

I also will pray your trip in February goes well.