Summer and Preparing for A New School Year

It's hard to believe it is time to prepare for a new school year.  I spent lots of time last weekend researching, reading and chatting with homeschool friends and my veteran homeschooling SIL.

I do admit it is a daunting task to plan a new school year, but I am getting a little excited about it!

Especially since I will be much more prepared than last year.  Last year we were right in the middle of moving, then lived with my parents for a while and then moved again once we found a home.  We are settled now and I am ready to start this year with a BANG.

So far this summer......June was a full month off, the boys attended two 1 week long camps and then we'll have two more weeks off before we begin for fall.  Right now we are having our summer session of school.  It will be another four-five weeks and if everything goes as planned we will start a full time after Labor Day.

Right now it is going great.  I let the boys sleep in wait for Matthew to start our day.  Once he is up we leave their bedroom door open to force sleepy head out of bed.  Ryan is my sleeper.  Always has been the one who loves to sleep.  Once he is up I usually give them an hour of free time and then they eat and begin school.

It's little different this summer, but in a good way.  I split them up during computer time.  Ryan's lessons are with sound so it is a distraction to Matthew.

I enjoy their computer time which allows me to do things around the house.  Well sorta.....the laundry basket full of folded clothes finally made it to drawers by the evening.

*Ryan is working on his Reading Eggs lessons.  He is gaining knowledge daily!  As I go back and forth doing my thing I stop and watch what he is doing.  Isn't it amazing to watch their little light bulb go off?!?!

*Matthew is done with his Reading Egg lessons and is now in the reading phase of it.  Reading Eggs gives them a virtually library (I must admit I like it much better than the real library....sad I know) where they pick out books to read.  At the end of the book they must take a test about what they learned.  If they pass the test they get Xnumber of eggs.  The eggs you gain in Reading Eggs are for educational games on the site.  And some just for FUN!  Also after taking your test you get to choose a door with a reward.  The door shows a card about a certain animal.  Tuesday Matthew's reward card was a Thylacine AKA Tasmanian Tiger.  Of course he calls me to help pronounce Thylacine and we quickly were on the computer checking out this animal.  If you know our family then you know we are lovers of all God's creation so you can imagine what this set off.

Homeschooling is AWESOME!!!!

The next hour (or longer) we were studying Thylacines.  They were beyond excited to sit through a 45 minute documentary about the Thylacine. 

Family: the next time you see them ask them about a Thylacine.  And have a tape measure handy too.

Along with Reading Eggs we are reading books, watching Drive-thru History, having FUN with a new math workbook and playing piano.  

Well, not exactly playing a tune, but getting very familiar with the piano.  And getting little hands use to all the keys.

Matthew quickly found sheet music that came with the piano.  And then discovered Ryan's music from Grow Camp.  He is learning all on his own!  I really need to go buy a beginner's piano book and I bet he'll be teaching me lessons before the new year!

As far as recreation they are having FUN with all they learned at Upward Basketball Camp.   As well as riding bikes and running around like they have never seen the light of day.

As we push along through our summer session it is still easy going and we have plenty of free time for FUN!!  And if something cRaZy comes up we can push school off until another day.  That is the beauty of homeschooling....especially in the summer.

   What are you learning this summer?