I feel like this year was a big year for me, with having three official students (one of those being in high school) and pre-schooling twins. I'm not sure how the year managed to fly by, but it did and we have closed up the books. There have been so many good books floating on and off the shelves and it makes me sad to think that some of these won't be opened again for a long time. Thankfully, I have some young kids to cycle through all these old friends and I look forward to reading with them in the future.
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| It's all Greek to me! |
Year 9 Thoughts:
There were times I definitely thought that I scheduled too many books for this daughter, but she rose to the challenge and did an excellent job managing the work load. AO schedules the high school years as a "feast" or "salad bar" to choose from, and there is definitely a lot to sift through and think about. I found it a bit nerve wracking because I loved their earlier years where they tell me exactly what to read and do. This is more of a dance in figuring out what route you want your student to take and what will most benefit them - it's more personal. I did a lot of reading on the forum and spent extra time planning. I also tried to pre-read as much as I could to get a feel for the weight of the books, as well as how to schedule. It also helps to know the material :) I made myself a spreadsheet that divided up each subject for all of high school - to help me see the big picture - I am plugging in definite yes-books to be read and then it makes the decision process a bit clearer... I can see what I still need to fill in or if I have too many books, etc. Also, can I just say that I am definitely getting a continuing education reading all of these books!!! I love it.
Year 7 Thoughts:
Year 7 went as smoothly as it could have for Louisa. She was challenged and I am so pleased with the books that AO picks for this year. Louisa enjoyed reading about Joan of Arc and found The Daughter of Time fascinating. She also (surprisingly!) loved The Fallacy Detective. Louisa has taken off with her musical skills in composing her own music. She read The Scottish Chiefs for free reading this year, and decided to write music that goes along with the different events in the story. It has turned out beautifully. She is also working on her first work of fiction. She is in the editing process and we are excited to see her writing skills develop.
Year 0 Thoughts:
Kindergarten for Julia turned out GREAT! It only improved over the course of the year, mainly because it was a struggle for me at the beginning to get a good rhythm going. Once we figured out a good routine and rhythm (with expectations), then Julia just grew in her learning and excitement for school. We did a very light year, but I am pleased with how much she learned. She is reading now! We will continue reading over the summer and will try to keep math facts fresh. We also just started piano lessons before the school year ended, but we will continue that over the summer - a great time for practicing! I am reminded of Charlotte Mason's List of Attainments For a Child of Six and I am pleased with where Julia is at. I plan to include a final roundup of what we did for Kindergarten here, probably on the next post. I know many moms use AO Year 1 as their kindergarten, but I felt it was too advanced for her. She will turn 7 in the fall and be ready for AO Year 1 in the fall. I'm looking forward to it!
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