A Year in Review

Due to Saturday field trips and skipping several public school holidays, we finished our school year a bit earlier than many other families.  I was just as excited as the kids were to be done, and we celebrated our last day by making several batches of cookies. 

In some ways, it didn't feel as though we had accomplished everything I'd hoped:  our math and spelling could use some extra study, and neither of the boys print as neatly as I'd hoped.  Then, my mom recommended that I go back over our notes from the past school year.  "You'll be amazed and rewarded to see how much you accomplished!" she told me. 

And she was right (something my dad's been saying ever since I was little).  When we started the school year, neither of the boys even knew how to hold a pencil, let alone write complete sentences. 

Over the course of the year, we learned to read, write, and spell (at least phonetically, if not always correctly); we covered Bible; states history; counting, addition, subtraction, and telling time; science; art; and a host of other concepts. 

Special projects included making laundry soap (educational AND practical!); baking; leaf and rock collecting; and group activities with our co-op.  We additionally enjoyed a trip to the zoo; a visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium; multiple trips to the ocean; and a variety of other similar-type activities. 

Most importantly, all of the kids have matured greatly.  Learning to sit still, to get along with others, and to be polite were some of our biggest focuses this year.  For me personally, I learned to better manage my time, to better prepare for a variety of interesting learning situations, and to be more patient in my teaching approach.  There is so much more to learn than just academics!

Once I looked over our accomplishments, I felt much better about how the year had gone.  We intend to do a little brush-up in reading, math, and spelling here and there just to ensure that we don't forget all of the wonderful things we've learned. 

I am really eager to start again in the fall, but for now, I'll enjoy our summer break!