Homeschooling a Preschooler...

It seems that I am not as faithful to my blog as I intended. I guess every three weeks will have to be acceptable for today.


We started homeschooling on August 1st. I always swore growing up I would never, ever, ever home school my kids. I guess that's what I get for saying never. When Abby turned 3 I started talking to Anthony about what he thought about homeschooling. We didn't talk a lot about it but I would bring it up every once in a while and he would just say something like "We'll see." At Christmas 2010 I brought it up again. We talked about how shy Abigail is, about the pro's and con's of going to school, and about what we really wanted for her. I felt like I really needed to home school her and since Anthony had no arguments against it we decided to see how it went. In March of this year I started researching what I wanted to start her out on. I didn't want it to be something that I took lightly and I wanted to make sure I made the right decisions for all of us. I decided on
A-Beka. It's what I knew and a lot of what I did when I was home schooled oh so long ago. I picked out some Pre-K stuff, but mostly I got Kindergarten books. She has always loved to color, she knows all of her colors and shapes. She knows how to write and draw and cut out paper. And she loves to do things where you follow the directions. Most of the Pre-K stuff I found was stuff she already knows and while reviewing them is a very good thing I didn't want her just coloring and playing, I wanted her learning stuff. She already knew all of her vowels and all the sounds that they make but she doesn't know how to write them. So for the last 5 weeks we have been learning how to write them and how to write the numbers
1-5.


I have been taking what she knows and adding it into the new things she is learning. I have been taking some things slow when she gets stubborn and doesn't want to even try. She has been doing so good most of the time, but every once in a while we have melt downs about whether or not she can write any letter or number. I tell her that I don't need it to be perfect. I tell her that if it doesn't even look like the letter/number the first couple of days that is OK! She is a perfectionist and thinks if she can't do it right the first time then she most definitely shouldn't try again! I have had to tweak some things and make up my own stuff along the way. But she has progressed so much in just these few short weeks and now tells me she wants to learn how to read! I am loving every second of it, even when she doesn't want to do it. Because after the crying and stubbornness has gone and she tries again anyway, I am so proud of how well she will do.


Homeschooling with a new born is interesting, but I am glad that she sleeps, and that she will lay in the floor with Abby and I and watch a baby show while I help Abby write a letter, or do her number workbook, or read our books. She is such a good baby, and even when she is extra needy and just wants me to hold her, she is so quiet and sweet it doesn't bother the schooling.


I LoVe being a mommy and wife. It's what I was created to do.


In a few weeks I will start looking for a Transcription job to do from home while the kiddos are napping or watching a movie and when Ant gets home. There are a couple other things I am considering as well, and I am excited to see how this school year goes and who knows, I might have a reader in my house by the spring. She can already tell me what sounds are in words and match them to their letter. It's pretty exciting to be able to watch that!

A little update on the girlies:
In the last three weeks nothing to exciting has happened other than my girls getting WAY too big!

Abigail went to her 4 year check up and weighed 40lbs and is 43.5 inches tall. She is off the charts and I love it. She is such a big girl, and I love how big of a help she wants to be.

Kenzy Grace had her 2 month check up today and is 11lbs 14oz and 24 inches tall. She is in the 91st ion height and the 65th in weight. Both my girls like to make sure they are at the top of their charts. Lets hope that carries over into school work, jobs, relationships, and life in general!