Well, it's June; Half way through June actually. We are finished with school, sort of. Wayne Jr. and Curtis are both taking summer college courses. As for the homeschooled kids, Sierra too is finishing up 2 online courses with Liberty University, Andrii is finished and working his summer job, Anna is finished except for a grammar test, and Jordan & Slava are in summer schedule mode. With the little guys I just can't stop doing "school" over the summer. They really need to retain what they've learned and both benefit from a structured day. Our summer "structure" is a bit loose, but we still do reading, calendar, and hands on activities. I've been in the throws of year end home school reports to the school district. NY has some of the heaviest requirements for homeschoolers. I've just finished our quarterly reports and officially promoted everyone to the next grade level. Then I typed up the Letter of Intent letting the school know we intend to home school again next year. That leads to Individual Home Instruction Plans (IHIPs as we veteran home school moms call them). IHIPs are basically a list of curriculum for each subject that I plan on using for the coming school year. I have to do one for each of the 5 kids. Once that's done I end up in the throw out the old, reorganize, and start setting up for fall mode. I'm trying to hold myself back - I really need to enjoy the summer before it's gone!
A Bit of Home School History!
Last week Slava had a speech/language evaluation at the local public school. His scores indicate that he qualifies for therapy 3x weekly next school year. So starting in the fall, in addition to homeschooling, I will bring him to school for PT once weekly, OT 2x weekly, and now speech/language 2x weekly. They will try to combine the days so I don't have to be there every day. I am thankful that the school is working with us and they are not being difficult because we homeschool.
In fact, so far the therapists all seem to agree that what we are doing is working best for Slava.
A Quiet Morning Pool-side.
We are going on a "real" family vacation for the first time in years. Aside from traveling to Ukraine for our adoptions (not very relaxing) and weekend visits to our camp, we have not been away as a family for any length of time. Every summer I lament that the Ukrainian kids have never been to the ocean, but I never seem to be able to put a plan together. This year I enlisted Kerri's help and we booked a house right on the beach in Virginia Beach! The kids are so excited and counting down the days!
Curtis & I at breakfast!
Your life sounds full! You mentioned that your younger guys benefitted from continuing school during the summer, but at a summer schedule pace. I have an only child, but we homeschool all year long. Our summer school schedule is somewhat modified but we can't afford the 'brain drain' of summer. Have you considered a summer program like the one on Vocabulary and Spelling City? (http://www.spellingcity.com/summer-program-faq.html) My daughter has definitely benefitted from the activities on Spelling City and she finds the games a fun way to pack down knowledge without it seeming too much like drudgery. Enjoy the summer and your trip to the beach. I hope your family has a blast!
ReplyDeleteLinda, thank you so much for commenting. I rarely get comments and wonder if anyone is really following sometimes! Our summer schedule pretty much includes reading and hands on math games. I try to make it fun. My little guys learn much better if it's a hands-on activity anyway. One summer I had the middle kids memorizing poetry. It's excellent for language development. I offered $5 for each poem they could recite. My daughter Sierra has an exceptional memory - she raked in the $$$ that summer! Thanks again for your comment. I hope you enjoy the blog!
DeleteBlessings,
Sandra