Back to School

Today is our first day back to school after a long Christmas holiday. Taylor and Jimmy are both very excited and ready to get started. We only have 3 months left before school is over, I can't believe how fast the school year flies by. It seems that this year I have found more and more people who are very interested in homeschooling and how to get started and I am happy to talk with them and explain the advantages, but I also let them know that it's a lot of work and it takes a lot of patience as well. Another misconception of homeschooling your children is that it is cheaper than sending your child to public school, I thought this before starting and boy was I wrong, when the year is said and done you are looking at about $3,000 in just books and supplies, that's not counting lunches and snacks throughout the day or any type of field trip. It's all worth it to us, but if Eric didn't have the job that he has there is no way we could afford this. I am very fortunate to be able to do this for my children and I am proud of both of them for their cooperation with me, both of the children are very bright and love to learn.

Jimmy has blown me away this year with learning to write his letters, I know I have stated this before, but I have been a teacher in a preschool and have never come across a child that can pick up a pencil and write a letter perfectly the first time you show him. I don't even have to guide his hand, he just looks at what I have written and copies it, it's amazing.

Taylor is amazing when it comes to her studies and the one thing that gets me with her is division, she loves it. You have to understand, I went through school with a calculator and never learned how to do division by using my head, I am learning this with her. No calculators are allowed in my school, so every math problem Taylor does has to be her own brain at work and not something battery operated. I can't wait for her year end assessment test because I know she is ready for it.

If I stick with the A Beka school program, my children will have a scholarship in a Christian collage when they graduate. Yes, home schooled children have a graduation just like any other school. Some states very, but most states have picked up a graduation program so children don't have to get GED's when 12Th grade is over. We have high hopes for our children and collage is a must.

I will keep updates on their progress for the rest of the year.