Ok, here's the new plan. I was all set and ready to declare Sonlight "not for us". However...

This semester I am going to give it another try. I just listened to 2 podcasts from SL and I need to make some changes to the way I have been doing some things.So I can't "grab and go" and maybe all the planning isn't done for me like the catalog says.

And maybe there is a bigger learning curve for me than other homeschool moms OR maybe you just don't hear about people who seem to struggle as much as I do.

Last year I couldn't find a way to make SL work. I think it might have been easier if the neighbor hadn't joined us. My kids love for me to read to them and answer questions, but really...Who knows? I love having the neighbor join us, it makes me do more than I normally would do and I take the school day more seriously.

I didn't understand that if the writing was too much, I could drop it for a while. I thought that since I had a lower core, we could just follow the teaching manual(IG) as is. I didn't get that if the reading was boring everyone, I should slow it down.

I didn't understand that if things don't work out perfectly, it doesn't mean that it is the wrong thing to do. I grew so much last year, I had to learn how to teach:

a middle schooler, somewhat unmotivated
a dylexic/dysgraphic who can't read or write, but comprehends well
a motivated elementary student wanting to go and do!
a motivated lower elementary student getting lost in the mix

and the neighbor who can read and write, but has low comprehension, burned out w/ school


Instead of starting day one of school with a full blown schedule, I am building. Each week I add something. I have tweaked the daily schedule, Doing handwriting, then Geography songs, then spelling, then another non-writing activity. I break it up that way for my son who is dysgraphic as he finds writing tedious.

I am really going to challenge myself to try to find my way w/ SL and finish the core I started last fall.One piece at a time. I find myself slipping into the old thought patterns, wanting to add too much, too fast, but I am staying on top of it so far.

The first week was hard, but ended up good. This week is starting off well. I have actually found myself thinking"Now this is the way I wish I was taught!"

Like I said, I fully expect this to be the best year ever.