Update

It's been a while since I updated.

School is going very well. We have our house up for sale and are staying w/ relatives.

We are keeping up w/ the Sonlight schedule very well. I love having it,esp the Sonlight schedules for Apologia science. If we just follow them, we will be finished in 36 weeks.

We still have some bugs to work out and a few subjects to add, but so far, so good!

Time4Learning review

Time4Learning is an online education program that can be used as a homeschooling curriculum, an afterschool tutorial or for summer learning. As a member, I've been given the opportunity to share my experiences. The content in this review was not written by Time4Learning. While I was compensated, the opinion is entirely my own.



I decided in Feb. I wanted to do a few months of Time4Learning.com at the end of this school year. I wanted to expose my kids a more "traditional" version of school. Also, I knew that the usual end of the year fatigue would eventually set in.

Though I did not know it then, that decision ended up being a huge lifesaver. We are staying w/ relatives for an extended period of time, while our house gets exterminated. Having school on the computer has been a huge blessing.

Years ago, I did Time4Learning as a full curriculum. I was hoping it would be "fun" for the kids, esp. the one w/ learning disabilites. But only one of my kids thought it was fun(the first grader). I am sure that some kids would find it fun, but it's not a guarantee. Some kids just don't find school fun no matter how you dress it up. I liked it, but decided it wasn't for our family as a full curriculum.

Our experience this time has been a great one. It's not up to me to get everything ready, it's all prepared. I help when they need it. It has made them more independent and has shown me some areas that they need more work.

I have had one of my students(so far) complete the simulated state assessment test. It has been very eye opening. After the first section of the test, I asked why he never looked over the passage again. He told me he thought that would be cheating!! I love that they will be exposed to this type of test taking.

It has been good to see where they match up w/ their grade level. One of them who turned out to not be on grade level in math, I chose a lower level of math and let him work on multiplication and division facts. I think that was a great use of program.

It is $20 a month for the first student and then $15 for each additional. Paying for months in advance gives you a discount. If someone lists you as the one who recommended them, you get $$. When we did it before, I received a check in the mail because 2 people listed me. Also you can earn $$ by writing a blog review. It's nice that they offer these things.

I will definitely want to do Time4Learning.com again at the end of next year's school year!

Check it out, there is alot I haven't mentioned. :)

Sonlight and Time4Learning.com

Just signed up for a month of Time4Learning.com. I might even do longer. I just felt the need to supplement what I have been doing(Sonlight) w/ some traditional learning.

I think this will be a nice way of rounding things out. I love the literature based approach of Sonlight and will not change from it.

Time4Learning also has a simulated state test. Will be a confidence booster to let them take that! :)

Sonlight update

Things are going so well. For me, it has been all about sticking w/ it.

It IS December and it is obvious that the Core 3 I bought for this year is not going to get finished...but that is not necessarily a defeat.

It took me this long, but I am finally starting to make some gains in actually learning how to do this whole homeschooling thing.

My oldest is in his second year of high school. I am starting to see that we are actually making lasting progress w/ his education. His work in Sonlight's Core 100 is all coming together.

I am reading all of his books, so I can input some things and he can have someone to talk to about them, so at least *I* am getting a quality education, even if no one else is!! ;)

Bout time!

Finally a short update. Still homeschooling, still loving Sonlight. Have started this year out very slow, building up, adding a new subject as we are able to handle them. Next week, I am going to start adding in the Sonlight schedule.

I am very excited to finally get it all going full speed. Will adjust if I have to and slow down for awhile.

I am very grateful to be able to homeschool, even though we have challenges like learning disabilities, add, depression and other stuff! :)

I should update more! But since I found facebook, it satisfies the need for talking and communicating that I originally hoped this blog would fill.

The few visitors I do get like to read about my experience w/ Sonlight Curriculum and I sure like talking about it!! So I will try to post every now and then...

We are currently on a summer break. My intention was to work through the summer, but I was so burned out that we took a break. I am so glad we did. I feel fired up to start again in the fall!

I did a little "sneak peek" the last few weeks of school and used my new SL cores: 100 and Core 3. I have found that I need to follow the schedule exactly for awhile before changing it. I need to give it a chance.

My oldest really needs some input w/ the literature, so this summer I am going to read as many of his level 100 books as I can. There are about 40 and I have read 2. I feel like they are changing my life! And I LOVE LOVE how the assigned books relate so well w/ each other. I am reading a non fiction book about pilgrims and I just finished a fictional story about them. Really well rounded.

Hope the kids enjoy it as much as I have!!!!

Maps

We just finished Week 14 of Core 1+2. I have never bought the Sonlight markable maps, but as we go through the history, I find myself more and more curious about where everything has taken place.

Today the kids got all into it too, so we pulled out a map, put it up and the kids stuck tacks in the places mentioned in the lesson. Someone had drawn on it, so it needs to be cleaned up, and it was hard to get it to stay because it had torn so many times...

I just chuckled to myself and thought, this is why Sonlight sells a Markable Map. :)