Along with the New Year, everyone seems to take inventory of their life. As a homeschool mom, this is a good habit for me to employ for my school day. We are mid-year in terms of our academic calendar and I have enough information to gauge where we are as it pertains to our yearly academic goals.
First, I would like to prioritize reading aloud more. I want to hear my kids read aloud to me and the reverse as well. Reading aloud is so good for both the reader and the listeners, so why do I not already prioritize it as much as I should? My goal is to find pockets of time, such as, while I am prepping dinner, and invite one of my kids to read aloud to me. Another time I can read to the kids is during lunch while they are eating.
Second, I would like to merge school projects with food prep. I remember how much I enjoyed making a Pueblo cake for my school project in the fifth grade and how fun it was to share it with my classmates. Kitchen crafting is an easy task to let me kids take charge since they are a bit older now. Since I never got around to making a gingerbread house with the kids last month, we all found it exciting to forgo the paper model of a Norman castle and make a gingerbread version instead. These types of activities make learning fun, get us up from our school table a bit more, and give the opportunity for practicing other skills such as baking, measuring, and other kitchen skills.
Third, I want to slow down. I am a huge proponent of slowing down, yet I always find myself speeding up. I read fast, want to finish school work quickly, cook and clean quickly and even eat quickly. I have this strange desire to fill my day with more and more, yet I know the value of working at a slow and steady pace. I want to slow down for my kids and let them know we don’t have to rush through our lessons just to finish quickly for the day or the school year. These are the year my kids have to work at their own pace, enjoy a slower schedule and practice steadiness. I want to guard my kids’ schedules so they have time to play, read, process what they experience and grow into healthy people.
The beginning of a new year is a fabulous time to reevaluate our school year. Are we where we need to be in our lessons? Are we on target to finish our textbooks at the end of the year like we want to? Are there subjects we can speed up on, slow down with, drop altogether or add to our days? Is there a subject we have finished and are launching into a new direction? Is there a phrase or keyword we want our kids to remember each day as they sit down to start their school work?
Here’s to a great new year for you, too!
Lindsay Banton is a caffeinated mother with three great kids. She never expected to homeschool, but has found that it is a wonderful addition to their lifestyle and wouldn’t change it for the world. In addition to homeschooling, Lindsay works alongside her husband in campus ministry at a large university in Connecticut. She grew up in Virginia but has settled into life in New England, learning to love the long winters, cool springs, green summers and gorgeous autumns- and has built a boot collection to meet all the demands. She is currently blogging at www.oaksreplanted.blogspot.com.
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