heartofdakota.com

Hi Ladies!

I have two boys (9 and 10) using Bigger this year. This is our first year home from public school and I am AMAZED at what they didn't learn (or just don't remember) from grades K-4 in Public School. We have had a bit of a rocky start. I am brand new at this and have never taught before so this is quite an experience!! I am happy to say, however, that it is coming together! I can see a light at the end of the tunnel.

I am using R&S English 3 with them because they are on the older side and I thought they would be ready for it. I like it a lot, but since English 2 is the only one that is broken out in to lessons in Bigger, I am wondering if I am doing it right. We have been covering a new lesson every day. Is this pace too fast? They seem to "get" the material, but since I've never taught before I wonder how others use it. My 9 year old absolutely hates to write so we do most of it orally or on a white board.

I wanted to share how my sweet 9 year old (spirited ds defined "refuge" on his vocabulary card yesterday. We wrote the word, looked it up, and copied the definition. When it came time to draw the picture to go along with it, we remembered the memory verse from the week before: "The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous runs into it and is safe". For his picture, he drew a cloud leading the Israelites, and explained how God is our refuge. I had a major proud mama moment! Did I mention this is my attention-getting, class-clown, middle child? THIS is why I pulled my kids from public school. I just wanted to say thank you to Carrie for all of your hard work!! My kids really are writing God's word on their hearts.

Tracy

teaching my boys with Bigger and my 5 year old girl with Little Hearts.

Tracy,

We're doing R&S3 with Bigger this year too and doing a lesson a day. When we get to the reviews, we use a day or two to do those. I figured even at this pace, we will finish before the end of the year. The pace seems to be a good one for us too. R&S3 is scheduled in Preparing, but I don't have my Preparing guide yet so I don't know if it is scheduled at a bit slower pace so that it takes the whole year or not. I figured by continuing this pace, we'll be have some leeway in case we need to miss a day here or there, and/or spend more time on the reviews if necessary.

That is so wonderful the picture that your son drew for refuge!!! I would be an extremely proud Mama too! Woohoo!

Hi Tracy,

We are doing R&S 3 right now. The pace is pretty fast, but we just came out of R&S 2 so my DS is used to the format. We are doing a lesson a day -- it is scheduled that way in Preparing. I think doing most of it orally for your boys is great -- we do about 1/2 of it oral and sometimes I just let him do the odd or even numbers for the written exercises if there are a lot of them. I would think that there would be an adjustment period as far as homeschooling since your boys just came out of public school -- sounds like they are doing really well with the change though!

So awesome that your DS drew such a great picture for his vocabulary word!

The other ladies did such a good job of answering your questions about R & S English 3, and I agree completely. So, I just wanted to say I am glad you are looking for the light at the end of the tunnel, and finding it many times over as you have moments like the "refuge" vocabulary example you shared! As homeschool moms, we need to look for those moments and remember them as things to celebrate. Homeschooling is not easy, if it were, everybody would be doing it. However, rising to the challenges and overcoming them is what brings great joy and satisfaction to what we are doing. When we strive to look for the good, we find it. The opposite is true as well. I am so glad you are looking for the good and finding it - HOD has helped me do this time and time again over the years! You have many good things ahead of you with HOD. Thank you for sharing here!

In Christ,
Julie

Tracy,

I am rejoicing with you on the progress your kiddos are making and on the hope that you have as you can see things coming together! Your pacing for Rod and Staff (and your way of doing it sounds just right)! I loved your son's example for 'refuge'. It does makes a momma's heart full to read something like that. Thanks for sharing!

Blessings,
Carrie