Friday, July 31, 2009

It's Not That We Didn't Learn Anything Last Year..

I was just waiting for those amazing profound learning experiences rather than rejoicing in the daily learning that takes place in our home. So I think a list is in order!

Stuff we learned:

*It's OK to change math curricula mid-stream. It's even good when one child just isn't getting it!
*Steve Demme is a really good math teacher.
*Sometimes letting a beginning reader have a used second-grade reading book accelerates reading faster than months of phonics.
*Being laid back about history and science means we do less history and science.
*I think my kids need change sometimes. We moved from Spelling Power to Spelling Wisdom and back to Spelling Power in the last two years.
*Make sure to not miscount the last few days of school. I did and realized we had a week more than I had planned.
*My girls are so creative. (But I already knew that.)
*Buy all the things I'll need in advance. (Or wait weeks to do the science project that we need the stuff for!)
*I really like scheduling our school so that we are out earlier than the public schools. It's such a good breather for all of us before the busy-ness of summer begins.
*Faith is ready for more of a challenge.
*Hope really likes her piano lessons, and she is very good at piano.
*Joy and Grace love watching their math on DVD.