Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Years 3, 4 and 5
Posted in Learning on the Narrow Path
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By year three, I was getting up to speed as a homeschool teacher, gaining confidence and getting comfortable with the idea of home education, even that of a high schooler. Our courses varied from textbook (Saxon Algebra I) to units that I had written. Money was frighteningly tight in those days, and I used the library and other free resources extensively. I leaned more on the umbrella group as well, using their scheduled field trips as "wrap up" for a week-long study in whatever was featured. Martin was gaining confidence as well. Gradually over these three years he began writing his own courses of study geared toward his interests. Our school times were dotted with the "help" of a toddler and baby, too. During the summer, Martin was apprenticed to a man who cleaned and repaired spas and pools. He learned a lot about the working world, and gained a lot of self-discipline with the 4AM wake up calls and long, hot days in the sun. In year five, we purchased a copy of Bob Jones' Biology course, sharing the coursework, labs and cost equally. It was great for Martin to have a lab partner. Blair joined the school which we had named "Katartismos Academy" officially in 1995 as a Kindergarten student. She had already learned to read, just being around books and being read to all her life, but I bought the Rod and Staff complete first grade set for her to "play" with while Martin and I did our lessons. She did the phonics program and became an excellent speller from the start. She trudged through math, and seemed to take to it naturally, so I didn't bore her with the "whole" lesson each day. We took walks to discuss nature, and field trips with the umbrella school. Throughout my pregnancy in 1994 and early 1995, she went to the doctor with me, hearing the baby's heartbeat and learning from the pictures and models what was going on. At the February, 1995 science fair, she won second place for her display on fetus development which I helped her with hardly at all. I had begun working part-time for the umbrella school to help defray the cost of tuition for two. It was my job to do certain typing and photocopying work, and to maintain the school's family mailboxes. It wasn't a big job, but it helped out both the school and our finances. Blair and Martin both participated in the jobs in their own way and enjoyed it. By the end of the 1995 school year, Martin began to show intense interest in returning to school. We enrolled him in one disastrous week of public school (they did not accept his home school credits and the courses provided were dismal at best) then decided to seek a partial scholarship to the Christian private school. He was accepted at a 50% scholarship level, and worked part time at a local grocery store for the rest of his tuition. He was happy to be back in school, but had a hard time making friends. His eight other classmates had been part of a tight-knit unit since first grade and they weren't too interested in letting Martin join in. But, between his studies, his job and his family, he was a busy guy. Homeschooling was such a blessing during those early years. Sitting in my chair with my worsened disability again, I could nurse a baby, read to a toddler and help Blair with her schoolwork. We left the house for functions with the umbrella school and church, but they became fewer. The children all thrived on our time together. |
Comments
Saturday, January 14, 2006 - It's me, Kim
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Posted by Kim in MI / muckfootmom Monday, January 30, 2006 - Untitled Comment
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