We've almost completed our first week of the school year and it's going really well. One thing that has helped is the new chore chart. Now, before you are impressed with my great organizational skills, I guess I should admit that it wasn't my idea. Steve made up a chore chart for the boys using Microsoft Excel. We gave them a raise in their allowance, but their chores are now connected to it. One of the items on their daily lists is "do my schoolwork without complaining."
The boys are also working much more independently than they did last year. We started using Writing Strands 3 which lets them know in the first assignment that they are older now and should be able to try to do the assignment without the help of their parent. They are doing their writing without my help because the book told them to!
We are trying out The Life of Fred math program. It's very basic. You just get a book, one book. The student is supposed to read a chapter, follow the directions, and check their answers. This book even reminds them that they are no longer babies and can write their problems on paper. Guess what my boys are doing? They are writing out their math problems in spiral notebooks and doing most of it without my help. The books use a lot of boy humor which my boys appreciate.
The boys have even admitted that Further Up and Further In isn't so bad. Doing Bible studies based on what is happening in the Narnia chapter for the day has really helped the boys to be able to discuss the chapter. I think this is the first year I haven't had to pull discussion out of them.
The best thing about homeschooling? It gives them more time to just be brothers. | 
