School has officially started in the Ready household. And it has never felt so good to get back into a rhythm and routine again. Summer was great and full of childhood magic, but the busyness and lack of schedule was starting to get to all of us.
So we finally had our first day of school for the year!
We started with our classic cinnamon rolls and looked through all the new and fun books we are going through this year.
Then it was time for the classic first day of school picture... even homeschoolers partake in that tradition :) We don't really adhere to grade levels in our house, but if we had to make it official: Isla would be considered in second grade, Ewan would be considered in kindergarten (although I just realized most of his curriculum is first grade), and Eleanor I guess is preschool.
We have found a schedule that really works for our family, but this year we just made a few tweaks. I'll dump all the photos from the last two weeks here that happen during that time of our day.
We begin with a gathering time, which includes devotions, Bible or poetry memorization, songs, math games, stories, and unit study learning. There is lots of movement, we cover a lot of subjects, and it's a special time together as a family.
After gathering time, we move to table time. Both big kids have math and reading during this time, then Isla also has cursive this year. Sometimes there are unit study activities during this time too. I try to have some kind of hands-on activity for Eleanor to keep her occupied and busy learning, as well.
One of those tweaks I mentioned is chore time following table time. Each kiddo has a chore to complete for the day. When they do so, they get to put a pom pom in the jar. The first reward for filling the jar was a trip to the frozen yogurt shop! Then we'll pick a new reward.
I have really needed help with chores this past year. It can't possibly all fall on me when we all live here and use the house like a workhorse. So far, this system has been fun for everyone!
After chores, the kids are welcome to play (or what we call "recess").
Then it's lunch time where I have designed an entirely new system that I am very proud of :) Every Sunday is my prep day where I prepare breakfast items for the week like muffins and egg bites, snack packs and refills, pre-made lunches, and any dinners I can put in the fridge or the freezer for the week.
At lunch time, the kids go through the lunch line and pick out 1-2 items from the protein bin, 1 item from the carb bin, and 1-2 items from the fruit and veggie bin. This system has been a game changer! They have independence over their lunches, it's already made so no one is stressing about making it after a morning of school time, the options change every week, and I'm happy with anything they choose. I have found they are more willing to eat things this way than if I put it on a plate in front of them.
And as far as snacks go, they get one morning and one afternoon snack from the shelf on the left. This usually cuts down on the scrounging through the pantry and half-torn pretzel bags spilled all over my kitchen.
We'll see if I keep this up, but so far it's been wonderful!
After lunch, we have our rest and read aloud time where we read our history book and family read aloud book. Sometimes the read aloud has deep digging with it, like in the book Adventures with Waffles, where the story takes place in Norway so we have spent time reading about that country.
During this time, the kids have a basket of handcrafts to work on. Did you know using your hands while you listen helps you retain information better and stay focused? I try to find things that keep their hands busy, their mouths quiet, and their ears listening. So far, Ewan has worked on Lego building and puzzles, Isla has worked on the Light Bright and string art, and Eleanor has worked on an animal balancing game and a light up marker board.
A new addition to our year is our afternoon loop schedule. At this time last year, school was over and the kids were welcome to do what they wanted. This year, I'm aiming for a little more structure in our afternoons. So our loop schedule goes:
Monday: Art Studies- hopefully studying an artist and replicating their work
Tuesday: Science- we are working through 9 different concepts this year with accompanying experiments
Wednesday: Computer- we will spend chunks of time working on Spanish lessons online and interactive reading games
Thursday: Poetry and Kitchen- both big kids set a goal of becoming better bakers this year, so we are devoting Thursday afternoons to baking a treat, hopefully related to our unit studies or read alouds, and then enjoying the treat while we read some poetry
Friday: Library or Messy Art- If we go to the library for co-op during the week, we won't go on Friday afternoons, but if not I'm hoping to devote our Fridays to the library and maybe a coffee shop or playground for like a Friday fun day. If we aren't going to the library, Isla has requested messy art on Fridays where we work on paper mache, the loom, spray paint, and anything that could get messy.
Once a week we have co-op. It usually takes place on Wednesdays, but not always. On that day, whatever we are doing for co-op is our school for the day. When we get home, the kids have computer time, but that's about it for that day. Last week, we had apple day at one of the family's homes where we picked apples, read stories, painted with apples, and enjoyed tasty apple treats!
There is always room in our schedule for flexiblity and the ability to pivot. Some days are smooth and fun and other days are a struggle. Already, two weeks in and this was the response to his table time:
It's definitely not all sunshine and rainbows. I'm as impatient as the next mom, my kids are as quick to fight as the next set of siblings, housework piles up, and some days time apart sounds ideal. But for all the hard stuff, I think it's 100% worth it. I love that we get to be together, that their education is shaped by their interests and passions, that we don't have the rush and pressure that's necessary for public education, that their little personalities get to stay wonderful and childlike for just a little longer. We are truly living out "the good old days" right now.
And even though we are ready for structure, summer has still been slipping in. We can't say no to a pool day at Nana and Pop Pop's house :) And that's where that flexibility and life-learning comes in handy.
And to start our school year with a bang... why not a mini trip? My love for trips mixed with our all-the-time-learning lead me to the Renaissance Festival in St. Louis. I knew we were going to be spending the year learning about the Middle Ages in our history book. I thought 'what a perfect way to bring the Middle Ages to life- the Ren fair'. So we booked it all and started preparing with books. As I explained my well-thought out plan to Michael, he kindly informed me the Renaissance actually happened after the Middle Ages. Which shows you just how much my own education has served me ;) But we went anyway... we just chose to learn about the Renaissance alongside the Middle Ages.
It was pirate weekend and the kids dressed accordingly.
All of Isla's dreams came true when she held a bird of prey! We even got all the information on how to become a master falconer, which I'm sure is her next dream.
I am not sure any of us would go back to the Renaissance Festival... it was literally 100 degrees, everything was pricey, and we all had bad attitudes. But I am glad we experienced it at least once.
We cooled off with a dinner and visit with Great Grandma Fred (unfortunately, we didn't grab a picture with her).
The next day was MUCH more our pace with a trip to Eckert's Orchard. We spent time with Aunt Cheryl and Nana and did ALL the fall things, just in time to welcome autumn!
What a trip! Now it's back to reality and more school tomorrow :) I'm grateful for our family time together and all the different kinds of learning my kids get to experience.
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