A little homeschooling update for the New Year

A couple of slow weeks over the festive season seems to have done us all the world of good… by the beginning of last week, we were all ready to be back to a more usual rhythm and ready to get back to some learning. When I got the girls to set their goals for 2018, one of the categories I gave them was ‘learning’ – letting them decide some of what they wanted to focus on this year.

Kiki and Baya both wanted to learn some languages – Kiki French and Welsh, and Baya Spanish. We’ve started using the free resources available on the BBC Schools site, which so far have been great. I’m thinking about a subscription to Muzzy at some point as well. They both also put down knowing all their times tables so we’ve started working through the ones they’re not sure on. I made some flash cards, and we’ve been practicing them once or twice a day! it’s been good to check if I can remember them all off the top of my head too!

Kiki also wanted to learn to touch type and learn some coding skills. For touch typing, we’ve started using this site, which seems great. I’m planning on digging our Kano out this week as that’s a good intro to coding.

The other thing they both requested was {even} more art time. I’ve plans to keep up with our nature journals this year, we’ve really enjoyed filling them with seasonal doodles – this book has been a great guide for our studies.  We’re also going to make our own Phenology Wheels this year. I just renewed our CreativeBug subscription as last winter we loved working through some of their art tutorials. I’m also planning on at least one session a week when we just get out some art materials and all sit down together to create whatever we feel like.

Lola is still home, currently working on her own projects while we decide what she’s doing. She still really wants to sit her GCSE’s, we just need to get her anxiety under control first. She’s a prolific writer, she’s written so many short stories and fan fictions this past six months. She’s also learning some Spanish and Welsh and is about to start a couple of other online courses to keep her occupied.

The kids were pleased to be back at groups last week. We seem to have gotten out of the flow with home ed groups. The one that has been our regular for the last 7 years moved venues/days last year so far we haven’t been as it’s on the day the kids are usually out with their dad. I thought we’d miss it more than we have, but so far no one is too worried about going. We have a fortnightly home ed meet at an adventure playground as well as our monthly book club meetings, and of course, lots of social meet-ups in between. I feel like we should be going to more groups – maybe we’ll try out a couple more this year!

We’ve been carrying on with Life of Fred, although I’m unsure as to how much longer or whether we’ll need to find a different curriculum. They still love it, so hopefully, we won’t have to switch. After seeing someone using them on Instagram, I bought Kiki and Baya the Brain Quest books. They have a years worth of curriculum in them, maths, english and science worksheets. While I’m not a huge worksheet fan, the kids are and these seem to suit them pretty well!

Beastie loves to join in with whatever the doing, not liking to be left out! His favourite thing is shouting out random numbers when the girls are practicing their times tables haha! I’m planning on loosely starting The Peaceful Playschool, a literature and project-based curriculum, with him at some point soon-ish. I did a similar thing with the girls when they were little, and they really enjoyed it.

It feels good to be at hte start of a new year, and the kids all happy to be directing their own education for another year.