An Update on Changes

Truly this has been one of our busiest homeschooling years, but maybe not in the way you think. Last summer, I determined we would spend more time at home during our daily school hours, and for the most part, we have! Instead of carting from one thing to the next during school hours, we have stayed put. With the exception of piano lessons and science classes, we have been home during the day. Our evenings are another story, but the time home during the day has been a blessing.

Some of the long term benefits have been an increased time to delve into a subject or lesson.

We have had time to try those great ideas I have pinned.

We have read even more books than usual.

Our discussions have not been rushed.

We have leisurely enjoyed lessons without having to rush to another class or event.

However, probably the most encouraging for me is the children's creativity has flourished. They have taken up drawing, creative writing, collecting, and more. on. their. own. These activities were done for the enjoyment of it, not as a requirement for a class.

Currently, we are studying Ancient Rome. Since our studies of Ancient Greece were in depth and full of hands on projects, I was planning to lighten the activities for Ancient Rome.

My daughters, however, are full of other ideas. Just yesterday, we were reading a bit about the Roman culture and art. My daughters remembered a project we had done last time we studied Ancient Rome, and asked to do it again. I gave them the go ahead to proceed on their own, with the request that they include their younger brother, who had missed out on the project years ago. They agreed and spent a good portion of the afternoon making paper mosaics.

Perhaps our school year has not looked like everything I first envisioned. {We certainly have not been on many nature walks this year.} Yet, looking back over the days and forward to the remaining weeks, I think it may have just turned out better than I had hoped.