It's Time for School!

For a few years now, we've been starting school in July when it's so hot out they can't go outside...  We usually get done about April, so I can deal with this schedule.  


I put off my school organizing waaaaayyy too long this year. So here's the rundown..  Andrew is going into 2nd grade.  He tested awesomely when we did the placement tests to switch him over to ACE Paces.  Eva is going into 1st grade with Abeka.  Grace is still having fun with another round of preschool.  Hannah is along for the ride, I'm still hoping to get some ABC toys for her that only come out during school.. but we'll see.  

So let's start at the top.   

We found an awesome church home and family last fall.   It's such a blessing to have a church to call home.  I must admit I'm still getting used to having like-minded moms I can physically talk with.  So much of my mom interaction has been online for so long, I've almost forgotten how to act.   Anyway, the church has it's own school... As much as I love having the kids home and teaching them myself, I would LOVE to  be able to send them to the church for school.  I would still be a big part in their schooling as parents go in and help out at least once a week.   But for now, it's not possible... So we decided to start the kids on the curriculum they use, which for now (they use a variety in older grades)is ACE.   

We had looked at ACE when we first committed to using a set program.  But it was too expensive.  Thanks to the Lord we can afford it now.  We're getting the books through the church every quarter.. For the base curriculum it was $25.20 for the first quarter.   So unless we go with electives, we're looking at about $100 for Andrew for the year.  

I'm still figuring everything out, but it seems like it will be mostly little to no planning for me (WOOHOO), and it also looks like he'll love it.  The work pages are about what he was doing per day last year, the reading (so far) is  A LOT LESS, although we have been told it's a lot of reading-so we may be in for a suprise in the next set of books.  I will definitely be doing a blog post-and maybe even a vlog on ACE after the baby comes..  We're 3 weeks into school now and he's starting to finish up some paces..  We're loving it.. Most everything is review, but the math he is already getting into some new things..  But I can deal with the review while we're getting used to the new curriculum and review is never a bad thing. 

When we had talked with the pastor who heads the school, we had wanted to start both Eva and Andrew in ACE...  After considerations on the cost, we decided to just leave Eva with Abeka since we have everything.  So that's what we did.  You can see that book haul from last year here.  I am doing more phonics with Eva than I did with Andrew last year because the reading just hasn't "clicked" with her yet.  But that's ok, she'll get it.   

I also ordered the next level of cursive books from Abeka for Andrew and Eva and the Letters and Sounds 1 Test book that I forgot last year. That order was $50.  ($150-$170 for a whole school year for 3 kids' curriculum!!)  

For Grace's school, I had all the papers (or files saved on my computer), I just had to copy and organize. I also realized I need to reorganize the folder I keep those in.. because..it's a mess.. 

So I've been organizing and copying as much as my swollen feet can stand it for the first 2 weeks of July.  I still need to figure out how I'm going to keep grades this year.. I didn't like how I did it with Andrew last year and I have no idea how I'm supposed to do it with ACE-but I have at least until he gets done with the first set of books and help is at church.   I'm sure Dennis can help me figure out something on a spreadsheet if I can find something close to what I'm thinking.   For now, I just have everything in my notebook..  Sort of like a homemade bullet style journal.  I have calendar pages (which isn't working out that great... I need something bigger for next year), and grading pages.  I am going to get together with the second grade teacher at church to make sure I'm grading and recording grades correctly.  

So we're started school Monday, July 16th.  I spent about an hour going through Andrew and Eva's to get the first few weeks planned out.  I really want to get a few weeks under my belt before baby comes.  I know from last year the more we get into the school year, the faster the planning will go.  Grace just does one lesson a day (one letter a week).  

Eva's planning.. My bullet style planner (which I already know WON'T WORK).. And of course the doll photo bomb...because... kids.

Andrew's planning.  Those are homemade goal cards... We make a plan for each subject for them to get done by the end of the week... Pretty sure I'm doing this right... Something to ask about.  I also have the same lesson plan in my book. Andrew gets the goal cards in his stuff.

So yeah, week 3 into our school year and I think we have a good routine down.  It still only takes us about 2 hours, after baby comes and we get back into school we might increase work a little bit, but we'll see how things go.  For now, at least, we are taking things slow and getting into the routine.  

Have a great week!! 

~Tabitha