Our first week back to school

This week was a definite success! I was really not sure how things would go for our first week back to school but everything went really well. The kids natural schedules are really lending themselves well to picking school back up.

Isaiah my earliest riser is also my oldest and has the most school work to do.When he gets up we sit and chat over breakfast.Then have been able to get one or two things done before Justin wakes up. Justin is our five almost six year old and has just started school.Once he is up and has breakfast I start on some of his work with him and Isaiah takes a little break or moves on to some of his independent work.At some point after this the girls both get up. Alyssa is the baby and just hangs out all day long ;) but Hannah is almost three and I find if I can devote some time to her alone first thing after she gets up then working with the boys later on in the day goes smoother. After Hannah has her breakfast she and I will sit and do a puzzle,play with playdoh,math manipulatives or any other thing that catches her fancy.

Hannah playing with teddy bear counters.

We do as many subjects together as possible and that really cuts down on my teaching time.We have separate math and reading/language for each boy.But scripture study,science,art and history are done collectively as a family.So far this is working well.We have been finished with school by lunch most days.

Jumping of his chair after a discussion about gravity!

One change I am already making though is in our science. I had planned on doing science twice a week.Well I can already tell this isnt going to work for my boys and for two totally different reasons. Isaiah wants more plain and simple.He really enjoys science and limiting it to two days a week just wont work. For Justin its about coving less in a given day. If I try to throw 3 new concepts at him in one day he wont pick up half of it. But if I present those 3 concepts over three days then he has more time to digest each one.

Because it was our first week AND because daddy has just gotten home from his deployment we decided to throw some fun in there and made a mid week trip to the zoo as well as having an afternoon at the lake with some friends.

Justin enjoying a snack at the zoo.

All in all a successful first week back!

Dad tossing Isaiah in the lake!