We have got some exciting and fun things going on here at our homeschool. We’ve really been enjoying Time 4 Learning for the main core subjects like Language Arts and Math. For History we’ve been doing Story of the World, which has been SO MUCH FUN….. even for me! I have to admit that going into fourth grade with Jayden this year I was a little nervous, but it’s all unfolding together perfectly. I am seeking out advice in this post though….
Hopefully I get a few homeschool moms to peek on in and shed a little light on if what I’m doing is the right thing.
There’s so much curriculum out there…. like a ridiculous amount that I have a really hard time choosing between. I have found with Jayden the thing that works the best is Time 4 Learning, because they teach him in a way that he enjoys and it clicks. I always check to see what things he’s going to be learning on there so that we can discuss it further, or I can have worksheets on that topic printed.
I’m working on vocabulary building mainly just by reading books and getting a vocabulary list from books printed out and now I’ve discovered Vocabulary Spelling City to help with this as well…. I’ve known about Spelling City before, but I just recently learned about the premium membership and have been asked to do a review on it!!! I can’t wait to see if this helps out with the vocabulary department.
I’m curious what other homeschoolers do for vocabulary? My son has a communication disability where we really struggle in a lot of areas. I’m really hoping that I can find a great special needs group to give me advice.
I know having him home is the right thing to do with him, and so far we’ve done okay…. I just hope that I’m covering all my basis here!!
There might be more free memberships available for bloggers. If you’re interested, find out how you can review VocabularySpellingCity.com.
Hi there! Enjoyed reading your post… we also use Time4Learning and VocabularySpellingCity in our homeschool. My boys, ages 12 and 7, have been using T4L since the oldest was in 2nd grade (now 7th) and my youngest was in Pre-K (now 2nd).
We discovered VSC a little more than a year ago and we love it. I really like the fact that I don’t have to come up with my own lists or anything (I know, so lazy, lol) unless I want to. There are SO many lists that other members have shared, it’s great. I can look up “sharks” and find several lists. I can look up “Labor Day” and find lists, I can look up lists by grade level…just easy peasy. 🙂 The boys love playing the games (Letter Fall is super fun!), so that’s really nice.
I don’t know how far you have delved into the added features of the premium membership yet, but one of my favorites is the Flash Cards! Great, great vocabulary tool! 🙂
Again, enjoyed your post. Really looking forward to checking back and finding out how you and your son liked VSC!
Katie
Hey, Katie!!! Thank you so much for stopping by my blog… I LOVE LOVE LOVE new vistors 🙂 I get really excited when I “meet” other families that use Time 4 Learning, because I LOVE it! So far I am LOVING VSC. It is honestly the perfect tool that I needed to have in this homeschooling journey that we’re on. I look forward in getting to know you more 🙂
So are you homeschooling your daughter too? I still go back and forth with the idea especially now that we have our second home in St. George. My daughter is so thrilled to be in Kindergarten this year and loves actually going to school. That’s probably the one thing that’s keeping me from doing it. She just loves to get out and be among people. Such a tough decision for me.
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Oh, Crystal… let me tell you – I struggle with this decision DAILY! Jayden it’s hands down one of the easiest decisions, because it’s honestly the only way he’s going to succeed in school with his communication disability. Ella, on the other hand, is SOCIAL! I think that she would love school. I found this quote on Pinterest the other day that says “I homeschool because I have seen the village, and I don’t want it raising my child.” I know that I can’t keep my children in a bubble forever, but the things I’ve learned with homeschooling Jayden this past year is just amazing. I’ve spent HOURS upon HOURS on homeschooler’s blogs trying to find their reasoning… some have been crazy, and others have seriously touched me. With Ella, all I can do is take it year by year. Right now she’s thriving with me and loves being homeschooled… she’s also only in preschool.
In the end, you just have to sit down and weigh all the pros and cons and figure out what’s going to work out best for you. Just know this….. homeschooling let’s the world be your school. You could travel to all the places for history or science! I think that part I’m most excited about! AND you can incorporate God into your curriculum…. they’ve pretty much cut him out of our schools along with a million other things thanks to budgets.
If you have questions let me know!!