It is hard to believe that school is already starting for us. We don't take the "normal" 3 months off in the summer. I like to keep them up on reading and their math facts so we do flash cards and review worksheets and lots of reading throughout the summer. To get them to want to participate in their math and reading I make them a progress chart with some well earned incentives. My kids love charts and like to see their progress and what their goal is. Both my kids love to earn money so that is what I do.
Yes, it sounds funny to bribe my kids to do their school work with money incentives .... but whatever it takes to create that motivation is something I will highly consider. Plus, that is really how the "real" world works anyway. If you want a raise at work then you work a little harder to earn that.
I love it when people ask my kids what school they go to and they proudly answer, "We homeschool!" Then at times they ask what grade they are in and Kayla now says 5th grade. It is funny how she skipped fourth grade??
I told her that she is in fourth grade but she knows that she just took her placement test and placed in the third book of fifth grade for her math so technically she is in fifth grade. Right?
Last year, I went with pretty much Abeka, but this year I am switching it up. We are switching to A.C.E. as I find their system is right up my alley. I love how they have 12 small consumable color booklets for each subject. This makes school seem not so over whelming with that huge text book in front of your face. The kids will also have a sense of accomplishment more frequently throughout the year as they work through and complete these smaller booklets.
Above is Kayla's A.C.E. booklets along side Abeka cursive, Steck Vaughn vocab and extra reading with Harcourt. We will be using "A Child's History of the World" this year for her history.
Here is Shae's set of her first booklets with A.C.E. and her Steck Vaughn Maps, Globes and Graphs. Shae will be learning cursive this year with Abeka and also be taking animal science. For her grade I had a choice for regular science or animal science and I choose animal science since she in very interested in animals.
After they complete an A.C.E . PACE booklet they have a test on that booklet. So, each subject will have 12 tests throughout the year. That will be 48 tests a year for Math, English, Word Building and Science.
This is my record keeping system. The messy thing on the far right is a curvy chart that has a reading assignment in each box. They each get one of these and will read several times aloud to me during the week and they color in a box. Every 15th box they earn a dollar. So, they could potentially earn some good cash on this reading program.
The small sheet is their daily goal sheet. It lists each subject and what they are to get done on that day. When the days work is completed I get this sheet along with their booklets and grade everything. If anything needs to be corrected they will get the sheet and booklets back for corrections. **NOTE: I go over the newly assigned work and instructions as needed. This curriculum is set up as pretty much a self paced self instructional program.
Kayla catches on pretty fast and can mostly work independently.
I sit right between them as we do our schooling.
So, how long is our day of school work you ask? Well, let me put it this way. At their age they are done completely with book work within 2 hours. Then we read aloud and a couple of times a week we will be working on cooking, a sewing project or creating a history lap book. We have our afternoons completely free just about every day to do the things we love ( i.e. spend time together working on a puzzle, gardening, swinging, building a playhouse, volunteering at the zoo, play dates with friends, tennis and dance class and art class). Wow! What fun!
We also school 5 days a week for the months of August, September and October. Then 3 days a week in November and December ... due to them performing in a show and the holidays and both their birthdays. Come Jan., Feb., March and April we go to 4 days a week and will be done by the first of May.
What fun we had today! Last weekend while at the mall there was a casting call for a "Back To School" fashion show. The girls walked the runway and smiled at the judges for their audition and was picked to model for Hibbets Sportswear. Today was the show and the girls had a great time. 
The girls in their sports wear modeling for Hibbets Sportswear.
Shae practicing her walk at rehearsal.
Kayla at her moment!
