Contemplation

I have been mulling around ideas for our homeschool in my mind for a week or so now. I tend to embrace change.....even when change isn't need (or in some cases WANTED). I love Sonlight. The kids are enjoying it and even have embraced reading (even my reluctant reader). Sonlight is working for us.

And yet, I am seeking something else.

Although we are solidly in the middle of our 2nd term (we took off a lot of time when Bear was born) we are only starting the 12th week of Sonlight. I am looking at us still working through Core 3 till the end of 2008....at least. That's ok. But part of me says you need to get something else. Why part of me says that, I don't know. I told that part to shut up, but it isn't listening.....got figure.

Sonlight is pretty expensive. However that isn't relative if we are still using it for half of next year also. And that will also let Greg expand his reading skills enough so that he can stay on the same Core as Lee at least for a few more years. I thought that I would have to split them up after Core 4 due to Greg's lower reading ability (he is in 2nd grade now - using Core 3 - and doing fine, I might add). So if we can't start Core 4 until Jan. 2009 then Greg will be halfway through 3rd grade and that wouldn't be working to far ahead. Lee is my reluctant reader so it works great that we are working a little behind his grade level. That keeps the reading right where he needs it to be.

Speaking of reading. Lee is reading the advanced readers for Core 3. He is doing very well. He is reading them faster than they are scheduled. Part of that is because I assign reading based on 30 minutes a day rather than so many chapters a day. So he is ahead. I have started letting him alternate assigned reading books with books of his choosing (after mom's approval of a book). He is pleased with this arrangement and so am I. I started doing this for Greg also so that he can read some for pleasure as well as assigned.

I am trying to integrate notebooking into our curriculum more. We are doing some narrations after reading history assignments. The boys like the science worksheets but I don't think that I will purchase Sonlight science again. The boys love science topics and I would love to be able to follow their interests in this area. So next year we will probably follow a unit study approach when it comes to science. Apologia elementary science looks very interesting to me.

So I am searching for ways to spice up our studies and get us through these mid-winter blues. Any suggestions?

Maybe when Sonlight's 2008 catalog comes out I will be inspired.