Honestly, it hasn’t been perfect, it hasn’t been consistent, it hasn’t been ideal, but it has been a fantastic beginning.
Kindergarten is very subjective as far as standards and achievements go. Some families go over the top and some just focus on the basics. Some are involved in groups and clubs and learning history and art, while others are perfecting their potty training skills and working on the art of sitting still and listening.
I don’t think either is wrong. The beauty of homeschooling is that it affords you the ability to customize your rhythm to fit your child and your family as a whole. Michael and I chose to homeschool Jonah this year because we felt that it made more sense for him and for our family. He has strengths in some areas that surpass the standards of most kindergarteners but he also was behind on other areas that were vital to his early school foundation. Choosing to homeschool him for kindergarten allowed me to, not only give him individual attention to his problem areas but also gave me a chance to feel out my own skills as a teacher/mom.
Jonah has progressed well with fine motor skills, self discipline, and focus, and has gained a lot of basic math and reading skills. We are not where I had hoped we would be at this point in the school year but we still have a couple months to go. I am also planing to continue to work with him over the summer to make absolutely certain that he is ready for the full load of first grade in the Fall.
Between the two of us, I feel like I have been the one to learn the most so far. I knew that balancing the responsibilities of being a mom to three little humans and attempting to teach the oldest would be challenging. It has been a struggle as I fight the tug-of-war every day between doing his papers with him or folding the 4 day old laundry that’s still hanging out on my couch. His schooling definitely was not high enough on the priority list at first. I kept reassuring myself that it was “just K5” and he was bright enough to be fine with minimal help, but I eventually had to own up to the fact that I was justifying my own lack of focus and motivation.
As we have been growing together, I am proud of the progress that Jonah and I have made together. There are holes in his training that I have to take accountability for it. Thankfully, my little learner is completely on board with the new level of intensity during his studies. We are knee deep in math and reading now and, while my laundry is still sitting next to me on the couch, I am excited about the progress we are making. There is just nothing better than the brightness in his eyes when a concept clicks and he learns something new. He giggles with excitement over each new word read and each new math problem solved.
I feel confident and encouraged that we can do this and be, not only successful, but thrive.
Haven is soaking up everything she can as she listens in on the lessons and loves to sit and color and write along side of us. There have even been days when Laelynn gets involved with the coloring.
We are still a work in progress, but we are progressing…together.
