Report Card

I think I'm finally coming out of the home school trance I've been in since last fall. What a relief to be done....and I think the boys are in total agreement with me on that one! We survived each other, and trust me it was probably a much bigger challenge on their part to survive me.

I distinctly remember at the beginning of the school year, at an event we attended, one of the speakers discussed with us just how much is asked of a Kindergarten student and how many things they were expected to learn throughout the year. I spoke to that same woman at the end of the year about just how right she was! How amazing a young person's mind is!

I am beyond amazed and proud at how far Ben and Zach both progressed from where they started. There was a period at the beginning to where some subjects were daunting tasks to finish each day, especially when it was their least favorites, and the subjects they needed the most work in. We plugged away and I can honestly say they both worked really hard. And as much as it challenged me, I was rewarded with those great 'light bulb' moments to where I could see their little minds hard at work and the excitement on their faces when things would start falling into place. Those moments were so worth it.

I love these pictures of the boys reading to Grandma Ruth. It doesn't seem so long ago that she was holding them when they were only 6-months old. Seeing her on a regular basis allowed her to see the boys' progress, and she had the most delighted look on her face when they read to her. 

I was given the role as a Learning Coach as we started out, and although I'm more than happy to hand off my coaching responsibilities to an actual teacher, I'm happy to have had the opportunity to gain a better appreciation for just how much a teacher does. I hope the insight I've gained will help me communicate and build great relationships with the boys' teachers and be an extension of their efforts in our home as we move forward. 

We met the boys' awesome teacher, Mrs. Keeler, at the beginning of the school year, and although we saw her many times during the year, it was only on webcam. The boys were very excited to see her at the end-of-year Dibels testing. Having an awesome teacher there to support our efforts, made all the difference.

Our goal starting out was for the boys to be ready for 1st Grade, and I'm more than thrilled to say we reached that goal. As a parent, it's hard to remember not to compare Ben and Zach with other kids their age, and especially not with each other. Life is a really long haul, and regardless of where they fall on charts or how long it takes them to learn certain things, it's the confidence they have in themselves to keep going that I want them to always build upon. If they believe in themselves and put forth the effort, there's nothing they can't accomplish.

I may know a lot of things that my boys don't, but they are constantly challenging me and teaching me things about myself and the way I approach situations. Kids have an enormous amount of awesomeness to impart on us if we're open.

Note to self:  Keep yourself open. 

During the last couple weeks of lessons, we reviewed the play Three Billy Goats Gruff. The boys loved it so much that they put on the play for me. Ben narrated, and Zach did most of the acting. 

Kindergarten

Earlier this year when D and I attended Kindergarten Orientation at the school the boys were going to attend, I realized that the boys were not where I felt they should be in order to start. I went back and forth trying to make a decision whether to put them in, or start them a year later. During this period of indecisiveness, I came across an option that I thought was a good fit for the boys' needs and we went with it.

Here we are over three months into it, and I can't say it's been a blissful experience, but overall I'm so happy with the boys' progress. Ben and Zach are enrolled in Utah Virtual Academy (UTVA), and I get to play the roll of their Learning Coach everyday...not always easy but very rewarding.

I have a lovely sister-in-law that is a home school mom extraordinaire, and I'm amazed by how intelligent her kids are...no doubt she has contributed a lot to their awesomeness. At the first thought of homeschooling the boys, my thoughts went immediately to her and I quickly dismissed the option all together. After a little digging and a better understanding of UTVA and the curriculum, I realized that my meager mom skills were sufficient enough to navigate the boys through the program.

Ben and Zach have just rolled right along with it all. They were confused by a lot of it at first. I'm kind of like their teacher but I'm not. Their real teacher they only see online. They have classmates but have no idea who any of them are. They're in school but don't actually go to a school. Whether it makes sense to them or not, they usually do what is asked of them without too much grief.

Before we got underway I was terrified, but after keeping my head down and plugging away the first few weeks, I realized that although every day may not be great, there would be a point where I would look back and be glad I made the call to home school the boys. My goal at the beginning was to get the boys ready for 1st Grade, and I think we're well on our way towards reaching that goal.