School Year Recap and looking forward to next year!

I thought I would post a little recap of homeschool Ramsey life and share our plans for next year!

I think I mentioned on here that we started off our year in September using Sonlight curriculum. But, with all of the craziness of adding a never sleeping baby to the mix, in January we decided to join a co-op where the kids would go three days a week and do their core subjects and then do homework at home two days a week.

The co-op situation has not been a great fit for our family. There are things that have been good about it but overall it has been a lot more hassle than help. I am so thankful we tried it out because now on those hard homeschool days when I am tempted to want to send my kiddos off I can remember that I did not like it at all! I have realized for me doing a co-op or university model school kind of takes away the things I love most about homeschooling and leaves me as a "homework helper" instead of my child's teacher.

But, the beauty of homeschooling is the chance to try out new things and see what works best for your individual family. This year I have realized that two of my biggest desires in my own homeschooling is the ability to teach my child as an individual (at their own pace and using materials best suited for their learning style) and to learn as a family (having my kiddos be reading a lot of the same books and studying the same things so that our home is a learning atmosphere). The co-op made those two things basically impossible.

So, next year we are going to go back to homeschooling full time and I am really excited. I have most of our curriculum bought already! We are also going to be a part of a Classical Conversations Community one morning a week. I am hopeful that this will be a good fit for our family because it allows us to be all together and all learning the same things while getting to have some fellowship and learning time with other homeschooling families. My good friend Jenn wrote a good recap post of their Classical Conversations experience this past year that you can read here (she explains things better than I do!).

So, my take away this year... don't stop trying to find what works best for my family! I know that there is no "perfect" system but sometimes a little trial and error helps! I have been able to get a better understanding of my own heart and philosophies through trying some different methods!

*And without being too mushy or annoying I just have to give a big shout out to my husband and my mom! They have both been my biggest supporters in homeschooling and finding what works best for me and my kiddos! I am so blessed to have such an amazing support system and my own personal cheerleaders.