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Dawn
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| Posted: Jan 22 2008 at 6:35am | IP Logged
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Do you ever find yourself - or I should say, your homeschool - in need of a mid-year tweaking?
Every January I need to pull out the educational plans that we filed back in September, and revisit all the things I "said" we'd do. I also take a hard look at where we are in any programs (like Saxon or SOTW) and adjust our schedule so we're on track to finish up by June. I use a highlighter to mark the things we need to work on and then make some plans to do just that.
Does anyone else do something like this? Or do you find that either A. you are pretty much on track or B. you just figure what gets done is done and that will be enough?
I guess I'm working off two issues here: A. I don't think I've been as structured as I should be with the boys, and B. I actually have to report back to the school in July and account for all the things I told them we'd do. (Because they "approve" us based on what the plans contain. If we don't do those things, I guess they'd have a case that we didn't comply.)
I was just curious to see where others find themselves mid-year. 
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Dawn, mum to 3 boys 
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
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Paula in MN
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Dawn, I do a review, but more on a quarterly basis. I like to know sooner rather than later if we are on track. I don't have the "legal" reporting requirements that you have, but I do have other parent issues, so I really need to be on my toes and make sure we are getting everything covered!
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Paula
A Catholic Harvest
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mom2mpr
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I tweak every day!! 
Anne
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KC in TX
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| Posted: Jan 22 2008 at 11:16am | IP Logged
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mom2mpr wrote:
I tweak every day!!
Anne |
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Me, too! I also don't have a very detailed plan for the year. Luckily, we also live in a very relaxed state.
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KC,
wife to Ben (10/94),
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The Cabbage Patch
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Cheryl
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| Posted: Jan 22 2008 at 12:11pm | IP Logged
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This year I started out using CHC, which is a 4 day program. I was doing it five days a week with hopes of finishing the year at the end April. Well, I guess we must have taken too many days off so far, because it looks like we'll be finishing up in June on most subjects. If we keep up with our current science pace we'll be doing school this summer.
I only planned out the fall, so we're trying a new curriculum this month. I think the ed plan my school district approved was kind of vague, so I'm not too worried about the end of year reporting.
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Cheryl
Wife to Bob ('97)
Mom to Matthew 13, Joseph 11, Sarah 10, Rachel 6, Hannah almost 4 and Mary 1
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Angel
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In NY, we're supposed to have accomplished 80% of the goals we submitted in our curriculum. Then we have to submit quarterly reports detailing our progress. I've personally never heard anything back from our school district at all, but I know there are school districts where this is all more difficult. I think this may be somewhat similar to MA?
Anyway -- knowing our learning styles and the special needs in our house -- I usually submit goals that allow a good deal of wiggle room. (I use the words "may include, but are not limited to" a lot.) But we do usually regroup in January. Over the years I've noticed that we accomplish most of our academic work Jan-April or May, and I'm not sure if it's just our natural rhythms, or if it's because I suddenly realize it's January and we better get to work.
Right now I'm trying to find a happy medium structure: too much, and the kids balk; not enough and I feel like we're just sort of bouncing around, not accomplishing much. Since I don't have a goal for specific number of pages done (in math, say) or where we'll end up in history at the end of the year, as long as we're keeping to our routine most of the time, I feel like things are going all right.
--Angela
Three Plus Two
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JEJE
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We are also lucky to live in an "easy" state. But, I still tweak several times a year. I've completely changed our daily routine, and I actually just bought my older ds a new math curriculum (Singapore - but only the textbook and word problem book) because I was trying to create my own program with math literature and games for him and it was *not* working! I also have given my older dd more control over her own schedule, and I switched her math program in November (to Life of Fred). I didn't plan on doing anything academic with my 4 y.o. We are very relaxed, but she is begging for "tutor time" (our individual lessons time) like her older siblings, so we'll be doing some more structured lessons. But, I think it's good to be flexible, so if any of my changes don't work I will just tweak some more .
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lapazfarm
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Yes. Although I do regular tweaking and frequent plan changes, I always do a mid-year review. I think it is a good time, having had some time off to step back and gain perspective, to look back on what works and what doesn't, and plan ahead based on revised goals. I am lucky in that Alaska requires absolutely nothing of me reporting-wise. But I do have my own requirements for progress. So it is good to take that time to see if we are heading toward where I'd like to be by years end.
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Theresa
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LaPaz Home Learning
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Willa
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I always revise in January. I don't have to since California only asks for attendance records and no supporting evidence.
But we have several birthdays in January and in general things have changed enough since August that it seems like a good time to refocus and make sure first things are coming first.
Right now I am realizing that we have gotten into the "minimum 3Rs rut" -- Math, Latin/Greek and a certain amount of reading across the curriculum -- so I need to do a bit more big-picture thinking and planning and intentional cultural things -- sigh -- the kind of thing you are so good at, Dawn.
I also do one in late April or early May when I'm basically planning for "beta" so to speak -- trying to wrap up the year, plan a bit ahead for next year, consolidate things that need to be finished off, and streamline the rest since the kids are restless and life is busy by spring. It is also the time that Aidan's IEP comes up so that is a good time to start reflecting on where we've come since the last year.
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Willa
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Lorri
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The last couple of years, I have done a mid-year review. I write down what is working, what is not working and what I want to change. I don't have anyone to be accountable to, so this is just for myself. We school year round, so I do another review at the end of the traditional school year and again at the end of the summer.
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The Mac and Cheese Chronicles
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stacykay
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Dawn,
if the schools our boys attended before we began hs'ing had to finish everything- or else, they would not be in operation. We were in private schools for k-3 and public for 4-5 with oldest ds before we found the wonderful world of homeschool! So, from experience, I know that the last 4-5 (or more!) chapters of math were never finished. Their science teachers would miss several units, or they would work on one and not finish. There is more, but the point is, I don't think anyone gets to every single thing they would love to do. And, judging from your blog, your boys are getting an incomparable education- definitely real learning at its best. 
As for tweaking, I do it monthly. At this point in the year, I am finding each boy is ahead in some things and behind in others. With a little concentration and work, I am hoping to come out even by end of June. 
God Bless,
Stacy in MI
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Lori B
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We do four "terms" a year, and I review at the end of each one before I plan the next. January is the beginning of Term 2 for us, so I just went through a few days of 'tweaking'. We don't have to report, but Hubby and I do try to set realistic goals each year, and help the kids achieve them.
Our fourth "term" is during the summer (July and August), and we plan to finish up anything not done, continue our nature study, cover anything we couldn't fit into the year (geography, extra reading, etc.), and work on problem areas. I find having this fourth term takes the pressure off during the rest of the year, and we don't feel the need to rush the kids through anything just to get it done. And yes, I used to do that 
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JuliaT
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I, too, do a mid-year review but it's nothing formal. I just look at what we have accomplished during the past four months. If it looks like we need to step up in some areas then I think of ways to do this.
Someone close to me told me last week that maybe I should send my kids to school so they will get a 'real education.' At first I felt betrayed and angered at these words but then I decided to look objectively at my children's progress. I can see where we need to do a bit more work in writing for my dd and reading and writing for my son. So I talked about this with the kids today and next week we will make some changes and additions to our schedule to accomodate these areas.
Also, I am a little nervous about end of the year evaluations with our province. At the beginning of the year, we send in a statement of what we are going to cover during the year. Well, for my ds, I haven't covered anything for history or science because we have just been concentrating on reading and math. That is all that he can handle right now. I'm not sure if they will hassle me because of this, but I don't think I am going to change things for the rest of the year. So I guess will see what will happen in June.
Blessings,
Julia
mom of 3(8,7,5)
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Mid-year review?
