After much consideration (and a weighted pros and cons list), we decided to try our neighborhood public school, Prairie Trace, for first grade next year. With a toddler and infant at home as well as me wanting to keep working part-time, the homeschool is a bit difficult and maybe not best for the family as a whole right now. The school itself also seemed to have an uncertain future, which is a bit unsettling. I'm curious to see how Camden fits into first grade after his homeschool year to see if shorter days at home actually yield the same educational results.
We also really wanted to try the local Catholic school (which we toured and really liked), but there were significant logistical issues with the pickup and drop off schedule as well as the financial strain it would cause (I'm not interested in picking up more work days at this time). Our neighborhood school is highly reviewed (not to mention walking distance!) and we felt it was worth investigating. I really like the idea of homeschooling, and intend to revisit the idea when it seems more feasible or if it ever seems more appropriate than traditional schools.
What we liked:
- I thought the K12 cirriculum was great - very engaging, lots of variety, and well prepared. I'd totally use it again in the future.
- completing an entire days worth of classes in about 2 hours - it's amazing how much more productive kids can be with one-on-one instruction
- Spending time learning together - It was nice to work with Camden on his learning and being so involved. We spent a lot of time together this year as a family, which was really nice.
- having an actual teacher and school in addition to the homeschool portion - It was really great that the kids got two days a week to experience a school setting and have a licensed teacher overseeing their classes
- More relaxed schedule - This is what I was hoping for and it did deliver. We didn't feel rushed in the mornings and could take things at our own pace and go on "field trips" whenever
What I didn't like:
- Trying to balance one child's needs along with the rest of the family - I sometimes felt I was investing way more time on Camden's growth than the others, as was expected
- The drive - pick up is usually an hour trip
- Lack of school amenities - the school itself doesn't have much to offer as far as extracirriculars or amenities and I found the administration a bit distant (although his teacher was great).
We had a great experience and may be back to Hoosier Academies in the future!
handwriting practice
observing nature and taking notes
workbook page
examples of various types of landforms made of play-dough
Pete the Cat book project
1 comment:
My observations as a "substitute learning instructor" are: Pros: Camden seemed to stay healthy all school year, he became quite computer-savvy since much of his schoolwork was done online, he liked going to the school with classmates (maybe because it was only 2 days/week) and he didn't get too bored due to a lot of repeating material for slower learners although there was some of that. Cons: He practiced writing and coloring with a computer marker tool and not as much with an actual crayon or pencil, there were some technical challenges especially at the beginning, and he probably didn't get as much physical activity as school kids do with recess every day. Overall however I agree with Stephanie in that it was a wonderful kindergarten experience for Camden and Stephanie got to spend one more year with him at home.
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