I love planning, especially for homeschool. However, we make our plans, "but the LORD directs our steps!" PROVERBS 16:9. Isn't this the truth? How many homeschool moms can say their plans worked exactly as expected? But I love this life, nevertheless!
I'm a passionate homeschool mama, who's been homeschooling since 2015. I've learned a lot along the way and love to help homeschool moms! I keep it real, share useful information...the kind that I, myself, have searched youtube for as a homeschool mom, and I love to make you giggle!
Homeschooling isn't always pretty. The house isn't always pretty. The plans don't always work! But we will never stop learning! This is life!
I homeschool 3 children elementary thru High School! On this channel: HOMESCHOOL HOW TO... CURRICULUM REVIEWS ORGANIZATION & PLANNING FAITH & ENCOURAGEMENT I hope you'll both be INFORMED & ENTERTAINED! Rachel
Hi I know this is an older video, not sure if my comment will be seen. Do you think that my son could benefit from this curriculum even though he would be using this curriculum for the first time as an 8th grader. He also has ADHD so I need him to do something that does not require him to spend too much time on it because he will lose interest fast. TIA if you do see this comment.
This will absolutely benefit him! If you’re worried about attention span, I’d go with the a level lower than 8th grade bc the source material will be less. Plus since he hasn’t done it before, easier helps build confidence bc he’ll still learn ALL the techniques!! If the videos are too long for his attention, you can break those up as well or give him permission to watch it at a faster speed, or skip some of it once he’s got it. My kids do think the videos can feel long when they feel like they’ve “got it.” I think most days only assign 30 min of video. Let me know if you have other questions. 😔
We started CC for the first year and I’m already feeling like I need way more structure! I flounder when there’s too much freedom especially having to figure out reading and math as foundations. Community is great though!
So you want somebody to tell you what to use? If you aren’t sure, TGATB is an easy choice! Open and go and no prep for both math and LA. We use Singapore math early on and I like that as well. Masterbooks is also an easy language arts to use! Then you can just enjoy community and the memory work bc the memory work is more than you think and more effective than you think, especially if you do stick with CC. 😄
Thank you for such a humble and transparent analysis of your CC experiences. This was very encouraging, and I will be recommending this video (and your pros/cons) to potential CC families who attend our information meetings and open houses!
I can tell you from being a pastor’s wife that one of the reasons no one reached out to you after you left CC is probably because they felt that you rejected them by leaving the community. If a church member leaves our church, it’s difficult to not take it personal & feel that you didn’t measure up in some way for them or meet their expectations. Therefore, you just move on with the relationships of the members who have chosen to stay. They probably would have wanted to be friends but when you left they felt you had made a decision to sever that relationship. I notice that a lot of church members leave quietly over the years to see if anyone notices and if no one calls them they feel validated in leaving. It’s is a sad way to view community, though I can see the other side too as to wanting to feel wanted and needing friendships. Sorry you felt that way
That’s a good point and I understand that. But when i had left, i was burnt out, but the straw that broke the camels back for me was it was 2020 and i did not want to do masks, not to mention my community didn’t have a foundations director that year. 2020-2021 school year was crazy for our communities. My leaving wasn’t as much about CC and i actually did think we’d come back after a year. And I did reach out to a few people and didn’t get much interaction back. I chalked it up to life is busy and our friendship wasn’t strong enough to overcome the business which is also ok. You make time for the things you want to. But i do see your point and it’s valid! I’ve experienced friends leaving our church as well and the circumstances of them leaving probably would determine how and if I reached out. (If it was bad circumstances, that might prevent me from making a move…) But ultimately, I’m f i had a relationship with them, I’ve almost always reached out to let them know i care. If you have a friendship, why wouldn’t you? 😉
My 9 year old is finishing level 3 of TGTB. He doesn't enjoy writting and gets overwhelmed when there is too much on a page. I would love for him to fo TGTB level 4, but I feel there is a huge jump in writting. What do you recommend, pushing through TGTB or maybe moving to MB level 5/6 until he gets the stamina for more writing?
You could do either. When. My daughter did TGTB level 5, I didn’t make her do ANY of the writing (except a choice few assignments). So you as teacher, can tailor DOWN the assignments. Regarding the “too much on a page,” I’d say Masterbooks may is basically a page per day. Not too overwhelming. TGTB probably does have more per page because it includes more than grammar. It’s also geography. The nice thing about TGTB 4 is it’s two separate books. The rest of their curriculum levels are 1 book, but if I’m not mistaking, level 4 is still 2 books. You only need 1 per day and the books alternate. 1 book is grammar, literature, and geography. The other books is the writing and the art. I’m not sure if that helps. Since I don’t know your child personally, it’s hard to say what I’d do. I think the two curriculums are comparable in terms of “workload”. I think TGTB is more creative with more variety. I definitely do not feel that TGTB is necessarily more rigorous than Masterbooks. I hope that helps.
A) I am so troubled by the excessive use of “community” everyone associated with CC uses. B) you don’t have to do all of this to homeschool. If you want friends, invite people over or do meet ups. C) it sounds like you had so much other work load for this crazy organization that you were defeating your purpose- homeschooling your children. Glad you got out! 22:23
I haven’t watched the whole video yet, but the biggest pushback I get when I say I’m considering CC is that CC uses tax exempt churches for a for profit business and then puts all the liability on the director if there was ever an audit. I know some make it out to be that CC is operating the business in a very sketchy/potentially illegal way. This has probably been the biggest 🥴 for me. I really want to join CC because I love the classical model but also looking to ease my hesitations. I don’t play games when it comes to the IRS. They scare me way too much. 😂😅
There’s a lot of CC haters out there who for some reason are determined to be vengeful. During the pandemic when CC was trying to run zoom information meetings, some people were hopping on them just to cause trouble. The tax exempt rumor began around 2019. Every state is different. I don’t really know enough about it to explain it. When O was an SR, I knew more. But it’s nothing that’s ever come up or even been an issue where I am. Your local SR would be able to assuage your apprehension on this bc she would have more info on what the controversy was about and how it was actually resolved.
Wow, I am a Chinese student (just graduated from my last teenage year haha) doing homeschooling for the IGCSE exams - I'm from Malaysia and people would assume Asian parents are stricter than western parents but it seems like you are way stricter than mine ! It can be a good thing, though. I wish my parents had more academic structure with me rather than leaving me entirely alone with my tutors for my homeschooling academic career 😆 I'm also working with preschoolers and soon to study Early Childhood Education so by listening to what works and don't work for your homeschooling routine definitely provides insights on what I can implement in my future classes with my students. Thanks so much for sharing ! ❤🎉
lol! Uh oh! I’m considered more strict than some parents in the East. My kids are gonna say, “see!!!! Lighten up, mom!” I’m not SUPER strict on some things. But I’m definitely the most strict on things that involve character issues bc that all translates into adulthood. Whether or not you memorized every fact of WW1 doesn’t determine whether you’ll be A responsible, dependable adult with integrity or not. 😊 Glad I can help give you ideas!!
I gave him 6 of the 7 books. He got through 4 in a year and is finishing up the 5th this semester. It’s been great for him to review and solidify everything and be able to pause and really work on the areas he’s struggled with. This program really does help fill in the gaps by letting you MOVE ON quickly from the things you definitely know. So you’re not wasting your time doing busy work on math problems you don’t need to practice. This is a complaint I hear often about Saxon math. It’s A LOT. And if the parent or teacher isn’t allowing kids to do odd or even problems, it just feels like busy work to the students who “GET IT.” Even if they do only do the odd or even problems, it’s a lot. So anyway….this is a great program for the student who learns quickly. And also for the student who just needs to practice CERTAIN concepts but not necessarily ALL concepts! I’m also using it for my 14 year old and it’s perfect for her challenges as well!
Rachael thank you so so much! I prayed before I left today that God would send some clarity and you are an answer to that prayer! 🤍✝️🕊️God Bless you beautiful Momma and sister in Christ🥰
Thank you. Are you saying your sister pulled all of her children out of CC, or just the child who was struggling? Is it possible for a child to start CC for the first time in Challenge I? We visited a community and my 14 year old found the Challenge B Math work too easy. Maths is his favourite subject. Could we fill in the gaps with Latin in our own time? What is the workload like for Challenge I vs Challenge B?
My SIL pulled all her kids out. It’s possible to start in Ch 1 but Latin will definitely be a challenge. The book they use for Latin, they do 1/2 of it in CH a, the other 1/2 in CH b, and then they repeat the entire book in CH1. So it’s possible. But it will be a lot of work. When my niece and nephew did it, they started the summer before learning some basics. The workload from B to 1 is definitely more. I’m not sure how many more hours per week though. They read a lot more books and much more quickly. They write more papers. And like I said, they do Latin at a much faster pace.
Thank you for this video. Would you say being a Foundations tutor is manageable in terms of the weekly workload? Myself and family visited a community recently, and we are thinking of signing up. I have been also asked to tutor Foundations.
I’ve never been a foundations tutor. But if it’s similar to Essentials…it shouldn’t be more than a couple hours per week of prep. 😊. And then there’s a periodic tutor training put on by your director since each quarter the science and fine arts changes a bit.
I keep attendance and all legal forms, grades,scope and sequences, lesson plans, standardized testing,all graded work,pictures of projects, and field trips. At the end of the year, I remove my ever growing "notes" where i keep a running tab of books, ideas, curriculum, etc. for the future. I then can go through her work and add some pages to keep and I have a complete portfolio. We aren't required to keep them but I think its a great idea to have one. 😊
That is an amazing opportunity for your son! You are so right in saying that college is not necessary and times have changed from growing up believing college is the next natural step after high school. It is definitely not that way anymore! My husband is a coder and all he learned to be a good one he has learned outside of college!!! College was a waste of time and money.
@@OurHOMEschoolPlan yes it is! Unless your kid wants to be a lawyer or dr or something along those lines, we really need to consider if college is even necessary. Skills are SO important and are truly what companies are looking for in potential employees.
I always feel being pressured by the director or community to be a tutor. That’s what I don’t like about cc. I wish I can contribute to only one subject or just a couple of weeks. As homeschool family we travel whenever we want. It’s hard for us to commit 24 weeks.
Definitely sounds like CC may not be a good fit for you then. Unfortunately without tutors, they can’t have a community. And if it’s always the same people doing all the work, then they burn out easily which also leads to no community. That’s what happened in the last community I was in. It was the largest one year and non existent the next bc there was nobody to lead the classes.
I've also wondered why there were no other programs out there similar to CC. CC looks amazing, but I could see someone doing some things a little differently.
I have to say, years ago when there were CC Tutors doing videos on ideas for organization, games, etc I was so drawn in by them, lol. Did you have a video about how to tab Henle? I didn't even have any way to use any of the tips at the time but I just loved all those videos for some reason lol.
That is awesome! I didn’t have a RU-vid channel when I was in CC back then. But I wanted one and had thought about it for three years before I finally did it. I might do some CC specific videos this year. I’m just trying to get the school year going right now!! 😁
Great video! I think going to college for the sake of going to college (especially while accumulating lots of debt) was very much a Gen X and millennial phenomenon, although it still happens today sometimes. From my own experience with my older kids, I have learned this: There are children / people who want to do what they love for a job and do it 100% of the time and possibly sacrifice wages, while others prefer to have a well paying job, even if it's not their favorite part of the day, and have a hobby on the side. Certain jobs, such as part-time or full-time nursing (3 x12-hr shifts) lend themselves very well to this approach. In my opinion, it's not just about what a child wants to do as a career, or what is the best fit for them in terms of enjoyment. It is also about their longterm plans for themselves and their future family. Where do they see themselves in 5-10 years from now? There is always a give and a take. For instance, a child might have a special interest and talent in arts or music. They could become a professional musician in an orchestra and love going to work 100% of the time (given all the other circumstances are just right, the colleagues are friendly, etc.). They might also have an affinity for math and engineering, which might make them suitable for an array of well paying jobs, but they might not enjoy this line of work as much. If this child plans on being the sole provider for a family, possibly with a stay at home, homeschooling mom, then they need to consider all of these aspects holistically and figure out the path that best meets all of their combined goals, as hypothetical as they might be at this stage in their lives. Of course a lot of this will be up to God, and detailed planning in this context doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but this approach at least gives the child an idea. Also, please give regular dual enrollment another look. At least here in WA you can use dual enrollment / running start to get full access to programs such as welding, cosmetology, etc. at the community college & public universities, free of charge to all income levels. However, I do agree that career centers are an excellent resource for exposure and limited college credit, and in WA they recently opened up career centers to juniors and I believe freshmen (don't quote me on this), so they can explore their interests and potentially still do 2 years of full-time running start. PS: You are still young and can still explore graphic design as a career now :-).
Very valid points!! I am considering dual enrollment if my son becomes a 5th year senior next year. Our community colleges dual enrollment for homeschoolers is cheaper than a regular college class. So it is definitely on our list to consider.
Not sure about graphic design now!! I’m actually more interested in doing something like becoming a progressional home organizer! That is IF I wanted to pursue another career. There are so many things I’d enjoy doing. And my former professional career is NOT one of them! 🤪 but it was all part of God’s plan bc without that job, I would never have met my husband and had my 3 beautiful children! 🩷
The commandment to stone in the Old Testament was surely directed to an older child…they were called a glutton and a drunkard. Drunkard is not generally a term applied to a young child
What’s the broader lesson here……a rebellious child (not just a son) is a serious issue and sin isn’t contained to just the sinner. It affects others. So don’t ignore it. Deal with it as the serious issue it is.
I just watched a video before this one about Lit Logs! Super Simple and no curriculum needed! Reading lists, read the books, draw a picture and a short narration in the lit log.
“Reflex” is an online math game for math facts for adding and subtracting and multiplication and division My kids enjoy it and it’s not overbearing but they now have their facts memorized- It’s been great for my household!
@@OurHOMEschoolPlan no I think it’s a one time of about 35 dollars for unlimited use But it’s like a video game format and your kids will get them memorized! LOL it works
Sigh….i have not. It’s on my list to do hopefully soon! But in a nutshell! I love it! It’s such a great program to use as either a supplement to help on certain trouble areas OR to use as the main curriculum for an older student.
@@OurHOMEschoolPlan thank you! The dozen or so reviews I have seen is essentially “first look” type reviews. Yours seemed to show a bit of actual experience. I just bought the first 2 books using your code.
@@Alpha1Farms thank you!!! And yeah….i think it’s so good for their confidence. (Bc some of the lessons will be so easy for them to breeze through). And then it will help to just stop and focus on where the struggle is. I also didn’t feel nearly as much pressure to move on for the sake of “completing the book before the end of the year!” Because there are only 7 books total. So the real goal is to complete them before graduation!! That’s so much less pressure and helps you to be able to just focus on the needs and appreciate any progress being made!!
Thank you for this extremely helpful video, we are transitioning from Singapore Math to Saxon and wanted to understand more. We don’t have a choice due to school curriculum but definitely find that mastery of concepts helps build the foundation. Also understanding the concepts taught are very important vs just regurgitating the memorised formula because questions get progressive more challenging in the upper grades and understanding concepts help to solve these questions.
