School Year in Review

Yesterday I was putting the finishing touches on the final reports I needed to send to my school district. Included in those reports were the results of my students' assessment tests. We happen to use Iowa tests ... but have tried various assessments in the many years we've homeschooled.

As I compared the test results with those from previous years, I once again noted a pattern of strengths and weaknesses for each of my kids. It's always good to keep current with areas that my kids excel in and areas where they struggle. I find this especially helpful as I plan for the coming school year. Test results are often part of my decision making process when I purchase curriculum materials.

I also enjoyed looking back over material studied, books read, and projects completed. I allowed myself a few moments of proud reflection as I noted areas where my kids did very well. I also struggled for a bit with that always present homeschool mom "guilt" over areas where my kids didn't do as well. But all in all, I'm once again thankful for the opportunity and privilege to educate our children at home.

Feel free to share some of the highlights of your school year!

~Judy

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Time Management - Meal Planning

Summer is upon us and with it comes the freedom to travel, take long walks, visit the beach, and grill almost every meal. But before you know it the school year will arrive once again and it will be time to put a schedule in place. Next to getting laundry done, one of the hardest things to schedule seems to be meal preparation. How many times have you looked at the clock only to realize it's 4:30 pm and you have nothing defrosted for dinner?!

Here's a simple approach to meal planning that has worked well for me for years.

Divide up the week into 7 categories ... something like this:

• Monday - Chicken dish
• Tuesday - Pasta
  
• Wednesday - Beef dish
• Thursday - Casserole
• Friday - Pizza Night
• Saturday - Left-Overs
• Sunday - Crockpot Meal

Next, purchase an index card file or box to hold a series of 3x5" cards. Divide them into six categories:

• Chicken Recipes
• Pasta Recipes
• Beef Recipes
• Casserole Recipes
• Pizza Recipes
• Crockpot Recipes

Copy your favorite recipes for each category onto a 3x5" card. Then file appropriately.

Each time you prepare to go grocery shopping (I happen to shop twice a month), pull out one recipe per day from the appropriate category. Then base your grocery shopping list on what you know you will be cooking.

Your categories will vary based on your family needs. As our children got old enough to work in the kitchen, they became responsible for meal planning and preparation and this plan was helpful as they took on this new responsibility.

Take some time this summer to create your own meal planning recipe box. Check out my recipe blog for some new meal ideas. Share some of your favorites here!

~Judy

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The Rise of Homeschooling

A recent article in USA Today cites a profound shift in those who are homeschooling their children. In brief, the article states that there is now a higher percentage of girls, than boys, being homeschooled, and that a greater number of those homeschooling are white, wealthy, and well-educated.

While I am no statistician or expert on homeschooling trends, I must admit my first impression was to doubt some of the conclusions drawn. Apparently someone else has doubts as well. Dr. Brian Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute has responded to the USA Today article with some statistics of his own.

I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts as you interact with the homeschooling community. Do you really think that more girls than boys are being homeschooled? If yes, why? How about the claim that homeschoolers are increasingly more white, wealthy and higher educated?

I recently had the opportunity to join a radio interview with the president of the New York state homeschool organization (LEAH). The topic of the interview was the USA Today article. Take a few moments to listen to our conversation and decide if our thoughts are any more accurate than the article. (Click when the floating headline reads "The Rise of Homeschooling").

We've been home educating for over 14 years now and the face of homeschooling has definitely changed over time. What changes have you observed? What will the homeschool climate be like when our children begin homeschooling?

~Judy

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