23/24 Homeschool Year in a Nutshell

This year, River completed 9th grade, Austen completed 6th grade, and Chase completed 3rd grade. We combined our love of relaxed schooling and real-life learning with more traditional academics this year, as River and Austen get older and their needs change. As a result, we did less outings and poetry tea times in exchange for more book learning and paperwork. We are still not sure we love this, and next year we will make more of an effort to attend events, classes, and have more experiences, instead of a year of mostly reading. :)

M A T H

This year, River and Austen both started Saxon math, as I felt Khan Academy was no longer meeting their needs. We needed something a bit more linear and straightforward, and Saxon ended up being a great fit for the two of them, despite my less-than-warm memories of using Saxon as a homeschool kid 20 years ago. River completed the ⅞ math book and Austen completed the ⅚ math book.

Chase completed the IXL 2nd grade workbook earlier this year and moved onto Math Lessons for a Living Education 3rd grade book. She is doing great so far and I have seen a big improvement in her math abilities! We are also working through Addition Facts that Stick. Besides working with her math textbook, she studied currency, measurements, geometric shapes, calendars, fractions, addition, and subtraction by adding money, baking, grocery shopping, sewing, and playing with Magnatiles all throughout the year. 

As a family, the kids loved to work their logic, pattern recognition, addition, and executive function muscles, by playing games like Alice’s Garden, Rolling America, Clue, Shadows in the Night, SET, Trash Pandas, Dragonwood and Dragon Realm. 

The kids got really into chess this year and River and Austen learned how to beat every adult in the family! Even Chase got to about the skill level of mommy. We are all very impressed (and humbled). 

River and Austen were big fans of the Rubik’s cube this year as well, and both watched dozens of videos learning the algorithm involved in solving the puzzle - and succeeded multiple times, on multiple oddly-shaped Rubik’s-style puzzles! Logic and puzzles are both right up River and Austen’s alley. 

We also played multiple games of Multiplication Bingo, 24, and Proof which directly involve basic arithmetic skills and quick thinking.

S C I E N C E

We loved learning about astronomy so much last year, that we continued our studies into the 23/24 school year. We completed the book Exploring Creation with Astronomy all together. In addition, River read the book Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial? which tackled questions of faith and science co-existing peacefully. 

Chase and Austen utilized the book The Stars: A New Way to See Them, and Austen read Our Created Moon: Earth’s Fascinating Neighbor. 

Chase enjoyed the books Footprints on the Moon, Sun Up Sun Down, What’s So Special About Planet Earth?, and The Sky is Full of Stars. 

The kids enjoyed flash card games like Professor Noggin’s Space Trivia Cards and Brain Busters Space card game. I am proud to say my kids know more about science that I ever did as an adult before we started studying the universe! 

Of course, the kids were all very excited to experience an almost full eclipse in April with eclipse glasses, and following the reports all throughout the country. We were also delighted to finish out the school year by seeing the very clear Big Dipper constellation and locating Polaris during the last week of school. 

H I S T O R Y

For history this year, we read the books Story of the World, vol. II and The Silk Roads. River and Austen filled out worksheets after each chapter. We watched various videos on YouTube and documentaries about the Middle Ages to modern history.

Chase in particular adores history and is so good at listening and narrating what she remembers. Her comprehension astounds me and she is always so full of information and ready to share what she’s learned. 

T H E   A R T S

I would say all of the kids spend the majority of their days doing something artistic - whether it’s writing, digital art, pencil sketching, drawing with paint pens, practicing piano, knitting, embroidery, cross-stitching or sewing.

Austen knitted a hat for her brother! Chase sewed a stuffed owl for one of her best friend’s birthdays. River painted a few commissioned art pieces for family members. He continued to study photography and work on his skills. 

Both girls worked on piano pieces this year. Chase is very interested in composing her own music, and has worked on both original piano pieces and making music in the GarageBand app. I have been told that the girls also tried their hand at song writing together, but I have not been privy to these creations. :)

Austen and River’s drawing skills have absolutely blossomed this year! I am continuously impressed by their talent. Austen has always had the artistic bone in her body and is showing a definite promise of going into a visual arts field someday, And for River, his artistic skills has unfolded by sheer hard work, hours of study, and months of practice. Both kids have watched countless tutorials to expand and perfect their skills. 

Chase continued in ballet in the fall had a recital in January. She leveled up to the next class and we are all so proud of her! We are taking a break for the summer, but she is excited to return this coming fall.

S O C I A L   S T U D I E S   &   O T H E R   S K I L L S

River has casually studying Norwegian, and Austen has tirelessly been studying Japanese, sometimes spending upwards of 10 hours a week studying. 

Austen loves geography and has been trying to learn the flags of the world (so far she knows 55!), is working on memorizing every Asian country, and can identify the shape and location of all 50 states. She is currently memorizing the capitols and flags of each state. She has an interest in other cultures and tried out her hand making an ancient Chinese desert called Tanghulu, which is candied fresh fruit.

Chase is also interested in geography and we have been studying maps almost daily in the last couple of weeks of school. We have talked about islands, volcanoes, oceans, & seas, and she is able to find all the continents on Google Maps. 

River has really gotten into cooking and baking this year! In his cooking adventures, he has made steak, burgers on the grill, tacos with ground beef, a deliciously moist coconut cake, many batches of cookies, and has even mastered his own crispy ramen noodle recipe with an over-easy egg.

River and Austen took tennis lessons. River's coach recommended that he be a student coach this year for Tennis For Kids! 

Chase continued ballet lessons and was the only student in her class to level up due to her hard work and developing maturity!  She proved herself to be a very dedicated learner and great listener. 

E N G L I S H   &   L I T E R A T U R E

River and Austen used Sequential Spelling book 2 this year. They usually know most of the spelling words in a given week, but it’s a good refresher and way to study spelling rules. I began to have River look up definitions to words he didn’t know and write sentences for those words.

Chase finished Logic of English book 1 and is about halfway through book 2 before we decided to take a break from lessons and just focus on daily reading. She is moving slowly but steadily, and she is becoming more confident as she builds phonics skills and is finally interested in trying to read and spell things on her own, even if she makes mistakes. I am very proud of her progress. She understands that everyone learns at their own pace and has not become discouraged. I am hoping to keep this positive environment, but also seeking outside help as I suspect possible  vvlearning disabilities. Right now, she is making her way through the books Dick & Jane, and Frog & Toad Are Friends. 

Chase and Austen are midway through a Brave Writer Dart program for the book Wishtree. River just finished a writing Masterclass by Judy Blume.

We occasionally read and analyzed poetry as a family, and Chase dipped her toes into writing poetry this year! We began reading the book Building Poems, but due to an unforeseen move, it got packed away and we have not had the chance to finish it. We will continue our studies into next year, as soon as we move into our new home.

As a family, the kids enjoyed word games like Ka-Blab, Boggle, UpWords, and The NY Times daily games like Wordle and the Mini Crossword. 

B O O K  L O G

River:

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

Story of the World, vol. 2

Jujutzu Kaisen

Attack on Titan

Spy X Family

Silver Lake

Exploring Creation with Astronomy

Assassination Classroom

Demon Slayer

Tokyo Ghoul

Kagurabachi

Naruto

Sakamoto Days

Hunter, Hunter

Black Clover

Jurassic Park

Lost World

The Silk Roads

A Wrinkle in Time (currently reading)

Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial?

What If? 2

Austen:

Silver Lake

The Silk Roads

Story of the World, vol 2.

Twilight  (currently reading)

Exploring Creation with Astronomy

Our Moon

Jujutzu Kaisen

The Stars: A New Way to See Them (currently reading)

Chase:

Sweep

Story of the World, vol. 2

50 Famous Stories Retold

Math Stories of Long Ago

Ramona the Pest

Ramona and Beezus (currently reading)

The Beatryce Prophecy

The Secret Garden

Dick & Jane

Exploring Creation with Astronomy

Black Beauty

The Silk Roads