By Sandra
Our family started back to homeschool this week. We have a “gradual entry” schedule in our home, which entails half-days of learning blocks for the first week, or sometimes two. After all, we wouldn’t want the children –or the parents- to go into shock. It is still the season of summer vacations, after all! So far, so good. The children actually enjoyed moving back into a structured routine of learning. They got acquainted with several of their new books today, and seemed rather delighted to pen their names to the inside covers. It seemed to me they were taking pride in the prospective learning ground for the new year. Writing their names in the books and being introduced to the coming units of study, actually helps them stake their territory on the year. They begin to anticipate the coming subjects, characters, discussions and activities.
It’s such a bonus if a teacher is actually excited about the upcoming year of study. I can certainly say that God has revived this in me, because it is not in my nature to relish the disciplines of homeschooling so early in the season. To me, it seems like late September is a more natural time for kicking into full swing again. Perhaps it’s the change of season in Maryland about then, seeing the leaves turn yellow and fall, that suggests to me, “Now it’s time to turn more inward, enjoying the sanctuary of home base.” But this year I know that God has done something new in me, by bringing me to a point of major change. I’ve always had an eclectic style, but last year I knew I needed to make an adjustment of some kind. I had to go through a real process to give myself permission to change from the eclectic style to another. I considered lots of options, but the one I settled on, with great enthusiasm, is Sonlight.
Have you seen the Sonlight catalog? I always thought the photos of the children opening curriculum boxes were hokey. But –get this- when my shipment arrived, my children opened the boxes and began sifting through them like they held hidden treasures. I didn’t cue them. Then, after surveying the land, they each picked out a book from their own stacks and asked if they could begin reading right away. “Uh, yeah,” I managed to answer calmly. But, on the inside, my spirit was screaming, “YES!!! Are you kidding me? Woo-hoo!!” Something amazing happened when those boxes were opened, because my children got a glimpse of the feast that was to come. And then, they took a bite! It’s probably obvious that I was initially floored by this. I know that Sonlight is reputable and that it’s founded on biblical principles, and its core studies are hemmed with a hearty schedule of Bible readings. It’s just wonderful when what you’ve read about becomes real. I am sure that the folks at Sonlight have prayed for God to bless “Box Day,” as they call it. There was definitely something supernatural about the boxes of “fresh air” that arrived via FedEx last July. I’m so looking forward to breathing in some more of that fresh wonder as we move forward with our studies.
One of the many features of Sonlight is its headache-free daily scheduling. If you find yourself in need of a homeschool facelift, this may solve the problem. I was battling old routines, which no longer fit the changing needs of the students, or my strengths as the instructor. We still had our senses, but we were no longer comfortable in our old skin.