A Fresh Start

I am actually excited about school tomorrow! I have really enjoyed the curriculum we chose this year...except one thing: math.

When we started teaching our kiddos at home last school year, I stayed primarily with Abeka curriculum, because that is what Sweetheart had used at private school for the year and a half prior to coming home. She was comfortable with it, liked it, and it was working. It was still great last year in 2nd grade. This year I switched away from Abeka for all subjects except math.

So we've plodded on with our 3rd grade math book and it's been a struggle. I knew this was a possibility as I had heard that math really changes in the 3rd grade book. I think it was the pace more than anything that was killing us. We've shelved the book and picked it back up several times during the course of this school year and last week I told Sweetheart she could throw it away AND take a week off of math while we waited for our new materials to come in. She was quite agreeable to that arrangement! (although she did say she had really liked Abeka--and I had too. It's a good curriculum--except that pesky 3rd grade math--for us, anyway!)

I am very happy to report that tomorrow morning we will begin using Math U See in our homeschool. Thanks to the generosity of a few friends who loaned us teacher books and DVDs, we are set to go. I am very excited about this curriculum and that is why I am looking forward to school tomorrow.

Also, if you order materials in the middle of the year, you only have to wait a few days to get them in the mail. Hmmm...one more reason not to stay on the traditional school calendar!

And I will admit that I am still stuck to that calendar in many ways. I very nearly made Sweetheart finish that math book before we could start something new next school year. Why??? Why not start something new in the middle of February? Why does Kindergarten have to wait until next August? Start Little Bit when she's ready! School does not have to begin in August and end in May. What a concept.

And I will say that I have learned more this year than I ever learned in school as a student! I love our history curriculum. I love our science curriculum. I love our Bible curriculum. I am really enjoying learning with the girls.

And now I'm ready to enjoy math too. *relieved sigh*

I think I'll be sharing a little more about what we are using this week because goodness knows I LOVE LOVE LOVE reading what other folks think about their curriculum. It's way better information than reading a professional review!