The Year in Review

Ah, 4th grade...it's almost over. I didn't much care for it the first time around and liked it even less this go-around. What is it about 4th grade that turns people off? Apparently, it's not just me. There's a phenomenon referred to as the 4th Grade Slump wherein test scores start going down after 4th grade. It's a nationwide occurrence. What causes the drastic drop in test scores? I have a theory - long division kills brain cells. (Yes, I'm being sarcastic.) But, seriously...

I think the first year of homeschooling went better than the second. Strangely, last year, characterized by pell-mell lessons put together at the last minute, was much more fun than the meticulously planned 4th grade year we're just finishing up. I think the missing ingredient was creativity. I became so engrossed in lesson planning that I forgot the importance of throwing in a little creativity. Without even realizing I was doing so I planned it right out of our curriculum (not just once but twice this year.) Lessons focused too much on teaching facts & didn't allow any room for original thought or self expression. School became a chore for everyone at times.

In October of 3rd grade I pulled them out of public school. Homeschooling wasn't something I planned to do; circumstances kind of forced it to happen. So, there I was, saying to myself "O.k., what do I do now?" I fumbled my way along and we came through the year with flying colors. After that first year, I was confident I could do an even better job teaching them if I planned out the year ahead of time. The trouble came when I overdid it. Overplanning was a knee-jerk response to the crazy, mixed up, disorganized year we had just completed. I disliked having to scramble all year long to stay one step ahead.

I'm the kind of person who prefers to have a plan. So... after much introspection I have a new plan for the upcoming 5th grade year...find a balance.