I just had to share this story. It is TOO cute! As some of you may gather from our posts and comments, another author Tracy and myself are close friends. So are our families. Our families are very similar and her 2 boys and my 2 boys all interact well and get along famously. Her 2 boys (I will refer to them as Q and Z) are 9 (Q) and 6(Z) and my boys are 8 (Bailey) and 3 (Braeden). The three older boys are in cub scouts together.

Well this weekend we got together to let the boys work on some things that they needed to work on. We did several activities over the course of the weekend. The boys all did really well. In one particular activity, they were working with tools and building some bookends. They were very encouraging to one another. At one point, while Q was working with his bookends, Z said “Good Job.” A few moments later Z, again being very encouraging, said to Q “perfect!” Q looked at him and said “you are being time4learning.” My son Bailey laughed and I looked at the boys with what I’m sure was a goofy expression on my face. I said “Huh? He’s being time4learning? What does that mean?” Q answered back with “well, those are things that time4learning tells us. You know, when we are working. So…he’s being time4learning.” Z and Bailey both nodded and looked at me like …well, like…”DUH!” :o)

So Tracy and I learned something this weekend. Not only has Time4Learning changed and improved on both of our families’ homeschooling experiences, but it has also taught our kids to be encouraging and uplifting to others. Way to go T4L!!! :o)

After reading Tracy’s post about other “stuff” they are using, it made me think that it would be nice to hear more about this from other parents. :o)

In our home, Time4Learning is definitely our core curriculum. I have not found an area (other than maybe spelling, which I believe is improved upon in the 3rd grade) where we NEED any supplementing. However, for some reason, my son LOVES the “The Complete Book Of…” workbooks. :o) We have Handwriting, Spanish, Science, Our Solar System, US History, Maps and Geography, Travel Games, Arts and Crafts and finally, Bible Activities. Geez…there are a bunch. :o) We also have a sign language program that we are hoping to start this year!

Since we follow a more “relaxed” homeschool plan, he doesn’t have a set amount of work that he needs to do. I have went through the lesson plans from Time4Learning, so I know how many lessons need to be done each day, but that was for my own peace of mind. It’s also helpful when we might miss a day, so I know how many he needs to do to “catch up.” We honestly have yet to have a day where he did not want to do the number of lessons I had planned. Yay! :o)

Many of the workbooks that he has, span more than one grade so there is no pressure for him to finish them. He just kinda sees where his interests are that day, and picks out a workbook. We try to do some in Handwriting every day, but he really does need the practice in that area.

So…that is our “plan” for this year. It will be great to hear from the other parents to see how Time4Learning works into their “plans.” :o)

So my 3rd grader did his first lessons in Science and Social Studies today. We were both shocked (in a good way) at how incredibly different the science and social studies programs are this year as opposed to the 2nd grade levels. We were so used to the small, animated lessons that when he first logged in and we saw the first lesson on Vikings…our jaws dropped, lol. I had seen the lesson plans, but honestly only briefly.

We were able to sit and read together and even involved daddy, who enjoyed being able to help. As my son read through all the information in the activities, my hubby and I just kept looking at one another going “wow! this is great!” Even though these lessons were not even remotely similar to the 2nd grade lessons he remembered, my son was totally enthralled in what he was doing. When he printed out the little Viking cards and got out his first “notebook,” I think it finally hit him that 3rd grade is not the “little kid’s school” (his words) anymore. :o)

By the time he moved on to Science, got his next notebook started and did all the measurements that the first lesson asked him to get, he truly felt like he accomplished something today. What a proud moment for us all. And we are totally looking forward to what the next lessons hold!! :o)

We have officially completed a year of Time4Learning! While it hasn’t been 12 months since we first signed up, my son has started and completed the 2nd grade with T4L. Yay!! He was so excited this morning when I told him that I had gotten the email confirming that he could officially start the 3rd grade. You’d think you just told him that he was going to Disneyland. Ok…maybe not Disneyland, but you get my point. :o)

I was SO proud of him today. He does NOT like math at all, but decided to just jump right into math today and that was the first subject he started! Having taken a little time off, he struggled initially but ended up doing well. The difference between 2nd and 3rd grades was very noticeable. The lessons were not (at least not today at any rate) quite as animated as we were used to, but he still seemed pleased. I know I was! We are keeping my 2 nieces for two weeks and they are also homeschooled. They use a different curriculum than we do and were very intrigued and watched my son quite a bit today. It will be interesting to see what the next couple of weeks hold for all of them! :o)