Homeschool success!

We just finished little R's first week of homeschool!!  Yes, it took us a week and a half, due to a 3-day vacation over the 4th of July, but that's the beauty of homeschooling, right? : )

We have started this little adventure to try and help us make the decision of putting little R in pre-k in the fall on post or not.  We have two choices:

Choice 1:  We leave little R in the German kindergarten (which he loves) for another year.  He gets the socialization of being around other kids, (hopefully) learns the language, and the cost is minimal.  Downside...he isn't learning anything to prepare him for kindergarten next year!  (Which is where the idea of homeschooling came in...thought maybe he could continue German kindergarten, and we could supplement at home to prepare him for American kindergarten next year).  German kindergarten is also only about a 2 minute drive or short walk from our house.

Choice 2:  We put little R in pre-k on post (we have already spent an entire Saturday morning waiting in line to secure his spot).  They claim the curriculum prepares them for kindergarten, there are 30 kids per class (YIKES!), and the cost is significantly more than the German kindergarten.  I also have to make a 15-20 minute drive to get him there, and then make it again to pick him up in 3 hours! 

And I have no idea which choice is best for him!!  We have decided to do the homeschooling over the summer while he continues going to German kindergarten (they don't have a long summer break like the American schools), and hopefully by the end of August when pre-k starts, we will have a clearer picture of what we should do...

But....the first week of homeschooling went really well!  Little R LOVES doing his "homework", and while he does struggle sometimes to stay focused...he has amazed me with the things he is doing!  We had an exercise today where I had to read instructions to him, then he had to wait 1 minute, and then do what the instructions said.  I thought this would be so hard for him, and totally didn't expect him to remember the instructions...but he did!!  The hardest part was waiting the 1 minute...but as soon as the minute was up, he went straight to doing what the instructions had said...and he got them all right!!  I think I have underestimated his intelligence because it is all wrapped up in one very active, rambunctious little boy!!

So, to sum it up:  He is learning!!  And I am learning a lot about my sweet little boy while we set aside these 15-20 minutes together each day!  Positives all around!

And now, just a short little video to show his progress....each week we have a memory verse.  We go over it one time at the beginning of the lesson...I didn't really think he would memorize it...but yesterday as I said it, he said it right along with me!  And today he was saying it all by himself!  Simple proof that even when he's moving around and fidgeting, he IS listening! : )