Update on Vinny ~ Switched On Schoolhouse

I just wanted to give a little update on Vinny’s schooling. We had started with a mixture of Robinson Curriculum and things ordered from Rod and Staff. It seemed to be going pretty good. We would have our good and bad days which is normal. Well part way thru this semester Vince had suggested we use Switched on Schoolhouse. He had seen this curriculum used by the Duggers’ (19 kids and counting) and he had looked it up a bit. I think he wanted to give Vinny a bit more independence and I think it was partly for me too so I would be able to just set up the program and then the program would assign the lessons to be done. I just need to go in and go thru his lessons and see where he is having problems and look at his grades and  so on.  Well this sounded good to begin with and Vinny was very excited about doing his school on the computer.

When he first started it, it was great then as time went on it is not so much fun. He gets headaches from reading on a computer screen and I don’t know what he is learning unless I go read the lesson first. He is doing well as far as grades goes but he did get a bit behind because he will head off to band practice after lunch and he is not always done by then and I will ask when he gets home if he got his work done. He will say yes most times and I will believe him because I trust him. Except for lately he was getting behind and I think he got a bit overwhelmed about how many lessons he was behind. See I look at what he does every few days but I will have to go back to looking daily to make sure he is doing it all. He spent his weekend getting caught up. I did feel kinda bad he had to do school all weekend but he has to learn to be responsible.

Another thing I do not like about Switched on Schoolhouse is that I don’t get to do the lesson with him. Well I guess I could but it is a bit more difficult using this program. I guess I just miss being the teacher and not the computer.

I am not sure if I will have him do this program again next year. He can if he learns more responsibility, and is able to not get behind like he has been. I do like the fact that it is a Christian based curriculum and does do a good job at learning all the facts keeping God in it the whole time. I may have him do some of the subjects.I think if we do let him do this program I will have him do Math using a different program for sure and maybe History.

All and all the program is a good one but just doesn’t fit my style of learning that I want my family to follow. But that is the joy of homeschool you can choose the style you homeschool in. This program is just to “schooly” I know that’s not a real word but that’s what I want to get away from. Maybe next semester will change my mind.

God Bless,

Jen