Lindy's Homeschool: Vanuatu and the start of the 2022-2023 year

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Vanuatu and the start of the 2022-2023 year

In the summer of 2022, we moved back to Vanuatu. What a blast into the past! It was like the twilight zone because we left the house in pristine condition, and we come back and everything has degraded over the three years we were gone. But it's been pretty glorious.

We came the first week that Vanuatu had opened up since COVID, but Hyrum did not come with us because...of COVID..... But he LOVED being left behind! He was able to spend more time with friends at home ant then went to Hawaii with cousins and then he went to Fiji with Josh and Teyvin who travelled with him from Hawaii to Vanuatu.

And Teyvin and Josh ended up staying with us for quite some time, and that was just the best. They are awesome kids...I guess they're not kids. I mean awesome young men....or young adults...whatever. They're awesome.

Then Dan and Shi came too! We loved that as well, and as far as school went, Dan taught us how to sew up wounds. It was a pretty scary lesson actually when I thought about how I might actually need this skill in the middle of the ocean. (Honestly the more real this whole thing gets, the more I am terrified and overwhelmed. NOOOOOO I want to scream, but we are in over our heads. We have the boat. This is happening. )

And it was really special that they were here, because ABRAHAM WAS BAPTIZED! He wasn't taught by missionaries, but by me because there are so few missionaries because of COVID and the ones here are not specifically english speaking missionaries anyway.

We invited the branch and we had a roast pig that Matilda and Ezra cooked in the ground, and Maxwell baptized him. It was really special.

As you can see, Pat came as well.

And we have done educational things. We have done things that are not too formal like painting the pool, Abraham making paper sculptures, and painting murals on the walls of local schools:

And we have done formal things. In fact, Hyrum got finished with Level C in his math program, and Daniel finished Fix It Grammar.

And we have been doing at home seminary under the guidance of our local church leaders. That has been a great thing and I'm grateful that the Proffitts are here to help with that. Yes, the Proffitts came shortly after the Leavitts left, so you see, we have been blessed with visitors.

And that would be the end of this post, but I want to talk about this kids right here:

No, not William, the other kid. That's a bad picture of Nicky, our neighbour. He came to our house and started talking perfect English in a Boston accent. My mind kind of broke. Who was this kid?!? What Nivan talks like that?

It turns out, he's adopted by a Bostonian man, so yeah, Nicky isn't your typical boy.

He's at our house practically every day, and it came to my attention that he couldn't read. He's seven. He's been going to a local school, but getting terrible marks. I finally (at Dustin's request, funny enough) had him take the Barton student screening. He failed pretty bad. I went through teaching him lis letters, and he didn't even know all his letters.

We started with Leap Frog, and then started in on Foundations in Sounds. FIS was hard work for him. I could see him trudging through the mud in his mind, but he did it! It was so so hard for him, but he made it through the program.

I realized that I only have a short time with him, so I've tried to make teaching him a priority, but I've worried that I won't have enough time to actually make an impact anyway.

So then I started Barton level one, and it was a little easier for him, which was incredible, but I still wondered if I would have any impact over all since my boys took years of effort to learn to read.

Then I taught him the first lesson in Barton level 2 which ended up to be the most rewarding tutoring session I've ever have. HE WAS READING! Small words, but hey, he was doing it, and not only that, it seemed like it was fairly easy for him! Nothing like this breakthrough ever happened with my kids, so I didn't even know it was possible.

I'm only here for a few more weeks, but I feel like I actually have made a difference, and that's such a good feeling!

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The "awkward and unprepared" Myth

There are many misconceptions and biases against homeschooling, and many people really think that I've never heard them or considered them. Many people worry about the "inevitable social awkwardness" of homeschoolers or that they are "unprepared for the world." In my experience, I've found that homeschoolers tend to be as socially "normal" or "awkward" as their parents. As far as "unprepared for the world" is concerned, that depends on how they are taught, but I have seen many successes first hand. Basically, I know the ins and outs of the decision I've made, thanks.

Why I Homeschool

When I was first married, I fell in love with the kids of the Leavitts and Schafers (my sisters-in-law families.) They were...and still are...confident, leaders, innocent where they should be innocent, creative, and accepting. They were also homeschooled. I wanted my future kids to be like them, and if homeschooling was part of that equation, then I was willing to make the sacrifice. Now, after years of study, prayer, and experience, I want to homeschool for many reasons. I want my kids to be family oriented not peer oriented. I want to include the gospel in every aspect of what they are taught. I want them to think out side of the box. I don't want them to be obsessed with what is "cool." I want them to feel loved by those around them. I want them to know who they are and what they stand for before they are bombarded by outside influences. I know that many families can do this without homeschooling, but it seems a lot harder to me. Basically, I'm a control freak. I want to be in control of my children's learning and social life....homeschooling makes that easier.

Also, now that I've realized they are severely dyslexic, I think homeschool is the best place for dyslexics to learn.

And there's the statistics.

My Schedule

7:15

START OUR DAY

Daddy does scriptures

Breakfast

Devotional w/ videos

Come Follow Me

Goals/mindfulness/memorization

9:00

School Starts

Maxwell

School of Hope Online

Hyrum's 3 "R"s

IEW Grammar and Writing

Video Text Algebra

Spelling (Word Wasp)

Daniel's 3 "R"s

Writing Prompts

Rightstart Math level "G"

Spelling (Wasp)

William's 3 "R"s

All About Reading

Creative Writing

Rightstart level "D"

Abraham's 3 "R"s

Logic of English

Handwriting Without Tears

Rightstart level "B"

Activity in afternoon:

Social Studies

Science

Art

Chess

field trips

Literature Club

WAS classes

My Curriculum

For math, I do RightStart Mathematics, which is an abacus based math, Times Tales to memorize multiplication, Video Text for Algebra, and Mathantics or other supplements on youtube.

For Devotionals, I use Come Follow Me.

For Reading, I have used the Barton Reading and Spelling program, but right now I'm experimenting with All About Reading and Logic of English.

For Writing, I use Handwriting Without Tears, IEW Fix It! Grammar, and IEW Student Intensive Writing.

For History, and Science, I use The Four Year Plan (which I LOVE.) This year we are using the "Family Jubilee" book which covers Biology, Modern World History, and New Testament.