Schooling In A New Country: Last Year... Nov. 2010 - June 2011

Inside the Bus4Life

When we moved to Moldova last year Wesley was in the second grade and Irina in Kindergarten.

Big Brother

I'm a pretty relaxed homeschooler for Kindergarten my focus being learning to read and Math.  Irina had the option of sitting in on our other school activities History and Science.  Sometimes she participated but sometimes she sat it out.

In the Land Rover

Living in a New Country and for the first few months we were in an apartment above some of OM's offices.  Homeschooling and well just living above offices is challenging for three energetic children.  Tony and I were having meetings, then started language lessons and learning more about our roles that we would be assuming once language learning focus time was over.

 Life was in a general state of flux.

    

Entertainment  

Math U See - Beta for Wesley and Primer - for Irina.
Writing With Ease,
Handwriting Without Tears,
Explode the Code,
Sonlight Core 1 which has a new name now Core B.  Intro to World History Part 1.  We learned all about Egypt and the Roman empire.  We read a book about Myths and ventured into the world of Ms. Piggy Wiggle which we all laughed our way through, and so much more!

It is interesting to look back - the kids did get schooled.

The tiny room they all shared.

It was a year of firsts.  Our first Moldovan Christmas, our first Moldovan New Year - which I will highlight in another post.  We move to our Moldovan house and set up our school room.  It is very nice to have one room as our homeschool room.

Sledding in Moldovan village

Irina with a book in hand

Irina taught herself to read - knowing her letter sounds she very carefully read and reread books.  Asking me, "Mom what is this word? What is this one."  Until soon she was reading chapter books.  It was amazing to see her progression.  By the time New Year came she was reading everything in site keeping herself awake reading book after book after book.  Now I have to limit the number of chapters she reads at night or she wakes up grumpy.

As spring neared we hired a Romanian teacher to give private language lessons to Irina and Wesley.  Lucy hung around the room picking up a bit of this and that.  The kids learned some phrases and got a beginning grasp of the language they are surrounded by.  While they haven't learned it as fast as we thought they would I do think they are slowly learning more than I even realize.

Wanting to do "school" too!

Village Day Center

The transition to a new culture isn't without bumps in the road.  My kids don't like it if I ask them if they like it here in Moldova.  Because really they are happy wherever they are as long as they don't have to think about where they are not.  If that makes sense.

Wesley Reading to Mom

Learning - "Schooling" - isn't just books, pen and paper.  It isn't even all about the 3 R's.  It is about learning to adapt and learn from the people around you.

To take what you learn from books into the world around you wherever that may be.