Last Friday and Saturday I attended the Immaculate Heart of Mary Homeschool Conference for the second year in a row. Until last year I had never been to any homeschool conference. I figured I knew what curriculum I wanted to use with each of the boys and if I went to a conference I would just start second guessing myself and overthinking my choices. Now that I have been I wish I had been going for all of my homeschooling years.
There were lots of vendors with some great programs, and it was nice to be able to see and look at the books in person. I was able to find many of the books I need for next year. But what I found the most valuable was the inspiration I got from listening to the speakers and being in a conference hall packed with other Catholic homeschoolers. This time of year most homeschool moms are feeling burned out and overwhelmed. It was refreshing to be reminded of why we choose to homeschool and to hear some great suggestions on how to run the house and teach the children and stay sane at the same time. I know lots of other homeschoolers whose friendship and support have been invaluable, but at our church where we are involved in many things, there are only 2 other homeschool families who we very rarely even see, so it was encouraging to be around other families who share our faith.
I was hoping the conference would help me decide on a math program for Algebra and a middle school science program, but I'm still contemplating these. I'm trying to decide between Harold Jacob's Algebra and Teaching Textbooks. For science I'm really leaning towards The Rainbow, which is a 2-year junior high program with great reviews. What is holding me back is the price, but it includes absolutely everything - textbook, lab book, teacher guide, and all lab supplies. Then I looked up the absolutely outrageous tuition costs of some of the Catholic schools in the area and decided that an extra $100 for a good science program really isn't that bad. And what should I use for 5th grade and 3rd grade science? I have a few different good programs on my bookshelves, but there are so many others out there that I'd like to try! Luckily I think it is fun to look at different curricula, and by the time we begin our next school year later this summer I will be ready and excited to get started.
