Week 4: A Holiday Week, Our First Educational Facilitator Meeting, and New Curriculum
Welcome back to The Homeschool Recap. Week 4 was a holiday week, so Monday there wasn't any school — but don't tell my daughter that, because we actually caught up on a lot from last week. Here's what Week 4 actually looked like: our first meeting with the educational facilitator, new curriculum, and staying organized in a short week.
Monday Was a Holiday (Sort Of)
Week 4 was a holiday week, so Monday there wasn't any school. But don't tell my daughter that, because we actually caught up on a lot from last week.
I also spent Monday uploading samples of my daughter's work for the charter school — one for each subject. I would simply take a photo and upload it to a share file her educational facilitator formed for me.
Note to self (and to you): Take the photos as you go. In Week 1 - I didn't, and I regretted it. This week I was playing catch-up.
Our First Educational Facilitator Meeting
On Tuesday, my daughter and I met with the school's educational facilitator to show all the work that we have done during this first period of school. I wanted to make sure her workbooks showed some progress.
The meeting went well. If you're new to homeschooling through a charter school, this is the rhythm: you document, you meet, you show what you've been doing. It felt good to have something tangible to hand over after four weeks of figuring it out as we go.
How We Start Every Homeschool Morning
Each day we started the day with reviewing the calendar, flag salute, and a general check-in.
That morning routine has become our anchor. No matter what the rest of the day looks like, we start the same way.
Our Week 4 Homeschool Breakdown
Here's what our days looked like, subject by subject:
ELA / Language Arts
Blackbird Phonics Hatchling Workbooks
Daily Phonics Workbook for Grade 3
Typing Club
Explode the Code (new this week — more below)
Math
Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division sheets
3rd Grade Daily Math Practice
IXL Math
History / Social Studies
Geography Daily Workbook for 3rd Grade
History of the World
Science
Daily Science 3rd Grade Workbook
Reading
20 minutes each (her and me)
Sacajawea — with comprehension questions throughout
History of the World — read a few pages Friday and learned about the nomads
Art
Water painting
Special Interests / PE / Life Skills
Crafting a mini book out of construction paper
Imagination play
Making boba
Ballet
25-minute daily walk (PE)
New Curriculum: Explode the Code
New curriculum introduction this week that I am so excited about: Explode the Code. She did a few pages on Friday of the Volume 1 workbook, and so far she enjoys doing it.
I'll keep you posted on how it goes. I'm learning that adding something new mid-year is allowed — and sometimes it's exactly what you both need.
Reading Comprehension: Sacajawea and History of the World
We read a book this week on Sacajawea, and I made sure to stop and ask her questions throughout the book to check for reading comprehension. That's become a habit I'm building intentionally.
On Friday we read a few pages on History of the World and learned about the nomads.
Notes From My Spreadsheet This Week
Special interests this week included imagination play, making boba, and ballet.
It's the little things — boba, a mini book, a water painting — that remind me we're not just checking boxes. We're building a life of learning.
What Worked in Week 4
Using the holiday Monday to catch up. No school didn't mean no progress.
Uploading work samples as we went. I got ahead of the documentation instead of scrambling.
The facilitator meeting. It went well, and it gave me a checkpoint I didn't know I needed.
Adding Explode the Code. A small change that made a difference in her attitude toward phonics.
What Didn't Work (and What I'm Adjusting)
Letting photos pile up. I'm going to start taking pictures weekly, not before a meeting.
Not enough games and read-alouds. The workbooks are working, but I want more variety in our days.
What I'm Learning as a Homeschool Parent
This week was all about balancing the short week because of the holiday, our first meeting with the educational facilitator that went well, and staying organized and on track.
The big lesson? Documentation and organization is part of the job — and it's easier when you keep up with it instead of batching it.
What to Expect in Week 5
One thing I am going to focus on next week is playing more games in between curriculum and reading more books.
Week 5 is coming next — and I'll share how that goes, plus whether Explode the Code is still a win.
A Note for New Homeschoolers
If you're staring down your first educational facilitator meeting, take a breath. Document what you can, show up with what you have, and remember: they want to see progress, not perfection.
And if you have a holiday week? Use it how it works for you. Some weeks, catching up is school
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