By Kristen Chase.
As this school comes to an end, I’m looking forward to next year with great anticipation as I will have not one, but now two official homeschool students as my son officially enters his kindergarten year.
My husband and I have been trying to figure out our school plan for next year, which isn’t as cut and dry as I would like due to a myriad factors, namely our work schedules and our budget. And because we both really want our kids to have classroom experience outside of our own homeschool classroom, we’re having a hard time figuring out how to best incorporate that into our curriculum.
Our homeschool co-op has a variety of classes that are perfect for my oldest (soon-to-be 8), however they don’t offer as many options for my 5-year old other than one or two classes that aren’t necessarily in a row. And they do require a decent level of classroom etiquette, which is something he definitely needs a little work on.
So that’s when I started looking at Cordis Academy, which uses The Master’s Academy of Fine Arts approach.
(Don’t quote me on this! I’m still learning myself.)
I had read about it when I was researching homeschooling back when I started a couple of years ago, but recently, a friend of mine reminded me about it. Her kids are enrolled in it and she really enjoys it.
If you’re not familiar, the Cordis Academy uses a historical and biblical perspective to teach various subjects in a classroom setting. The kids are enrolled for two full days a week and have assignments that are to be completed at home.
This does sound a bit of what I’m looking for, however, there seem to be a few downsides, at least from our side:
1. The cost: It’s on the pricey side for two days a week (and I’d have 2 kids enrolled).
2. The perspective: While we are not averse to a Christian perspective, it’s not necessarily at the top of our list for how we want our children taught.
3. The work: Not only will we need to have our homeschool curriculum, but they’ll be coming home with, from what I hear, a fair amount of homework.
I realize that this is only based on my brief exploration of the few websites I’ve found, as well as talking with my friend. So, I’m hoping you might be able to assist me and share your experiences with Cordis/MAFA if you have any.
Feel free to share how you provide your homeschooled kids with classroom experiences. I’d love to hear your ideas.
Kristen Chase is a mom of 4, writer, and co-publisher of Cool Mom Picks and Cool Mom Tech, a popular shopping and trendspotting blog for moms, as well as 4 Kids or More, an online resource for the modern larger family. She’s a 2nd generation homeschooler, having been taught middle and high school by her own mother back when people were still using quills and ink wells, and is now a very well-adjusted and socialized homeschool mom herself.