We have two girls who are recipients of the Utah Fits All Scholarship. We choose to homeschool which provides maximum flexibility for how our daughters learn. Annabelle (age 9) and Iris (age 5) choose their own preferred daily school schedule.
Most of Annabelle’s subjects require a little help with set-up from me, as well as some time to check her work, but she thrives on independence. I just try to make myself available when she has questions. In any given week, Annabelle completes coding projects; daily math, spelling, and Spanish assignments; history work; piano practice; ballet; and horseback riding fitness assignments. In addition, she participates in both virtual and in-person classes, including horseback riding, equine science, Spanish, chess, botany, and ballet—along with many other classes she has been able to explore because she has the choice and flexibility to learn in the way that she prefers.
Iris, in her first year of Kindergarten, sits down with me right after breakfast to practice reading. She’s already cruising through 1st-grade level books. Iris thrives on one-on-one attention, and being able to focus completely on her when she’s learning throughout her day is key. Giving her a choice on the order of her learning day really helps.
Scattered throughout Iris’s weekdays are virtual and in-person tutoring to support letter-sound recognition, along with ballet, hip-hop, jazz, Spanish, and tumbling classes. She needs learning environments where she can move her body—I helped her learn her letter sounds on her bike outside, writing out letters on the ground with chalk and having her ride over them to help her focus. We’re also able to supplement with rock climbing camps in between semesters. In the afternoons she listens to audiobooks while playing pretend and building with LEGOs. She also attends STEM and art classes at our local 4-H club and builds her science and geography knowledge with my help.
Both girls are finished with school work well before a “normal” school day would end. They are then able to have free play, work on projects, read books that interest them—as well as visit the library, museums, and zoos during off-hours that allow for them to learn without the pressure of crowds.
Behind the scenes, my husband and I both work. My husband is a mental health therapist with a 9 to 5 job, and I work an hourly job from home with flexible hours. Even so, there is absolutely no way we could afford the education they are receiving without this scholarship.
Though our ultimate goal is for our kids to thrive and find enjoyment in their education, they have also accomplished major milestones for their age. Annabelle has performed in local dance productions and riding shows, achieving Grand Reserve Champion. In the space of a few short months, Iris has gone from only recognizing a few letters and sounds to reading a full year above grade level. Their joy for learning and the preservation of their childhood, and the ability for them to learn in their own completely unique ways, is priceless to us. And all of this is only possible through the Utah Fits All Scholarship.