Homeschooling
Most of our family doesn’t ask a lot of questions about our homeschooling and I thought I would share a little about our schedule, future plans and why we do what we do. First, we have read about many educational philosophies so we didn’t just go choose anything old curriculum off the shelf. Everything had planning and consideration involved in it’s choice. Since we have the option to change as needed(and we do!) nothing is ever set in stone and this year is one year of changes. For the most part we follow a Classical method using Well Trained Mind suggestions. However, in some areas we are trying more Charlotte Mason style methods of teaching. Here is our current curriculum lineup:
Math: Horizons. It’s spiral with lots of review, color, and jumping around to keep their interest. It’s easy to teach for now. It goes to 6th grade and then we will change to something. That won’t be decided until we get to 5th grade and see where they are. Math was hard in the beginning because of the ‘wall’ Bugaboo hit with math facts. I have since learned it’s normal to know all of something one day and nothing the next. So Cutiepatootie has hit the same wall and passed it and this time we didn’t change math programs. Knowing what I know now we would have done things completely different but at this point we are staying the course in Math until we hit middle school grades and will then choose the next path. Both kids are working a grade level ahead in math. I expect this to slow down as we hit harder math. And since we are ahead based on age/grade it gives them time to learn it well.
Reading/Grammar/Spelling/Writing: This is our new area of change. We did First Language Lessons but then we did a basic workbook last year in an attempt to put the kids together this year. I realized last year late that would not work. So they went into Rod & Staff Grammar this year. Bugaboo hated it. So much hatred it was an issue. This is the time a parent has to choose whether to fight the battle or make change. I didn’t want him to think if he complained enough anything could change. I even considered moving him down a level to be with Cutiepatootie since she never complained. In the end I decided Grammar will be in our studies until their leave and so I could find a different program. We are borrowing Michael Clay Thompson’s Grammar Island right now and both kids enjoy it. It’s expensive and we won’t be using it in the future but it’s filling the hole for this year. Both kids read well above grade level and are completing the Explode the Code series. Bugaboo will be done this week and Cutiepatootie has one book left. They also do copywork daily. This included Bible verses, poems and basic knowledge. We haven’t done writing courses yet but next year will add in Writing With Ease. Which means Grammar next year will be Daily Grams. It’s something to do while we focus a little on writing. The plan is to try Analytical Grammar in a year or two with both kids. So we aren’t dumping the subject, but rather we are going to try a more Charlotte Mason approach in that area. They know more Grammar than I did at that age. We also added in spelling this month. All About Spelling is a hit and they beg for it when it’s not on the schedule! Overall our language arts have been solid and while we are making changes they are still getting a lot of information in this area.
History: We use Sonlight for History. It is a literature based program. It does not follow the 4 year rotation but the schedule is nice, the questions are great, and my kids really like History! We are finishing up a two year World History study. Then we will begin a two year American study. After that who knows. There are a lot of quality history programs available. At that point we will move into a 4 year rotation.
Science: For two years we used a wonderful Classical based schedule program for science and loved it. This year I had hoped to get through Chemistry and Physics on a light scale doing my own thing. Doing my own thing has run into snags. Our library is lacking. I also discovered the planning of my own thing to take longer than I had wanted. We have started Chemistry recently and enjoy it, but we aren’t doing science on the level we had been. We are going through a chemistry set now for experiments and reading lots about Chemistry. It’s more than other elementary kids do, but it’s not what we wanted for this year. So after some physics experiments this summer we will try Sonlight Science for the next 2 years along with our History. Sonlight Science has a schedule with a video for experiments to watch and then do. We also love to watch Blue Planet videos. When we hit middle school science, there are lots of quality choices for this area. Apologia was always my long term plan but they did not care for the elementary Astronomy book last year so that plan may change later on when we find another good program.
Art & Music: We have done some art this year. The kids were enrolled in an ‘art co-op’ this fall. It was a bust. They changed teachers the day before classes started and they did not real art but ended up coloring/painting which we already do. It was a waste of money and time and we won’t do it again. Bugaboo made a new friend though. 
For now we are doing some drawing related to our history studies and doing Artistic Pursuits here and there. They enjoy those lessons and time wise we just need to do it more often. Piano has not happened this year. It’s one thing to make your child do math or read daily. It’s another to make them practice the piano. Bugaboo has no piano interest. He likes the guitar. However many have said to wait on guitar lessons until age 10. Cutiepatootie can plan the piano but doesn’t want to put her fingers where the book says to. It may not matter now but when you get to a quality piece of music it will matter. So when she’s ready to listen and do what the book says I will teach her again. She has some talent! For next year we will be adding in an artist and composer study each month to introduce the masters to the children. If I find some quality art classes for both kids they will do those as well.
PE: I put this here since we have a homeschool group that does PE. This year no one is leading the group in exercises. It’s a volunteer group and this year has been disappointing. They love to play at the park. They run and have huge pretend battles. It’s great to see. I wish we still had the exercise circuit though for push ups/sit ups/running. The kids work out with us some Saturdays so they are getting enough exercise. Both kids love to ride bikes, rollerblade, scooter and now unicycle. We are outside a lot, even in the cold weather. We plan to enroll them in gymnastics in February though since no one wanted to do soccer or basketball this year.
Foreign Language: Yes, we did Latin last year. They really liked it. It hasn’t made it on the schedule this year. Our time schooling has increased this year and they are ready for a break after lunch. After looking at the work this year I have decided to take the break and pick it back up in the fall. The did a beginner program before and the next level has a lot of repetition in the beginning. So a year off will not be a problem. They will pick it back up quickly. Long term for this area is still in the works. We are doing Latin/Greek roots and will definitely do Spanish as a family. I would like them to try French since I know it is similar to Spanish and would be easy to pick up. It is our long term plan to have Latin on the schedule.
Other: I know family worries about socialization. We are in a smaller church now with no kid activities. This year has no sports. Co-op is over. Yet, the calendar is so full of playdates it’s a wonder we ever get school done!!! We may have less formal activities but this winter has been full of playdates each week. We also do field trips. And we are in church weekly. They play with neighborhood kids any day the weather is warm enough to be outside. So yes, they play with others. They play nicely. And honestly, it would be nice to be home all day for once!
As far as grades go they don’t fit in one neat classification. Bugaboo is 2nd grade age but working in 3rd grade for all his subjects this year. Cutiepatootie is 1st grade age but working in 2nd and 3rd grade for her subjects. I suspect over time they will settle into their age appropriate grade level work. History/Science will always be together. Language arts and Math are on their own level. We school 4 days most weeks in the fall/spring due to playdates and field trips. We do a lighter schedule on the 5th day. That 5th day varies from week to week. Next week is a field trip to the aquarium on Thursday. We work from 9-12 most days with reading, science and art in the afternoons. Science and art are not daily though. More weekly.
Hope this gives you more insight into what we do now, what we will be doing in the fall, and some longer plans for their education. The choice to follow a Classical education was made after reading about it and other styles. Our academics are not light. But we have plenty of play time and outdoor time. They are also learning to cook and do some chores on their own. It is our hope they will come to love learning and be able to reason and think as an adult coming to their own conclusions in life instead of just accepting whatever is taught to them. We do teach from a Christian Worldview. Bible history is part of our history curriculum. Their faith is just amazing! They enjoy being home and I enjoy showing them all the wonderful things they can learn. But the unicycle lessons are all Daddy.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 at 11:05 am and is filed under Education 2010-2011. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
