Enthusiasm

A friend had me wait a minute before I left her house because she had something for me. She dug around her garage and pulled out a five disk CD player and handed it over. I was more than a little confused. She smiled and told me that after hearing about my son's robotics camp, she thought he might enjoy dismantling some broken electronics. I was very grateful.

Ever since his camp, my son has been reading about electronics, wiring simple motors, and looking up robot videos. He's been very hungry to learn about anything having to do with robotics and engineering. Meanwhile, I've been keeping an eye on the toaster. I figured it was only a matter of time before he began to see it as more of a project than an appliance. 

As you can probably guess, he devoured CD player. An hour after giving it to him, I came back to find: 1. a very sizable pile of small screws. 2. A motor carefully placed to the side. 3. The circuit boards stacked next to the motor. 4. the rest of the CD player being worked over carefully by a happy boy chattering on about what he was discovering. 

Mom! This motor is basically the same as the other one I saw, and that (the circuit board) looks a lot like my snap circuits only smaller and with more parts. Do you think any of this will work? 

The best and most lasting learning comes when someone is excited and experiencing new things. I've learned that at least half of my job as a homeschooling mom is to find out how to ignite their interest. I don't always have them so enthusiastic, but it is what I aim for. Moments like these are priceless because he becomes so fired up about learning. Without that fire, learning is boring and difficult, but with it, all learning is magical. 

By the way, I'm still keeping an eye on my toaster.

It Started with a Stick...

My kids had a stick. 

They turned the stick into a sword, a staff, a magic wand. It was no longer a stick, it was a toy. 

They wanted to make sure this particular toy was never mistaken for a stick. They realized that the adults of the house, may not recognize this toy because it still looked so much like a stick. 

They decided to mark it. They started to write on it, but markers on rough bark was not noticeable enough. They decided to remove the bark. They soon found peeling bark off of a stick (oops, I mean toy) was fun! Now they had a smooth toy that was very different than the other sticks. 

Me Too!

Last but not least, I am going to talk about what it takes to school a preschooler. Preschool is a silly word for a homeschooling family, but I use it because everyone knows what I mean. My soon to be 4yo is not one to sit quietly on the sidelines while her older siblings have all of mommy's attention. She Loves to be in the thick of things. When we do book work, I make sure she has her own stack of activity and coloring books. When she sits down I make sure I assign her a page and give her complete instructions even if it is, "You should color these however you want." I make sure to read books with her often and have a set of BOB books she is working with on sounding out words. It doesn't take long. Once she realizes I am not ignoring her she is usually content to go get a toy to play with. Sculpting clay or paint is another favorite for her. The most important thing for me is to NOT resort to screen time if I can help it. A house rule is that screens (unless used for learning) stay off until 4:00pm daily. Everyone here is at some level of learning (even mom and dad!) and meeting those needs daily is what homeschooling is all about.

Making a List and Checking it Off!

Yesterday, I wrote about what it takes to school my oldest.  Today, I am going to focus on my son. My middle child is my only boy and my only type A. He wants to know what he has to do ahead of time so he can get it done and get on with life. I really think I could give him a list a mile long and he'd shrug his shoulders and start at number one. He plugs along until he's done and then sit by his Lego pile to play.

His struggles are of a different sort. He needs a quiet atmosphere to think and focus. It's lucky that he has his own room with a desk so he can retreat whenever things get too chaotic. He's an introvert in the Meyers-Briggs kind of way. He loves to get together with his friends, but NEEDS quiet time to recharge. When his brain can't engage, we just have to take a minute (or thirty) until he can focus. All the pushing and insisting will only frustrate him.  My son went to public kindergarten and did quite well. His only complaint was a "bully" and the noise. (I must say the little girl he deemed a bully was terribly annoying and not at all nice, but I don't think she was a bully.) He is absolute in his love of homeschooling and never wants to go back.  The hardest part of his school day is getting away from his sisters and getting me all to himself for one-on-one lessons. 

I sometimes worry about getting my little introvert out more and making sure he has time with other boys his own age. I worry that I don't have him involved in enough outside activities. I shouldn't worry though. He doesn't want to be involved in formal groups; he likes field trips in small groups. When we do go places, he's well behaved and polite, and he's never had a problem making friends.

End Points

Things have been hopping here!  We've started the year out and are trying to find our groove. One of the problems I have is trying to school three different ages at once. My biggest struggle is my oldest. Not because she is any more difficult than the others, it is because I am new to parenting this age and have to start finding out what works from scratch. I have a soon to be 11yo who is blossoming into a new stage of life that is filled with push/pull moments. She wants more independence and responsibility yet feels affronted at the work that often accompanies this. She is entering the logic stage of the classical method. She is excited to be switching gears, but feels paralyzed at what appears to be loads of more work. I am frustrated by the fact that the only thing that is holding her back is her fear of the volume of work. When she really tries and doesn't panic, she had no difficulty and completes everything quickly. After a month of this struggle, I saw progress in her education but a substantial drop in her joy of learning. So, for September we have decided to change our approach. We've divided her subjects into timed segments. She has to work steadily for the set time and may stop as soon as her time is up. The results: She is working for far less time and completing at least twice the amount as before. What this shows me is that a defined end point is vital to her being able to focus. If she feels that she has a never ending hill to climb, she can't even begin. She's happy for the moment and is a huge relief to me. More on the other two kids' stages in the days ahead.

The Math We Love

This was the very first curriculum we looked into as beginning homeschoolers. It was my husband's recommendation. My husband's picks should always be taken seriously. He will research something to death, logically compile the information, and then say "I like XYZ. What do you think?" I've learned over the years, what on the surface appears to be an off-handed remark, is actually the result of a lot of thought. And, again, he was spot on. (Yes, it's here in print for the whole world to see! I will never live it down!)

How to Go to a Curriculum Fair... and Survive!

I think one of the most memorable moments of a homeschooler's  journey is the first time you venture into the almighty curriculum fair (insert horror film music here).   I was fortunate enough to have a good friend baby step me through my first one, but some of you may not be so lucky. So, I decided to point out a few things that really helped and a few things that I wish I had known on my first trip.

Starting Points

Starting on the path to homeschooling can be horribly confusing. When you first begin thinking about it you don't know where to begin looking for just the very basic information. Most often you'll find that although many out there will tell you what they think the best path is, ultimately the choice is yours. And this is a very good thing! No one knows your children like you.  I got a call from a friend about a friend who wants to maybe start thinking about homeschooling her soon to be kindergarten twins. That's pretty vague but the advice I offer is usually the same no matter who is asking.

1. I tell them to define why they want to homeschool. 

There is a multitude of reasons why any one family begins homeschooling but there is usually one main reason. For us it was a better tailored education. For some it may be religious reasons, and yet others may only want to keep their family closer. Once you've decided why homeschooling appeals to you, you can move on.

2. I next recommend Cathy Duffy's book 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum. 

 This book lists lots of material and does a good job at explaining their methods. This usually helps the person decide what style of teaching they want to start with. I let them know we use TWTM classical approach in case they want to discuss that in more detail later.

 

3. I tell them that they should take it slowly. 

The best advice I ever received was that you will not harm you kids in one year. If you don't teach one thing that first year, they will still progress because they are growing children and that is just what they do!

4. After that, consider the details.  

Other things I mention, if their head isn't spinning by this point, is to consider a curriculum fair, know their legal rights, and start learning the lingo. Study the vendors and speakers of a curriculum fair before setting foot in one. The first time homeschooler can become completely overwhelmed at one of those. I tell them to get a copy of their state's homeschooling law and READ it. It may appear incomprehensible, but every homeschooler should know their rights. And lastly I give them a few code words that will help them separate the creation based curriculum from the rest. No matter which side of the debate you are on, you should know what to look for.

Books

I just purchased a wonderful book:  The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had by Susan Wise Bauer. This book is essentially a guide to reading, completing, and actually getting something out of the classical writings we all know but haven't read. Apparently I am not alone when I say I cannot understand what is so great about the "greats" because I have already talked to several friends who have had the same experience. I have several classics on my shelves and have even attempted many of them, I just don't enjoy them nor understand their importance. And yet, I want to read them! I want to be able to draw my own conclusions as to whether they are good or not. So, here I go.

Susan Wise Bauer is also the author of The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home (Third Edition) from which I base most of our curriculum. Reading through the classics will not only improve my own education, but better prepare me for teaching them when the time comes to introduce them to the kids. At least, that is my hope.

Speaking of books, I just added a page to the blog that shows what my kids are currently reading. I'd love it if you'd check it out. I'm always looking for good stories for the kids so feel free to post any of your favorites.

Good Questions

My daughter was talking with a friend recently who said she was not smart. She insisted on calling herself "dumb" because the only thing she was good at in school was science.  After thinking for a moment, my daughter told her that the only thing she really knew a lot about was ancient Egypt and that none of it would really do her any good in real life. This exchange must have been simmering in her because several days later she brought it up to me and asked me several really good questions.

I only know about Egypt because I have a passion for it. What about things I don't like? Will I be able to learn about them? Why do you think I am smart when I hardly know anything yet? 
Can you still be considered smart if you aren't great at everything?

Where to begin? I hope I got it right. In the back in forth conversation that followed, I hope she heard me clearly because those questions strike at the heart of why I choose to homeschool.

First of all I told her that no one is born with a lot of knowledge. "Smart" is what we call people who can learn relatively easily. Because she can learn, she is smart. All the knowledge she accumulated about ancient Egypt is just proof that she can learn when she tries.

Next I told her that by learning about things she is passionate about, she is discovering how to learn in a fun way. The key is that learning about boring or uninteresting topics is done in exactly the same way. Research, reading, and asking questions will serve her well even if she doesn't like what she is looking into. Learning how to gather, sort, and compile information is more important than any of the actual facts she gathers. True, it's harder and more work when you aren't interested, but it is a lot easier if you know what to do.

Lastly, I told her that nobody is good at everything. Yes, there will be subjects that just don't click easily or sometimes at all. That's okay. Do your best and focus on your strengths. Life will go on!

There you have it, one of the top ten reasons why we homeschool: I want to teach my kids how to lead themselves to knowledge rather than how to play follow-the-leader. There is absolutely no "teaching to a test" here. Our lessons, whether they are structured or not, are all based on teaching them how to think for themselves. If they can learn for the sake of learning and not to please me or a random teacher, I will feel that I did something right.