I never in a million years thought I would homeschool my children. Homeschoolers wear denim, don't cut their hair, and eat granola too much. Plus, children need social interaction! They need to learn to get along with peers and respect other adults in authority! I could never be enough to teach them all they need to know! After all, I went to public school and felt grossly unprepared once I entered college. I certainly don't have the tools to teach my kids.
And then I asked God what He would have me do. Oops.
Really? But, I'm not equipped! And the part time school you are leading me to is an hour from my house! And I really, really love this house. Just as David was given the responsibility to prepare Solomon for the task of building God's temple, so we must take the responsibility (and privilege) of preparing our children for whatever calling God has on their lives. For me, that was to be a part of my children's education.
Easy? Not even a little bit.
Frustrating? Often.
Take this little gem of a surprise I found on the porch cushion today. What a creative place to practice writing your name! I only wish the culprit left her signature so I could punish appropriately. Rewarding? Maybe in 15 years. (I'm not one of those parents who thinks their children will be the 1/100 to get a full ride scholarship. Kind of. )
Fun? Sometimes.
Worth it? 1 billion percent YES!
If you are considering homeschooling or a Classical education for your children, I recommend some books that I found to be helpful and encouraging.
Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit by Teri Maxwell
The Case for Classical Christian Education by Douglas Wilson
The Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise
I get to pour into my children daily. And one thing I love to pour into them is the importance of character. I LOVE this chart of Operational Definitions of Character Qualities. I found it on the Duggar Family website. I choose one per week and we memorize it and discuss at meal times.
So, now I have three children who go to a Classical Christian school part time and homeschool part time, one child who is homeschooled on a neurodevelopmental curriculum for learning differences(*see the page on No Labels, Just Hope), and a baby boy who is still literally attached to me and has no desire to wean anytime soon. I would not have it any other way. Our days are busy, but organized. Scheduled, but unpredictable. Hectic, but joyful. And I love it.
The best advice I can give for families who are called to homeschool is GET ORGANIZED! The more organized you are, the more effeciently your days will run. Each child is expected to keep their school supplies organized. "A place for everything and everything in it's place." Of course, more often than not, the place for play doh is in the wood floor cracks, the place for colored pencils is under the table, and the place for the scissors is NOWHERE!! Here is one place we keep our school supplies. Each child has a 2-cubby level. Oldest on the top to youngest on the bottom. Yes, it's in the bathroom. Whatever works, right?
This is my dining room table centerpiece. If I'm trying to impress you, I'll replace it with something I found at Canton when you come over.
The best advice I can give for families who are called to homeschool is GET ORGANIZED! The more organized you are, the more effeciently your days will run. Each child is expected to keep their school supplies organized. "A place for everything and everything in it's place." Of course, more often than not, the place for play doh is in the wood floor cracks, the place for colored pencils is under the table, and the place for the scissors is NOWHERE!! Here is one place we keep our school supplies. Each child has a 2-cubby level. Oldest on the top to youngest on the bottom. Yes, it's in the bathroom. Whatever works, right?
This is my dining room table centerpiece. If I'm trying to impress you, I'll replace it with something I found at Canton when you come over.
Anyway, I have collected some information along my journey that might be useful to other mothers / parents joining the ranks of homeschoolers. Practical applications, websites, links, and other tools that I've stumbled upon. Just yesterday I found a site for free downloadable books on tape. I was so overjoyed, I stayed up well into the night perusing the site for all the books I envisioned my children quietly listening to as we made the drive to and from school. Oh, all the knowledge they will gain as we wisely use the commute time to be transported to long ago places and times! Well, it's a nice thought,
anyway.
Here's a link to a site where you can record your own bible verses, memory work, etc and save it to your child's ipod to help them memorize. I think an investment in ipods is a homeschooler's best chance of sanity. I upload anything and everything I can so that they can use time wisely in the car, go over spelling words in bed, swing while they listen to their bible verse, etc. I even put their literature books on them, history chapters, and whatever else I can find in audio format. (Of course, they still have to follow along in the book.)
School recordings site (this is wave file and not uploadable - if that's a word.)
If you have NO desire or calling to homeschool, I suspect you still have a desire to teach and train your children academically in some ways. There are some books that I think are phenomenal for bedtime reading of all ages. They spur conversation, teach about other cultures and beliefs, and expose children to the classics.
I love, love, love The Childs Story Bible. Organized well, reads perfectly for kids, and biblically accurate. Childs Story Bible
I'm not a "myths" kind of fan, but Classic Myths to Read Aloud is a great way to expose children to Greek mythology and the wiles of beliefs long ago. Classic Myths
Aesop's Fables. With a relevant moral to each fable, there's not a child (or grown-up) who couldn't benefit from moral reminders. Not to spoil but, the fox is always the culprit. Aesop's Fables
For classical history stories that always keep my children engaged, get the Story of the World books. I also get the CD's because "hear it, see it, write it" to learn it! (Oh, and it saves me tons of reading time so I have more time to spend on leisure activities like laundry.) Story of the World
If your child is needing help with homework, there are tons of resources out there. Some great online tools are www.quizlet.com where you make flashcards, and they turn them into fun games and quizzes. You can use this for any subject.
www.mathfactcafe.com is a great site for practicing math facts.
Funbrain.com is a site that teaches math with a baseball theme (attention: moms with boys).
