New Curriculum

I finished reading the book The Well Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Bauer. Wow! I think every parent should read the book. I found it very insightful, particularly in understanding mental development and capabilities at different stages of childhood. This book is a Pre-K to 12 curriculum (meaning it tells you what to check out from the library & what to do with it) that teaches according to the trivium. The trivium, for those unfamiliar with the term, is comprised of the three basic subjects which all other subjects fall into - Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric. In the grammar stage, 1st -4th grade, students learn facts. Beginning around 5th grade to 8th grade students enter the logic stage, they ask questions and explore the meaning of facts. High school is spent learning how to formulate effective arguments based on facts, the rhetoric stage. That was my watered down attempt at describing it, Susan and Jessie do a FAR better job. Check the book out at your library!

We have recently switched over to The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading. This book contains scripted lessons from the very beginning (short sound of A) to the very end (supercalifragilisticexpialidocious) in 231 lessons. Of course, you go through the lessons at the child's pace and review as necessary. It looks like it takes about 2 years for an average child to get through all the lessons. Ashton is now on Lesson 61, Digraphs WH and PH. Hailey is on Lesson 3, Short I. Ashton can easily go through at least 1 lesson a day, while we are taking 3 days to a week per lesson with Hailey right now. Reading seems to be a subject that is fairly difficult to begin, but gets easier and easier with practice.

There is more I could write, but it is time to be off to soccer practice right now!

Why Do You Home School?

I have been awful about getting on here and posting. In attempt to change that, I pose THE loaded question for families who home-educate their children. Why do you home school?

Everyone asks, Mom and Dad, Soccer Coach, Best Friend, etc. Those with children in school or grown often feel the need at this point (sometimes before an answer is even given) to qualify their reasoning for taking advantage of the public school system. Possibly these parents are threatened by Home Schooling Parent, and want to make DANG sure she knows that they made the right decision for their family. Others seem to have reached a collective consciousness; school gives parents a necessary break. Inundated with stories of hyperactive children and homework tantrums, need for dual income or fear of isolating a child from peers, it becomes apparent that the questioner is inferring one of three things about the questionee. Either A, Home Schooling Parent's children are perfect, B, Home Schooling Parent is completely obsessed with her child, or C, Home Schooling Parent is some kind of zealot who is paranoid that the public education system will indoctrinate and inevitably ruin her child. We all know that A is false, leaving us with either B or C (either way - CRAZY!)

After two years of home schooling, and still lacking a quick response to that question, I found that I was asking it of myself. After much reflection I have found my answer to the question, "Why do you home school?" No one item below is THE definitive reason, but taken collectively they provided me with enough evidence to suggest that I am making the right decision for our family.

*I truly believe that parents can more effectively teach their own children than a 'teacher'
*To strive for academic excellency, not just a passing WASL test.
*To sensor material being taught for quality and accuracy
*To get to re-learn everything!
*To protect my kids from other kids (Have you ever read Lord of the Flies!?)
*To slow life down a bit and spend time enjoying the family, not just running between sports practices and McDonald's
*Health concerns (food allergies and ADD)