Pulling It All Together In Order To Go With The Flow

When we first started homeschooling, we were very "schooly." Considering my background as an elementary school teacher, it's not surprising...we had a separate area for schoolwork, complete with desks, and you know...this really worked well for us at that time. My kids really enjoyed having a classroom, with decorations and bulletin boards that changed with the seasons and holidays and current subjects.

I don't disparage anyone who uses this method. We all are comfortable with different methods; what works for some may not work for others. I remember being perplexed when an unschooling family came over one day, and when I showed the mother our classroom, she said, "Wow, you really do have a classroom," and her tone was disapproving.

Over the years, our style has evolved, and we are now what I would call very relaxed eclectic homeschoolers. The desks have been passed along to other homeschoolers, and reading and writing takes place wherever one happens to be...dining room table, bedroom, couch, outside under the maple trees, morning, noon, or night. This isn't to say we don't have some sort of schedule for some things...indeed we do, but part of this process (for me) has been coming to an understanding of how children process the world around them, and that can't always be put into nice tidy little boxes of learning time.

This year, our curriculum is focused around history, and we are using a lot of 'living books' and art projects and science experiments that are centered around the period of study. Amazon and the local library are our friends.

We're also using history as a jumping-off point for expanding our understanding of the world's various religions. Throw in some math, penmanship practice, and a bit of grammar, and we've got a pieced-together curriculum that works for us.

We spend a lot of time talking about things they're interested in and how it applies to our lives. I don't administer quizzes or tests because the time I spend in speaking with them is enough for me to see their thinking skills develop, and that is more important to me than a grade.

Part of being a relaxed homeschooler is going with the flow. I'm excited to see how this year will progress as we have discarded things that didn't work for us in favor of things that have. I'm hopeful that this, our sixth year outside the government-run school system, will be our best yet.

The Homeschool Lounge is interested in hearing your plans for the year. If you haven't added your post yet, there's still time. Not much, though...the promotion ends today. Click the button for more information. I hope you'll add your plans to the fray. :)

The Chaos Before the Storm: Organizing Homeschooling Resources, or Where is Loonette the Clown When I Need Her?

This is one of my favorite times of year, when I sort through the resources I've gathered over the previous year in preparation for the coming one.

This is also one of my least favorite times of year, because I'm sorting through the resources I've gathered over the previous year in preparation for the coming one.

It's a chaotic mess that is surrounding me, one that is so overwhelming I feel tempted at times to box it all up and head to the local elementary and middle schools with enrollment forms in hand.

But not really.

What is making it easier this year is my determination to get rid of anything that looks, smells, walks, or talks like a textbook. I'm keeping a few reference books, but only a few. After all, living books and games are much more likely to leave a lasting impression on a child's mind than a dry anthology.

Going the unit study route is helping with this task. Although right now, the chore of organizing this big mess seems daunting, my system is actually starting to fall into place. Instead of having resources shelved according to "class," I'm shelving them according to "unit." In other words, instead of having things grouped under science, geography, art, and the like, I'm placing everything I will use during our study of Ancient Mesopotamia in one area; everything for use in learning about Ancient Egypt in another. There are two advantages to this system. First, everything I need to plan the entire unit is in one spot. Second, I only have to go to one area to grab the resources we need for a particular day.

Getting there is the battle. Too bad it doesn't work as quickly for me as it does for Loonette the Clown.