Mr. Cubeland Mystic asked me this question in response to a comment I posted on his blog, and my reply was getting a bit lengthy.
I guess I have more to say on this topic than I thought!
(OK, maybe I am the only one surprised....)
Over all, school is going well. We are staying on task and staying on schedule. I have high expectations for this year. In fact, this may be my "last hurrah" as a homeschooler if things don't go well. That may seem like a lot of undue pressure I've put on myself, but I have my reasons.
One, the biggest, is that I know it is so tempting as a homeschooler to ignore a lot of what the other schools are doing. To just sit back after creating your "learning environment" and view the kids' playing as school, simply because they are learning something. Doesn't matter what that something is, just as long as they are learning it. Trust me, this was me last year. We'd do Math and Phonics and then I'd let the kids do whatever... Not something I'd recommend. My laid-back attitude has cost us, but not too dearly, since I've been able to pick up the pace without a problem. And the kids are where they should be academically. (phew!)
Also, I saw in DS #1 (when he was at school last year) that my kids are capable of making real strides in many subject areas. His spelling was atrocious at the outset, but as every week went by, I saw a marked improvement in his spelling and his writing. It was amazing.
I'm really trying hard not to fall into the "do everything the same as a particular school does it" trap, but I'm finding that, for my personality, I need to feel like my kids are on par. Because, you know what? For every homeschooling success story, there are at least a few "failure" stories.... Kids so far behind, never finishing the years' work, falling a couple of grade levels behind, etc. It's a scary reality.
And I don't want it to be my reality.
But I must leave it on a happy note.
Tonight at dinner, the kids were showing DH how well they can recite the "Sanctus" from our Latin course. They wanted to race each other, to see who could say it the fastest.... (something I forbade when teaching them, since it is the pronunciation that is important at first) And even DD #3, at age 2, was chiming in!
I just love that "trickle down effect"!!
11 comments:
Oh, what I wouldn't give to hear her reciting the Sanctus...! What a cutie!
I think it's the trickle down (and trickle up) effect that hooks me into believing that this is the best way to go. My oldest gets the most attention from me, but the younger ones will benefit from having picked up on his lessons. All the kids are doing his science experiments and listening to his history lessons. By the time my next one gets there, it will seem more like review than actual learning...and I've noticed my oldest really paying attention to what I teach his younger brother (the Baltimore Catechism, for example). Even though it is review, it is stuff he has likely forgotten and the indirect review serves to reinforce those lessons.
Perhaps in a few years, we'll get 'out of the box' altogether and do a year of hands-on learning or specialized learning (like an in-depth study of the Battle of Gettysburg as an example) simply because we'll have already talked about the Civil War so much (and over and over with the next one and the next one) that it will be time to take it to a level that is unrealistic in a school setting.
That's my hope.
Slightly off topic:
Ian has an interesting discussion going on over at his blog that you might be interested in.
CMW, thanks. I went to look and commented, but it took me awhile to get past his obnoxious title.
He makes good points, but seems a bit overbearing.
Do you know how many kids he has?
Here is the most recent info. I think:
Aquinas and More
CMW, they run a bookstore in my parents' hometown! Sephora, have you been there?
Michelle, you are so very right about the "trickle up" effect! I forgot about that. When reading the younger kids' religion, my oldest is always listening, and ready to add his two cents, of course!
:)
I have this on a card in my wallet. I thought you might like it based on your post elsewhere:
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
This is the future site of a
perfect family.
Currently, however, it is under
mental, physical and spiritual
construction.
Inquiries concerning
inconveniences or apparent
faults are to be directed to:
HEAVEN. DEPARTMENT OF
FINISHED WORKS
Thank you for your patience.
Ha! I love it!
We have been married for ten years and have six kids here, two in heaven. Our kids are 7, 6, 4 3/4, 3, 2, 7 months.
Thanks for stopping by, Ian. It's nice to know someone's background a bit when responding to their "philosphy of child-raising"...
Your bookstore looks inviting and your family, lovely. We'll have to stop by when visiting my parents this Christmas!
What? Christmas? wait a sec.... Really?? When was I to find out about this?
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