Homeschool

Many people over the years have asked us about our decision to homeschool.  Honestly, never in a million years did I think I would ever do this!  Growing up, I had only ever known one or two families who homeschooled, and quite frankly, I found them to fit the stereotype of being socially-awkward.  Having gone to school for elementary/special education, I had been groomed for teaching in a public school setting of 25-30 kids, all the same age and ability.  I had NOT, however, been taught how to teach 4 of my own children, varying in ages from 7, all the way down to a newborn.  Quite the challenge!  For years I wrestled with the idea, fascinated by recent homeschool families that I had met, as well as research that I had done on my own.  I read EVERYTHING I could get my hands on regarding homeschooling!  Blogs, books and websites.  I attended homeschool conventions and talked to as many people as I could about their experiences.  Finally though, after the birth of our third child, I convinced myself that I was not cut out for it.  We signed our oldest daughter up for kindergarten that spring at the local public school up the street from our home.  For the first time in a while, I felt like I was able to put the decision to rest....until....one afternoon my husband came home and wondered out loud, "Why aren't we homeschooling again?"  I suddenly panicked.  Had we made the wrong decision??!!!??  Kindergarten was set to start in only a few short months and I was back on the fence AGAIN!  It was in that moment, that it finally occurred to me, that perhaps I should pray about what GOD wanted us to do.  Novel idea, huh?  A couple days later, while reading in Exodus, I read the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt.  When they reached the Red Sea, the people began to panic, for they were trapped.  Pharaoh, who had only days before released them from their bondage of slavery in Egypt, had now changed his mind.  An entire army was after them!  Moses cries out to the Lord as to what to do.  In chapter 14:16, God says, "Why are you crying out to me?  Tell the Israelites to move on."  I realized in that moment, that I already knew what I needed to do.  I just didn't want to do it!  The very next day, my kids and I trudged up the hill to the elementary school and withdrew my daughter's name for the upcoming school year.  Two and a half years later, I have never looked back.  I am continually amazed at all of the blessings I have seen come through our decision to homeschool and humbled to think, that had we done things our way, we would have missed out on this journey.  It has not always been easy, but it has been well worth it.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

~What curriculum do you use?
I am pretty eclectic in my approach to homeschooling, although I tend to favor the classical style.  Currently, we are a part of a co-op called Classical Conversations.  It meets once a week throughout the school year and has been an absolute blessing for our family.  Most of what we are studying this year in school, stems from what my kids are learning on Monday mornings at CC.  Subjects include: math, history, geography, English, Latin, art, science, music and Bible.  They are also working on memorizing the timeline of the world from creation to present day.  Check out their website at:  http://www.classicalconversations.com/

~What do you do with your preschool-age (and under!) children while you are homeschooling?
I try to include all of my children in as much as possible of our schooling throughout the day.  The only subject that I require them all to sit through though is Bible.  After that, the younger two have the option of playing.  I have found though, that most often, they just want to be where myself and the older kids are.  They want to be included in the science experiments and art projects.  They want to "do school" while the older kids are working in their notebooks. And, of course, who wouldn't want to get out of rest-time to listen to the read-aloud? :) 

For subjects, such as reading, that require a little more of my one-on-one attention, I tend to try and get those done during nap times.  I've also found that keeping special toys and/or activities away and out of sight, and only pulling them out during school hours, helps in keeping little ones busy and stimulated.  I never want my little guys to feel that they are a burden or that they're not welcome.  My goal is to try and make school just a natural part of our day for everyone.

I will say, it always does amaze me just what my youngest ones pick up during the course of our day.  My two-year-old has memorized the 23rd Psalm, Psalm 8, Psalm 100, the U.S. Presidents, all 50 states, Ephesians 6, the books of the Bible, the timeline and SO MUCH MORE....and he has never sat a day in a classroom!  He has simply picked it up by playing in the room nearby while we do school. 

~What does your typical day look like?   
This is a hard one to answer because it changes so often and is so dependent upon many different variables.  How late my children sleep in in the morning, nap schedules, errands that need to be run, and just life in general can cause our "schedule" to vary from day to day.  Typically, we try to start around 9:00 every morning and spend the morning working on the majority of our school work. We take a short break after lunch, followed by what we call "Book & Nook" (basically quiet reading time!). Whatever doesn't get done in the morning, we finish up after rest-time.  I also spend an hour or two in the afternoon working with my oldest for her Essentials writing course. The kids particularly love when Charles gets home early to listen to them read or drill math facts with them.   Of course, I love that too. :)  I also usually try to schedule one day a week to run errands, visit the library and plan field trips. 

~How long do you plan on homeschooling?

As of right now, our plan is to take it one year at a time.  Although we have loved homeschooling and have found it to be a great fit for our family, we recognize that it may not always be where God has us.  We are open to whatever His plan is and all that it entails. :)