Still Here!

 Hey everybody!  Just a quick check in to say that I am still regularly checking this blog even though I am not adding new content at this time.  Please feel free to contact me through the link in my profile if you wish.  You may also comment on a post and I will get back to you.  I have been able to "meet" many different people through this blog and have been happy to help a number of families with homeschooling questions.

Yes, we are still homeschooling!  Lass is 17 and doing Ambleside Online Year 10.  Laddie is 14 and doing Ambleside Online Year 6.  We really enjoy the Charlotte Mason style of education and appreciate so much all the work the AO ladies have put into this curriculum.

That is all for now!  Take care and God bless!

Homemade Lesson Planner

I hope this isn't so simplistic a post.  There seems to be so much information, reviews, etc about homeschool plannners.  I don't want to add to the confusion but I would like to share my planning/record keeping system.  If you already have a wonderful, organised system that is working fine for you, please feel free to disregard this post.  You have my permission ;)  If you are feeling overwhelmed or simply don't know where to start, read on!

I have tried all sorts of things - free planner printable forms, free samples of  homeschool planners, and "real" teacher planners.  The problem was I was always modifying all these in some way and it was frustrating.  I was also surprised that some planners have rules - never write in pencil, use this planner exactly as it's laid out, etc.  I was ready to admit I was a complete planning failure.  Then I got a bright idea.  Instead of wasting printer ink printing out pages I wasn't satisfied with, I decided to design my own low-tech version.  By looking at other planners I got an idea of what I wanted my planner to look like.

These were my final guidelines:
-one week's lesson plans per page
-lots of space to write
-a place to put extra notes for the week
-separate sections for each child and myself
-lines for writing on

I decided what I needed was a large divided notebook with 3 sections.  Last July, I found Mead Five Star notebooks at a dollar store in Charlottetown for $3.  They had enough pages to lesson plan for both children for the year plus an extra section for me to use for other purposes.  The notebook was divided into 3 sections with pocketed dividers made of heavy cardstock, perfect for storing loose papers.

Once I got the notebook home and decided on how things would be laid out, I simply got out a ruler and pen and divided the pages (front side only) into 5 sections horizontally leaving a section at the bottom for other notes.  I labelled these 5 sections Monday to Friday down the margin.  I wrote the child's name and the week at the top of each page.  Then I simply write in pencil the subjects/activities/assignments on the lines.  I've developed a system for what order I write everything down in for a uniform look and to make it easier to find things.

I didn't sit down and draw up a full year's worth of pages at a time.  Whenever I have a few minutes, I can fill out a few pages so I generally have them ready to go when I want to write down my lesson plans.

I hope this hasn't been too basic or boring for anybody but this is just another way I have found to stretch my homeschool budget.  It may be labour intensive to some, but as I enjoy the planning process of our homeschool journey, making my own planner is a fun thing to do.

I have to say, I love the idea of some of those beautiful planners out there.  I also love having exactly what I need.  It's a pretty low-tech solution (notebook, pen, ruler) but it works for me!

Thanks for visiting today!

How Much Does Homeschooling Cost? Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of my series on the cost of homeschooling!  Today, I would like to discuss the costs associated with books used in homeschooling.  I have previously written a post on choosing books (which can be found here), but now I am going to deal with how to obtain books without spending a fortune and running out of room to store them.  By books, I mean "living books" (Charlotte Mason's term) - good quality literature, both fiction and non-fiction, written by someone who has a real interest in the subject.

Some seem to have the idea that you must buy every book you need, brand-new from a homeschool supplier or bookshop.  This is simply not true.  I, for one, would long since have run out of space and money if I followed this practice.  Here are a few ideas for procuring books in a budget friendly fashion.

1.  Use your local library - I know not everybody has access to a good local library but that really is my top recommendation for keeping book costs down.  I can empathise with the situation of not having that service from our time of living and homeschooling in Quebec (where there was no provincially funded English library).  Our provincial library system here on PEI is set up so every local library on the Island is connected through a central database.  I can access this database on their website and sign into my account using my library card, search for, and order books.  If my local branch does not have a book, it can be brought in from another library.  If you have a library near you, check it out and find what services they offer.  Taking a "field trip" to the library is a great way to look over their selection of books and chat with the staff.

2. Buy books secondhand - As I suggested for curricula, look for good used books at yard/garage sales, thrift/charity shops, homeschool conferences or groups, library discard sales, etc.  Our local thrift shop is a great place to pick up paperbacks very inexpensively.  It's a good idea to make a list of books you are looking for and keep it in your purse.  

3. Look for free books - This sounds a little weird but it may not be as hard as you think to get books for free.  Your local homeschool support group members may have books they no longer need and just want to get rid of.  Swaps and bartering are also a good way to get books without actual money changing hands.  Say I have an extra copy of Anne of Green Gables I don't need.  I could work out a trade with somebody who wants Anne and has a book I want.  You could even barter a product (like a jar of homemade strawberry jam) or a service (such as a photography session) for books that you need.

4.  Kindle app for free classics and living books - Did you know you don't need a Kindle (an eBook reader) to read Kindle books?   You can download a free Kindle app here for 10 different devices including smartphones, computers, and tablets.  I have the app for PC on our laptop.  It probably isn't as convenient as the actual Kindle, but the app is free!  I can imagine the app for smartphones would be good for being able to take your reading everywhere without buying an additional device.  You can find thousands of free books on Amazon, many of them classics.  Two other sites where you can download free books for your Kindle app are Project Gutenberg and ManyBooks.net.  Reading books this way is not ideal in my opinion, but there are advantages - it is free, you can have many books without worrying about storing them, it is quite portable, and you can often find older books that are not in print.  Right now, I have over 900 books on my Kindle app and I haven't spent a penny yet.  There are also websites dedicated to helping people find free Kindle books.  One that is specifically dedicated to homeschooling families is Free Homeschool Deals (she not only lists free books for Kindle but passes along many other freebies and deals).

So there you have a few ideas about keeping book costs down.  I hope this post has been useful to you and thank you for reading!

This post is linked to the Hip Homeschool Hop today.

Also linking to Look What We Did!

Caveat:  I would always recommend previewing reading materials before giving them to your children to make sure they are things you want them to be reading and learning about.  A great book review site is Squeaky Clean Reviews.

How Much Does Homeschooling Cost? Part 1

We have been homeschooling for about 4 years now and have moved beyond the "curriculum-in-a-box" method and have been enjoying the "build-your-own"  approach.  I never knew I would ever get to this point.  When we started "formal" homeschool, I relied on packaged curriculum because I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to teach everything my daughter should be learning.  Packaged curriculum is a wonderful blessing and we are fortunate there are so many great options available today.  Having said that, I also have to say that it can be very expensive (especially if you are schooling a number of children).  Some packages can be hundreds of dollars per child per year and often the materials are not reusable.

So, what should you do if curriculum is outside of your budget?  Should you not homeschool?  Certainly not!   I've thought of a few options but, first, let me say that you do not need a complete prepackaged kit in order to homeschool.  You can mix and match curriculum as well as piece materials together to create your own.  First of all, lets look at some options for curriculum:

1. Get curriculum from your school board/school district - Now, this is obviously not an option for folks who dislike the public school curriculum (or find it lacking in some way), but I'm going to throw it out there.  I could see this being a good choice for, say, mathematics, especially if you aren't much of a math person.  Here in PEI, you can get textbooks and other resources from the Provincial Learning Materials Distribution Centre.  They require that you pay a $50 deposit per child per year (I'm fairly certain it is refunded when the materials are returned).

2.  Buy second-hand/used curriculum - Keep an eye out at thrift stores and yard sales for homeschool and academic materials.  This may be difficult if you're not in an area where homeschooling is popular.  However, if you can find a local homeschool support group, often families are selling (or giving away) items that they no longer need or want.

3. Borrow curriculum - If you know some families that homeschool (perhaps through your church), ask if they have some materials that you could borrow to try out before you commit to buying anything.

4. Free curriculum available online - Free, of course, providing you have access to a computer, the Internet, and possibly a printer.  Many public libraries have computers with Internet access available for their patrons to use.  Some examples of curricula available online are:
Ambleside Online
An Old-Fashioned Education
Mathematics Enhancement Programme

Of course, there are tons and tons of free resources (books, worksheets, lapbook materials, copywork pages, etc) available online on many different sites.  Homeschool Freebie of the Day is a great site for free materials.  DLTK is a good site for all sorts of education, craft, and colouring stuff for younger children.  Honestly, there are too many places to list (you should see my bookmarks in my "Education" folder!).  Do a Google search for "free homeschool curriculum" to get you started.

As, you can see, there are many options for low cost curriculum and home education does not have to be a costly venture.  I hope this has been helpful to you and thank you for visiting!


Linking to the Hip Homeschool Hop today

This post is also linked to Look What We Did!

Published!

I was invited to write an article on Prince Edward Island's home education regulations by the Canadian Homeschool Society.  It appeared on their blog last Friday.  Go HERE to read it.  This is the first time I have had a piece published online somewhere other than my blog.  Exciting!

A New Schedule

We finally finished up the My Father's World curriculum and now we are using Ambleside Online as our "base" curriculum.  We've changed our schedule slightly, but we're still using our workbaskets to stay organised.  This is what our week looks like:

Bible - reading Psalms 6-10, Devotional Calendar
Copywork - verses from the Psalms this week
Poetry - poems by Christina Rossetti
Math - Money (using quarters and loonies)
Phonics - rereading some of the stories from the Bible Reader and working on spelling words from the stories
Literature - finishing up The Wind in the Willows
History - Our Island Story and Discovery of New Worlds
Science - finishing up The Burgess Animal Book for Children
Geography - working on identifying the provinces and territories of Canada and some Canadian symbols (flag, coat of arms, etc)
Free Reading - Mary Poppins by P L Travers

We're easing into the new workload and things have been surprisingly smooth.  The work seems to be getting done in a more timely fashion.  One thing I have gotten rid of gladly is written narration for now (thank you, Charlotte Mason!).  I'm asking Lassie to give me an oral narration which I write down.

The above schedule is mainly Lassie's work but Laddie listens in on all the reading.  He is doing lots of hands-on activities (pattern blocks, Lego, Cuisinaire rods), some preschool skills worksheets, and our homemade Handwriting Without Tears programme (which I hope to blog about soon!).

Thanks for visiting today!  Linking to the Hip Homeschool Hop

Learning About Time

 

My daughter is really struggling with learning about time and how to tell time on a clock.  So, I decided to make a clock that we could play with to try to reinforce the concepts I've been trying to teach.

I had all the supplies I needed in my craft stash (I'll provide a supply list at the end of this post for those of you interested in knowing exactly what I used).  The clock face is an image from The Graphics Fairy that I printed out on cardstock.  I went over the hour numbers with a red marker and coloured the minute marks with a blue marker (I also added in the minutes in 5 minute increments around the outside edge).  After trimming the paper a little, I put some self adhesive magnet sheets on the back.  I drew a minute hand and an hour hand on scraps of cardstock and cut them out.  I added some scraps of the magnetic sheet on the back of the hands so they would stick to the clock.  I used some leftover bits of cardstock with a little piece of magnet on the back to make schedule cards.  These have a time and an event written on them (for example - in the photo below, the card says 7.30 Breakfast and I have the hands of the clock placed correctly to show that time). 

I'm hoping to use this as a schedule reminder as well as a teaching tool to help Lass grasp the concept of time.

Thanks for visiting today!

Supplies used

(2) 6" x 9 " self adhesive magnet sheets - Dollar store

(1) 8 1/2" x 11" sheet tan cardstock - Recollections brand from Michaels

Sharp pair of scissors (DO NOT use your best scissors because the magnet sheets make them really gummy)

Scraps of red, blue, and cream cardstock

Red and blue markers - I used Crayola  SuperTips

Time from start to finish

30 minutes

Workbaskets

We have been using a modified version of Sue Patrick's Workbox system this year in our homeschool.  We do not have the space in our small home to do the original system, so I came up with this after looking at others homeschoolers' creative solutions.

I decided that we would each have an assigned colour - mine is green, Lassie's is pink & purple, and Laddie's is blue.  I already had the 2 white plastic baskets that are just barely big enough to hold the file folders and lots of plain manila file folders, which I decorated with patterned scrapbook paper.  I bought a few coloured file folders at our local discount store ($1.09 for 6).  The charts and number cards are from Sunflower Schoolhouse.  I laminated the charts and cards with clear contact paper and used Velcro dots (from the dollar store) to attach the cards to the chart.  So setting up this system cost less than $10 total.

This is Lassie's basket

Her pencil box is stored right in the basket so all her materials are ready to go.

Her work is sorted into the file folders.

Currently, folder #1 is calendar and Bible, #2 is her Bible Reader, #3 (pictured above) is the Bible Notebook, #4 is Math, #5 is her Read Aloud book, and #6 is Narration & Journal.  I do have the chart set up for 12 folders but we haven't done more than 8 on any given day so far. 

This is my basket.  Those 5 green file folders are labelled Monday-Friday.  I put the math worksheets, copywork pages, books, Bible verses, etc for each day into the appropriate folder.  I usually try to do this on Saturday.  That way, I can just grab my planner, pull the folder for the day, and organise the workbaskets in no time at all.  It took me some time to get the routine down, but I find this system is very helpful in keeping our homeschool on track. 

Thanks for visiting today!

Busy Times

It's been fairly crazy around here lately.  Homeschooling, housework, speech therapy, Bible studies, teaching French, Sunday School, homeschool support group, and potluck ("Providence Dinner") at our chapel last night.  Also, my husband's grandfather fell last Friday and is in hospital.  Grampie is 88 and a veteran of World War II.

On the homeschooling front, we are struggling through math, zipping along in reading, and behind in literature (we're using Ambleside Online Year 2).  Science is kind of hit and miss right now.  Bible and history is going quite well.  I'm grateful for a "core" curriculum that that integrates Bible into the daily lessons.  I am also thankful for the flexibility that we have while homeschooling.  We couldn't be doing half the things I listed above if we weren't homeschooling.

When I get really frustrated, public school flashes into my mind.  Then I remember how horrible last year was in so many ways.  So, my best course of action for being frustrated is to take a break, remember why we're doing this, and relax.  And have some chocolate ;)

It's pretty chilly here this morning (0 Celsius) and we had a hard frost last night.  I've got to hurry up and get my tulips planted before the ground freezes.  I already pulled out our winter jackets and such last week.

Thanks for visiting today!

The First Week at Tamarack Academy

Our first week went surprisingly well.  The kids are getting the hang of the routine and I think they are really enjoying the Workbaskets (they love carrying them out to the kitchen table and looking in the folders to see what's inside).  Lass complains that there isn't enough "fun" stuff in hers (as compared to her brother's), but I reminded her that she is older than he is and able to do harder things than he can.  Every time I turn my back, she's "helping" him with one of his activities.

Lass is really zipping through her My Father's World First Grade curriculum.  I am absolutely amazed.  She struggled so much with everything when we started this back in April.  The lessons are really easy for her now. We could probably go through 2 days of lessons each day, but I wanted to ease back into schooling the first week.  We'll see how things go and adjust accordingly.

Ambleside Online has been a bit of a challenge.  I haven't been able to get some of the books and some books I find too mature for my children (like Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb - I like Shakespeare but I think we can hold that off for a couple of years at least!).  It is a very through programme with TONS of reading - I lost my voice a couple of times this week.  So far, we've been reading An Island Story by H E Marshall, The Little Duke by Charlotte Mary Yonge, Trial and Triumph by Richard Hannula, The Burgess Animal Book for Children by Thornton Burgess,  and Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan.  I thought some of these books would be too "heavy", but my kids love them.  We're also reading an Enid Blyton book as a family read-aloud in the evening and when we finish it, we'll be moving on to Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  I loved the "Little House" books as a child and my children are enjoying them as well (we've already read Little House in the Big Woods and Farmer Boy earlier this year).

All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better week.  The weather was gorgeous and we were able to be outside quite a lot.  We took a nature walk around the perimeter of the 15 acre field next to our property and gathered lots of leaves, berries, acorns, flowers, etc to create an autumn centrepiece.

Thanks for visiting today!

First Day

Today is our first day of school for 2011-2012!  I've been working on getting everything set up for the year during the last few weeks.  Our "workbaskets" (my version of workboxes) are set up.  I hope to do a post on these in the future.  I actually did a video to explain what I'm doing, but it was too big for Blogger to accept :(

To start off this year, Lass will be finishing up My Father's World First Grade.  At the same time, we'll be easing into Ambleside Online.  I am already excited about AO!  Hopefully, Lass will like it too.  We kind of hit a rough patch this weekend when she informed me that she wasn't going to do school, but we have worked it out, I think.  Later on in the year, we will be starting a different math programme.  I'm looking at Singapore Math, Miquon Math, and Math-U-See.  There are so many great products out there for every subject that it is hard to make a decision!  We will also be starting French lessons.  This subject will be a little different as I will also be teaching my friend Laura's son.  Our first lesson will be "Bonjour!  Je m'appelle ..."  I am also going to attempt to teach Lassie to knit - could be interesting.

Laddie will be doing therapy based activities mostly - colouring/drawing, Playdough, scissoring activities, puzzles, etc.  I have a few things lined up, but I'm waiting to see how things go before I make any solid plans for him.

So, that's the very basic outline for our year.  Thanks for visiting!
 

Garden Updates!

We have had a lot of rain!  I feel guilty that everything is so lush and green here when there are other places that are so desperate for rain. Anyway, a few photos for you...

Stargazer lily - I've been waiting for these since March!

Another kind of lily (Asiatic).  I lost the tag for this one and can't remember what it's called.

These are the fields behind our property.  On the left is wheat and on the right is potatoes.

My zucchini and cucumber plants are getting huge!

Tiny little zucchini!

Baby cucumbers!

I'm slowly getting organised for the new school year - SLOWLY.  I had this dream of schooling through the summer but it just didn't work out.  I think it will be good for Lass and Laddie to get back on a real schedule. Our "first day of school" is still up in the air, but I'm pretty sure we won't start until after Labour Day.  That gives me a little more time to get myself organised.

I need to get ready to go to Bible Study.  Tonight we're doing Psalm 10.

I'm linking to the Hip Homeschool Hop today.  Thanks for visiting!

Blogging Break?

I'm thinking of taking a little break from blogging, even though I haven't been overly prolific lately.  I have a number of posts in the draft stage right now and I may get around to posting them fairly soon.  I'm feeling a little stressed.  There is lots of planning to be done for the new school year (including getting my paperwork done!), Vacation Bible School this week (our second VBS this summer), going to Bible camp for a week this month, and then there is also the regular household duties, activities/outings, and preparing to teach Sunday School each week.  When do I get to take MY holidays?? ;)

I'm also trying to set up a workbox system for my kids this year.  It's something I just recently found out about but I'm eager to try it!  The system was initially developed by a woman looking for ways to help her autistic son. You can read more on her site here if you're interested in learning more about it.  I will be modifying Sue Patrick's system quite a bit to meet our needs and our lack of space, but my system will be based on hers.  I'll post some photos when I get everything organised.

So if I'm not around too much, don't worry, I will be back!  I have updated my profile (About Me) a little if you'd like to take a look.  What do you think of my kids' new nicknames? :)

Thanks for visiting!  I'm linking this post to the Hip Homeschool Hop.

Encouragement in an Unexpected Place

Sometimes encouragement comes in the strangest ways.  Last week, I was encouraged while at the craft store.  I was trying to apply for a teacher discount that had been advertised, which in turn led to a discussion, between myself and 3 women I did not know, about homeschooling.  They were all so positive!  I have never had a complete stranger tell me something positive about homeschooling.  Usually, I get the polite, tight smile or the nervous looks.  Not this day!  When I mentioned my son has "special needs", they were even more enthusiastic in telling me what a great decision I had made to homeschool my kids.

After all the negative reactions I've gotten, this was truly refreshing.  Not that every reaction I've heard has been anti-homeschooling, but every negative reaction feels like 5 (if you know what I mean) especially when choosing to home educate is only one of a list of highly stressful things you're dealing with.

Anyway, I got my teacher discount and I was encouraged all at the same time!

Thanks for visiting today!

Choosing Books

I love books.  My husband loves books.  My kids love books.  So naturally, we have a lot of books in our house.  In fact, I'm in the study and there are over 400 books of various types in here!  That's not all the books we have.  The kids have some in their bedrooms and we have an almost full bookcase in the living room.  I love incorporating lots of reading into our homeschooling - real books, "living books" as Charlotte Mason would call them.

I'm quite discerning about what books we have because obviously we don't have room for every "good" book there is.  I tend to like classics and older books (Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens,  L M Montgomery, A A Milne, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Robert McCloskey, etc), but are also some really fine newer books (my kids love If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and If You Give a Moose A Muffin, for example).

I have 3 tips for choosing books:

1. Get a good book list to help you.  I use the book lists that go with the Sonlight curriculum (you can order a free catalogue from them) and Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt.  I don't agree with every single choice on either of these lists, but they are both good resources.  You could also ask people for their recommendations or try to remember what books you enjoyed reading as a child.

2. Use your public library.  I am so thankful for our provincial library system!  I can search for and order books online and then go and pick them up at my local branch.  I realise not everyone has access to a public library, especially if you live in a remote area, but you can get many books in eBook format online and often you can find free ones.  By using the library, you can try out books to see what they are like without the cost of having to go out and buy them.  If you come across a book you don't like, return it.  Easy.

3. Make a wish list of books that you know you really want (ones that you've "previewed" and you know you'll want to read again and again).  Keep your list handy when you're out.  Thrift shops and second hand stores are great places to find books.  Of course, there are usually lots of "junk" books in places like these, but sometimes you can find real treasures as well.  About a month ago, I found a brand new hardcover biography of Thomas Cranmer for my husband - for $1.  I have found stacks of older Scholastic editions of some of my childhood favourites for 25 - 50 cents apiece.  Our library has a book sale of old and discarded books every spring (VERY inexpensive).  One year, I bought a stack of antique books, a number of children's books and a couple of fiction books for me for $5.

Of course, the most important book of all is the Bible.  Many have received a fine education from this one book.  It is something no home should be without.  Some books may be good books, some may be great books, but the Bible is the best of all.  There is no other book like it.  "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."  2 Timothy 3.16&17


So, I guess I actually have 4 points in the end:

1. Get a good book list.
2. Use your library.
3. Make a wish list.
4. Never forget the importance and value of the Bible.

Thanks for visiting today!  I'm linking this post to the Hip Homeschool Hop.

Break Time

We're taking a little break from homeschooling this week to relax a little and catch up on some stuff around the house - like laundry! ;)  A friend of mine from Bible School days is visiting the Island for a week, so I'm looking forward to seeing her.  I'm calling this our "June Break".  Since this school year got so messed up, I'm seriously thinking about year round schooling.  Ah, the beauty of homeschooling.  I don't know for sure yet what I'm going to do.  What I do know is that my daughter is 42 days into a 160 day programme and she's not exactly zipping through the lessons.  I had to redo so much foundational work with her it isn't funny.

I'm really enjoying the curriculum we're using - My Father's World First Grade.  We also used their kindergarten curriculum last year.  I'd like to do a review on this curriculum at some point.  Many people have never heard of this company and they have some really fine material to offer and their prices are fairly reasonable.

Anyway, I'm off to bed.  It's been a long day!  Thanks for visiting.

Reading Breakthrough!

(graphic courtesy of  The Graphics Fairy )

This morning, my daughter discovered she can read some of her own books by herself.  She was so excited!  It's like someone flipped a switch - the little girl who hated reading and writing time is now becoming a reader.

Not to be overly negative about the public school, but I shudder to think what kind of a situation she would be in if we had let her finish the year.  When we took her out of public school just before Easter, she had a reading level of 10 (not sure what scale they were using) and they expected the "top dogs" (the teacher's words) to be at level 16 by mid-June.  It took her from September to April to struggle up to 10 and in order to not be overwhelmed going into Grade 2, she would have to try to get up 6 more levels in 8 weeks.  I don't even want to think about the stress.  The teacher also told me that they didn't hold kids back unless "the parents really insisted."

We really tried to take a more relaxed approach to schooling when we brought our daughter home.  We do have a general schedule and an approximate time frame, but no two days look the same.  And we're not perfect of course!  However, she is getting all the one-on-one attention she needs and I know what she is learning and reading all the time.  We now have time to have a good, cooked breakfast and devotions together every morning; time for activities, outings, and working together when we're not having "school time"; and time for family read-alouds in the evening.

Homeschooling is really a lifestyle.  In order to make life-long learners, you have to be able to show your kids how to use the information they are being taught.  If you took a recipe for chocolate cake, showed your kids the photo of the finished product, read out the list of ingredients, explained the steps and made sure they understood every term - even if you did all that you still wouldn't have a chocolate cake!  They might understand the process to make the cake but they haven't made one.  Another example could be geometry (by the way, I am not strong in math so I dread the day when I have to teach something I'm not good at!) .  You explain the concepts, they do the assigned problems, they comprehend the subject, but they have no idea how to use it in real life!  It's just "schoolwork" to them.  However, it's not something invented to torture people's brains with - it's useful!  Carpenters, landscapers, surveyors ... all kinds of jobs use this kind of math everyday.  You not only have to teach the concepts, you have to teach why you need to know these things.

"Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire." - William Butler Yeats


Thanks again for visiting today and I would love to read any comments you might have on this or any of my other posts!

Field Trip!

We got to go to Charlottetown for a visit to the racetrack this week.  This field trip was set up through the homeschool group.  I just have to say it is so wonderful to be in an area where there are so many homeschoolers.  After living in an area (for a year) where there were no homeschoolers, it is simply amazing to have so many people to do things with.  I also really appreciate the Charlotte Mason group.  I have only been to one meeting so far but it was a real boost for me.  I am also thankful for a good friend who lives less than 10 minutes from me and is also a homeschooler.  I could go on and on with the blessings that have been given to me - but on to the report!

We were taken to the barns by a guide and the kids got to meet a real racehorse.  He was a beautiful bay three year-old named Iceman.  All the kids who wanted to could pat his nose.  That was really exciting for my son and he was quite calm (I had given them the lecture about not screaming, shrieking, or jumping around the horses earlier).  My daughter was able to contain herself (she tends to be quite nervous around horses).  Then the guide took us into the "museum" where they have some harness racing memorabilia, photos and information on different records, drivers, trainers, owners and horses.  All very interesting!  (It helps that I love horses!)  We were also able to watch some of the horses being jogged around the track, which the kids found really neat.  Standing down near the fence, you hear the hooves pounding, the horses breathing, and the sulky wheels turning.  My kids didn't want to leave.  We actually stayed a little longer than some of the others and just watched the horses out on the track.  I had to drag them back to the car because I was freezing!

Here are some photos that I took:
                                                   

                                                               (an antique sulky)

and a short little video we took:

Thanks for visiting today!

Homeschooling at Last - School or Education?

Now that we are back to homeschooling (yes, I know it's almost the end of the year, but that's another story), I wanted to share a little on my philosophy of homeschooling.

When we first started homeschooling (for PreK when my daughter was 4), I had the idea in my head that homeschooling was "school-at-home" rather than "learning-at-home".  That first year, we were pretty informal, just using a workbook for letters, colours, etc and doing lots of activities, crafts and exploring.  All that year, though, I kept thinking, "We're REALLY going to do school next year!"  The house we were living in at the time had a spare bedroom that could be transformed into a classroom (just like a "real" school).  I was going to be the best Kindergarten teacher ever!  We were going to learn our national anthem by singing it every morning.  We were going to do art projects and science experiments.  We were going to have fun, fun, fun!  It was going to be a great year.

The first few weeks went remarkably well.  Everything was new and exciting.  I had spent hours making alphabet and number charts and picking out brightly coloured workbooks.  Everything was fresh and clean.  Everything was interesting.

Then the wheels fell off.  My daughter suddenly realised that she didn't want to sit and listen for an hour (or more) five days a week and that playing was a lot more fun than school.  A power struggle developed between us and I ended up having to call in the principal (my husband!).  It seems a little silly now looking back, but at that time I was ready to throw in the towel because it wasn't how I had pictured it.  After a lot of struggle and prayer and a switch in curriculum, things kind of evened out and we made it through the rest of the year.

I think the biggest lesson I learned was to not confuse school and education.  They are not necessarily the same thing.  You can go to school and NOT be educated, and you can NOT go to school and still be educated.  I think I kind of knew this before, but I failed to apply it to homeschooling because of the pressure homeschoolers are under ( like the mindset that you have to be doing exactly what the public school is teaching or your kids will be "behind" or not learning or whatever).  When I think of all the things I learned simply by reading, I am amazed.  I was (and still am) a voracious reader.  As a kid, I used to take a dictionary or volume of encyclopedia and read it like a novel (I am such a nerd, I know).  Some of that stuff has stuck with me much better than a lot of things I learned at "school".  My first year of high school, Level One (Grade 7), I had to take Geography.  I detested that class.  It made me feel stupid and I didn't understand a lot of what was being taught.  It was the first school subject I was ever in danger of failing.  I couldn't do the assignments correctly and I was really frustrated.  I gave up after a while (it was a tough year for me in many ways) and just started reading the textbook over and over.  Since I knew the book, I was able to get through the Quebec Ministry of Education exams that made the classwork worth very little and I passed the class.

To sum up this post, school does not equal education.  A "school" can provide an education, but education is not something exclusively found in institutions of learning.  I'd like to leave you with some examples of people who prove my point:


A Few Famous People Who Were Home Educated


Artists 
Claude Monet
Grandma Moses
Leonardo da Vinci


Athletes 
Michelle Kwan
Serena Williams
Venus Williams


Authors 
Agatha Christie
Alex Haley
Beatrix Potter
C.S. Lewis
Charles Dickens
Hans Christian Anderson
Louisa May Alcott
Margaret Atwood
Mark Twain
Pearl S. Buck
Robert Frost
Virginia Woolf


Businessmen 
Andrew Carnegie
Colonel Harland Sanders
Dave Thomas
Joseph Pulitzer



Composers 
Felix Mendelssohn
Irving Berlin
John Philip Sousa
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart


Entertainers 
Alan Alda
Charlie Chaplin
LeAnne Rimes
Louis Armstrong
Whoopi Goldberg


Explorers 
Davy Crockett



Inventors 
Alexander Graham Bell
Benjamin Franklin
Cyrus McCormick
Eli Whitney
Thomas Edison
Orville Wright
Wilbur Wright


Military Leaders 
Douglas MacArthur
George Patton
Robert E. Lee
Stonewall Jackson


American Presidents 
Abraham Lincoln
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
George Washington
Theodore Roosevelt
Thomas Jefferson
Woodrow Wilson


Religious Leaders
Dwight L. Moody
John & Charles Wesley
William Carey


Scientists 
Albert Einstein
Blaise Pascal
Pierre Curie


Statesmen 
Alexander Hamilton
Daniel Webster
Patrick Henry
Sir Winston Churchill


Women
Clara Barton (she started the Red Cross)
Florence Nightingale (founder of modern nursing)
Martha Washington (wife of George Washington)
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II




Thank you for reading my blog!  I would love to read any comments you might have on this post or any of my posts.