Thursday, December 4, 2008

Dropping K12

Well, I have finally decided it was safe to let go of our K-12 security blanket and become "real" homeschoolers. We used K-12 last year for our first year of HSing. It was nice to have the guidance, yet at the same time it was kind of stressful. It took me at least 3-4 months before I got the hang of how to make the program work for us. However, what I have finally concluded is that we are "book" people, more so than "computer" people. Lord knows that we humans seem to spend increasing amounts of time sitting and staring at a screen of some sort. Enough is enough... but I digress.

It has been said on many occasions that the first year of HSing is the most difficult, and I couldn't agree more. This is where K-12 gave me the courage to actually try our hand at HSing. If it wasn't for K12, I likely would not have done it. I have learned a lot about teaching and learning in these past 18 months, and have gained the confidence in my ability to teach my kids what they need to learn.

Now, in our second year, I have finally found our own rhythm and approaches to learning. I am clear on the direction we need to go, and how to get there. I have found curriculum's which are working for us, and I have let go of the need to compare to the "school system". It occurred to me recently that most of us barely remember much of what we learned in our earliest school years. Why then, should I now place such enourmous importance on teaching those very same subjects to my young children? Obviously the "schools" don't always know "what is best"... As long as my kids are well versed in the 3 R's, the rest will come more naturally when they are ready (and interested).

So, we are filing our affidavit next week. I FEEL SO LIBERATED!!!! :)

A Fleeting Thought

Isn't it fun and amazing at how much we as parents learn (and relearn) in the homeschooling process? It all seems so much more interesting now, and actually has application in our daily lives as adults. I am soooo grateful for the chance to teach, learn, and have a close and bonded relationship with my kids. Homeschooling is a wonderful gift!!!!

Starting FIAR

I have decided to integrate "Five In A Row" into our studies. The approach is simple - read the kids a classic story and base weeekly lessons on the story... The story is read daily (5x), but the lessons each day change. Vocabulary, geography, math, science, character study, etc... can all be integrated into our lessons under the guise of "story time". I feel like this is an ideal time to introduce FIAR since the kids have a pretty solid handle on spelling, writing and math. It is time to expand our horizons a bit into something fun and new. We are looking forward to it!