A new school year...sort of

Homeschooling is part of the plan in our home. We are not opposed to other forms of schooling, but this is what we choose to do for many reasons that are important to our family. Because of that, "school" for us doesn't quite fit the mold that it does for most people. I find that most people are intrigued by our choice to homeschool, and many have strong feelings one way or another about it. Some people think we are depriving our children of opportunities to build certain skills (namely social skills), and others say things like, "well good for you. At least your kids will be able to say the Pledge of Allegiance". Regardless of what others think, homeschooling is the choice we have made for this point in time. I will try to discuss how this looks for us and why we made this choice regarding our children's education, because we are asked a lot of questions about it.

Technically, based on the ages of our children: Trey should be starting 1st grade, Alex in Kinder, Ana and Luke in Pre-K. Here's how it actually looks: Trey is nearly done with 1st grade (we started early and we go through the summer in order to help with retention and a smoother transition), Alex, Ana, and Luke are all working through a Pre-K curriculum. Luke is able to complete a bit more than Alex and Ana, but they all work through it together with each child working at his or her level and completing the tasks to the best or his/her ability.

TREY: We currently use Sonlight curriculum for Trey. It is very rigorous without being overwhelming.  Our studies include Bible, History/World cultures, Read-alouds, poetry, science (human body, animal studies, magnets, water experiments, etc.), math, and hand writing. We complete this curriculum using a 4-day/week schedule, and it only takes us about an hour to maybe an hour and a half. People get very confused when I say that. This is part of the benefit of teaching your child one-on-one. I know Trey. I know where he needs extra instruction and where he doesn't. I don't have to work at the pace and level of 30 other kids. I can focus on one child. Think how much faster any child can grasp a concept when they have one-on-one instruction. Trey will finish 1st grade at Christmas break time. After a short "baby break" we will jump into 2nd grade (probably Feb.).

ALEX, ANA, LUKE: We just started Pre-K for the 3 little ones. I use Hands on Homeschooling, because I think it is a good choice for this age group. It includes Bible stories and memory verses, lots of basic concepts (letters, numbers, colors, etc.), cooking, physical skills, reading readiness, etc. All of these things are presented in a hands-on way (hence the name). These 3 are currently following the school year, but as summer approaches next year we will continue to work through it, which will put us off-kilter a bit.

CO-OP: In addition to our 4 day/week schedule, we attend homeschool co-op on Thursdays. This semester Trey is taking botany/life science, US history, and world cultures. He is in these classes with other 1st-3rd graders. The three little ones are immersed in a pre-k class with lots of other kiddos ranging in age from 3-5. The way the co-op works is that each family pays a minimal yearly fee (like $25) along with any small class fees for copies, supplies etc. And parents have to agree to help out in some capacity. Many parents teach classes, some assist in classrooms, others offer up child care for moms who are teaching, and every family has to agree to stay and clean up one Thursday. Through co-op our kids gain not only the opportunity to learn with and from their peers, but they learn how to be a responsible member of a community.

FAQs:
1. WHY DO YOU HOMESCHOOL?
The number one answer for this is our faith. It is important to us that our children have a solid grasp of who they are in Christ before we send them out into the world. This is not to say that other children don't get that, but we have an opportunity to be involved in every aspect of their education and we are taking it. Along with that, many public schools are failing. We are not in a position to send our children to private school, and I do hold a Masters degree in education so I might as well put it to use ;)

2. SO YOU NEVER GET A BREAK?
I admit that on some occasions it feels that way, but the truth is that I am blessed to see all of the "lightbulb moments" my kids have. I get to watch them grow and learn in every area on a daily basis. Trey is already 1/3 of the way to adulthood, and we can't get these moments back. And no, this is not our way of trying to hold on to and baby our kids. It is our way of making sure our kids have the tools they need for the future while spending both quality time and quantity of time with them.

3. AREN'T YOU WORRIED ABOUT THEIR SOCIAL SKILLS?
My gut response to this question is to ask another question: is school the only place kids can socialize? My kids may do school at home but they still go to church, swimming lessons, play at the park, have play dates with friends, and participate in sports. In fact, when all is said and done my kids may be better off because they have more interaction with various age groups. As a kindergartner Trey had gym class with kids as old as 4th grade, and he could be seen walking through the hallways of church giving high fives to kids twice his size.  Along with social skills our kids are also learning other important life skills that can sometimes be left out of a typical classroom setting, things like flexibility. Sometimes there is a doctor's appointment in the middle of our typical school time, or maybe an emergency errand. My kids can adapt to coming back to something later, doing 2 days worth of school in one day or moving subjects around, because it is done in our home. We make every effort to maintain a normal schedule, but life is messy and kids who can adapt to changes will be better off in the end.

Our "school" space. 

Trey working diligently on his botany homework

After school is over we have lots of time for things like a silly dress-up competition :)