Laid Back Homeschooling

"Every homeschool is unique!" I've said this many, many times in the past, but this year I'm reminded that our homeschool is more unique than most. We are very, very laid back in our homeschooling. I would say we are closer to unschooling than traditional school. Although I can't quite bring myself to let go of choosing curriculum & having a plan for the year. 

I think if Hubby had a regular job with a consistent schedule then our homeschooling would have a consistent schedule. Instead Hubby travels a lot & had different work schedule every week. I could stick to a consistent schedule & fit family time in around it but that kind of defeats the whole purpose of homeschooling for us. So, this means our school schedule has to be very flexible. 

Due to our flexible schedule, we decided to mix & match our curriculum rather than pick an all in one. We use a lot of Critical Thinking Company books for our language arts. We are using Analytical Grammar & Saxon phonics also. For math we use Math-U-See. For science we are using God's Design for Science which I love & for history we use The Mystery of History. For Bible, we use a devotional called "Sword Fighting". We have a weekly verse to memorize & scripture passages each day that build on that verse. We also do Word of Life Quiet Times.

For reading, we read lots of library books as well as our own collection of books. I try to have 1 or 2 books that we are reading aloud as a family. If kids can read, they can learn anything! I want to teach my kids how to research. If they can do research, then they can find out anything they need to know. 

I also try to incorporate basic living skills into our school. We learn how to cook, do laundry, clean house, plant a garden, use a computer & other skills that are useful in every day life. We try to give the kids lots of time with their grandparents so they can learn from them. I truly believe kids learn more from being around adults, as well as younger & older kids, than just being with kids their own age.

Since hubby travels a lot, we try to go with him when we are able. We've been able to see places we would never see. We've been to the ocean, Washington D.C. & other places. I try to do unit studies about the places we visit & we make notebooks that are great reminders of where we've been. 

Today we had a fairly normal type school day. We sat at the table & did our language arts, math & writing. Last week we did more reading & less of everything else. Next week will probably be heavily normal schoolwork but following week will be very laid back. So you never know what our day will look like.

What does your day look like? Is it consistent from day to day or is it constantly changing like our day?? I'd love to hear about it!

First weeks of homeschool

We started school last week. Here is our first day of school picture. You can tell we haven't started school work yet as they are all smiling! ;-)

 

 Last week we painted planets & put them together for our solar system project that we didn't get finished in the spring. The kids really enjoyed that which was a good reminder to me that I need to have them do more hands on projects.

 Here Jamie is working on her pre-algebra homework. She is flying through math. It won't be long before she is farther along than I am.

Here Jessica is working on the computer. She loves doing Jump Start First grade along with other computer programs.

Here is David playing Math Blasters.  I love that they have fun games to help them with their math facts. They are playing games & not really realizing they are learning.

Overall school is going pretty good. We have even managed to get school in every day despite the fact that Hubby is home this week. He has been a great help to me by taking over the math teaching. David is actually doing better in math than I planned so I've had to tweak my schedule. Jessica is doing phonics at twice the rate I planned also. I love it when my kids do better than I thought they would.

I'm finding also that I may not have planned enough for my oldest. Although, we haven't kicked in with Science & History yet. I plan on having her write Science & History papers each week so soon she shall have more than enough to do.

We have two obstacles to homeschooling that I'm seeing right now. The first is my health. My fibromyalgia has been flaring a lot recently. I've been very achy & have had a lot of headaches. Most of this is weather related but some is stress related. When I don't feel good, I'm tempted to slack on school. I have to really push myself some days to get school work done & keep a positive attitude.

The second obstacle is with David. He has somehow gotten it in his head that he is stupid. He's first impulse when given any new assignment is to say "I can't do this!" I know he is very smart. I just have to figure out how to convince him of this. He dreads doing school work & sometimes makes me dread it too. I'm trying to make things fun & interactive for him, but somethings you just have to do that aren't exciting & fun.

Glad you stuck with my long tirade on how our first few weeks of school are going. I can't wait to hear how all of you are doing with homeschool! 

Why am I even homeschooling?

I've asked myself this question several times over the past few weeks. It's an easy question to answer on the surface. But if you think deeper, it's very hard to answer.

My immediate answer is this: I want a higher quality education for my kids. I want to individualize their education. I want to be able to give them a God-centered education not one dictated by the "state". 

But as I dig deeper, I find I'm struggling with this question. I'm feeling so unqualified to teach my kids. I'm feeling overwhelmed with the responsibility of it all. What if I totally screw them up? What if I can't teach them what they need to know? Why am I even doing this? It would be so much easier to let the government school them.

Then I stop & take a deep breath & pray. I pray for guidance & knowledge. 

I am doing this because I love my kids. I want them to have the best education possible. I want them to not just do "school" to get through it. I want them to learn to love learning. I want them to want to explore the world. I want them to ask questions about everything. I don't want them study something just to get a grade. I want them to have the time to be kids. I want them to have time to use their imaginations & dream big dreams.

If my kids grow up & just follow the world, then I've failed. I want them to follow Jesus. I want them stand out from the crowd. I want to open their eyes to the world God created. To be in awe of creation & The Creator! I want them to know God's Word & be able to defend their faith. I want them to be able to pick out the Truth from the lies. This is the utmost reason for why I am homeschooling. In public school, I was taught that Evolution is fact & God is not important. I was fed lies that undermined my faith. I want to teach my kids what those lies are & why they are lies. By the time I finished my freshman year at college, I felt so hopeless & worthless. I had been fed the lies that I was an accident of nature, animals were more important than humans & there was no purpose to my being here. I don't want my kids to experience that. I want them to be able to see through the lies & see that God loves them & created them special & unique. I want them to know that God created them with a purpose!

I also want my kids to know how to study & learn on their own. I want them to know how to do research & question everything in life. I want them to do experiments. I want them to know how to analyze everything & compare everything to God's Word. I want them to know how to think & not just what to think! All my life I was taught to just accept what I was taught & not to question it. When things didn't align right in my head, like millions of years & creation, I was told not to question or "rock the boat". So rather than just telling my kids what's right & what's wrong, I want to study it with them. I want to show them why it's right or why it's wrong. I want to discuss things. I also want to be free to tell them "I don't know the answers, but lets find out together."

I'm also homeschooling because I like the freedom it gives us. Freedom to follow a schedule that fits our family. And getting up at 6am to send them away for 6-8 hours does not fit our family. Freedom to follow tangents & my kids' passions. If they want to study space, then we study space. If they want to know why we have rainbows, we can study that. If they want to know all about frogs, we can study that. Freedom to travel with Hubby & go on grand adventures. We've had opportunities to visit Washington DC, the ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and to see mountains and historic landmarks. We've been to small towns & big cities. We've gotten to visit lots of museums. Freedom to spend time with Grandparents who open the door to another generation's viewpoints. They've learned to garden & can. They've learned to cook & hunt. They've learned about the past. They've gotten to spend time with their Great Mamaw that wouldn't be possible if they were in school all the time.

Before I started writing this post, I was struggling with how to proceed with school this year. But I think I'm starting to get excited about all the possibilities that exist for learning. I have all next week to plan for our year of learning as David will be at camp & the girls at my in-laws for VBS. I was dreading the week, but know I'm excited to start laying out a loose plan of learning. 

So, why are you homeschooling??? I'd like to know!

School?? What's that??

Every year, I come away from Homeschool convention fired up & ready to plan my next school year. This year, that didn't happen. I usually start school year in July. We crack open our math books and start slowly getting back into school work. This year, that hasn't happened. 

All my new curriculum is still sitting on my desk. I still haven't gotten our history book, Mystery of History 3. I know what curriculum we are using, but that's the extent of the planning I've done. I'm not sure why I'm so delayed this year. I'm praying that motivation & inspiration strikes me soon. I'm not planning on starting school until the end of August this year.

I've actually enjoyed not having to do "school" this summer. We've been doing lots of learning, but not normal academics. We've planted a garden. We've spent time at the grandparents. We've read library books. And we've played a lot. It's been nice. 

But as August is creeping closer, I'm finding myself panicking a little. I'm really praying for guidance. My oldest is easy to plan for as I've gotten her style down. The youngest is easy too as she loves workbooks! The boy is the hardest. He's hand-on, active learner. I'm finding myself at a loss as to how to make learning work for him. I have a feeling it's going to take a whole lot more planning than it ever has for the oldest.

I am such a workbook, self-motivated learner. Give me a book & a quiet place to work. I'll finish the whole semester's work in just a month. I love busy work. I want to be left alone to learn. My boy is so not that way. He needs to "do" things. He needs to have hands-on, interactive learning. That takes lots of planning & lots of work ahead of time. I think this is one of the reasons I haven't planned my semester out yet. I'm at a loss as to what activities to plan & what all I need to do.

I also have been doing a lot around the house & right now all my school stuff is just piled on my desk & floor in the loft. Old, new, used, unused. It's all just thrown together. I need to take the time to sort through it & organize it. I've realized I have lots of preschool stuff that I've not used. I no longer have preschoolers. I need to sort it, put it on the table then have my friends with preschoolers over so they can take what they need. Maybe I can work on that this week & next.

I really love homeschooling. I love seeing my kids learning. I love that they can learn & still have time to be kids. But this year I am really struggling. I'm not to the point of quitting, but I am having real procrastination issues. I'm tired...

Anyone have any advice? Anyone be there, done that? Anyone else feeling like me? Please pray for me. Pray I'll get out of this "slump" & have enthusiasm for school, wisdom for planning & energy to get it all done.

Begging for comments from you!

Below are some questions we'd love to have you answer for us. We want to share not only our own experiences, but also yours. I truly believe that by getting lots of feedback, we can show just how unique each homeschool experience is. I've gotten some feedback already which we will talk about in the podcast we record this weekend, but would love more. You can comment on this post or you can email us at uniquelyuspodcast@gmail.com


We really appreciate your feedback!
Jeff & Lea

1. Why do you homeschool? Bad public school, religious reasons, health issues, etc...

2. What does your typical day look like? We know that each of our school days are unique. We'd like to share examples from you all on what your day is like.

3. What are some "stereotypes" about homeschooling that you have encountered? We've had some unusual ones mentioned to us recently so we'd like to know what ones you've heard.

4. Are you part of a co-op or homeschool group? Do you find it beneficial or over-rated?

5. What are the pros & cons of homeschooling in your eyes? Do you try to convince others that homeschooling is the way to go?

6. What kind of curriculum do you use? Do you use traditional, unit studies, all-in-one or mix & match, computer, dvd, none, etc.... What homeschool method do you use? Classical, Charlotte Mason, unit studies, unschooling, a mix??

7. Is there anything else you'd like for us to do an episode on?

Thanks so much for listening to our podcasts & for taking the time to give us some feedback about the above topics!

Podcast #11

Below are our notes for podcast #11. This was recorded shortly after episode #10. But it got deleted but thanks to Mozy & Dropbox, Jeff was able to find a copy of it & get it restored & edited. Enjoy!

Update on Us
http://uniquelyushomeschool.blogspot.com/2011/03/feeling-inadequate-as-homeschool.html  - comparing ourselves to other homeschoolers. Is there a typical homeschooler? Is there a typical homeschool? Being Unique! And why do I always feel inadequate?

homeschoolers & technology & convention - lack of technology? Why?

Skip maybe - Hospital adventure - Jamie’s virus that settle in her lungs. Nurses/Dr’s told her she should be nurse b/c she was so interested in everything they did to her & had to know details about everything.

Math/school struggles with the boy. thinks he can’t do it & freezes up but he can. Does it with reading too. Convention - between math sessions & sessions with Hal & Melanie Young, we’ve decided to stop “formal math” & go with Time, money & measuring until his brain is ready for addition/subtraction.




Homeschool in News

http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/86633/ The homeschooling movement continues to gain momentum as home-educated students and graduates demonstrate success academically and socially.

http://dailycaller.com/2011/03/16/fed-instructs-teachers-to-facebook-creep-students/ - Education Department officials are threatening school principals with lawsuits if they fail to monitor and curb students’ lunchtime chat and evening Facebook time for expressing ideas and words that are deemed by Washington special-interest groups to be harassment of some students.

http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/julieingersoll/4430/republicans_tell_iowa_homeschoolers_education_not_government's_role_/ Presidental canidates told homeschooler’s government need to not interfere with education.

Homeschool Conventions
http://www.homeschoolconventions.com/ list of homeschool conventions

http://thehomeschoolmagazine.com/HomeschoolConventions.php another list of homeschool conventions


How to contact us
Website - www.uniquelyuspodcast.com

New blog - http://uniquelyushomeschool.blogspot.com

Email - uniquelyuspodcast@gmail.com

Twitter - www.twitter.com/uniquelyus

Phone -  (661) SCH-OOLH - (that's (661) 724-6654)

Teacher Appreciation Week

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. This week my parents took me out to lunch & gave me a Teacher Appreciation card thanking me for educating their grandchildren. It meant the world to me.

I know some of you don't have that kind of support, so I just want to tell all of you homeschool teachers that I appreciate you & so do your kids. You are doing one of the hardest jobs in the world. Not only are you parenting your kids, you are also their teachers!

As a homeschool teacher, you give up a lot of things. You give up any time off. You give up having a neat house. You give up a 2nd income. You give up "me" time.

But, you gain so much more. You gain the satisfaction of knowing your kids are getting the best education for them. You gain getting to "know" your kids. You gain getting to see your kids succeed & follow their passions without being interrupted by "school". You gain family time.

So, to all you homeschool teachers, I say thank you! You are training up the future leaders of our communities, our country & our world! Thank you for taking the time to make a difference. Thank you for investing in your own children! You are making a difference! You are the BEST teachers your children could have!

Podcast Input from you!

As we continue to make podcasts, we'd love to have input from you. Below are some of the questions we would love for you to answer to help us with our next several episodes. So please comment on this post or email us or call us!

1. Why do you homeschool? Bad public school, religious reasons, health issues, etc...

2. What does your typical day look like? We know that each of our school days are unique. We'd like to share examples from you all on what your day is like.

3. What are some "stereotypes" about homeschooling that you have encountered? We've had some unusual ones mentioned to us recently so we'd like to know what ones you've heard.

4. Are you part of a co-op or homeschool group? Do you find it beneficial or over-rated?

5. What are the pros & cons of homeschooling in your eyes? Do you try to convince others that homeschooling is the way to go?

6. What kind of curriculum do you use? Do you use traditional, unit studies, all-in-one or mix & match, computer, dvd, none, etc.... What homeschool method do you use? Classical, Charlotte Mason, unit studies, unschooling, a mix??

7. Is there anything else you'd like for us to do an episode on?

Thanks so much for listening to our podcasts & for taking the time to give us some feedback about the above topics!

Podcast #10 - Midwest Homeschool Convention - The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

Notes for podcast - as in the movie, we start with the Ugly!

The Ugly
-Ken Ham fiasco. Executed poorly
http://www.apologia.com/news.php?item=75
http://www.worldviewweekend.com/worldview-times/article.php?articleid=7001
http://www.facebook.com/notes/ken-ham/warning-all-homeschoolers/186020768110064
http://www.cincinnatihomeschoolconvention.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Ken-Ham-Issue-Public-Statement.pdf


The Bad

registration grade: C-

-Tim Hawkin’s concert:  B

-Duggers: D - people letting babies cry & not taking them out. Kudos to ones who have taken them out.

-Rudeness of homeschoolers (in lines and phones - talking and ringers)

-Poor tech and licensing issues

-sessions that make me feel guilty for choices we feel God has led us to. For example, only having 3 kids or Using/having tech.

The Good

-vendor hall(too much of a good thing?)

-neat vendor -- http://www.shatterpointentertainment.com/

-Choices of sessions - over 300 sessions to choose from
-More food options (But $$$$$$)
-sessions that are encouragement & confirmation of what we need to do.
-Delaying formal math - study by L. P. Benezet - http://www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/sanjoy/benezet/1.html#description
-Hal & Melanie Young - http://www.raisingrealmen.com/

http://www.soulsurferthemovie.com/ - homeschooled, Christian surfer who lost arm in shark attack. Movie out April 8.

-Coolest ad:  inside a book. - Inheritance Publications - http://www.telusplanet.net/public/inhpubl/webip/ip.htm


WE ARE TIRED!!!!!! and broke

Jamie
-http://ciacyberops.com/


How to contact us
Website - www.uniquelyuspodcast.com

New blog - http://uniquelyushomeschool.blogspot.com

Email - uniquelyuspodcast@gmail.com

Twitter - www.twitter.com/uniquelyus

Phone -  (661) SCH-OOLH - (that's (661) 724-6654)

Spring Fever

 So, I think Spring Fever has hit our house. We've done some traditional type school work the past 2 weeks. But it's been hard to sit inside at a desk or table.

Jamie (on left) is doing her vocabulary. David & Jessica (on right) were doing some school on the computer. David used this opportunity to hug on his little sister who was engrossed in her computer program.


Then last Thursday, Friday & Saturday we went to the Midwest Homeschool Convention in Cincinnati. This was the first year Jamie (on the left) came with us. You can hear her thoughts & ours on our next podcast that should be released this weekend. On the right is all the curriculum, books & DVDs we got at convention.


 This week, we took a field trip to the Central library here in Indianapolis. We are blessed with a large library system here. It has 22 branches and a wonderful online system. We can reserve books online & have them sent to our local branch to pick up. Our local branch is fairly small. But the Central branch is quite overwhelming. The old part, which I think is beautiful, houses fiction. The new part is several stories tall & very modern. The kids loved going & we came home with a large stack of books.

 The rest of our time the last 2 weeks has been spent playing outside. The kids discovered a duck has laid eggs in our front flower garden. So we are on duck watch again this year. At least this year she didn't lay eggs right next to the garage door or the back patio door like she has in prior years.

Once again, I'm so glad we homeschool. My kids are getting real life experiences that are worth more than the book knowledge they would learn in public school. Rather than just reading about ducks & eggs, we are watching & learning. We are participating in life instead of just being hearing about it or doing worksheets on it. Also, my kids have time to play & use their imaginations.