Sunflower Faith

I never expected homeschooling to change my life as much it has, but it’s something that I am glad that my family and I have made the decision to do.

The first month had its challenge  and it’s been a challenge in many ways, but even though we are toward the end of October, it’s not to say that we haven’t worked out the kinks in the schedule or find completely our groove, but we are getting there.

It did have it’s con’s in that particularly the first month and no doubt as many of you can tell, it took really making priority over what was more important and what wasn’t.

Although I couldn’t spend as much time blogging as I normally have, it’s been worth it, the time I have spent, using nights to research lesson ideas, methods, curriculum and just preparing for the week’s studies ahead.

In the process, it’s been a blessing to personally experience the awareness of a new ability and to know that as a parent, we are able to fully participate in the development of a child’s learning, knowledge and curiousity.

For me, the benefits hasn’t been the time we have spent during school time, but the times I see, “after school” when the kids are playing together or with other kids and the inter-change of ideas and knowledge. In a lot of ways, the kids are teaching other kids, things that they either haven’t learned yet in school or at least this year, or might not be taught in school.

“The experience of homeschooling is as much about adults uncovering the shimmering, infinite quality of learning itself as it is about kids absorbing knowledge.” -Eileen Fisher, Editor, EdPress Online

My husband had a chance to stay home and really see first hand, what a “normal” day was like and afterward, express surprise at how excited the kids were learning and laugh at how disappointment they were, that they couldn’t just keep running with a particular lesson or thought…

He enjoyed participating in our science experiment regarding the “Water Cycle” where the kids both learn about liquid, solid, gas and replicate the transition of solid to liquid when we discover the fastest methods to make water melt (I think the dogs enjoy this the most when they grab a quick, cold drink from one of our experiments.

Later, my husband volunteered to do Friday’s Math facts lesson and enjoyed having both of the kids involved and using shapes to learn how to skip count by 2. I had a hard time not laughing when the oldest correct, Daddy, for miscounting.

It’s been a big help joining not only local homeschooling groups and seeking out the mentorship and just peer support of other homeschooling moms, but I’ve learned a lot connecting with other moms through “The Homeschooling Lounge“, as well just really taking the time to ask questions and challenging myself to not only have fun but re-look at how we were approaching homeschooling.

In addition, we have several resources that we’ve used not as a definitive guide but just as a supplemental guide. Some of those resources have been:

• Starfall- A great online phonics program to help teach kids phonics and their alphabet. I had been referred to this site earlier on in my research into homeschooling by Sister Christine of “Atomik Kitten”. She recommended this site as a great way to help lay the foundation to help kids reading.

In addition, several books we have in our library that has helped us with developing curriculums and helping us determine what direction to go has been:

Home Learning : Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp

I really enjoy this book because it presents a structured plan for those who are use or looking for more structured in their homeschooling and a great source for texts to use, workbooks, websites and more. Written by Rebecca Rupp, it provides a guidelines of standards of what is usually expected for each grade level and covers from Kindergarten to 12th grade.

What Your Kindergarten Needs to Know by Ed Hirsch

This is actually a pretty neat book. It covers: math, art, history, language arts, science, and technology, about 80 pages and even I enjoy reading it. There is a great section with nothing but just rhymes in there that is just fun, sitting and reading with the kids, and at night, we often get the book just to read the many classic stories that are in it for bedtime stories or to laugh as we read the fun rhymes. The pages covering the arts are gorgeous and a great way to introduce the kindergarten child to beautiful colors and the start of learning about the beauty of the fine artists that are out there.

McGuffey’s Eclectic Primer

A great back to the very basics primer, I was satisfied with how it really works not only on Dolch Words but just basic, good old fashion primer. Looking for something very simple but easy to get kids started reading, I highly suggest using this.

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons by Siegfried Engelmann

We start each day, working for 20 minutes on each lesson, in addition to following up with working on phonics afterward either on Starfall.com or using Paper Magic Phonics Flashcards.

With the “Teach Your Child to Read” there are also  handwriting/manuscript lessons that are associated with this. As for the use of the Phonics Flashcards, the benefits of this as well as using it, in conjunction with Starfall.com is that both the kids are getting the benefits and I’m basically teaching both at the same time. It’s fun and heartwarming to see both of them working together and the youngest benefit from listening and participating with the older kids in the learning process.

For Math, we use many workbooks that are made by Schoolzone and can easily be bought from stores such as Wal-mart, Target, Costco etc.

Offering the same benefits as curriculum based, parents can use this as a cost effective way to supplement kids learning.

Colorful and fun, the kids have really enjoyed using the workbooks, in addition to other worksheets and supplements that we have printed out from the many free worksheet sites available online to learn their basic math and counting skills.

We are also in the process of ordering Abeka Primary Bible to begin bible lessons and I’m also looking into creating lapbooks to not only add to the learning, but give the kids more creative outlets to supplement their learning experience.

I was amazed and just enjoying just the diversity that is available in homeschooling and the realization and freedom in that there is no one set way when it comes to homeschooling.

For science and social studies, there are many sites out there such as lessonplans.com, unit studies online and through homeschooling groups, if you’re more comfortable with a more structured environement, textbooks and prepackaged curriculums; the possibilities are endless.

For me, it’s been a joy to still be able to incorporate our Heavenly Father in our daily learnings and be able to let the kids still have their innocence and joy that in these days, seem to last so short and too quickly for many.

I guess you can say in a way, we have a more structured educational curriculum but as we become more comfortable and confident in homeschooling, I’ve been looking and considering other methods that are out there…With that in mind, I’ve also made sure to pay close attention to the learning styles of the kids and making sure that whatever is use, would be good for them and not just for me, so that in the end, THEY, would not only get the most benefit but the most enrichment and encouragement from being homeschooled.

If you are a homeschooling mom, I would love to hear more from you, what type of homeschooling method are you using and what is your favorite part of homeschooling?