Homeschooling

Ok, the poll decided, unanimously, that the preschool blog should stay. And Paul and Julie's suggestion of making categories is already in the works.

So, now on to homeschooling. Why homeschool? Well, the answer will be different for every family. For us, it's simply an extension of what we are already doing. It feels very natural to me. I want my kids to be passionate about learning and to be able to explore and learn subjects they are interested in. All that said, we are making a year by year decision. So next year, we will see. But this year, we are all very happy with our decision. I am a newbie in all of this, but it's a learning process for me too! There are plenty of other homeschoolers out there with much more experience than me, I hope to learn from them!

FAQ's
Are you using a curriculum?

Well, mostly no. We learn in everything we do. I guess if you must label us we are unschoolers, but I hate those silly labels. We are just doing what feels right for our family, call it what you like. We learn by living. Example; we might go to a planetarium and partake in a preschool show. Then we will go to the library and check out books on solar system. Have lots of conversations about planets, maybe color a sheet I've printed off. This could go on for days, or weeks, we could put the subject away and not explore it again for a year.

Socialization?
This one always kills me. Have you met my kids? They are EXTREMLY social. They can talk to adults and kids of ALL AGES, not just their own. Just because it's called HOMEschooling doesn't mean we are at home. We are at the museum, the park, the beach, the library, the store, the cider mill, petting farm...and on and on. We aren't tied to any schedule, other that our own! This fall we are taking a tumbling class with a local homeschooling group. We are in Nature Tots and library story times (which include circle time, fingerplays and usually a craft).

So, you think public schools are bad?
No. I think that many kids do very well in schools and my kids may one day too.

I can't teach my kids, I don't know anything about (insert math, science, foreign language).
We all learn as we go. I don't think I know it all, but I do know where to find the answer!

All that said, this has been one of the most difficult decisions for me to make. Never have I been more back and forth or have written more pro and con lists in my life!

So, here is our learning room (aka, our office). I have tried to create an environment that welcomes learning in a way that is easy to do, easy to clean up and comfortable for everyone.