Yes, it's not so much that you learn from doing things in real life, it's that real life throws up problems that you then learn skills to solve. Most of us live in an environment where we can source information. In our case, problem-solving might, for example, involve asking a neighbour with more expertise, researching at the library, buying a textbook, googling the problem or asking on online forums, or simply using "trial and error". Real life problems - building a shed from scrap materials, making a wind-powered generator, travelling to a foreign country, cooking for a vegan friend - provide the incentive/motivation to learn new skills. And yes, trigonometry, rearranging equations and basic algebra have all arisen out of practical real-life practical problems my kids have needed to solve, or simply out of them asking a question to satisfy their curiosity about a subject. (I remember one very clear example when my son (age 7 at the time) and I were talking about the universe. He asked a question that I couldn't answer and we couldn't find an answer to. We looked up the number of a local university, asked to be put through to the physics dept, and my son spoke to a professor there, who was very helpful in answering his question. The physics involved was way beyond anything I've learned!)

For one of my kids it actually works and (bonus) it only requires basic guidance from me, rather than hours of trying to explain something that the book isn't. That's what's different. And, yes, we cross out a lot of the questions, but some kids need all those questions. It's cheap and worth a try. :)

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I think it's good to have a selection of quality non-fiction/reference books or encyclopedias on particular subjects. I also think it is good to have a selection of historical fiction suitable for children (but these are best collected as you go along and find out what you need). However, when books are cheap, it is very easy to collect 15 reference books on the same subject, all slightly different. I used to do this because I thought it would be easier to cover a subject with a wide choice of books, but I actually found the oppostie. The desire to use ALL those books be overwhelming and make life more complicated and just plain gets in the way of the homeschooling. Trying to cover the roman empire when you have to choose between 15 reference books on the subject and feel you should use them all, doesn't help at all! I think when you have littlies and you intend to homeschool, it's easy to overbuy and overprepare, simply because you are waiting waiting waiting to get to the point where you can do all the interesting things with them. There's nothing wrong with that, but don't kid yourself that you are buying for them if you are really buying for yourself :) (btdt) If you rein it back now, you will have more space and less clutter and life will be a lot simpler when you do actually need to use those books. Also, you might find that, as much as you hope for avid readers, it might be that your kids just don't like reading. BTDT, too :)

Avoiding labels and stigma just because they aren't doing things at the same rate as everyone else. (I had one dyslexic and one who learned to read age 9) Delaying formal learning, so they can follow their interests and be self-directed in their learning. Building a stronger relationship with your kids. You don't have to like your kids to homeschool, but spending a lot of time together and learning to live alongside each other really showed me their strengths and weaknesses and taught me a lot about myself. I had the chance to observe their emotional response to situations that I would have missed if they had been in school, and at times to encourage them to deal with situations better. It taught me to be a better parent. Mental health - keeping their confidence and self-esteem intact long enough to develop a strong sense of self and a respect for others. It means, imo, that they will be stronger to deal with any challenges they might experience when they do go to school or college, and less likely to simply drift with peers out of fear of not being accepted. It helped make my relationship better with my kids as they went through their teens. I feel I know them better (and they know me). There is a mutual respect and trust that I think I could very easily have lost if I had put them in school when they were young. A strength in the face of authority. I want my kids to question adults and to feel entitled to say 'no' to them. It will be the thing most likely to keep them safe from abuse and/or bullying. School encourages absolute compliance and obedience. I'm not sure either of these keep children safe.

Yes planning because I have one child studying for exams and I need a distraction. I'm thinking if I do my planning now I might actually be able to have a few weeks off in summer for the first time in - well - forever. Unfortunately the new editions of the books I want to buy aren't going to be published until summer, so that is foiling my planning attempts!

What works for me when I'm anxious about whether I'm doing enough - or doing it right - is to step back and decide what I really want from home schooling... What does education mean to me? Do I want the same education for my children as I had? Why am I homeschooling? What do I want to achieve for my kids from homeschooling? (I don't just mean this month, or this year, but what sort of adults do I want my children to grow into?) What are *my* values that I want to pass on to my children? Do I believe academic excellence is the main goal in life? Or are there other things I want my kids to appreciate or achieve? Is art/music/sports/technology/(whatever) important to me? What are the things that bring me pleasure that I can share with my children? I find that once I take a step back and decide where I'm heading on my long journey, what my end-point is, then the scenery becomes a lot more enjoyable and I'm more relaxed about taking time to explore the rabbit trails. There is something quite grounding about knowing that whatever I achieve (or don't) on a daily or weekly basis is such a tiny part of the whole life-long journey. I have a couple of quotes about education/parenting that I find a comforting guide. I printed them out and stuck them up on the wall to give me reassurance when I'm having a bad day :) Maybe you would find it useful to do the same?

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ELTL? http://barefootmeandering.com/site/lessons-through-literature/eltl/ Gentle, but, ime, effective. Covers narration, dictation, grammar, picture study, poetry, copywork, etc and should be relatively easy to combine ages. It involves reading whole books, not just excerpts: you can use free audiobooks for the literature, unless you particularly enjoy doing readalouds. Easy to adapt (we substituted our own poetry selections). Apart from a few copywork sections, (which are easy to switch out) it is secular. We're secular homeschoolers and it worked fine for my dd for a few years, before she was ready to move on to something different. There is a yahoo group where you can ask the author questions about the curriculum. I wouldn't say it is independent, but the early levels only took about 20-30 mins a day and the later levels can be more independent with older children

Some ideas... Print off nets for 3D shapes to cut and stick together (loads of online Printables) Print off tangrams and make different designs Documentary DVDs/you tube videos Origami paper and instruction book - most instructions tend to be visual, so literacy not essential. Wordsearch puzzles and mazes. (Suduko and crossword puzzles when numeracy and literacy are good enough.) Patience card games "Design a poster" (for whatever you choose) Audio books Weaving/sewing/french knitting - something that doesn't need too much supervision Match/coin/number puzzles. We had a book rather like this, although not this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fabulous-Fun-Puzzles-Numbers-Matches/dp/1603200347/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484330319&sr=1-1&keywords=Puzzles+matches+coins Make a map - of the garden/bedroom/route to the park etc Design a board game Make country flags and pin them on a map. Map jigsaw puzzles

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Some books I read to my older kids: The Kin by Peter Dickinson (some beautiful descriptions which are lovely to read out loud) Little House on the Prairie series Harry Potter Roald Dahl books (aimed at younger kids but they make great read alouds). Michael Morpurgo books (War Horse, Private Peaceful, etc. He writes great read alouds :) ) Sun Horse Moon Horse (has human sacrifice in that one, albeit not in graphic detail, so not for the timid) We've had plenty more on audiobook. (The Roman Mysteries series was fab, but not many of those on audiobook.) Ray Bradbury short stories would also probably be good. I only read books that I enjoy and that make good read alouds. Some books are best read silently, others have beautiful language or fast-paced stories that make them great for reading out loud.

Eagle of the Ninth is fab on audio book. Just saying.

At that age we spent at least an hour outside the house every day, in the park, exploring the woods, on bikes or trikes, walking to the library, gardening at our allotment, walking to tbe shops or to museums etc. At least once a week we'd spend a whole day out, often we'd spend two whole days just out with friends. I don't discipline or yell at my kids and have always aimed for non-coercive parenting and child-led educational style. Is that the sort of thing you are aiming for? I confess that I don't understand this idea of prescribed "roughhousing". I never "roughhoused" with my boys, they were perfectly capable of doing that with each other, or we'd invite others along on our walks and they'd run around together. I've always thought that having young boys is a bit like having dogs: if you don't exercise them every day they become unmanageable and destructive :) Do you know any other local families with similar-aged children? If so, hang out with them and the kids will naturally burn off energy. And definitely get outdoors! Fwiw, we didn't do any 'seat work' at all until mine were 9 or 10 (probably unusual for folks on this forum): everything was very hands-on and practical and active. I don't know anything about the book you're mentioning, but perhaps you have misinterpreted the method, or are just trying far too hard? With any parenting or educational philosophy it's best to extract what you find to be useful and relevant (if anything) and ditch the rest. :)

I used to use a blog for my records, set to private, so no-one else could access it without my permission. With blogger I could email basic posts to the blog from my email, then edit/refine later. I carried a camera around, taking photos of stuff the kids did and once a week uploaded any photos. Its not an ideal format for record keeping or printing, but it was what worked for me. Everyone is different. I think, whatever you choose, make it totally do-able, not something that becomes a huge burden. Aim small and you're more likely to maintain it. Too often, or too detailed, record-keeping and it will take time away from your homeschooling. A very short note at the end of each day, combined once a week into a week's summary, should be achievable :)

Library or internet cafe would be essential if I didn't have internet at home. (Unless, of course, the nearest library required me to use unaffordable public transport.) We can use the free internet at the library to download/research anything else not available on the shelves, to print (if i didnt have a printer) and to order books from other libraries. Libraries here are used a lot by those on low income. Apart from a library, I think contact with other homeschoolers would be the next essential resource: companionship, advice, and sharing/borrowing resources. There are plenty of threads on here about frugal homeschooling, but rarely a mention of the importance of a supportive homeschooling/friendship network when you're on a very low budget :)

If it was me, I'd give it a try and see how you coped with the travelling. If you're not having to entertain siblings while she's attending,then I'd see it as an opportunity to have a little time out for you, as well as a great opportunity for your Dd to try different activities and get to know other kids her age. When money was tight and I was restricted to public transport, we'd often have long travel days to get to free or cheap activities, and it was almost always worth it (although tiring for me). We didn't "school" on the bus, but we did have some fabulous, long, one-to-one conversations, which, in terms of my kids' education, were just as valuable. Audiobooks + headphones are also an option on long journeys.

I don't know how it differs in the US, but in the UK, VT isn't well-known or easily-available and is expensive. My son was assessed and received VT age 12 and it was life-changing for him. He went from 1st centile reading speed, to the lower range of normal for his age. He stopped reversing letters, he was able to write in cursive and his tracking and reading stamina improved massively. Obviously, VT won't cure sequencing or processing issues, but, for my son, it just made accessing information a lot easier. Simple things, like being able to read a textbook page or extract information from a website, were suddenly so much easier. At a younger age, I don't know if the treatment would have been beneficial or if any improvements would have been noticeable, but at age 12 the change was almost miraculous. His sister, who has less obvious issues, is also on the waiting list to be assessed.

Yes. This. I understand the purpose of reflecting on a piece of work, but it needs to be appropriate to age and stage of development, otherwise it can quickly kill a love of learning.

In the UK 'reflection', in the educational sense, wouldn't necessarily mean writing about feelings: it's a request for a personal reflection on the learning process that has led to the final piece of work. Reflecting on the process has always been a part of assessment in the arts subjects (which are difficult to assess objectively), but this seems to have 'leaked' into many other subjects now, particularly in higher education. This reflection might include a student asking themselves questions, such as: How did you begin to research this piece? What artists/scientists/research influenced you? How did you choose what to include/exclude in your final piece? What have you learned during this process? Would you do anything differently if you did it again? etc. I'm not sure what has caused the change that we see it more often now. I don't think it's a bad thing, necessarily, for a student to look closer at the journey they've taken through a larger piece of work to get to the end point, but I also understand that it can be irritating to have to do it too often!