Were you homeschooled?

[BettyL]

What did your homeschooling life look like as a child?

What have you changed in how you homeschool your own child as a result of those experiences?

What advice would you give the rest of us as we guide our dear ones through this happy journey we call education?

Thank you in advance for taking time to answer! :001_smile:

[dhudson]

I was home schooled for the last two years of high school. My siblings from 7th, 1st and 3rd.

 

I use a more classical education than I had. I used Abeka and Bob Jones. I still hate Saxon and refuse to teach my kids with it.:glare:

 

Entrance into college isn't a problem as long as your scores are high enough.

 

Socialization isn't a problem.;) If I was more socialized, we'd have a huge problem.

 

Family learning is one of the best things about home schooling both as a student and a teacher.

 

Read alouds with Dad in the evening are some of my most precious memories. They are some of my favorite books to this day.

 

Home schooling is a lifestyle not merely an educational choice.

[Sasharowan]

I was more afterschooled than anything. Reading was highly encouraged, we watched a lot of history and science documentaries, we were taught how to look stuff up and then told to "look it up" if we had questions and then would have discussions on what we looked up.

[BettyL]

Thank you for your replies....anyone else?:bigear:

[hsbaby]

Nope. I went to public schooled and loved every minute of it. However, times have changed and so I have made different choices for my children:)

[dragons in the flower bed]

What did your homeschooling life look like as a child?

 

What did it LOOK like? I've never heard that variation on this question before. I can wax poetic about my adolescence. :P

 

Picture a solemn teenage girl slipping into the woods between a strip mall and neighborhood that was once a cluster of vacation cottages. Her super-curly black bobcut is bouncing off into the woods, atop a white boy's T-shirt and classic blue jeans and black Converse All-Stars. Over one arm she's got a backpack; it contains: a set of watercolors, a hardbound sketchbook filled with messy prose and abstract depictions of the items at her feet, pencils, and a much-loved field guide in rags and pieces. There's probably a hot knish that she just picked up from the kosher deli in the previously referenced strip mall. There's a library card in her pocket and after she gets her nature fix, she's going to use it, boldly, at 11 a.m. on a schoolday.

 

Or you could picture me standing in a kitchen, frustrated as all get-out with this teaching-myself stuff, wishing my mom had ever demonstrated how to do dishes efficiently, put together a meal, or organize cabinets, and/or that my dad did not expect me to do it. There's probably at least three homemaking guides open on the tiny cabinet, and Richard Hell and the Voidoids are echoing my anger at blare volume.

 

Or you could picture me swinging on the hammock that served me for a bed, attached low enough on my bedroom wall that my ferret could jump up and run around me like I'm a jungle gym. I'm reading award winning books on Revolutionary War era history, dusty tomes of obscure local American Indian lore that the librarian was so glad someone checked out this year, the Greek and Roman philosophers, or books by John Holt and Maria Montessori and Rudolf Steiner. Every once in a while the ferret climbs over my face and I remove him to the floor. There's a dictionary handy and I'm looking words up as I go.

 

Notice the complete lack of parental units? Dad was a single parent and he worked full-time.

 

What have you changed in how you homeschool your own child as a result of those experiences?

 

My kids' schooling is usually parent-directed. I'm determined to stay at home with them as long as possible. I'm pretty sensitive to their frustration levels, probably overindulgent, even.

 

But their education is still mostly real-life work, nature study and library books.

 

What advice would you give the rest of us as we guide our dear ones through this happy journey we call education?

 

I'm tempted to say, "follow your instincts," or, "know your kids," but that would just be a coverup for the truth, which is that I don't presume to have any wisdom about being a good homeschooling parent. Homeschooling, even unschooling, is hard, and we all do the best we can, including my dad. It's individual. I am now certain that I have learned how to homeschool my twelve-year-old, but that doesn't give me any confidence in the face of my kindergartener. Maybe ask me again when that four-year-old is in college.

Edited March 20, 2010 by dragons in the flower bed
typos

[gingersmom]

My cousin was homeschooled in the 70's and early 80's. From what I remember her parents used paid tutors who came to the house.

 

According to my mother she slept till noon everyday and did nothing.

 

I figure she must have done something because she graduated college and became a teacher.

[SproutMamaK]

I I still hate Saxon and refuse to teach my kids with it.:glare:

 

Can I ask why? Someone recommended it to me, but I have no idea how it's different from other curriculum choices.

[BettyL]

Dear Dragons,

 

I was delightfully entertained by your post! This is exactly the type of post I was hoping for. I wasn't looking for a list of curriculums, I was interested in what a day was like in your life. Thank you for answering with such beautiful imagery and honesty. :D

[SnowWhite]

I was homeschooled for grades 9-12ish, and will try, though not as poetically as dragons. My brothers were homeschooled from grades 9, 6 and 2 till 12.

 

What did your homeschooling life look like as a child? This changed a bit through the course of my high school years.

 

Ninth grade: I had a desk which overlooked a door with a window and our "side porch". There was a birdfeeder in front of me and a cat who loved to stalk the birds through the glass. I had two Trapper Keepers full of CLE lightunits on the right, and an electric typewriter to do my "typing elective". There was a garage sale Tandy computer (ran from a tape drive!) on a card table by the shabby couch and picture window. It was good for playing chicken. I was THRILLED to have the opportunity to study science for the first time (had elementary school at a one room Amish school... science was nature study copywork and copycat drawing of birds and animals). I remember my first science "report". I came home from the library with a stack 3 feet high of resources on Microbiology. What fun! I listened to a "continued story reading" on the radio with my mom at lunch and was a big part of my younger brother's last year as a preschooler.

Tenth grade: My mom and I were conscripted to teach the one room Amish school over the hill. I taught grades 1-4, including my first grade brother. When I came home at night, I cracked out the CLE Lightunits and fell asleep over them, but still completed a year, including a memorable science report on "Diabetes", complete with the 3 foot stack of library resources. The Geometry course gave me tears though.

Eleventh grade: Mom and I came home, bringing home all three of my brothers. Our 1000 square foot home was bursting with the testosterone and testing of Mom's patience as she transitioned them to "homeschooling." I LOVED the CLE Home Ec elective, hated the Spanish one (who learns a foreign language by parroting cassette tapes?). Midyear the Amish school board asked if I could teach grades 1-4 again the following year. I decided to drop all my much-coveted 12th grade electives, fast forward the required English to complete two years in one, and graduated in July.

 

I went on to teach for one year with a gray-bearded former teacher of mine, one with a novice scholar who was attempting to convert to Amish-ness (he didn't know how to keep the coal/wood stove burning, so I had to cover for him), and one year solo with grades 1-8 (sans grade 4 because there were no fourth graders that year). (I took a year off to relocate, then went to the local branch of the state university for elementary ed/special ed and went on to teach for 3 years in brick and mortar schools, also earning my master's degree before my second son was born).

 

What have you changed in how you homeschool your own child as a result of those experiences?

I remember my love of all the books at the library and those I devoured at the one room school after my assigned 3 Rs were complete. As a result, we are using lit-based learning for history and reading. Because of my family's emphasis on a solid foundation, I am using textbooks (BJU) for math and English. Because I missed all the glories of music and art, I make sure we hit those topics on a regular basis. Because my family was very secluded, I revel in the opportunities available for extracurricular and group activities and we do as many of those as we can (currently LOVING our local Keepers of the Faith chapter).

 

What advice would you give the rest of us as we guide our dear ones through this happy journey we call education?

 

Try to balance the needs of your child for independence and parental involvement. This is the biggest struggle I have seen. Most kids NEED the teacher/mom/dad for some instruction, interaction, etc. Many kids, however, NEED to be encouraged toward independence as well. I look back on my life and thank my parents for their gifts of the ability to research for myself and think things through on my own.

[dragons in the flower bed]

I was homeschooled for grades 9-12ish, and will try, though not as poetically as dragons.

 

Just as much! I love to hear about your homeschooling experiences. I remember Trapper Keepers. And I had one of those parrot a cassette programs too, for French, right before I went to Geneva. No, it didn't work for me, either.

[BettyL]

Thank you, SnowWhite. I enjoyed envisioning your life! I am using CLE for math with my daughter. She too has a cat, though he is inside and insists on sitting practically on top of her booklets as she writes.

[birchbark]

I was homeschooled from 6th-12th grade. My family used an exclusive unit-study, multi-age type program put out by a ministry. My memories are of all of us kids sitting around the living room while my mom read biographies or history or science aloud. Or sitting at the kitchen table laboring over Abeka or Bob Jones texts. Socializing was minimal.

 

The program we used put forth several assertions that my parents also embraced:

 

- Learning information is not the important thing; learning where to get information is.

- You should never stop learning in life. High school diplomas are unnecessary and give the idea that you've arrived.

- Learning information that you will probably never use is a waste of time.

- Most people do not have a career that reflects their college degree; thus college is a waste of time and money. "Apprenticeship" is the way to go.

- Prospective employers will look primarily for character, not for diplomas, degrees, or certifications.

 

Over twenty years later, I and dozens of friends who went through this program are living out the results. There are a lot of regrets, a lot of families struggling to make ends meet because the sole breadwinner has no higher education, a lot of going back to school while in the middle of establishing a family.

 

The curriculum itself was quite narrow and based on a particular worldview. Even at the time I was aware that it had a lot of gaps. Today I still have a hard time getting excited about a unit-study approach because of my experience. :001_smile:

 

I don't mean to say that I was an unhappy homeschooler. On the contrary, I was thrilled to be home. I hated the public school. It wasn't until I came home that I discovered that I actually liked to learn. As a young girl, I only wanted to get married and have a family. I had no desire for a higher education. My criticisms are all in hindsight.

 

How have I changed my own homeschool as a result? I want my children to learn a lot! I want them to learn for the sheer enjoyment of it, and because learning is valuable in and of itself. I am attracted to classical education because of its thorough coverage and high standards. I like Charlotte Mason for the enjoyment of learning. I want my kids to mix a lot with others of different backgrounds. We hope to utilize a wide variety of resources and experiences. They will be getting high school diplomas! And some sort of higher education that is in line with their interests.

 

I should probably add too that my parents felt that girls didn't need advanced education. Their calling was to get married, stay at home, and raise children. (Somehow no one realized that they might want to home-educate a future doctor or lawyer. :glare:) I agree that there is no higher calling than to be a wife and mother, but I have seen too many girls, raised with the same mindset, live a bored and discontented singlehood while waiting many more years than expected for Mr. Right. Others never marry, or can't have children, or have a husband that becomes disabled or unemployed. Both boys and girls need to be well-equipped for whatever the future holds.

 

What advice would I give? Enjoy your children. Get them to enjoy learning. Be passionate about the quality of their education. Stay open to all the possibilities of the future. Beware of any untested ideologies. ;)

[BettyL]

Birchbark,

 

Thank you so much for your reply. You made many strong points for a balanced educational approach and life. I appreciate that you took much time and thought in answering.

 

Also, thank you for the reminder to enjoy our children. I need this one at the top of my list every day! :D

[ElaineJ]

I was homeschooled during early elementary. I feel the greatest benefit I recieved was learning how to learn. I loved our family read-aloud times; those are some of the special memories of my childhood. I also enjoyed the flexability we had to take long trips or rearrange our schedule to take advantage of unique opportunities. something I did not enjoy was having to do EVERY SINGLE PROBLEM on the ABeka math book worksheets. I think they were designed for classrooms and so overdo the practice problems in order to fill time/ ensure that everyone learns them when the teacher doesn't have time to work with people individually. Consequently, I don't make my children do all of the drill or review in textbooks, but rather teach until they've mastered the material and them move on. I also did not like the way ABeka tried to forcibly transform every subject into a reflection of some theological truth. (I don't mean this to be a slam on ABeka, by the way. Every curriculum has its pro and cons, and I learned a lot of valuable things from their materials as well. I am extremely thankful for the good grounding in grammar which I recieved via their English texts.) Anyway, even though I am a Christian and very commited to my faith, I don't try to bring each item of schoolwork unnaturally back to a discussion of God. My kids and I have lots of thoughthful, interesting conversations of that nature inspired by our school work, but I let them arise as inspiration comes.

 

Elaine

[profmom]

I should probably add too that my parents felt that girls didn't need advanced education. Their calling was to get married, stay at home, and raise children. (Somehow no one realized that they might want to home-educate a future doctor or lawyer. :glare:)

 

I know at least one family with this mindset, and I've always wondered why they aren't at least considering those future homeschooled grandsons! I, too, believe that girls need advanced education -- and I say that as a CPA who has been mothering & homeschooling full time for the past 11 years.

[gaillardia]

I missed a lot of school due to illness and I read, wrote and drew a lot to keep myself occupied. My make-up work from school took very little time to complete, at times I had a tutor in elementary school.

My mother read a lot, was an artist and gardener, and we went to the library often. I followed her example. If she wasn't outside or in the kitchen, she was reading.

[woolybear]

Fascinating answers. Thanks for the original question.

 

Woolybear

[Joanna from CAP]

I was homeschooled beginning in 4th - 8th. Went to public school for ninth and then back to homeschooling for 10th-12th.

We started out with a school room with desks in a rather dark room in the basement. Moved to working at the kitchen table quite quickly! I loved reading the stories of the colonists and pioneers, but did not do well with Saxon math either! Many tears were shed at that kitchen table with Saxon. We took field trips to trails along the nearby river, the library bringing home canvas bags full of books, and many more local, low key, lovely places. My Mom hated homeschooling conventions so I only ever went to one.

 

In high school, we were part of a strongly academic co-op, and I worked much more independently from my Mom. Through the co-op I took Biology where I dissected all of the usual suspects from frog to worm to fetal pig, took several literature courses and learned that I could read, understand, and enjoy anything I put my mind toward, from Austen, to Dostoevsky, to GK Chesterton. I developed the most beloved group of friends, with whom I grew in to an adult, with all of the heartbreaks, joys, and drama of any group of teens.

 

I love that I got to share so much with my brother and sister...still the people I would choose to spend time with over anyone.

 

These are the highlights at the moment...

[Aubrey]

In K, I was home w/ my mom & my 2 younger sibs & whatever kids she was babysitting. I'd already been reading for a few yrs, so we'd take turns reading things aloud. I remember distinctly the summer that we read the biography of Beatrix Potter. I was so fascinated by her life & her loneliness but so hated her books. :lol:

 

My mom thought she'd teach me geography by having me outline the 7 continents w/ a straight pin, over and over and over, until I"d punched enough holes that they'd fall out. Thank goodness she eventually gave up. To this day, I despise geography.

 

I remember trying to buy time on my math facts by saying, "ummmm" & changing the conversation, & I remember it was very hard to remember the facts while talking about something else.

 

In 10th g, Mom let me come home from the church's Christian school, where I'd attended for a yr & a half. The place was a falling-apart mess, & I was not getting any education at all. I ordered paces from ACE for myself & worked through them on my own. Mom was a single parent. I needed a health class, which was only half a credit. My sis helped me (by checking tests, not cheating) finish the entire course in one evening.

 

I was bored & not sure where life was going. I was clearly cut out for literature at that point but the ACE English program was nothing but basic grammar & a couple of books about lives of missionaries, but still, I was glad to be able to do my own thing. I was working on explicating books of the Bible, making charts of Strong's references & Bible dictionary entries, etc.

 

For tests, I'd go to my YP's house, so his wife could proctor. I set it up myself & exchanged her time for mine--I babysat. And she'd stand over me & tease me about cheating, which I found particularly annoying since I'd organized & paid for proctoring myself. :glare:

 

I was nowhere close to driving, had no friends (in jr high, everyone I knew had transferred to the good highschool on the other side of town), nowhere to go. Mom wouldn't take us to the library because it was too far away, & she was always too busy (working) & too tired. We barely owned any books.

 

What have I learned? A kid can do a lot on his/her own, but companionship, from books or adults or peers, gives the kid power to do a lot more. Motivation might be a better word.

 

I went back to ps for my 11th/12th g yr, & things weren't much different. Mom was still busy & disconnected. People had already developed their peer groups, & w/ my habits (explicating ancient texts), I didn't exactly fit in anywhere, lol. I graduated a yr early, despite my gimpy private & hs experiences, & got on to the good stuff of life--college. :D I majored in everything from ballet to math & nursing & art & was so glad to finally be in a place where I could learn something. Not that classes were challenging, but there were libraries, other people (grad student profs) who were interested in learning & talking about learning, & every semester was a new opportunity--to change your major if nothing else!

 

I doubt this has remotely answered your question. Sorry. :tongue_smilie:

[abbeyej]

What did your homeschooling life look like as a child?

Not terribly different from my kids', really. :) My mom was my main teacher. My dad was extremely supportive, but not really involved in the day-to-day operations of our home school. At times we had a number of home schooling friends, at times fewer, depending on location and our involvement in other activities. We did work daily, but not by a set time-table. My mom did some stuff one-on-one with us, and some things became more independent over time. My brother and I played together a lot and bickered plenty too. We didn't watch much tv. We did play outside quite a bit. We read a lot and sometimes acted out parts of our favorite stories (to the point of trying to run away in the middle of the night once, not because we were unhappy, but because we felt we needed the darkness and secrecy to recreate the atmosphere of the book successfully, lol)...

 

One thing that my mom did very well, but that I have done less well, is reading aloud. I'm not as consistent with our read-alouds as she was, and I think that's unfortunate. My family has a wealth of stories that we return to in discussion, because of our shared memories. While my kids and I have a great deal of overlap in the books we've all read, we didn't read as many of them at the same time and with the same intonations.

 

We also had piano lessons from the age of 6 or 7. Neither my brother nor I are in any way musical, but I think we'd have been even less so without years of practice and theory. My kids' own introduction to music has been weaker, and it's something I need to remedy.

 

My parents' religious conviction was much stronger than my own as well, and that played a larger part in my childhood and education.

 

What have you changed in how you homeschool your own child as a result of those experiences?

 

It's hard to say what I've changed "as a result of those experiences". If I'd had really bad experiences, there'd be a lot to change. ;) Overall, I had a fabulous home schooling experience, and I'm sure it's in large part the reason that I have continued with my own kids. :) Some things have changed though... I suppose one thing that is different is my confidence in my own education. Due to economics, my mother was unable to finish college as a young woman, and was largely self-taught. She was self-conscious about this and keenly aware of her weaknesses. I think that made her hesitant, on occasion. I'm frustrated by gaps in my own education as well, but I'm less anxious about them, I think. The difference is probably equally personality and that slip of paper that I have and she doesn't. :)

 

I try to give my kids a more "classical" education than I received. Both dh and I received a somewhat more "classical" experience than most of our peers -- and both of us felt it was too little, too late. So I do my best.

 

My daughter struggles with math, so far, and I try to be clear with her that this does not mean she is "bad at math", but that she needs more time and work. I doubt my mother ever intended to give me the message that I was "bad at math" in the early years (by high school it was apparent that that wasn't true at all), but her own sense of math-inadequacy combine with my early struggles did tend to give me that message. (I'm also not using Saxon. Man, I hate Saxon. lol...)

 

I do use a lot of curriculum that's different than what Mom used. But her choices were extremely limited! I have a hugely different range of resources available! I have the internet! It's just not even comparable. On the other hand, a few things were such favorites that I've returned to them again. :) Eleanor Farjeon's book Mighty Men might be my very favorite.

 

In addition to materials, I have classes and activities available to my kids that just weren't around (for the most part) when I was young. I know if they'd been there, my mom would have had us involved in any she deemed really worthy. I don't think our participation level is all that different. My kids have done more home school-oriented activities than my brother and I did, but we did more outside activities than my kids do. I think it's fairly even.

 

One thing that's different, I suppose, is that I don't (at this point) plan to put the kids in school. My mom always said she was willing to send us to school at some point, and I began in 9th, my brother in 7th (and my sister started part-time in 6th -- though she is much younger and was a toddler when we started school). I don't plan to send my kids to school. I won't say that I won't -- if ever I felt it was in a child's best interest to go to a more traditional school, I would send them -- but that's not my plan now. My oldest is in 6th, so we've still got a ways to go. I will certainly outsource some classes, and I hope to build more mentor-relationships with adults outside our home as the kids reach their teens. I think it's *very* important for adolescents to be able to explore ideas safely outside of their family -- I just don't think school is necessary to achieve that.

 

What advice would you give the rest of us as we guide our dear ones through this happy journey we call education?

 

Honestly, I don't know that it's much different than what I'd say if I *hadn't* been home schooled. I'm a fairly academically-oriented home schooler. But I also take great joy in the flexible time spent with my kids. I love that my two who are 2.5 years apart are such very good friends.

 

Advice would be... Choose materials you love (and don't get carried away worrying about "learning style"). Be consistent. It's okay to let work slide for a fantastic field trip or even just a sunny afternoon or the chance to spend the day with Grandma! But don't let that become an excuse to procrastinate. Do the work. Stick with it. Don't be wishy-washy or hop from one curriculum to another. But if something is a terrible fit, change it (either by adapting it to fit your needs, or giving it to a friend and trying something new). Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid to race ahead. Don't be afraid to take a step backwards. Don't be afraid to ask more from your child or cross something out... Enjoy your time with them. Work hard and play hard. Sometimes the really fun things are most memorable when they're really fun and really rare. ;) Go on field trips on your own time, not with other people (no matter how much you like 'em). Make friends. Get involved with outside activities. Don't assume that other people are out to get you or that you have something to prove.

[abbeyej]

Try to balance the needs of your child for independence and parental involvement. This is the biggest struggle I have seen. Most kids NEED the teacher/mom/dad for some instruction, interaction, etc. Many kids, however, NEED to be encouraged toward independence as well. I look back on my life and thank my parents for their gifts of the ability to research for myself and think things through on my own.

 

I think this is really important. Kids' needs change as they age. Their personalities require different things. But all home schooled kids *need* parental/teacher involvement, and all kids need practice working independently (even if, at a young age, that independent work is merely learning to "entertain yourself" for a period of time). Older kids need someone with whom to discuss ideas, someone who can question them and require that they consider their own beliefs more deeply. Little ones need someone to listen to them as they read aloud, and cheerlead them as work through a seemingly insurmountable stack of math problems. But the older ones also need to learn to do research on their own and budget their time as they write a paper. Little ones need to see that they *can* stay on task while Mom goes to start the laundry... But it's a delicate balance, and easy to lean too heavily in one direction or the other.

[abbeyej]

... and I've always wondered why they aren't at least considering those future homeschooled grandsons! ...

 

Yes, that particular perspective always baffles me! What if a girl-child *does* get married and start a family in her late teens? Shouldn't she be equipped to to run her household *and* teach her children? Shouldn't she have *some* skills that she could turn into food and a roof for her children if tragedy ever struck her family and left her widowed or with a disabled husband? ... Not to mention the possibility that she might *not* marry right away and need to support herself and/or her aging parents...

[LisaKinVA]

Yes, that particular perspective always baffles me! What if a girl-child *does* get married and start a family in her late teens? Shouldn't she be equipped to to run her household *and* teach her children? Shouldn't she have *some* skills that she could turn into food and a roof for her children if tragedy ever struck her family and left her widowed or with a disabled husband? ... Not to mention the possibility that she might *not* marry right away and need to support herself and/or her aging parents...

 

I received a book for Christmas that answered this question with..."then you aren't trusting God."

[Old Dominion Heather]

I was homeschooled from fifth grade on. So... In fifth grade I was just as likely to be out riding my pony bareback wearing a t-shirt and cut-offs or no shirt and pretending I was an Apache. Or I might be indoors reading some old history book while lying upside down on the stairs.

 

Fast-forward a few years and I was in highschool, working at the local library and lying to my parents about having done ANY of my school work. I once did an entire semester's worth of work, English, Algebra, Geography, Biology and American History in a weekend. A WEEKEND. I cheated. My parents were too hands off, but my mom was working on her doctorate at that point, so I was on my own pretty much after seventh grade.

 

So, while I loved the idyllic time spent enjoying the world, I am MUCH more structured with my kids.

Edited March 27, 2010 by Old Dominion Heather

[Sahamamama]

There's a library card in her pocket and after she gets her nature fix, she's going to use it, boldly, at 11 a.m. on a schoolday.

 

Every time I read your posts I think, "We're so different in many ways, but Rose is a kindred spirit." Now I know why.

[LisaKinVA]

I stayed home my 11th and 12th grade years in high school.

 

In 1985-1987, companies like Abeka and BJU were not on the homeschool bus... choices were very limited. We were signed up with Christian Liberty Academy Satellite Schools.

 

I worked full time at McDonald's, and finished my school work in my spare time (didn't require much effort, it was easy for me). I usually did my school work in my bedroom lying on my bed. I read a lot, Spanish consisted of a record and a work book... not interesting, not very good.

 

The worst, was when I tried to do Trigonometry, but the book I had kept referring to the teacher's examples:tongue_smilie:

 

I will admit, that my children's schooling looks more like "school at home" -- but that has to do with my need for structure. The year we tried to do things with more "real books" and less structure I was totally stressed, and my oldest son *hated* it.

 

I am trying to have my children "own" their education. While I set up the parameters, I'm always willing to let them do or explore other things *as long as the basics are done.* If they choose to play early, instead of finish their school work -- they sacrifice something later. This is as true for my 10yr. old as my 6yr. old.

 

School happens all the time, not just during school hours. We have lots of books, and provide lots of opportunities for hands-on learning. If they get their school work done, they get to go to the library with their grandfather. We are trying to incorporate other things into our schedule.

 

Everything takes place in our family room... but that is more cozy than anyone really likes.

 

I really like the "idea" of TWTM... and I think my oldest daughter would do well in that environment, just not my oldest son. I would have thrived!

[Laughing Lionette]

What did your homeschooling life look like as a child?

 

I was home schooled throughout my entire in-school career (up until now-graduation :001_smile:)

My mom is a highly talented teacher, and loves to read, learn and experience life, so we had a lot of hands-on activities, growing up. We also did a ton of read-aloud books (okay, two and a half tons!! ;)). In fact, for several years, mom used the Beautiful Feet curriculum as our main-school-source guide... we read so much (out loud) then, focusing mainly on the reading comprehension and study... not a ton else :blush: (mom was preganant and dad worked/lived out of town 4 days a week...)

But it was a blast! I enjoyed coloring all the cool pictures for our gigantic (unfinished) time line that "hung" onto the wall (more like clung, for dear life, as we had one toddler after another in the home, in that time of life:o)

 

I, personally, thoroughly enjoyed being home-schooled.

 

In high school, mom made sure there was a more formal setting, and that she was not the only adult I held myself accountable to. We were a part of many different co-ops, where other mom's (my friends' mom's) were the teachers, and I turned in papers, received grades, and took test from them. It was good. Mom doesn't enjoy teaching math or science (once she gets into high school stuff) so dad tutored my brother and I in math, the last two years of high school, and I took Apologia science mainly on my own. Chemistry I took with a home school co-op, which was probably good as there were lots of labs and I have an "official" lab book.

Again, I loved being home schooled and wouldn't trade it for anything! (although it would have been nice to be in groups with more high school students...)

 

What have you changed in how you homeschool your own child as a result of those experiences?

 

Umm.... I don't have children yet... I'll get back with you on that one when that season of my life hits :D

 

 

What advice would you give the rest of us as we guide our dear ones through this happy journey we call education?

 

Umm.... again, I'm not an expert, but I really loved how both my parents really encouraged me to research and pursue the things that I was naturally inclined to spend more time doing (such as sketching, cooking, writing, nature and my camera). That's definitely something that I'll try my best to do when I have kids, and something that a lot of parents don't spend enough time doing.

DEFINITELY don't drop high school math or science! I know several girls who found it too hard to get through algebra - even to the point of crying, it was "too hard" for student and mom. Ask dad to help, or grandpa, or Aunt Mabel three-times removed!

I didn't finish Algebra two. Something I plan on taking in college. I finished Algebra one, only after my dad spent time with me every day to "tutor" me. It was definitely worth it! I actually was able to comprehend, and (somewhat) understand the problems the book was presenting (better yet, I could [eventually] figure the problem out and figure the correct answer!!).

And also don't drop Science. This is another one that I have (miserably) failed (personally). I completed General, Physical and Chemistry, using Apologia, but only got half way through Biology - stinker! This was partially due to the fact that we flip-flopped Chem. and Biology, doing Chemistry before Biology - I don't recommend this, at all, ever. Sorry. There are just too many things one needs to understand about Bio. before moving on to Chem :blush:

 

But like I said, I'm not an expert, and you know your children better than any body else. If they understand Chem. more than Biology, and that's a link for them, then by all means have 'em read Chemistry. What worked for me doesn't work for everybody... or most people... or half people... or... yeah...

[lllll]

I stayed home my 11th and 12th grade years in high school.

 

In 1985-1987, companies like Abeka and BJU were not on the homeschool bus... choices were very limited. We were signed up with Christian Liberty Academy Satellite Schools.

 

I worked full time at McDonald's, and finished my school work in my spare time (didn't require much effort, it was easy for me). I usually did my school work in my bedroom lying on my bed. I read a lot, Spanish consisted of a record and a work book... not interesting, not very good.

 

The worst, was when I tried to do Trigonometry, but the book I had kept referring to the teacher's examples:tongue_smilie:

 

I will admit, that my children's schooling looks more like "school at home" -- but that has to do with my need for structure. The year we tried to do things with more "real books" and less structure I was totally stressed, and my oldest son *hated* it.

 

I am trying to have my children "own" their education. While I set up the parameters, I'm always willing to let them do or explore other things *as long as the basics are done.* If they choose to play early, instead of finish their school work -- they sacrifice something later. This is as true for my 10yr. old as my 6yr. old.

 

School happens all the time, not just during school hours. We have lots of books, and provide lots of opportunities for hands-on learning. If they get their school work done, they get to go to the library with their grandfather. We are trying to incorporate other things into our schedule.

 

Everything takes place in our family room... but that is more cozy than anyone really likes.

 

I really like the "idea" of TWTM... and I think my oldest daughter would do well in that environment, just not my oldest son. I would have thrived!

 

 

Lisa, when I read that (red highlighted) I stopped dead in my tracks. That must be one of the best rewards a child could ever have ... and same for the grandfather. Your children are sooooo blessed. :)

[Jean in Newcastle]

Thank you for this thread. It has been a blessing to read.