Does homeschooling "really' need to be fun?

[keyjoh62080]

I just finished my first year of homeschooling and it went pretty good. We mainly focused on the 3R's. Right now I am struggling with whether or not homeschooling really needs to be fun. I have my curriculum (all the separate subjects) as well as Konos and the Prairie Primer.

 

What I am struggling with is which route to take. I want to do more hands on and try to tackle the Unit Study approach but my brain keeps taking me back to the traditional textbook approach to schooling. Doing this I will feel at peace knowing that I have covered everything whereas the Unity Study approach I am not sure if I will or not. I REALLY want to try KONOS but I am afraid.

 

I hope it makes sense what I am asking. Is it okay to just do the separate subjects without all the hands-on fun stuff? I want to have fun but I do not want my children to think that school is all fun and games and I don't want to feel like I need to come up with some kind of fun game for them to catch on to a specific concept. Yes the old fashioned flash cards may be boring but it works.

 

Just wondering what others think about this??

 

I want to stop pulling out these books, putting them away and pulling out others, pulling the other books back again and pulling out the first set of books and around and around again. It's making me crazy :D

 

Thanks!

[twoforjoy]

You know, I think this is part of the reason why I'm a fan of having a day with a short but serious period of formal schoolwork, rather than a long school day. I am NOT the type to enjoy organizing tons of hands-on activities, but if I was doing hours and hours of formal schooling, I'd feel like I had to, especially in the early elementary years.

 

As it stands, I have DS do maybe one to one-and-a-half hours of seatwork for school. And, most of it isn't fun. It's worksheets and workbooks and drill and copywork, and he would rather be doing other things. We usually end the time with some reading aloud and art or music, which he does enjoy more, but most of our seatwork isn't fun or exciting.

 

But, then he's free to spend the day doing whatever hands-on activities, games, or play he wants. For us, that works.

[SorrelZG]

I do both. Some subjects have fun stuff incorporated, others not. Or, sometimes I'll do something in a fun way, sometimes not. I can't see it as an all or nothing kind of thing. There's a time and season for both kinds of learning/teaching. We like to change things up regularly.

[black_midori]

I think that SOME school work should definitely be fun - I try to keep the core subjects fairly serious but the outer ones very enjoyable. :) I'm hoping that as they grow older we can do a more interest-led learning, and I would anticipate that they would consider this more "fun", although I would make it fairly rigorous.

[EKS]

Yes, it is ok to do separate subjects without all the hands on fun stuff. Pick one activity per week (or whatever time period you prefer) and focus your hands-on energy on that. Or you can be like me and not do much in the way of hands-on stuff at all!

 

I try to select resources that my kids will be content with, and I try to make our lessons interesting and not hugely painful, but I don't make everything (or even anything, really) into a game or some sort of project. I also don't particularly like unit studies because it is difficult to design ones that target the skills that need targeting. So, if I were to do unit studies, I'd keep on using separate math and writing (including grammar and spelling) programs in order to keep continuity going there.

 

For things that my kids find distasteful, I try to just do those in small doses. Flashcards are an example. Just a few minutes with flashcards can be tolerable and a very powerful learning tool but longer than that and it turns into a torture session for everyone.

[Embassy]

I think it is okay to use any method that works for you as a teacher. I think finding your teaching style is important to be able to pass on enjoyment of a subject. I know if I'm not excited about what I'm teaching and how I'm teaching it, my kids won't really enjoy the subject.

 

I don't think it is important to keep it fun for the sake of enjoyment. I think keeping it fun can be a tool a teacher uses to spark an interest. If interest wanes when the fun is gone there is no spark. If fun activities are used to engage a child and ignite their interest and desire to learn more it is a different story. I do find enjoyment and learning often go together. At first enjoyment may lead to learning and then learning can lead to enjoyment.

 

So, look at what works for you as a teacher. What are you enthusiastic to teach? What method keeps things humming along well? What method ignites the spark of interest in your children? Which method helps your children learn best? What works in one household may not work well in another.

[corbie]

For me, getting the basics down comes first. Generally, I have my girls finish their book work for the day before we can do the "fun" stuff. Sometimes this means we only do fun stuff once a week, or even not at all. However, if I sense that we are reaching a point where we need a break, we take one. I have taken a break from our normal work to do a unit study for a month when we need to re-fuel.

 

Another thing I do, especially with my younger ones, is to include games in their schoolwork. Phonics Bingo, math games, etc... I use it as a motivator. "Let's get our book work done so we can play________!"

 

I think you can kind of gauge when your kids, and you, need to lighten things up. Should all school be fun? I don't think so. Should there be some fun in school? Yes!- especially in the early years.

[Lily_Grace]

For me, it goes back to what I think education is. Just a simple statement, but from there I can find the paths that I am comfortable with and pass by the ones I'm not.

 

I think separate subjects are fine, especially as kids get older. I also think unit studies are fine. Our ideal year has a mixture of both. Either way, I haven't found it necessary to avoid hands-on work when we use separate subjects. It just means that the lessons are alternated between writing/book work and lab or active work. I like the curricula that give ideas for active learners while following an incremental approach to the subject. But that's what works for us, and just like with any other part of hs'ing it's a very personal thing. It's like finding the perfect pair of jeans - mine won't fit you and yours won't look that great on me!

[kristinannie]

This is a similar situation to my own and I am having similar struggles. I was not homeschooled so I have the public school mindset of workbooks and "no holes." However, the first thing I needed to realize is that we all have holes in our educations. There is no way to know everything that anyone could ever learn. I have had a lot of trouble letting go of that notion. I continue to learn as an adult and I have still only scratched the surface of knowledge.

 

I am planning on doing KONOS (and some other unit studies next year). I am undecided about how long to do unit studies as our approach. Here is how I came to this decision:

 

I was horrified at first about unit studies. I thought they were absolutely ridiculous. I went to a HS convention and felt led to go to a unit study talk (Amanda Bennett). While I was in the talk, I really felt like this was a great way to educate. Amanda Bennett is a former engineer and a very logical person. Her talk just made a lot of sense to me. However, I quickly "came to my senses" and bought a bunch of workbooks and separate programs. I started homeschooling a few weeks ago so take that into consideration. We get up and do religion, math, handwriting and phonics workbooks. In the afternoons, we do science two days a week and history three days a week. I am doing my own history this year (we are taking a trip around the world spending about 1-2 months on each continent). It quickly started turning into a unit study. We learn about geography, animals that live there, weather, kids that live there, food of the region, read stories from that area, learn about saints from the area (we are Catholic), do crafts, etc. I have realized that the kids are not retaining very much from the workbooks. I will ask about religion, for example, and get a blank stare. However, the things we study in our unit studies are the things that the kids tell Daddy about at dinnertime. We spent two weeks on Native Americans and you would not believe what they remember. Also, I was in a all gifted and talented class in 4th and 5th grade and we did unit studies in that class. We could learn as much as we wanted about the subject and, when I think back to school, those are the only things that I truly remember learning. I will never forget those things. This is how I came to the conclusion that unit studies were right for my family right now.

 

I do like the way that KONOS is set up. They do most of the heavy lifting as far as planning the activities for you. I also like that there are so many options available to choose from. I am planning on choosing one or two of the big activities (that require a lot of planning and set up) per unit and doing the rest of the unit with smaller and easier activities. It isn't like you need to make a castle out of refrigerator boxes on a daily basis. I am also planning on adding a lot of literature to these units as well as regular trips to the library. KONOS also recommends that you do separate math and grammar workbooks so there is a solid foundation there. I lean towards CM for language arts so I am planning on doing that as a part of our unit (once the kids get a little older).

 

I am really not sure how long I am going to use unit studies. It is really just a judgment call once the kids start getting older. I highly recommend reading Valerie Bendt's books on unit studies. Her philosophy is very similar to my own (although she leans towards CM so if you don't like that, you might not like her books). I am highly considering using Paths of Exploration and the rest of those series when my kids get older, but I will just have to see how things go since that is far away. By then, I might be writing my own units or doing something else.

 

There really is a paradigm shift that is needed when you decide to use unit studies. I don't think that I am doing unit studies just to make school fun. I don't think that all learning has to be fun. That isn't realistic. My kids will still write papers, read living books, learn grammar rules, do a math workbook, etc. However, I do think that unit studies really help a child to understand how things fit together and get a deeper understanding of a topic that will stay with them for life. It also teaches kids in a way that isn't disjointed.

 

For example, we are doing RSO Earth and Space this year. My kids like it and it is a solid program. However, it just feels like it is out of the blue when we start doing science. There is no point of reference there for them to latch onto. We just talk about rain one day and make a rain gauge. Then we test wind speed another day. We spent a long time doing a temperature experiment a couple of weeks ago and when I asked my kids about it, I just got a blank stare. I couldn't believe that because we had a lot of fun and I thought that they were really getting it. I do think it is a good idea to use a textbook or workbook to plan out a unit study or for ideas. I feel like if I did a whole month about weather in a unit study format, the kids would have learned a lot more than doing weather experiments twice a week for 6 weeks.

 

Anyway, I am sorry to ramble on here. I just wanted to let you know why I chose to do unit studies. It is a hard decision to make for your family because it is out of the mainstream and we are already out of the mainstream because we homeschool! :lol: Best of luck making your decision! The great thing about decisions like this are that you can just go back to the workbooks anytime you want to!!!! :D

[mommyagain]

:iagree: with kristinannie.

A couple things to think about - the object of unit studies is retention, not fun, and a textbook education does not guarantee that "everything" will be covered. Just do what you feel will work for you and your children. It's perfectly fine to do a combination of both.

We're doing Konos with a little Core Knowledge thrown in next year!

If you really want to try Konos, go for it! There are some moms on here that have used it with great success and a few of us that will be using it. You can always add to it.

Edited July 8, 2011 by mommyagain

[NanceXToo]

Does it NEED to be? No.

 

Do I LIKE for it to be? Yes.

 

I feel that if school is fun and we're enjoying ourselves, we'll be more likely to retain things, not burn out, to enjoy being with each other, and so on.

 

That doesn't mean every.single.thing. we do is "fun"- but I did choose my curriculum in part because of how it uses hands on projects, living books, isn't dry and textbookish etc, and I do plan lots of field trips and outings and such, too.

 

Everyone does what works best and feels right to them- and if you feel that things that aren't as hands on work best for your kids, do it the other way. If you feel like hands on stuff would be a good fit for your kids but you're afraid to let them think school is all fun and games...well, I just wouldn't worry about that. There's no reason learning can't be fun. (There's also no reason it ALWAYS has to be). Do what you can and sometimes just go traditional. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

[Aubrey]

I want to have fun but I do not want my children to think that school is all fun and games...

 

I hear this a lot, & I wonder...why not? I guess it depends on what you mean by the phrase, but I think *teaching* kids to enjoy learning, working, etc. counts as an important life skill. It's GREAT to enjoy your work when you can.

 

I think we tend to think it's somehow more noble to make work boring. Really, though, a blend of things is usually best, imo. Flash cards are necessary sometimes. Sometimes they can be made into a game or a race or a handheld computer game. Sometimes they're just flash cards.

 

I don't see any reason to *avoid* the games, but I know there's not always time for that. Balance, right?

[Tarreymere]

We have a mix of serious, nonfun work and a little fun stuff. I think we do about 75% nonfun, rigorous work and add a bit of fun in each day. I am no big fan of 'edutainment' as I have found that my own kids tend to focus more on the entertaining, fun things and ignore as much as possible of the actual learning they are supposed to be interested in. So, we do the hard work and the kids get a chance to enjoy a little bit of educational fun afterwards. This works for my kids, I'm not sure if they are typical or not.

[KrissiK]

Well, I do not aim for "fun", but I do try to aim for.... interesting and challenging-but-not-frustrating. To me "fun" requires too much work and it often ends up in chaos. So, intead of trying to make school "fun" I try to get curriculum that suits the kids' learning styles. For example, DS1 hated math when he was doing A Beka. He balked. No fun! But, since we switched to Singapore, which is a good match for the way he thinks, he likes doing math. Is math fun? Well, not really, but he does like it. The kids love history, not necessarily because it is "fun", as in "fun and games and amusing", but because they love SOTW and it is very interesting to them.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

I do a mix. We start our day with Math, english (or phonics) and spelling/vocabulary type things. Then we go on to history/science/foreign language (I KNOW I am missing things- We do ALOT in a day!) Anyways- we like to enjoy what we are doing. My kids retain the info better that way. That is why I am switching to MFW, because it is all laid out for me and then I can add to their activities to make it FUN! Does school HAVE to be fun? No, but in my opinion, its more memorable when its fun.

 

 

Now, if ANYBODY can tell me how to make math fun, I am all ears :bigear: and my children would love you forever! Not everything can be fun but its nice to add it in whenever possible (like dd 7th who made it her mission this year to learn how any why to make all kinds of different explosions while taking herself through a chemistry book we have :001_huh: She learned A TON and I got my kitchen cleaned by her abunch to clean up her messes :lol:)

 

 

One of the great things about homeschooling is that we can make memories. She will ALWAYS remember the year she made a banana explode in her mouth (:001_huh:) but she learned more about how and why explosions happen at the same time. We like fun here, but the kids do know there is a balance between ALL fun and games and just sit down and learn.

 

 

ETA: This year we are doing MFW ECC and we are SO EXCITED to start because along with learning about all the countries and cultures of the world, we are going to make authentic cuisine from that country, do art that is representative of the culture, watch movies from the country (when possible) search images of that country, do a tour via Vpike of that country. We are going to learn how kids differ from there and the US, and compare and contrast government and economic systems. We are so excited about this and to me that is what homeschooling is all about!

Edited July 8, 2011 by wy_kid_wrangler04

[keyjoh62080]

WOW!! Thank you all for sharing. I see that I just have to find the right balance. Again, thanks SO much!!

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

WOW!! Thank you all for sharing. I see that I just have to find the right balance. Again, thanks SO much!!

 

 

 

That is exactly it. It can not be an all or nothing kinda thing! Find the right mix for you and your kiddos and enjoy!! :D

[momto3innc]

I think I look at my ultimate goal...for them to be children and then adults who enjoy learning. I think this means that they need to enjoy school. Now that does not been that it is a laugh a minute with constant entertainment, but I do make an effort to choose curriculum that they will enjoy and benefit from more than others.

 

I think of my own life. There are things I enjoy and things I don't. I gravitate towards the things I like but I also must do the things I don't (laundry!!!). I want my children to learn to do things that are hard but I also want them to have an overall positive attitude about school. A lot of this for me stems from someone I know who homeschools and is of the "school is hard and rigorous and that's just the way it is" camp. Now that her children are older they hate school and as an offshoot hate reading and learning in general. They are an extreme, for sure, but I want to try to guard against that as much as I can as my children grow up.

 

So...what does that look like? Well, my children would hate Saxon but tolerate Singapore/Horizons very well. They dislike flashcards, but "love" flashmaster. I bought Happy Phonics to make an otherwise rather dry phonics program a more enjoyable and let them choose a decent amount of their readers about topics that they enjoy. They love read alouds so we use a lot of Sonlight--they would never think it was school. We use SOTW (they love it) and I try to do a decent amount of the activities in the activity guide.

 

We do a good amount of field trips/play dates with friends on Friday afternoons and in general, I do want them to be glad they are homeschooling instead of in traditional school. I don't bend over backwards to make them happy all the time but I certainly think about making our day enjoyable. I mean...why not? We're together all day...we might as well like it!!:001_smile:

[kristinannie]

 

 

Now, if ANYBODY can tell me how to make math fun, I am all ears :bigear: and my children would love you forever!

 

 

 

If you want to make math fun, try Miquon for your Ker. My DS5 picked the c-rods and Miquon as one of the two toys we let him choose to take with us on vacation last fall! :D

 

 

I agree with PP who said that sometimes people think it is noble to make things less fun (they think it makes things less rigorous). Why can't kids have both? Why can't learning be joyful and rigorous?

[Crimson Wife]

I look for programs as much as possible that are at least somewhat fun but are still rigorous. MCT, Killgallon, Ellen McHenry's science programs, etc. And if a program bores everyone to tears (*cough* VIE *cough*), I won't hesitate to dump it in favor of something more engaging.

[Soror]

My goals is a combo of both. Not too much that is a stress for me to plan or implement but enough that they are engaged and enjoy it. I think the hands on is especially important at this age. But I have to be able to make it work.

[Spy Car]

If you want to make math fun, try Miquon for your Ker. My DS5 picked the c-rods and Miquon as one of the two toys we let him choose to take with us on vacation last fall! :D

 

 

:iagree:

 

And I have tried to put the "Math Lab" spirit of Miquon into all of our math adventure, using Miquon or not. Lots of interesting problem-solving, lots of discussion, and teaching of understanding.

 

Bill

[Satori]

I try to provide a stimulating, enriching experience in everything, but don't go out of my way to do wildly fun projects. Though I never originally anticipated it, my dd does her share of workbooks. She seems to like some independent workbook type work. Still, we thoroughly enjoy ourselves.

[kristinannie]

I try to provide a stimulating, enriching experience in everything, but don't go out of my way to do wildly fun projects. Though I never originally anticipated it, my dd does her share of workbooks. She seems to like some independent workbook type work. Still, we thoroughly enjoy ourselves.

 

I have heard that girls are generally more workbook friendly. My son WHINES if I even open the workbook drawers! The only workbooks he loves are Miquon and ZB handwriting. I am not advocating throwing away all workbooks, but I do think it is easy to just do workbooks in every subject and call it a day. For my DS, it goes in one ear and out the other. It is so frustrating! I know lots of kids are different though!

[janie_ranae]

For us it has made a difference if we add what the kids consider fun i.e. some time in the basement "doing" gym. At times it is difficult for me to pull away from the checklist, but it does increase productivity. I think each child and teacher has something that makes school more enjoyable, whether or not to include it every day...? To step out of the race :auto: and savour school with the kids is a goal of mine.

[texasmama]

Haven't read the other replies, but my aim in homeschooling is "interesting". Fun is optional. I think that kids learn better when they are engaged and interested. We have fun after the schoolwork is completed, generally speaking.

[janainaz]

I don't know - the world created all these 'rules' and 'systems' and it seems that if you don't follow the systems, you are led to believe you won't have any fun - you won't succeed. It takes a lot of courage to step outside the box and do things differently. It's always a battle for me. I want to get things done to say that we did, but the other rational part of me resents all these rules that society has made. Way back when.... learning was not a 'chore' and it produced original thinkers. I'm not sure my lifestyle can produce that - especially following along with the masses.

 

Editing to add that many of those who succeed are miserable in life.

[kristinannie]

I don't know - the world created all these 'rules' and 'systems' and it seems that if you don't follow the systems, you are led to believe you won't have any fun - you won't succeed. It takes a lot of courage to step outside the box and do things differently. It's always a battle for me. I want to get things done to say that we did, but the other rational part of me resents all these rules that society has made. Way back when.... learning was not a 'chore' and it produced original thinkers. I'm not sure my lifestyle can produce that - especially following along with the masses.

 

Editing to add that many of those who succeed are miserable in life.

 

 

 

:iagree: Well said!

[sbgrace]

Part of my goal for my kids is that they have positive feelings toward learning--themselves as learners and the process. So I want to make it engaging. I also think we remember what engages us. I don't expect my kids to remember specific content in the areas of history, science, etc. at these ages. I hope they remember they enjoyed those subjects!

 

I do unit studies of a sort. But my content areas aren't folded in so we do math, handwriting, composition, spelling, etc. on their own. I do try to make those subjects as painless as possible though. I don't want them to dislike school. I've got one who dislikes math over-all though despite my trying and we keep plugging with math. I do the best I can to make it interesting for him though.

 

I guess I think engaging counts here because I'm not just covering content--I'm building attitudes toward subjects.

Edited July 9, 2011 by sbgrace

[Barb_]

It can be fun. It should be interesting and filling. It should never be tedious.

[Farrar]

The words I like are the ones a few people have used in responses - engaging and interesting. "Fun" makes it sound like you have to be on on ON all the time and lessons have to end with a cupcake or a slip n slide or an explosion or something. Sure, a few science lessons with explosions are nice :D but it's hardly necessary often. But sitting and talking about things, telling stories, experimenting, asking questions and generally enjoying learning should be the norm in my opinion. That doesn't mean there won't be boring days, or things the kids slog through out of necessity as well - and there's nothing wrong with some of that in my opinion. But I do think it's our job as educators to make learning - as I said before - engaging and interesting.

[warneral]

I want my kids to enjoy homeschooling and have fun. They just came out of public school and they had fun at times there. I'm not competing with PS, but we do have that memory to compare so if they came home and were bored all day, it would be pretty challenging to convince them that they WANT to be home with me :D I'm not saying they get to make the decisions, but their wanting to learn at home is something that I would prefer!

 

Secondly, when they get bored, their minds wander. Just today they were getting tired from our reading. So I decided to have them pretend to frolick in a meadow (we were learning about sheep that had just been shorn). Boy did that ever wake them up! It took a few minutes, but their minds were fixed back on the story when they returned from their crazy frolicking.

 

I'm starting to think that my son is an auditory learner and my daughter is visual. He picks up a LOT from our read-aloud time (sonlight) but my dd picks up very little. Yet she can spend hours working in workbooks or writing in a journal or doing a hands-on project. So we will need to do a little bit of all to help them each learn and retain what we are teaching.

[gamedesignmom]

I intend to use field trips, co-ops and enrichment classes for the 'fun' factor. I hope to make the kids' school-time at home enjoyable and interesting, although I'm sure there will be days when they (or I) will not find it so. BTW, I think the summer is a great time to explore unit studies and interesting topics without the feeling that we are getting 'off track'. We are spending this summer studying Native Americans, a topic that gets little attention in the US History curriculum we will be using in the fall. We are studying a tribe from each region of the country in depth and doing arts, crafts, foods, etc. We are having fun and will probably do an in-depth unit study or two every summer.

[Barb_]

I intend to use field trips, co-ops and enrichment classes for the 'fun' factor.

 

It's ironic. I don't do any of the above for various reasons, mostly having to do with time, money and (my) personality. But if you'd ask my kids, they'd mostly say they like homeschooling. They might even use the word fun. So I suppose fun is in the eye of the beholder.

 

Barb

[janainaz]

I think that is an interesting question.

 

Most adults that I know don't necessarily enjoy their jobs. Most kids are taught that hard work pays off, yet they witness the misery in the adults around them. They observe the adults in their life! I can only imagine what they are thinking. What do they have to look forward to? I know various people who hardly work and enjoy life. I also know various people who work their tails off, earn a fat paycheck, and are completely miserable. And then I know a few who worked very hard, and simply can't provide because what they worked so hard at, they can't seem to find a job - their expensive degree is useless. I don't know - certain questions can't be answered with a cut and dry response! I guess if you yourself are joyful in life, you will pass that on, and somehow even if school is a bit dull at times, your kids will benefit from your personal attitude towards it. Should school be 'fun'? I don't know, should life be a total drag?

[KrissiK]

After reading these responses, I guess my question is.... "What is the definition of fun?" When I think of "fun" at school I think of those contrived "Thematic Units" we had to make up when I was taking teacher-ed in college. You know, "We're doing a Polar Bear Unit" so we do Polar Bear math and read stories about polar bears and make polar bears out of marshmellows and toothpicks and all our spelling words start with "P" or something lame like that. It just all seems very inauthentic to me. I guess I just equate fun with amusement, passive entertainment, whereas I would describe genuine learning as enjoyable and stimulating.

[Jujudalu]

What about the joy of learning? When I started homeschooling many years ago I was excited about maintaining my children's love/joy of learning. More often than not I now wonder where is the promised "joy" of learning. I have two very different children. One is very much a let's get this done and over with and the other is an I would much rather being doing something else...although it's not quite clear what the something else might be. Perhaps DD3 will be filled with the joy of learning. Tongue 'n cheek: I feel cheated :-) Don't get me wrong there are a-ha moments and times of being pleasantly immersed in something but joy??

[Raising Little Shoots]

The words I like are the ones a few people have used in responses - engaging and interesting. "Fun" makes it sound like you have to be on on ON all the time and lessons have to end with a cupcake or a slip n slide or an explosion or something. Sure, a few science lessons with explosions are nice :D but it's hardly necessary often. But sitting and talking about things, telling stories, experimenting, asking questions and generally enjoying learning should be the norm in my opinion. That doesn't mean there won't be boring days, or things the kids slog through out of necessity as well - and there's nothing wrong with some of that in my opinion. But I do think it's our job as educators to make learning - as I said before - engaging and interesting.

 

:iagree:

 

It is great to have fun, but I try to work out ways to keep my girls engaged & interested in our studies.

I keep a journal in which i make quick notes about my girls & their schooling - things they say, questions they have etc etc. I try to read through this each week as I do my planning for the next week. Helps to keep my focused & keep them as engaged as I possibly can (it is a learning process for me as much as them!)

[Holly]

I like the middle ground...some fun is good, but turning everything to a "fun project" gets old. I also think they need to learn that not everything we do is going to be fun. Personally, I think making everything out to be fun is doing them a disservice...lots of things we need to do aren't going to be fun (laundry, cleaning, yardwork, going to the dentist, etc.) but need to get done anyway.

 

We started with unit studies and I'm just not the type of mom to pull it off...and that's okay with me. We switched to HOD and there are a few planned fun projects each week, but it doesn't take much time on my part to organize...It's a much better fit for me. The rest of the lessons are short and to the point. It's a very nice balance of fun and work.

 

ETA: I do try to make all of it engaging and interesting...whether or not they find it all engaging and interesting is another story. lol

Edited July 9, 2011 by Holly

[MSH4HIM]

Just.Do.Heart.of.Dakota!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :001_smile:

[nov05mama]

The words I like are the ones a few people have used in responses - engaging and interesting. "Fun" makes it sound like you have to be on on ON all the time and lessons have to end with a cupcake or a slip n slide or an explosion or something. Sure, a few science lessons with explosions are nice :D but it's hardly necessary often. But sitting and talking about things, telling stories, experimenting, asking questions and generally enjoying learning should be the norm in my opinion. That doesn't mean there won't be boring days, or things the kids slog through out of necessity as well - and there's nothing wrong with some of that in my opinion. But I do think it's our job as educators to make learning - as I said before - engaging and interesting.

:iagree:

[Satori]

Hehe, but doesn't everyone do slip-and-slides while learning math, eat cupcakes during grammar and make things explode during science?

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I think fun is a relative term. If you are limiting your child's time doing mindless entertainment- tv, video games, etc, then suddenly, things like math manipulatives, science experiments, whiteboards, and time lines may get a lot more fun. But if your HS is competing with every other gadget out there designed to provide children with effortless fun.... good luck.

 

I definitely don't plan on being one of those teachers who makes everything into a game... it's just not my style. But I do hope to impart a love of learning and a certain joy and satisfaction in overcoming a challenge, that way HSing remains a positive experience, without being "entertaining".

[malbanese]

I think you can kind of gauge when your kids, and you, need to lighten things up. Should all school be fun? I don't think so. Should there be some fun in school? Yes!- especially in the early years.

:iagree:

 

I think the statement above reflects my philosophy too. If it is drudgery, the kids stop learning. I try to implement methods where my children learn best - that is the goal after all!

 

The core subjects are pretty run of the mill, but literature, history, science and geography are fun. Math and Language Arts, not so much. Even math, you can sneak in some M-n-M counters once in a while or act out the addition and subtraction stories in the early grades. We did nature study for science in the earlier grades and that was hands-on and fun for my kids. Geography songs and games help them remember what they learned. One likes coloring maps so she has a beautiful portfolio of maps - the other one doesn't. History is an online, self-paced class through Veritas Press (starting in 2nd) - and they love that.

 

Last year when we needed to lighten things up in the winter, we did backwards school days where we did all of our subjects in the opposite order (so the fun things at the end of the day got more time). And we did "fun subjects week" where we only did their favorite things (no grammar or math that week).

 

Don't feel bad about changing what you're doing - we've all done it. Just try to see what works best for your children and remember to SMILE :001_smile: Your attitude about what you're doing definitely affects theirs. A worksheet can be fun if you are lighthearted about it, but if you are a taskmaster (my type A tendency), then it can be like punishment.

 

Michelle

[angela in ohio]

There is added fun and there is inherent fun. I focused on the latter, and I am so glad.

 

I taught my dc that learning is fun, that intelligence and witty jokes can induce belly laughs, that interacting and seeking information and discussing is the highest form of entertainment. This has saved me an enromouos amount of time in trying to "add fun," as well as making these years so easy (they think anything I want them to learn is enjoyable - school with no struggles.)

 

I think it's fine to do it any way you want, but the one thing I would warn against: I have seen parents set up a dichotomy that ended up being harmful and hard to overcome. They would say "let's get through this schoolwork, so we can do something fun." They used fun as the carrot, reinforcing over the years the idea that education is somethind dreadful to be "got through."

[calandalsmom]

For me, it goes back to what I think education is. Just a simple statement, but from there I can find the paths that I am comfortable with and pass by the ones I'm not.

 

 

This is so simple but perfectly insightful. The answer to what education is might be different for different people, but essentially this is the question that has to be answered before you can decide what your goals are and how to meet them.

 

You don't have to teach your children that learning is fun. The human animal is wired to learn. The question will be whether the child values what you value or not. And if they find pleasure in pleasing you by learning what YOU want them to or if they naturally find "school" interesting your battle is fought for you.

Edited July 10, 2011 by calandalsmom

[papillon]

No, I don't think it has to be fun, so now the question becomes for me ~ do I want to make it fun? Yeah, maybe a little. That's why I chose to go with Oak Meadow for science this fall. It covers all the bases, and it does it in a creative, relaxed, and fun way. I think injecting a little fun into our week will be a nice addition, and if I can do it without a lot of extra work for me, all the better. :001_smile:

Edited July 10, 2011 by papillon

[RahRah]

I have to agree that "fun" is subjective - what's fun for one, might not be for another. That said, I think I strike a balance for DS - there are some things he has to do that he'd not say are 'fun', but lots of other things we do that he finds extremely enjoyable, engaging and fun. At the end of the day, I think what matters most is that I really enjoy what I do and that comes through, even with the things that aren't necessarily fun to do, but need to be done.

[SamanthaBea]

Fun is a most definitely relative term. My ds gets upset if i try to do some elaborate game or big projects. He would rather just get the lesson done and move on with his day. That's not to say that we don't enjoy something different every now and then in order to break up the monotony, but I just can't imagine trying to make every lesson every day "fun." Honestly, there's no way I could ever make math as fun as a video game or swimming with his friends!

 

What is always fun about homeschooling is sleeping in, wearing pj's for school, following rabbit trails, and no homework!

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

I want to do more hands on and try to tackle the Unit Study approach but my brain keeps taking me back to the traditional textbook approach to schooling.

 

Thanks!

Did you know not all textbook curriculums are dry and boring? There are some out there that encourage hands on fun, memory work, notebooking, timelines, crafts, map work and projects. Their science offers hands on learning with more then you can possibly do experiments and demonstrations. These same textbooks are easy to supplement with literature pertaining to what you are studying.

 

We use BJU, have for over 16 years, and along with textbook learning we do all the things I mentioned above. My children finish their school year with wonderful notebooks they created full of narrations, drawings, pictures, map work, graphs and more. They have read the SL books and the Winter Promise books as supplemental readings to go along with what is being studied. My prep work is minimal and I know what I need to do to teach a subject. Help is just a phone call away if needed (BJU's customer service is exceptional).

 

Even if you use one of those boring textbooks, it doesn't mean you need to keep the work boring. Use the textbook as a tool, a reference for ideas on what to teach next, then do your unit studies or whatever you want to get the skill across. Homeschooling allows you to do it your way using all that is out there. Break free of the mentality there are two ways to teach...textbook or non-textbook, incorporate the two and enjoy the benefits of both worlds.