for discussion -- be nice -- how is real homeschooling differnt....

[SnowWhite]

My biggest disillusionment came when I realized that our elementary school years will not feature lots of shared read aloud time with thoughtful discussions following. By the time I get through a read aloud session (including curbing the potty humor and reigning in the physical brother interactions) I am too exhausted to conduct an intelligent discussion. Not that intelligent conversations and discussions are quite my sons' cup of tea. Perhaps there is hope in the future for my houseful of class clowns. I have been gratified by the fifth grader's ability to read things on his own and produce written narrations in response. It's just not the setting I pictured.

[funschooler5]

I guess I assumed that they would *want* to do their schoolwork. And that they'd spend their playtime acting out scenes from history (yeah, that never happened ). They never really got into projects, which may be my fault because although I'm an artsy person, I'm definitely not crafty.

 

My girls at least love to spend their outdoor time looking for critters (butterflies, frogs, salamanders) and making habitats for them. DS has no interest in this. For him, when schoolwork is done, it's done....no incorporating it into playtime. I guess that's the most disappointing thing to me. I thought learning would be more of a "natural" way of life for them. I thought they would read non-fiction books for pleasure without my suggestion (DD14 does do this periodically, but lately she's been reading mostly fiction). I have to remind DS to do his literature reading, and then ask him what he enjoyed about it...and he always seems to enjoy it, but when is he *voluntarily* going to say, "Hey Mom, did that Stephen Crane guy write any more books? Can I check one out?" This kind of stuff seems to happen in families I read about in homeschooling manuals, but it doesn't happen here.

 

It seems like we are somewhere in between the public school and homeschooling family stereotypes....my kids would play computer games all day long if I let them (I know, because we've tried that before). But they also read for pleasure (sure, sometimes it's Calvin and Hobbes). And they actually play together well. Of course they fight, but the majority of the time they get along. The things that make me feel like homeschooling is worth it usually have nothing to do with academics: when DS11 not only compliments DD6 on the picture she drew for him, he hangs it up on his bedroom wall. When DD6 receives a piece of candy from the bank teller and always asks if she can have two more to bring home to her brother and sister. Or when DD14 allows DD6 to tag along with her when she plays outside (or that DD14 still plays!).

Edited December 18, 2011 by funschooler5