A little stressed about our long term plans....

[LNC]

I'm discouraged about where my children are right now - and what I had hoped for them may not be possible! I want in theory a rigorous, classical education. But, I don't want to push them to the point of stress and burn out. We have a lot of special needs in our family and I don't want school to be a stress on us.

 

We have used SOTW 1 &2. Now, we are using SOTW3 w/ Truthquest Amer. History for young children (we are doing SOTW 3& 4 for 3 years with the TQ guides).

 

I want to do a 2 year overview of world history when we are done with SOTW. I will have my younger son outline Kingfisher and my daughter go through Streams of Civilization. I will include reading lists of living books we didn't get through during the first cycle. Then, I had hoped to start Omnibus 1 with my son in 7th grade and my daughter in 9th grade.

 

The problem is that they just don't have a LOVE for reading and history that I thought they would. I can't imagine them being ready to read at that level by then - even though it's five years from now. My husband thinks I'm crazy to worry about it, that they will change so much by then. But, I'm worried I'm on the wrong track in my mind about what's best. After going through the Truthquest Guides for Young Children, and ordering some out of print living books that look wonderful and engaging, I can see that Truthquest for Junior High and High School would be what I would have wanted as a student! I would continue with CLE Reading until 8th for Lit and add Stobaugh Lit for Junior High and High School. Yet, Omnibus looks so excellent, superior, scheduled, w/teacher's helps for discussion etc. I want them to have the best... It's like I'm torn between two opposing paradigms!!

[titianmom]

You forgot to mention this in your post.

 

I kinda agree with the husband. Relax. Your attitude/ view of homeschooling will be what they pick up during school, so keep that in mind.

 

In other words, if you love what you do and are enthusiastic (most of the time, LOL) and give 'em plenty of love along the way, they'll do fine--just remember to go at their pace, not yours.

 

But if you're stressed out and frustrated and irritated all the time, the kids will be anxious and won't perform very well for their perfectionist mom. Everyone loses. (I'm tired, I think that's how you spell it, LOL.)

 

Hope this helps. Remember, you drive the boat. Don't let your attitude affect them.

 

Kim

[Willow]

I think the thing that has hindered my children's education the most has been my own aspirations for them. I read all about "my child the scholar", and about kids who HS and finish High School at 14 and go to Harvard.

 

But my kids are regular kids. They are unlikely to go to Harvard, one of them is unlikely to go to college of any kind. He is about 18 months behind in all areas.

 

But since I have learnt to relax they have learned to love to read, even my later reader. We have books to read for school, but not all the time, just sometimes, like one a term. If I really want them to have read a book I read it to them. Other than that I let them choose their own reading. We have DEAR ever day (Drop Everything And Read) here we sit for half an hour and read. everyone in the house does this, even dh if he is home.

Rule 1. silence

Rule 2. stay put unless you need the loo

Rule 3. Make sure you have enough to read

Rule 4. You must choose your own reading

Rule 5. No-one else (even mum) is allowed to comment on your choice of reading.

Rule 6. No-one is allowed to quiz anyone else about what they have read, or ask for narrations, or how many pages, or even if the book was enjoyed. This is PERSONAL reading. However if you want to tell someone about your book then that is great too, but don't insist they read it!

 

So they start by reading asterix, or comics, but after a number (lots) of years of Famous Five, Sweet valley kids, Horse stories, my dd graduated to Dickens, Shakespeare, and Jane Austen. I had introduced these in read alouds, but they were her choice.

 

The other big revelation came from the same DD. She said "if you like that curriculum so much why don't YOU do it" I took the point, and now try to match the curriculum to the kid, rather than to me!!!!!

 

Try to relax and enjoy the ride. the kids will do better.

[Jen500]

I think one of the joys and challenges of homeschooling is finding out what works best for your family. I haven't found a curriculum or program yet that I haven't needed to tweak to fit our needs. I've had some great ideas and plans (or so I thought) that just didn't fit my kids needs. Sorry I don't have any real advice for your situation. Just wanted to offer some encouragement.

[MIch elle]

Yet, Omnibus looks so excellent, superior, scheduled, w/teacher's helps for discussion etc. I want them to have the best... It's like I'm torn between two opposing paradigms!!

 

Have you looked at and/or tried Omnibus? I have Omnibus II and the primary level reading is college material. Omnibus reading is done aloud WITH the teacher, not alone in the Veritas Press schools (that's my understanding).

 

Stick with CLE reading and your other plans along with The Well-Trained Mind history lists for grades 5-8, imho. Perhaps use Omnibus with your 9th grader but use easier versions of the books.

 

If they can't read the book themselves then read them aloud or get them on audio. This works well for us.

 

Pray and relax!

[jonesloonybin]

I also worried about this but then one day my daughter started to read more. It seemed like overnight...one day she would read but only when told to..then the next thing I know she has books all over the place and is asking for books for her birthday.

 

We do buy books for both children and I have let her pretty much read what she wants..(with parental approval) I don't usually veto a book unless I feel it has inappropriate content. And now that she is reading more...when I do assign a book she is more open..she know that there may be a great story in there.

[Langhaven]

I don't know what the ages of your children are but it does take a while to develop a real love and desire for reading when it's linked to school. I think finding a curriculum that links the assignment with a fascinating will pique their interests and keep them looking for more. I've always looked at the Sonlight booklist to find engaging books. Tapestry of Grace has provided very interesting reading on the lower levels, and challenging questions for the higher grades that make wading through weightier material worthwhile. If they are young - wait a while and keep feeding them good books.

 

Blessings -

[JennW in SoCal]

5 years ago I was planning on a rigorous, classical education for my oldest ds complete with latin, logic, and great books, but none of those plans ever came to pass. His high school education looks nothing like what I had envisioned and planned and agonized over. And you know what? He has turned out o.k. because he got the education that fits him.

 

I totally empathize with your thinking ahead and worrying about the future. Even if you know intellectually that your dh is right and that you should just chill out and focus on the here and now, the weight of the responsibility of all those curriculum decisions can keep any of us awake at night, thinking that we blew it and ruined our child's education!

 

So much will change over the next 5 years, and I think you are on target in looking for materials your kids will love, keeping the stress at minimum. Remind yourself each year just to look at the kids you have now and pick the material that is going to fit them now. The goal is for them to become thoughtful and inquisitive young people who can easily articulate and logically defend their opinions. It doesn't matter what path you take in getting them there, just that you keep that goal in sight.

 

I don't think you are stuck in between opposing paradigms. It sounds like you have a good plan for the coming year -- just stop yourself from thinking any further ahead.

 

Hope this hasn't come across too preachy -- I've just been there done that too many times and wanted to give you some reassurance and perspective!

[LNC]

They are young - going into 4th and 2nd. My 4th grade daughter is an excellent reader, she's been reading well since 4yo, but she hasn't read a lot of ancient or middle ages history titles without coaxing. I think they will grow to love history reading over time with the TQ book additions to SOTW.

 

I will see where we are in 5 years. I won't worry about it yet. I want to be a rigorous classical educator, but I'm not sure I really am. That's ok.

[terrij]

I think we would all like the rigorous classical education for our kids that we read about in the Well-Trained Mind. However, I think that we often times need to just relax and enjoy our children. That might mean letting a subject go or be shortened that day. It might mean dropping schoolwork and heading to the park when the sun comes out after several days of rain and not worrying that you are getting behind. Sometimes, we need to let our children have time to get interested in something that we have never spent a moment thinking about (my son is obsessed with fly fishing right now and reading every book on the subject).

 

We need to check our expectations against reality. Our children are capable of so much, but if we PUSH them, they will push back (resist). They also totally pick up on our attitude (whatever it is) so let it be one of joy and enthusiasm.

 

God bless,

Terri

[Tami]

The dirty little secret is....not everyone LOVES to read! TruthQuest has been a perfect fit for us, and I am in the same boat: eyeing Omnibus wistfully. The truth is, my dd does not have the reasoning skills or reading strength to tackle that program that young. I think Omnibus would challenge college students and adults! What I have decided is to leave 11th and 12th grade for electives. That way, maybe she will tackle Omnibus I then, or maybe she will take American Civics or something else.

 

Formation of character and faith is so much more important to us than anything else. I am going for a deeper knowledge of the MAIN things of history and literature. It doesn't matter whether or not she reads Greek tragedies, it matters if she can see how Greek thought contributed to Western Civilization. Think Big Picture. Keep the main things the main things. The rest won't matter in the end.

 

It is hard to reset our goals and dreams. It's so hard to let go of ideals! However, these "ideals" of mine, were never meant to be in the first place. I firmly believe that each child is unique and we have to go with our instincts, rather than anyone else's curriculum plans. Trust yourself.

[Carol in Cal.]

They had TOG, but not the redesign.

 

They didn't have SOTW, but they were about to. And they didn't have RS4K, which I would have written if Dr. Keller didn't. (Thank goodness I didn't have to.)

 

They had Sonlight, but the high school levels were much different than they are now.

 

They didn't have the Worldview curricula by David Quine. Wow, that is my newest find, and I really, really like it. (Not using it yet, though.)

 

They didn't have LLLOTR, either.

 

I think that it is great to look ahead. Beginning with the end in mind is always a good plan. After all, that is basically what SWB and Jesse Wise did when they wrote TWTM. But guess what? Even SWB doesn't follow TWTM 100% with each of her children. I'll bet that they are all getting a great education, though, and having a lot of fun while doing so.

 

There is no one best way to homeschool. There is no one best curriculum for everyone. And new stuff is being produced all the time.

 

My DD is so different from me. I know just how it feels to know that a curriculum or even a school would have been heaven for me but will not work for her at all. It is really hard to accept that. But guess what? Our children are different from us. And we do our best jobs as parents when we teach THEM not the curriculum. We are outstanding homeschoolers when we bring them to their highest, but most well-rounded levels. We are training them in the way THEY should go, to help them find and develop the gifts that God has given THEM.

 

I think that it is great that you have a framework that you are shooting for, and would suggest that you also prepare for mid-course corrections along the way. I would also suggest that Omnibus is quite challenging, and would be difficult to incorporate into a truly well-rounded curriculum that includes a great deal of science, math, and technology as well as humanities; so one thing to consider is how time-consuming it will be and whether or not you want to chance closing other doors for your children just because of that. Also, it is so all-inclusive (literature, history, theology) that it leaves little or no room for any other studies in those areas.

 

I have a DD who is going into 7th grade next year, and we are going to use LLLOTR rather than Omnibus. She is also going to continue history reading and analysis using TWTM approaches, and finish modern history by the end of the year. For religion she will be studying for confirmation for the next two years, and I have an issues and applications curriculum that I want to use as well. I like Omnibus and I like Starting Points, but adding them into the religion work that I already have planned will be too much. And for us, my choices are better. For my DD, my choices are better. I will reconsider this every 6 months or so, and make changes. I am so glad that we have so many great curricula to choose from, but I still do choose. I still do teach my actual child. I still do need to say no at times to something I really want to do because it just doesn't fit in.

 

FWIW, if I had seen Omnibus 6 years ago rather than just seeing it for the first time last fall, I would probably have reacted much like you have. Things have changed so much during that time, though. And TWTM seems wiser and wiser, and leaves me the leeway that I find I want as a homeschooling parent.

[LanaTron]

Remind yourself each year just to look at the kids you have now and pick the material that is going to fit them now. The goal is for them to become thoughtful and inquisitive young people who can easily articulate and logically defend their opinions. It doesn't matter what path you take in getting them there, just that you keep that goal in sight.

 

:iagree:

 

I quite often have to remind myself that all I can do is start where they are and move forward. I have to find a way to be okay with them making good progess each year, whether or not it is exactly the type and amount of progress I envisioned.

 

I do have a general idea of where we are headed, but I don't "for sure" plan the next curriculum until I see where they are skillwise after we finish the one we are on.

[Stacy in NJ]

They are young - going into 4th and 2nd. My 4th grade daughter is an excellent reader, she's been reading well since 4yo, but she hasn't read a lot of ancient or middle ages history titles without coaxing. I think they will grow to love history reading over time with the TQ book additions to SOTW.

 

I will see where we are in 5 years. I won't worry about it yet. I want to be a rigorous classical educator, but I'm not sure I really am. That's ok.

 

I think you're right not to worry about it just yet. 4th and 2nd grade are very young and your husband is right, they will grow and change over time. I would just continue on with your current plans. A great way to stimulate an interest in any particular subject, whether it's history or literature or math, is to engage and enjoy it with your child. Even if your kiddos don't end up reading alot of history related fiction themselves, you can always read it aloud to them are get some audio books to supplement.:001_smile:

[Suzannah]

I'm late to the game here, but I did want to chime in because this is something that I think we all struggle with. Go slow. DS loves to read now. But in 2nd grade, after I read to him every single day since he was a baby and doing phonics since he was about 5, he DID NOT like to read. He could do it, but not well and not with a happy face. Then in the beginning of 3rd grade I walked past our front room where the bookcases are and did a double-take. He was sitting on the floor READING!! In his free time!! I managed to keep quiet and noted that he kept reading for nearly an hour. Your kids may or may not ever LOVE to read. But give them time and keep giving them the opportunity to discover new worlds in books.

 

Now about Omnibus...

 

I heard of Omnibus for the first time a few months ago. It looked so incredible that I went ahead and bought a copy. As I browsed the pages my emotions swung wildly from excitement to despair.

 

"It's fantastic! Look at these books and those 'Questions to consider!' This is everything I've ever wanted!"...."Oh my goodness! There is no way my son will get through the first week of readings. He'll be sliding out of his chair, flopping around on the floor bemoaning his fate as the child of the meanest mom in the world. It'll take us 4 years to get through the book and we'll both hate it by then."

 

So then I re-read the preface and instructions at the beginning of the book and decided that it will be MY textbook. Our reading list is basically from WTM (which is about half of the Omnibus list). DH and I will be reading the same books (probably on CD or Ipod). I will use do the Omnibus study myself and perhaps mark sections to do with DS. I love the textbook, therefore it is my textbook. I will use what I learn to guide DS through the reading.

 

That's the plan anyway.:thumbup:

[angela in ohio]

Honestly, I think the emphasis on history and covering every bit of it in the elementary years will kill the love of it for many students. We focused on building skills in the early years, and now we are turning to history, after years of doing history by interest. My dc love history (and science, which we did the same way.) They are extremely prepared to learn it, as they can read and write well and love to do both, because they are confident in their skills.

 

I think a lot of moms love to cover all of history and do big compicated history programs (which I honestly don't think TWTM meant to recommend,) as they want to learn it, but I don't think dc necessarily need that or benefit from that. My take on classical is more about building the skills in the early years, instead of covering history a certain number of times or mom spending a lot of time on history-related projects, when she could be spending that time on more important skills and discussion with dc.

 

My dc will have no problem with Omnibus (12 yo starts next year,) not because they already know all of the history it will cover, but because they have solid reading skills and are used to a heavy work load, which has gradually increased throughout the years.

 

Anyway, all of that rambling just to say that you don't have to give up on a rigorous education. My advice would be to skip planning the Kingfisher/Strams of Civilizations as separate years, slow down your history and concentrate instead on their reading and writing skills, and add more and more challenging literature to their diet.

[Jami]

Honestly, I think the emphasis on history and covering every bit of it in the elementary years will kill the love of it for many students. We focused on building skills in the early years, and now we are turning to history, after years of doing history by interest. My dc love history (and science, which we did the same way.) They are extremely prepared to learn it, as they can read and write well and love to do both, because they are confident in their skills.

 

I think a lot of moms love to cover all of history and do big compicated history programs (which I honestly don't think TWTM meant to recommend,) as they want to learn it, but I don't think dc necessarily need that or benefit from that. My take on classical is more about building the skills in the early years, instead of covering history a certain number of times or mom spending a lot of time on history-related projects, when she could be spending that time on more important skills and discussion with dc.

 

My dc will have no problem with Omnibus (12 yo starts next year,) not because they already know all of the history it will cover, but because they have solid reading skills and are used to a heavy work load, which has gradually increased throughout the years.

 

Anyway, all of that rambling just to say that you don't have to give up on a rigorous education. My advice would be to skip planning the Kingfisher/Strams of Civilizations as separate years, slow down your history and concentrate instead on their reading and writing skills, and add more and more challenging literature to their diet.

 

 

Angela, I really appreciated this post. Somehow we sort of naturally gravitated toward interest-led history and science here and from time to time I worry that I haven't been structured (chronological) enough yet. But your post was encouraging to me, because we are working on building the love of learning and reading skills. We're starting the VP cycle this coming fall, but I wanted to keep history from taking over and this is a good reminder for me today.

 

Jami