Ever desire a more relaxed approach to homeschool?

[thowell]

Another thread and a post by Ruth has really got me thinking. It seems all our subjects are so restrictive and in depth when it comes to how we do them. I have been racking my brain for weeks now trying to figure out why it seems we are spending all day doing school and not really much being accomplished. Why cant you pick a list of topics and let the child read and watch about it? I think this would really work for my kiddos but I guess I am lacking the knowledge to step out and do it. I want my kids to have more time for math not just their regular curriculum but all the extras. I want them to have more time to focus and explore in science. Both girls are excellent spellers and their writing is coming along fine. So why do I take the time out of our days to do things I don't think they need? Mainly because of the pressure I feel from other moms. I read some of the threads on here and other boards and moms are doing 3 math programs, 2-3 languages, 2 sciences multiple history and I always feel like we are lacking. So what do I do? I add more!!! This is not working! I need to find away to revamp our school days so the kiddos have more time to learn in their way. Any thoughts?

[momto2Cs]

I got fed up with trying to keep up with the Joneses, so to speak, and to keep up with even my own [over] scheduling. So I dropped formal lesson plans this year. Instead...

 

We have basics to be done every day, Sunday through Thursday (slightly odd schedule, but necessary): for ds11, it is language arts and math, and for dd9, math and phonics.

 

We have loads of short (i.e. "picture") books on hand at all times on a variety of subjects. I use the book A Picture Perfect Childhood, 1000 Good Books (for longer "classics") and the Core Knowledge Trade Books List (under Recommended Trade Book Listing, about halfway down the page) to generate lists of books I can put on hold at the library, and rotate through my afternoon book basket-- we read from the basket daily. I keep art supplies and lots of classical music cds on hand. My Netflix and Amazon lists are filled with documentaries on all sorts of historical and scientific topics.

 

So far this week, our first week of the year, we have sailed through the basics; enjoyed several short stories on various topics; started learning about the history of the microscope; I taught the kids how to prepare slides, which we then viewed; watched a long documentary on the human body (Incredible Human Machine); read about the Wright Brothers (Landmark book); marked several important events down in our Book of Centuries, using The Dangerous Book for Boys Yearbook for important events on Sept 1-3; are halfway through an art project; and have made good progress reading from The Marvelous Land of Oz, and The Light Princess. That's all in 2 relaxed days.

 

I have to say it is the best we've felt about homeschooling in about 3 or 4 years!

[regentrude]

Why cant you pick a list of topics and let the child read and watch about it? I think this would really work for my kiddos but I guess I am lacking the knowledge to step out and do it. I want my kids to have more time for math not just their regular curriculum but all the extras. I want them to have more time to focus and explore in science. Both girls are excellent spellers and their writing is coming along fine. So why do I take the time out of our days to do things I don't think they need? Mainly because of the pressure I feel from other moms. I read some of the threads on here and other boards and moms are doing 3 math programs, 2-3 languages, 2 sciences multiple history and I always feel like we are lacking. So what do I do? I add more!!! This is not working! I need to find away to revamp our school days so the kiddos have more time to learn in their way. Any thoughts?

 

We homeschool for academic reasons, but our schooling in the logic stage, i.e. before highschool, is extremely relaxed. The only subject mandatory daily is math, and it is one of the only two subjects for which we use systematic curriculum (the other is foreign language).

I require an amount of time that must be spent on school (depending on age), select materials for all subjects that "count" as school, and let my kids choose their own schedule every day. They may work on whatever topic they want for how long.

Here is what we do/ don't do:

No Spelling: Both kids being perfect spellers, we dropped spelling in 5th grade.

No Vocabulary program: I consider it unnecessary; they are good readers, and DD acquired an astonishing vocabulary just from reading.

No formal logic: Logical thinking can be develop just fine from math, computer programming and physics.

No formal grammar in English: both kids use English language correctly without making any grammar or semantics mistakes. We will do a short overview over formal grammar in high school so they are familiar with the terms. they also get formal grammar in their language studies.

 

Writing: no formal program. They write about literature and history and spend a large amount of time on creative writing. In 7th grade, I introduce the 5 paragraph persuasive essay and we practice occasionally to be prepared for the standardized tests.

Reading: they read classics that match the history era we study (we do 4 year rotation). They also read other stuff. We talk a lot about books.

Science: They read books. We do not do a formal science program before high school; I have not found any curriculum that I like for the age group, so they just read, watch documentaries, build a broad base of scientific knowledge. No worksheets, no fill-in-the-blanks.

History: Encyclopedia as a spine, DS takes notes. He reads the Universal History of the World, books from the library. Watch documentaries. To demonstrate mastery, he researches topics long term and gives an oral presentation with visuals, or writes a longer paper.

Foreign language: OK, here we do use a systematic approach, with book, CDs, workbook and online resources, because that is IMO the only way to make progress.

Arts, music,architecture, theatre: we go to concerts, museums, watch live performances, travel

PE: we hike, backpack and rock climb as a family. Kid ride horses.

 

So, until high school, we have little pressure, no must-do's (except for math where a systematic study is absolutely essential). The kids learn a ton. Most importantly: they learn to learn independently, with a teacher spoon feeding them material.

The transition to more formal studies in high school was not a problem at all for DD.

Edited September 4, 2012 by regentrude

[angela in ohio]

Yes, but do you know those moms and how their dc are doing? How old are their dc? Has it worked out well for them or are their dc too young to even know yet? Not only should you not feel any pressure, but you shouldn't follow what they are doing to begin with unless they have some proof it works. This board (and HSing in general) has a lot of blind leading the blind going on. ;)

 

It's really helpful to set out some goals up front. Then you examine your plan according to those goals. If someone else is doing something that interests you or makes you feel pressured, first compare them to your goals. If they have different goals, there won't be a match, and you can let it go.

 

Now to your specific question: Our goals leaned heavily to math, reading, and writing when our dc were younger, so we did exactly what you describe for everything else (science, history, etc.) You will find many other people on this board who did the same and now have older dc who are doing great in high school.

 

My poor little guy, because of logistics, has more planned material than my olders ever did, and less free time to study his own interests, and it's not a good thing. I feel bad for him, but that's a compromise we have to make because of our dc's ages.

 

There is a **LOT** of room between 2-3 programs per subject and chucking it all to be totally relaxed. :D And you'll find a lot of happy folks in that space.

[dbmamaz]

I try not to pay too much attention to what other ppl are doing (and only started hanging out here this month, as we enter our 4th year of homeschooling). I call myself relaxed (or very relaxed) eclectic. I give the kids curriuclum to cover what I think htey need to work on that year, and also what they want to work on that year. Anything else, imo, is busywork.

 

and if i feel bad about how 'light' their work is, i go hang out with some radical unschoolers - that always makes me feel like we are very productive!

 

but seriously, you need to figure out what you want for your children, and implement that. So what if someone else insists your kids wont even be CONSIDERED for the most elite shcools unless they study X,Y,Z and Q before they reach whatever age. Maybe thats not your (or their) goal.

 

Be the headmaster of your own school!

 

jmo . ..

[Soror]

There is a **LOT** of room between 2-3 programs per subject and chucking it all to be totally relaxed. :D And you'll find a lot of happy folks in that space.

That is our aim, based on following people like angela, regentrude and 8filltheheart and others that have shown just how successful the path can be. We are most formal in Math. I'm using WWE and HTTS currently for language arts as I need more handholding- although I'd like to be more informal I need a greater knowledge base.

[Halcyon]

This is i interesting to me. :lurk5:

 

I feel like sometimes i need to let my intuition lead me more.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Ever desire a more relaxed approach to homeschool? All the time. We're getting there, I think, as fast as I can unclench. (Which sometimes is really slow!) A lot of the threads I lurk on here really help. Finding posters whose approach you admire, and then getting them to really spell it out for you (like regentrude did above) really, really helps. :001_smile:

[MyLittleWonders]

There is a **LOT** of room between 2-3 programs per subject and chucking it all to be totally relaxed. :D And you'll find a lot of happy folks in that space.

 

This is where we are heading. Things were looking pretty dull and filled with table-work last year this time (it really started by the spring of '11). Very slowly have I begun to let go of what I think I'm supposed to be doing and started really looking at what we want to do and why. My philosophy of education has changed drastically (well, I think it went from not even a philosophy but a "make sure they get into college and get a good job" to an actual philosophy). And, we are still working on it.

 

I'm beginning to analyze the subjects that go well around here, the ones that flow and have the boys engaged to find out why, so I can try to do the same with the subjects that don't go as well. I've also pared down what we do (and the sheer number of "curricula" we use for each subject) and brought in many more living books while tossing out dry textbooks (the is mostly true for history, science, and geography). Reading to them comprises probably half our day together. Table work is as short as necessary (the time they are doing math is the longest they are at the table and I keep that to no more than an hour, mostly because ds#1's mathwork is increasing in intensity). I break up table time with read alouds, skipping around the house, listening to classical music, and snacks. ;)

 

Ultimately I have realized that for us, I need to make sure I am educating their whole person and not just their intellect. That alone has shifted our focus, made our days (most the time; they still can find reasons to throw fits :001_huh: ) more relaxed.

[Corraleno]

So, until high school, we have little pressure, no must-do's (except for math where a systematic study is absolutely essential). The kids learn a ton. Most importantly: they learn to learn independently

:iagree:

Our homeschool looks very similar to Regentrude's. Our core subjects are math & Latin (plus Greek for DS); everything else is relaxed & interest-led. While I wouldn't force a child who really hated Latin to slog through, I'm very happy that my kids enjoy it (plus DS loves Greek), because it's so efficient — it covers so many "subjects" at once, instead of using a half-dozen different curricula, each with a workbook, schedule, assignments, etc. So our "curriculum" looks something like this:

 

Vocabulary, Grammar, & Spelling: covered by Latin (I make lists of English derivatives that match their Latin/Greek vocab that week) plus lots of reading.

 

Logic & Critical Thinking: Latin again, plus chess, strategy games, computer programming

 

Writing: I just teach this in context, w/no formal assignments before 7th or 8th grade. E.g., DD (5th) loves to write little stories as well as letters and emails to friends & relatives, so I help her with grammar, mechanics, and structure as needed. DS (8th) does not love to write, lol; this is his first year taking a class that requires extensive writing, so I am teaching him how to do each assignment as we go along. He will be writing two 6-8 page research papers, as well as several shorter assignments, for his Lit class this year. However, we have covered many of the concepts of writing — organization, supporting your argument, etc., — through discussion of readings, TC lectures, etc., for the last several years. So, now that he understands what a well-presented, well-supported argument looks like, and he has something worthwhile to say, plus a reason to say it (a class & teacher he adores), he's ready, willing, and able to dive into writing.

 

History & Science: lots of reading, documentaries, TC courses, field trips, museum visits, hands-on activities & experiments (most of which they design themselves), etc.

 

PE: Hiking, biking, geocaching, nature study (which also serves as science & art), plus a weekly rock climbing class.

 

DD10 also takes violin lessons and is in a youth orchestra, and DS is about to start fencing lessons.

 

That's it, really. Mornings = math, Latin, Greek, and Classical literature for DS, and math, Latin, reading/writing, and music for DD. Afternoons are for reading history & science, watching TC courses or documentaries, nature walks or museum visits, playing chess, programming, drawing, etc. DS is really into linguistics (an interest he probably would not have discovered had we taken a more conventional route), so he also reads linguistics books, does computational linguistics exercises, and works on his invented language in his free time.

 

In spite of the relaxed schedule, I don't feel like my kids are missing anything. They're learning & retaining tons, and — more importantly — they LOVE school. The oft-repeated warning that kids who are allowed to pursue their interests will "never get out of their comfort zone," or will refuse to do anything that isn't easy/fluffy/fun, has not proven true in our case. Quite the opposite — they have really taken off, they've found new passions, and in many cases they've pushed themselves much harder than I would have.

 

Not to mention the fact that now I love school, too! :D Much less effort and planning on my part, lots of flexibility to chase rabbit trails and take advantage of opportunities as they come up (new museum exhibits, travel, beautiful weather for hiking or biking, etc.), plus I love seeing my kids get really fired up about things. When they're examining jars of river water they collected and DS suddenly yells "OMG there are planarians in there — this is the best day of my life!!!" and immediately starts thinking about experiments he can do, I do a little virtual fist-pump and a silent "YES!" — because that's why I homeschool.

 

Jackie

[Janice in NJ]

You might try thinking about your day in terms of goals instead of subjects:

 

Instead of this:

Math

Literature

Grammar, Spelling, Writing

History

Foreign Language

Science

Extras

 

Think about this:

Set aside a block of time to do math. Get it over with. Done

Do the same with writing skills. Just pack the time with grammar, spelling, and writing. Select a time limit. Work on the skills during that time. Stop. Done.

 

- Then encourage your kids to choose books to read silently. Find ways to discuss them. Go for walks together. Discuss them in the car. Discuss them over popcorn in the afternoon.

-Find time to read a book together. Choose something at the upper end of her skill-level. Sit on opposite sides of the room with your feet curled up and take turns reading aloud. Talk about the book: sentence style; characters you love or hate; issues - things the characters do that you find praiseworthy or appalling. Don't rush. One book can be savored together for a while.

- Help your kids choose a short term project to work on.

- Help them choose a long term project to work on.

- Encourage them to select an event that you can share: find a special on TV that you can watch together. Find a local event that you can attend. Visit a museum. Encourage them to research something relating to the event before you go; they can share what they learned with you.

 

Besides reading, writing, and math, kids need to know how to engage in what one author team calls They Say/ I Say. It's a style of writing that kids need to master before they leave home. They will need it during their undergraduate years.

Think of it this way: You walk up to a circle of folks at a picnic. They are all discussing something. Anything. There are three kinds of people who step into the circle.

1. Those who listen to no one; they are just waiting for their chance to air their opinion. They learn nothing from the conversation; they just want to talk.

2. Those who listen but are afraid to offer anything to the conversation. Even if they have an opinion, they don't have the confidence to say anything.

3. Those who listen in order to explore the opinions of the group. They usually learn something about the topic. Very often they discover facets of the many-sided issue they might not have considered. They pick up on the vibe in the circle. And then they step into the conversation by offering some information, an opinion, or a simple comment. They listen carefully to discover the "They Say"; then they offer an "I Say" that either agrees, disagrees, or agrees or disagrees with a caveat.

 

In addition to reading, writing, and math (as well as being organized with solid time-management skills), that is basically what kids need to do in order to succeed as undergrads. They need to be able to research to generate a thesis. Then they need to continue exploring until they get a sense of what the folks in the "circle" (the educated circle) have to say. Then they are ready to offer an opinion. Learning how to populate the circle and generate/guide its conversation for the reader of your ten-page paper and doing it with flair (so the reader/prof enjoys listening in on the conversation rather than wondering why he ever thought teaching was a good idea) are the keys to success as an undergrad.

 

Guide them in this direction:

Learn about something.

Learn about the issues surrounding this topic.

Generate an informed opinion about the topic.

 

If you feel like you're just peddling without going anywhere, it might help to spend some time thinking about concrete goals rather than just trying to cover subjects. :001_smile:

 

Peace,

Janice

 

Enjoy your little people

Enjoy your journey

[3 Only Children]

I am enjoying this thread because I kept finding myself feeling pressured as well to do more. My husband and I had a long talk about what our DS(12) really needs and came up with 3 main subjects. Bible, English and Math. If I can get him strong in those areas this year I feel that it will be a good year. So everytime I feel myself starting to think that I Should be doing more, I remind myself of our goal (BEM) and it has helped a lot. We are going to start off slow, do those subjects first and anything else that gets done after that is just a bonus!

[Bearcat]

Not only should you not feel any pressure, but you shouldn't follow what they are doing to begin with unless they have some proof it works. This board (and HSing in general) has a lot of blind leading the blind going on. ;)

:iagree:

This is the conclusion I have come to lately. There is a lot of the blind leading the blind in the homeschool community right now. I prefer to look to those who have been there and succeeded (or didn't) than someone who is just starting or only been at it for a few years but is full of opinions etc. There is one blog I just recently came across that espouses much advice for successfully homescooling with neo-classical methods. It turns out her oldest child is only 4 and she has not even really started homescooling yet!?!:confused: We'll see if she is singing the same stress free, perfect homeschool story in a few years...

I have to wonder, out of all these people who are doing multiple programs for single subjects, how many are successful and how long until they and their children burn out? And how much of what they present in forums or blogs is accurate and not just the happy, perfect seeming moments?

That is why I have started to take the advice/opinions of many with a grain of salt. Don't worry about keeping up with the Jones because they probably arn't worth keeping up with.

Do what your head/heart/instincts are telling you to do for your family.

 

Sorry if I got a little off topic with my rant here.

[laughing lioness]

Another thread and a post by Ruth has really got me thinking. It seems all our subjects are so restrictive and in depth when it comes to how we do them. I have been racking my brain for weeks now trying to figure out why it seems we are spending all day doing school and not really much being accomplished. Why cant you pick a list of topics and let the child read and watch about it? I think this would really work for my kiddos but I guess I am lacking the knowledge to step out and do it. I want my kids to have more time for math not just their regular curriculum but all the extras. I want them to have more time to focus and explore in science. Both girls are excellent spellers and their writing is coming along fine. So why do I take the time out of our days to do things I don't think they need? Mainly because of the pressure I feel from other moms. I read some of the threads on here and other boards and moms are doing 3 math programs, 2-3 languages, 2 sciences multiple history and I always feel like we are lacking. So what do I do? I add more!!! This is not working! I need to find away to revamp our school days so the kiddos have more time to learn in their way. Any thoughts?

 

We used to be more relaxed when our kids were younger and we were having babies and the world of homeschooling was newer. We have more tools, more time, more resources now and neo-classical fits with what we are doing and where we are headed We get flax for it from other homeschoolers, more than anyone. And it is HARD to create an academic environment along with experiential. This is my constant conflict. But that's me.

 

My same old song: vision, mission, goals. What are yours?

[lewelma]

Another thread and a post by Ruth has really got me thinking.

 

Here is the post that was referenced above:

 

dh reads and discusses history at night for 30-45 minutes, 5 times per week. This is all done orally. They love time with dad. No writing assignments or making time lines or drawing maps. They get out the globe and a book and talk.

 

I do the research to create the resource list based on the 4-year WTM cycle. I usually have him do 1 topic per month, like knights and castles, or the vikings, or king arthur etc. Then I find 1 or 2 historical novels to read for each topic, and go to the library and find some nonfiction on the topic. With all the resources in front of him, dh chooses what he is in the mood for - a discussion with nonfiction and a map, or just snuggling up with a novel. His choice. He has no schedule. I just try to move him along the next month to the next topic, although he often overruns if they are in the middle of a novel. Whatever. DH and kids LOVE this time. There is no pressure on any of them. The results are that my kids love history, have built a good knowledge bank of world history over the ages, and have great memories of time with dad. I am sure they do not know that many dates, and probably are only reasonably good with all the different important people. But boy do they have the big picture. We have used this approach for 7 years.

 

Ruth in NZ

[lewelma]

My same old song: vision, mission, goals. What are yours?

I want my children to love learning. I want the to be willing to work hard. I want them to have skills. I want them to have free time.

 

We focus hard on some subjects and ramp up the difficulty to create an environment that will teach persistence, focus, drive, and study skills. These are math, science, and english. But I also have some subjects that are just enjoyable - history, logic, literature. These we do together through fun and interesting discussions.

 

We are very low on tests - 1 per term in math starting in 6th grade. And 1 exam per year in science, practical violin, and music theory in 7th and 8th grade (these are external exams through the UK). This allows us to focus on learning and insures a lower stress environment.

 

We also do not have a set time schedule beyond 8:30 to 1 is study time for math, science, and english, and 5-6pm is study time for music and mandarin. He divides up the time, but needs to generally keep to the weekly goals.

 

And it is HARD to create an academic environment along with experiential.

Experiential learning in our house:

Violin including be a part of a quartet

Science Fair project - 10+ week long investigation

Technicraft in 6th and 7th grade at local school: old fashioned shop and home ec

Field trips: music concerts, museums, chemistry lab class at university

PE: swimming, win tsun, sailing

 

I squish the rest of the academic year to make room for the science fair project. This year we will drop english, book-type science, and logic for 4 of those weeks so he gains 2.5 hours/day of focus time, plus all of Fridays because Technicraft will be over. I find that having an up-coming( or just-over) investigation gives them something to look forward to (or feel like they are relaxing after). They never ask for more.

 

I think that there are so many ways to do it and not just one will work well. But I will say that I like having found our groove.

 

Ruth in NZ

Edited September 5, 2012 by lewelma

[PeterPan]

Set aside a block of time to do math. Get it over with. Done

Do the same with writing skills. Just pack the time with grammar, spelling, and writing. Select a time limit. Work on the skills during that time. Stop. Done.

 

- Then encourage your kids to choose books to read silently.

 

:iagree: We've always had a balance of things I structure and things I'm loose about. I don't structure things she does well for herself, and I'm not loose about things I know she won't get done adequately without structure. And I sit down EVERY SEMESTER and RETALLY our times to make sure everything is reasonable. EVERYTHING goes on the checklist. It might even be "read some history" but it goes on the checklist for the week. And then I look at each thing on the checklist and think through how much time it would need to be done the way I'm envisioning. Then I add up all those times and see if my list is realistic. If it's not, CHOP CHOP.

 

I think when you're a theoretical, big idea person, you really have to find ways to prune your ideas.

[thowell]

Wow!!! There are some really excellent posts and ideas on this thread. I have been thinking non stop over the last few days about our school. I am preparing myself to step out of the box and allow the kids more time to focus on their interest. Dd12 received the book History of Medicine this week and has been reading it non stop every chance she has had. This was her choice not mine. So why should I tell her "No, stop reading that book and come do this boring geography worksheet just so we can say we did it"? From the beginning of our homeschool (4 years now) I have been drawn to what I thought was a Charlotte Mason way. Now I am beginning to realize it doesn't even fit into that box. My girls are very bright and learn a ton even when I am not directed it or giving them specific books or worksheets (most of the time better). They read, they watch science channels, shoot dd12 set her clock for 6 A.M. for 2 weeks to watch a special on WWII last year because SHE got interested in it. Not because I made her or told her she had to!

 

I am not talking about going to total unschooling. I doubt my OCD personality could handle that. However, doing the concrete subjects, Math for example, every day and then having time to explore their interest. My head is spinning! I just have to make those goals and figure out the best way for the kiddos to get there!

[momto2Cs]

Wow!!! There are some really excellent posts and ideas on this thread. I have been thinking non stop over the last few days about our school. I am preparing myself to step out of the box and allow the kids more time to focus on their interest. Dd12 received the book History of Medicine this week and has been reading it non stop every chance she has had. This was her choice not mine. So why should I tell her "No, stop reading that book and come do this boring geography worksheet just so we can say we did it"? From the beginning of our homeschool (4 years now) I have been drawn to what I thought was a Charlotte Mason way. Now I am beginning to realize it doesn't even fit into that box. My girls are very bright and learn a ton even when I am not directed it or giving them specific books or worksheets (most of the time better). They read, they watch science channels, shoot dd12 set her clock for 6 A.M. for 2 weeks to watch a special on WWII last year because SHE got interested in it. Not because I made her or told her she had to!

 

I am not talking about going to total unschooling. I doubt my OCD personality could handle that. However, doing the concrete subjects, Math for example, every day and then having time to explore their interest. My head is spinning! I just have to make those goals and figure out the best way for the kiddos to get there!

 

Exactly! My kids have really enjoyed homeschooling this week, as opposed to the first weeks of last year when it was all about getting one thing done to move onto another... much more structured.

 

I think we're accomplishing more this year so far, by scheduling less. And we're getting to all the "extras"!

[Soror]

 

I think we're accomplishing more this year so far, by scheduling less. And we're getting to all the "extras"!

 

I find this as well, with everything, it goes easier when I just let it be. Not just in what we do but how we do it.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Yes. I really, really struggle with making Miss P stop reading something good/engaging/educational/interesting to come do work with me. It seems so . . . silly, when my goal is for her to learn to self-educate and learn to learn by reading. However, my availability is limited and she enjoys using materials that we do orally and with discussion, and so she needs to be ready when I am available. That is part of life skills - learning that the world doesn't revolve around her and that sometimes she has to meet a schedule. Sigh. I grapple with this one every day.

 

I guess part of the answer for me is scheduling the day so that the must-do skill topics - math and writing, for us, get done first and get done every day, and then relaxing and being more flexible and interest-led with the other topics for the rest of the day. Still a work in progress . . .

[birchbark]

We also are shooting for a more relaxed, yet effective approach. We are taking the effort we were putting into notebooking, timelines, history projects, extraneous subjects, and putting it into the 3R's instead (rather than tacking them onto an already full day). With the 3R's done, we will take a more relaxed, block-scheduled, and hopefully enjoyable approach to the content subjects. I was highly motivated by the CIRCE thread to take a slower, richer course in education rather than the full, highly structured one we had been doing. HSing multiple children is beginning to look doable!

 

We have only been schooling a couple days but I am loving the sense of freedom and relaxation I have this year.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I'm on the couch, Miss P is on the floor doing a GeoPuzzle of Europe, and we're listening to Vivaldi (just read his bio & put his dates on a timeline). This is kinda more what I had in mind for content subjects! No stress. :D

[thowell]

I'm on the couch, Miss P is on the floor doing a GeoPuzzle of Europe, and we're listening to Vivaldi (just read his bio & put his dates on a timeline). This is kinda more what I had in mind for content subjects! No stress. :D

 

I have been working on this as well. Still trying to get my thoughts on paper to visualize what I am thinking. So here is what I have so far.

 

Daily

Bible from 8:30 - 9:00 read scripture and discuss

Math 9:30 - 11:30 - this will give them time to do their daily lessons and extra time for games, word problems, living books

 

This part I dont have organized yet!

Science - pick a topic for 2 weeks in the study of the year (dd12 Biology and dd9 Earth Science, go to library get books they want, watch documentaries they want to watch, read, watch, discuss, notebook about what they learn if they want, perform experiments they want, but mainly, READ, WATCH, DISCUSS

 

history - same plan as above for Science

Geography - pick a country and follow same plan above.

I like the idea of a yearly science project but I am also thinking what about a yearly project in Science, History and Geography. Whatever they come up with that has caught their attention.

 

Planning to drop - Spelling, Vocab, writing (for now) Grammar - but continue to point things out in their other work.

 

I am also planning to implement a rule, that there is no TV( unless it is a documentary), internet, or game systems allowed until after 4:00. They can use whatever time they have to do the above things or paint, draw, nature study, legos, anything that is working their brain.

[4kids13971]

Vocabulary, Grammar, & Spelling: covered by Latin (I make lists of English derivatives that match their Latin/Greek vocab that week) plus lots of reading.

 

Jackie

 

 

We study Latin as well and have also been working through English From the Roots Up. After reading a few of these posts, I am thinking I may be doubling work when I don't have to. I may drop the vocab. But I have a question for you, Jackie, how do you make English derivatives list to match Latin vocab?

 

thanks for any help!

Janeen

[nmariec23]

Yes! Relaxed would be great...

 

This is an interesting thread and is challenging me to think about what we are doing. We are 6 weeks into the school year and the days seem to be getting longer and longer. DS is complaining that he doesn't have any free time... and he's mostly right. He dawdles quite a bit so transitioning from subject to subject takes longer than it needs to.

 

There are certain things that I feel strongly about keeping the same- grammar, math, spelling(for now) and writing. We find vocab enjoyable, so I am not inclined to change anything there. However, Science and History are a different story. He finds these to be torturous and I think these should be the most fun! I would love to go to a more relaxed approach for these subjects, but I'm not visualizing how this would work in a practical way.

 

We have tried the unschooling/relaxed method of schooling and I feel like it just led to the development of bad habits. :001_unsure: That makes me scared to go back... even if in just a couple of areas. After 4 years of homeschooling, you'd think I'd have a better grasp on things.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

I find this thread interesting. I wonder if people are using the term relaxed in different ways.

 

Does it mean no structure or no stress?

 

One can have structure and be totally relaxed.

One can have no structure and be stressed to the max.

One can have no structure and no stress.

Then there's having both structure and stress.

Lots of combos.

 

I guess I'm still unsure what relaxed means. It reminds me of trying to define rigor. ;)

 

Or does it mean fewer subjects?

 

I'm getting stressed just defining relaxed! :tongue_smilie:;)

[angela in ohio]

I find this thread interesting. I wonder if people are using the term relaxed in different ways.

 

Does it mean no structure or no stress?

 

I'm getting stressed just defining relaxed! :tongue_smilie:;)

 

In homeschooling terms, it is historically used to mean less rigor.

 

That is really a completely diffferent issue than stress, which is more a product of lifestyle and personality than schooling style from what I have seen.

[2squared]

 

I guess I'm still unsure what relaxed means. It reminds me of trying to define rigor. ;)

 

Or does it mean fewer subjects?

 

I'm getting stressed just defining relaxed! :tongue_smilie:;)

 

I define relaxed as less structure but not less rigorous. Perhaps even as child-led. Or even as less individual subjects. My kids have learned the most content from reading living books, nature study, and life. We haven't used curriculum for content areas until 5th grade, and even now, I'm struggling with science curriculum. I also see relaxed as leaving lots of room for child exploration - lots of free time.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

In homeschooling terms, it is historically used to mean less rigor.

 

I define relaxed as less structure but not less rigorous.

 

That answers my question.

Thanks.

[angela in ohio]

That answers my question.

Thanks.

 

Yeah, now I'm thinking it boils down to the differences in definition of rigor. :D

[laundrycrisis]

Why cant you pick a list of topics and let the child read and watch about it? I think this would really work for my kiddos but I guess I am lacking the knowledge to step out and do it. I want my kids to have more time for math not just their regular curriculum but all the extras. I want them to have more time to focus and explore in science. Both girls are excellent spellers and their writing is coming along fine. So why do I take the time out of our days to do things I don't think they need? Mainly because of the pressure I feel from other moms.

 

If I thought I could get away with less formal school time, I would do things in a more relaxed way. I know kids who truly do not need a lot of structured time or repetition to get basic skills down really well. If I had a child like that, I would probably do more research projects, unit studies, independent studies, explorations, etc and just do a bit of formal math and writing, foreign language, and lab science. But I have kids who do need a lot of time and work and repetition on the 3Rs, so that is what we do. I am glad I have the freedom to adapt to what they need. I hope at some point I can do more of the other stuff too.

[Woodland Mist Academy]

Yeah, now I'm thinking it boils down to the differences in definition of rigor. :D

 

Uh oh. That is definitely not relaxing--that defining rigor bit. ;)

[MyLittleWonders]

Yes! Relaxed would be great...

 

This is an interesting thread and is challenging me to think about what we are doing. We are 6 weeks into the school year and the days seem to be getting longer and longer. DS is complaining that he doesn't have any free time... and he's mostly right. He dawdles quite a bit so transitioning from subject to subject takes longer than it needs to.

 

There are certain things that I feel strongly about keeping the same- grammar, math, spelling(for now) and writing. We find vocab enjoyable, so I am not inclined to change anything there. However, Science and History are a different story. He finds these to be torturous and I think these should be the most fun! I would love to go to a more relaxed approach for these subjects, but I'm not visualizing how this would work in a practical way.

 

We have tried the unschooling/relaxed method of schooling and I feel like it just led to the development of bad habits. :001_unsure: That makes me scared to go back... even if in just a couple of areas. After 4 years of homeschooling, you'd think I'd have a better grasp on things.

We definitely do not fall on the unschooling end of anything. We tried it when ds#1 was younger and it definitely was not going to work. I don't know if it would with ds#2 either; maybe, maybe with ds#3, but I'm not willing to find out. ;) But, I do feel more relaxed this year than we have ever been and yet I also feel we are learning more than ever before as well.

 

For us, that looks like a lot more living books for content areas, eliminating as much busy work as possible (the boys only have typing/Mavis Beacon, quiet reading, and playing/reading with their sister as independent work), and making what we do much more meaningful. It's like making sure every bite of food you eat is the best for you ... I try not to eat (too many :lol: ) empty calories and I try not to have the kids do too many "empty" assignments for the sake of doing them.

 

I read to them and we discuss a lot. Our grammar now is a combination of reading Grammar Land together and then directly teaching grammar through Latin (the older two would both say that Latin/grammar are their favorite subject). We do spend an hour or a bit more at math each day (each kid has an individual lesson with me and then they have individual work ... I try to get to the oldest two first and then the youngest). I feel there is rigor - classic literature, solid math, Latin, grammar, history, science, nature, fine arts - but it is taught as much as possible through living books, good discussions, and meaningful activities. Minus breaks and their quiet reading, our "school day" is about 4 1/2 to 5 hours long. But aside from behavior issues that can crop it, it doesn't feel like a long day.

 

I find this thread interesting. I wonder if people are using the term relaxed in different ways.

 

Does it mean no structure or no stress?

 

One can have structure and be totally relaxed.

One can have no structure and be stressed to the max.

One can have no structure and no stress.

Then there's having both structure and stress.

Lots of combos.

 

I guess I'm still unsure what relaxed means. It reminds me of trying to define rigor. ;)

 

Or does it mean fewer subjects?

 

I'm getting stressed just defining relaxed! :tongue_smilie:;)

We are structured; my kids do not do well with a lack of structure. :001_huh: But, as I said above, I do my best to eliminate things that I see as unnecessary. I also try to use the things that are non-negotiable (math, literature, Latin, religious studies) to also teach other things (like grammar through Latin).

[2squared]

For us, that looks like a lot more living books for content areas, eliminating as much busy work as possible (the boys only have typing/Mavis Beacon, quiet reading, and playing/reading with their sister as independent work), and making what we do much more meaningful. It's like making sure every bite of food you eat is the best for you ... I try not to eat (too many :lol: ) empty calories and I try not to have the kids do too many "empty" assignments for the sake of doing them.

 

:iagree: I see us as less structured b/c our day is not structured by our curriculum choices. Our day is structured b/c I would never survive my life without a routine. Our content areas are mostly reading quality books, unstructured nature study, and discussion. We do not do projects, lap books, canned experiments, timelines, coloring pages, pasting, or other such extras. Our time is as efficient and effective as I can make it. Whatever creative things they want to do, they do it outside of school time.

 

For example, we love dictation. Dictation allows us to cover handwriting practice, spelling, and grammar in one shot. The kids get their vocabulary from reading and discussion.

[AngelaNYC]

I think we're pretty relaxed. Ds and I both decided on what should be done daily. For us, that's CNN Student News with the discussion questions, math (1/2 a lesson per day), him reading aloud to me (it helps with his dyslexia and he uses a blue colored overlay that works wonders), and one or 2 Ambleside readings (from the weekly list) with a narration. Then he picks 2 more things to do from a list of about ten. These include: one of 4 language arts workbooks, art, Spanish, a science experiment, nature study, or a chapter in the Narnia book.

 

Giving him choices makes him feel more in control and in turn, he works faster and we're done quicker. His afternoon is free to pursue interests. There's less stress and both of us are happier.

[Chrysalis Academy]

I find this thread interesting. I wonder if people are using the term relaxed in different ways.

 

No doubt!! :D

 

Does it mean no structure or no stress?

 

One can have structure and be totally relaxed. - yep, this is what I'm going for

One can have no structure and be stressed to the max. - yep, no structure at all would really stress me out

One can have no structure and no stress. see above ;)

Then there's having both structure and stress. ah, yes, the state we are trying to move *away* from . . .

Lots of combos.

 

I guess I'm still unsure what relaxed means. It reminds me of trying to define rigor. ;)

 

Or does it mean fewer subjects? This!! Or at least this is part of it. It means (partly) not trying to do everything (subject, curriculum, whatever), and instead trying to, well, relax and do what we do, well. Just because someone else is doing 3 languages, 2 logic programs and 3 maths, doesn't mean we need to! Just because someone else's 9 year old is doing calculus, doesn't mean we need to! We can't read every book on the Good Books list . . . . and so on.

 

I'm getting stressed just defining relaxed! :tongue_smilie:;) Oh, besides trying to define rigor, we could talk about breadth vs. depth!! ;)

 

I'm realizing more and more that "relaxing our homeschool" means relaxing mama. Like this am when Miss P said "I have 2 more chapters left in my book (assigned book, for history); Can I finish it before we start math?" Relaxed Mama said "Sure sweetie, of course you can" and tweaked the rest of the day to make it all work out. Or the day before, when looking at two huge bins of tomatoes that needed to be made into sauce and a bunch of beans that needed shelling, instead of tearing her hair out trying to stick to the schedule, Relaxed Mama said "Why don't you do your math and writing as independently as you can while I chop tomatoes, then we can shell beans and listen to an audiobook for science."

 

Stuff like that. Relaxed is a state of mind, I'm thinkin' :D

[Woodland Mist Academy]

Oh, besides trying to define rigor, we could talk about breadth vs. depth!! ;)

 

:svengo:

[raceNzanesmom]

I love what I'm using with our youngest. That wasn't always the case with our oldest. It took time to figure it all out. He was home 7-12th and some years were stressful. I'm really hoping that won't be the case once our youngest gets to that stage.

[mommymilkies]

This has been my goal this year. We went from Waldorfy and at times unschooling to Classical overkill. I realized that it was driving me batty and killing the fun of learning this coming year. I dreaded starting back. My kids topped out their test scores in the spring and indicated they needed more art and quality time, so I accidentally went back to Waldorf. Not full on, but a mix of CM, Waldorf, and WTM. The block schedule and sloooooow start to a full school load is really helping. I don't dread every day. Plus, I cleared up a lot of bookshelves! We are way more laid back, but not less rigorous in the long run. We've already done some weeks of intensive business math and geology in an integrated way. I'm trying to take more time to take our work outside or tell them to go out and enjoy the weather. The work can wait sometimes.

[justamouse]

:iagree: I see us as less structured b/c our day is not structured by our curriculum choices. Our day is structured b/c I would never survive my life without a routine. Our content areas are mostly reading quality books, unstructured nature study, and discussion. We do not do projects, lap books, canned experiments, timelines, coloring pages, pasting, or other such extras. Our time is as efficient and effective as I can make it. Whatever creative things they want to do, they do it outside of school time.

 

For example, we love dictation. Dictation allows us to cover handwriting practice, spelling, and grammar in one shot. The kids get their vocabulary from reading and discussion.

 

My kids LOVE dictation! Little freaks. :001_smile:

 

There's a tension to hold between relaxed and unschooling.

 

I would say much of our day is reading, and much of the rest is discussion.

 

We have no workbooks for anything. I teach everything-I read the books before they do. We discuss a lot. They also like to write much more than I ask of them. They love dictation, they love Latin, they do love school. They like Rex Barks and think diagramming is fun. We don't do busy work, they don't fill out papers.

 

I think the reason I CAN be relaxed is because I know what they are doing. I've read the books, I ask the questions, I know it. So, if we're discussing and I can tell they're understanding it, we don't have to take a test on it (we don't do tests), I don't need to grade them (I've never graded them). But, that means I'm reading a lot. I know where I'm going to toss the ball, and I know who's punting. I don't need to correct work-we correct it as part of school.

 

In ways I'm NOT relaxed because I have so many kids I'm schooling and to have NO form is to have chaos and that is not good for them or us, order produces wonder. Chaos is not a relaxed momma. So I have a list, and how we accomplish that list depends on how the day goes.

[WIS0320]

ETA: Sorry, saw this via "New Threads" and didn't realize it was on the Logic/Middle board... back to K-8 for me. :-)

Edited September 12, 2012 by drexel

[lewelma]

My definition of relaxed is not being a slave to curricula. I evaluate what my student needs on a daily basis and adapt the curriculum. I have annual and monthly goals that are met when appropriate, but the focus of my homeschool is *MY* students and their needs, and those needs can change unexpectedly. We use some very rigorous materials but go at a daily speed appropriate to their moods, passions, understanding, and motivation. In a nutshell, I adapt to what the day gives me. This does not mean that they are let off the hook, sometimes what they need is a motivational speech or consequences for laziness. But I know my children and know what I need to do to make them the best that they can be. A curriculum can NEVER do that.

 

Ruth in NZ

[Soror]

In homeschooling terms, it is historically used to mean less rigor.

 

That is really a completely diffferent issue than stress, which is more a product of lifestyle and personality than schooling style from what I have seen.

 

I think however that what I've seen you and others describe as your studies for earlier years could be described as relaxed, although imo not less rigorous.

 

I feel like we are pretty relaxed here but not unschoolers. We do have structured curriculum, we spend a lot of time on Math and always have, I won't say how much for fear of being stoned.

 

We are working on cementing those skill areas, although that doesn't necessarily mean stacks of papers. I think that is another thing as well. It seems a lot to what I run into IRL equate rigor with the amount of paper you produce.

 

And I should have just quoted others because I see more relaxed as cutting out the busy work and being a bit more free and less "legalistic" with content areas. I feel it more in my attitude and how we approach it, although I don't feel I expect less learning but more but I expect it in different ways.

[angela in ohio]

I think however that what I've seen you and others describe as your studies for earlier years could be described as relaxed, although imo not less rigorous.

 

I feel like we are pretty relaxed here but not unschoolers. We do have structured curriculum, we spend a lot of time on Math and always have, I won't say how much for fear of being stoned.

 

We are working on cementing those skill areas, although that doesn't necessarily mean stacks of papers. I think that is another thing as well. It seems a lot to what I run into IRL equate rigor with the amount of paper you produce.

 

And I should have just quoted others because I see more relaxed as cutting out the busy work and being a bit more free and less "legalistic" with content areas. I feel it more in my attitude and how we approach it, although I don't feel I expect less learning but more but I expect it in different ways.

 

That's not really us. :) We do have stacks of papers, I just choose to focus on a different area - the 3 Rs - and wait on formal history and science. We're defitely not relaxed, though. :D What I describe is more along the lines of *not* focusing on projects, activities, and a giant science and history curriculum at the expense of hard core skills. It's not about rigor or not, it's about spending time wisely when they are younger in my opinion.

 

I do agree that rigor is not equal to just producing masses of papers. I've seen plenty of people just doing piles of busy work, and that isn't automatically rigor. But that doesn't mean these skills just happened here - our rigor did produce plenty of paper. :D

 

Of course, I also don't think rigor is about flollowing curriculum exactly or not, structured schedule or more flexible, etc... so I'm staying out of this one. ;)

Edited September 12, 2012 by angela in ohio

[Soror]

That's not really us. :) We do have stacks of papers, I just choose to focus on a different area - the 3 Rs - and wait on formal history and science. We're defitely not relaxed, though. :D What I describe is more along the lines of *not* focusing on projects, activities, and a giant science and history curriculum at the expense of hard core skills. It's not about rigor or not, it's about spending time wisely when they are younger in my opinion.

I do agree that rigor is not equal to just producing masses of papers. I've seen plenty of people just doing piles of busy work, and that isn't automatically rigor. But that doesn't mean these skills just happened here - our rigor did produce plenty of paper. :D

 

Of course, I also don't think rigor is about flollowing curriculum exactly or not, structured schedule or more flexible, etc... so I'm staying out of this one. ;)

Interesting. The bolded above I would describe as our approach, but as I said we don't have a lot of papers(we are still in k-2 here though- so I'm in the wrong spot :) ).

 

I was just posting in another thread about how we are using Beast Academy(from AoPS) for ds, which I think most would agree is fairly rigorous but the amount of problems he does is very small. Our other Math program is Right Start, which again doesn't use a lot of worksheets. My son has difficulty writing(the physical act) but has done well with Math and we got a slow start to reading. I've picked programs that focused on those skills without killing him with writing. I don't believe that his learning to read or math have suffered because of it(and his writing is improving slowly but steadily).

 

I was just trying to say that I see what many define on here as rigor, yours wouldn't meet that standard for the early years because you aren't doing those great big science and history curriculums starting from the beginning. It seems I often seen that word thrown out by people in the k-2/3 set and equating it to many hrs of formal school with formal curriculum for every subject.

[justamouse]

My definition of relaxed is not being a slave to curricula. I evaluate what my student needs on a daily basis and adapt the curriculum. I have annual and monthly goals that are met when appropriate, but the focus of my homeschool is *MY* students and their needs, and those needs can change unexpectedly. We use some very rigorous materials but go at a daily speed appropriate to their moods, passions, understanding, and motivation. In a nutshell, I adapt to what the day gives me. This does not mean that they are let off the hook, sometimes what they need is a motivational speech or consequences for laziness. But I know my children and know what I need to do to make them the best that they can be. A curriculum can NEVER do that.

 

Ruth in NZ

:iagree:

[angela in ohio]

I was just trying to say that I see what many define on here as rigor, yours wouldn't meet that standard for the early years because you aren't doing those great big science and history curriculums starting from the beginning. It seems I often seen that word thrown out by people in the k-2/3 set and equating it to many hrs of formal school with formal curriculum for every subject.

 

Yes, I guess I just disagree with part of their definition (as do many classical schools. :D) I think it varies based on the child's age, and some things are more appropriate to K-4, while others are more appropriate to 7-12. To me, rigor looks different in those two age groups. I guess I just don't think rigor is tied to the specific subjects you do. I think people in the k-2/3 set will see that as their dc get older. ;)

[quark]

My definition of relaxed is not being a slave to curricula. I evaluate what my student needs on a daily basis and adapt the curriculum. I have annual and monthly goals that are met when appropriate, but the focus of my homeschool is *MY* students and their needs, and those needs can change unexpectedly. We use some very rigorous materials but go at a daily speed appropriate to their moods, passions, understanding, and motivation. In a nutshell, I adapt to what the day gives me. This does not mean that they are let off the hook, sometimes what they need is a motivational speech or consequences for laziness. But I know my children and know what I need to do to make them the best that they can be. A curriculum can NEVER do that.

 

Ruth in NZ

 

This. We are right on the border between relaxed and structured and liking the view on the relaxed side a little more. :001_smile: Sometimes we can be very relaxed but the materials we use are rigorous compared to age and grade level expectations and tweaked according to the needs of the day.

Edited September 12, 2012 by quark

[thowell]

This has been my goal this year. We went from Waldorfy and at times unschooling to Classical overkill. I realized that it was driving me batty and killing the fun of learning this coming year. I dreaded starting back. My kids topped out their test scores in the spring and indicated they needed more art and quality time, so I accidentally went back to Waldorf. Not full on, but a mix of CM, Waldorf, and WTM. The block schedule and sloooooow start to a full school load is really helping. I don't dread every day. Plus, I cleared up a lot of bookshelves! We are way more laid back, but not less rigorous in the long run. We've already done some weeks of intensive business math and geology in an integrated way. I'm trying to take more time to take our work outside or tell them to go out and enjoy the weather. The work can wait sometimes.

 

I would love to hear more about your block schedule!