Stripping back to the basics

[shinyhappypeople]

Has anyone stripped purchased curricula down to the bare basics and limited yourself to using mostly library books, a notebook and your brain to teach your kids?

 

Phrases floating around in my head: natural learning, delight-driven (content areas), "world is our classroom".... etc.

 

Some things are working okay for us right now, but overall I just have this niggling feeling that something is *wrong* with how we're doing things, and I need to address it.

 

Chucking most formal curricula and teaching them like I did when they were little is seeming like a good idea at the moment.

 

Have you done something like this? Even if you haven't, will you help me think this through?

[1pageatatime]

Has anyone stripped purchased curricula down to the bare basics and limited yourself to using mostly library books, a notebook and your brain to teach your kids?

 

Phrases floating around in my head: natural learning, delight-driven (content areas), "world is our classroom".... etc.

 

Some things are working okay for us right now, but overall I just have this niggling feeling that something is *wrong* with how we're doing things, and I need to address it.

 

Chucking most formal curricula and teaching them like I did when they were little is seeming like a good idea at the moment.

 

Have you done something like this? Even if you haven't, will you help me think this through?

 

I think it depends on how old your dc is/are?

 

I'm all about the basics until 6th gr. Until then, content areas are covered within the 3r's. (For the most part...)

 

There is a local hs family (5 dc) who used a math book(I remember it was Saxon.), library card and the internet. That was it! They did it for Prek-8th, then put their dc into private school where they were well above their classmates.

[teitel]

I get the same feelings sometimes. I keep getting myself bog down in curriculum choices. Then when I finally make a choice I seem to always find something that just doesn't feel right with it. I find myself thinking about how people taught their students in the days of one room schoolhouses. The days when teachers may not have much formal education or curriculum to teach with but were still able to get the job done. If they could do it then, surely I could do it now. Sometimes I think having so many choices is detrimental to a mother's psyche!

[Karen in CO]

For 5th grade last year, I simplified my dd to a 4 hour day. She did an hour of math, an hour of cello, an hour of reading (rotating subjects) and an hour writing daily. For full disclosure, she also did a weekly lab with a friend and a one-day a week enrichment public school and art lessons. We rotated the reading through stacks of non-fiction and wonderful classic and modern fiction.

 

It was simple basic, focused and worked great for us.

 

 

Right now for 2nd grade, I have scaled my youngest down to what we consider the basics while she does vision therapy. We'll re-evaluate what we're doing once we address her vision issues.

[Elizabeth in MN]

The book "The Latin Centered Curriculum" can help you strip down to just the basics. I agree that it depends on the age of your children, but also their interests. If I took Logic away from my child she would go on a hunger strike.

 

Here's my take on things -

 

Reading - use something like OPG and then set them loose in a library. Have them read daily. This can cover many subjects like citizenship, religion, et al.

 

Writing - can in theory be learned through copywork. However, this didn't happen with my dd. Do use a formal handwriting curriculum to help them with letter formation at first.

 

Math - use a formal curriculum like SM or Saxon plus lots of every day math like cooking.

 

PE - lots of recesses, Wii for exercise in winter, stuff like that. We do it daily (in theory)

 

Anything else can be gravy at the elementary school age IMO.

 

History - SOTW on audio CD so everyone can listen and learn.

Science - Nature walk, zoo, pet store and the like

Art - Museum trips

Geography - Have a world map and a globe, when they ask questions point the kid to the resources you have

Music - Listen to classical music when doing errands or just sitting around at home. If they want to (and you can afford it), let them learn to play an instrument or take singing lessons.

Home Ec - Involve the kids in housework.

[shinyhappypeople]

Thanks for the replies. BTW, my kids are 7 and 9.

 

(this became pretty long and rambling and kind of jumps around, hope it makes sense)

 

I've been thinking about this issue a lot over the last few weeks and I had a light bulb moment: I want the learning/teaching to have the same rhythm and feel as it did before we started "school." In fact, I want our home learning to look as different as school as humanly possible.

 

I'm not 100% on board with unschooling philosophy (esp. the ideas that parent directed learning is always a bad thing, and that kids will always intuitively know what they need to learn).

 

But, on the other hand, I strongly believe that, given the opportunity to explore, kids can and do learn most of what they need just through actively pursuing their interests. Kids learn best and remember more when they're interested in the subject and having fun.

 

Why do we default to workbooks when it's so much more meaningful, fun and effective to learn measurements and geometry while you build a birdhouse? OK, real-world answer: Time and money. Workbooks are cheap and efficient. They get the job done and, sometimes, that's the goal. I get that (trust me, I soooo get that). I'll even grant that some kids would choose workbook lessons over building something, though I suspect those kids are a minority.

 

Another thought: parent-direction can get in the way of learning. True story: when older DD was in first grade she was interested in mummies. We read books about mummies, watched Netflix documentaries, etc. She then, on her own, wrote a wonderful, long paragraph about Egyptian embalming practices. Her spelling was, um, like a first grader's ;) and her grammar wasn't perfect, but the words flowed from her pencil. She had something to say and she said it pretty well. Fast forward to 2nd grade (and 3rd, and 4th): mom decides it's time for formal writing program. She now hates writing, and I can barely get three or four tortured sentences out of her.

 

So, anyway, I'm trying to figure out a way to address the core, non-negotiables (arithmetic, reading, spelling) in an age-appropriate way that's so relevant that they hardly know they're "learning," while not stunting their growth as creative problem-solvers. I want them to see learning and everyday life as being part of an integrated whole.

[Durriyyah]

At the age they are at, you have some flexibility with how your days go. As they get older, I do think the unschooling philosophy has less appeal for functionality unless they are really a curious kid. In my experience, laziness sets in right around puberty, and some nudging needs to happen to keep them from sitting on the couch all day.

 

If you taught yourself a writing program, like going through the teacher DVDs in IEW, you could help guide her in making exciting papers in areas she loves. For math, there are many ways to make it fun and interesting at that age, but it does take a lot of extra prep work. That's the main draw to buying a curriculum, or even running through the WTM and using all their suggestions, is the prep work is taken out of the equation. I wish I was more creative, but it is so overwhelming! Hopefully with the younger kids I will have this figured out a bit better. :)

[...................]

Well don't fall off the other side of the balance beam.

 

Why don't you keep all of the formal study for Math, and Spelling (and phonics if you have kids K-2nd grade.)

 

Then do everything else just delight-directed. It's free and easy. Under 5th grade, I would say that approach is very fruitful and very safe.

 

Do copywork from the LIttle House on the Prairie or other quality lit you have around. Just get library books, videos, on interesting subjects. If you allow no twaddle to come in the door you won't have to worry about which library book or video they are watching. Subscribe to Brain Pop, and get lots of art supplies.

 

DOn't allow any TV or video games, until they have spent 3 hours enjoying books and videos from the library. Or get rid of all TV and video games completely.

 

But I personally think it's a very bad idea to try to do a relaxed approach for math and spelling, or for any child 5th grade and over. Depending on how consistent you are with copywork and dictation on your own, you may need to keep whatever Writing resource you are using, as well.

[Jayne J]

You might enjoy reading "Project Based Homeschooling," by Lori Pickert. It has generated a lot of thought on the boards

Here, here, and here

 

Lori also has a blog of the same name where she discusses the ideas, as well as a forum.

 

Also, this post by 8filtheheart, as well as a forum search using the term 'interest led' will give food for thought.

[Soror]

We're working on a scaled back school year here, not to unschooling standards mind you though.

 

My ds is 8 and dd1 is 5.

 

For ds we have 1 hr LA and 1 hr Math for our sit down work. He also does about an 1 hr silent reading on his own of different books I pick out- good books on his reading level. We are watching science and history docs/show nearly daily. We have read-aloud time with various classics and books on history and science subjects we find interesting. I read a Bible/Saint/Catechism story at some point during the day and then we have some discussion- nothing exactly preplanned though. I've got in my mind some ideas and such I want to cover with it being his first communion and confession but we are mostly taking discussions where they go.

 

Our LA (currently) consists of WWE2, Spelling Plus+Dictation and work through Blend Phonics+Websters. We are doing about 20 minutes for each. He does Draw Write Now here and there when he has a short day with WWE. I'd love to plan out our own writing on the fly but it is not my strong suit, so this gets the job done. He's not drawn to creative writing right now at all so I'm happy with this scope and sequence.

 

Math is Beast Academy +RSD right now, although I'm considering going to full time BA.

 

DD5 has a session with LoE Foundations daily and some RSA here and there.

[NASDAQ]

Why do we default to workbooks when it's so much more meaningful, fun and effective to learn measurements and geometry while you build a birdhouse? OK, real-world answer: Time and money. Workbooks are cheap and efficient. They get the job done and, sometimes, that's the goal. I get that (trust me, I soooo get that). I'll even grant that some kids would choose workbook lessons over building something, though I suspect those kids are a minority.

 

Well, a few reasons.

 

First, I don't think it's settled that it's more effective to learn things via discovery learning. We know that in reading, for example, it's not. Direct instruction produces better results than discovery. Whole language is basically "discovery phonics," and the results are terrible.

 

Discovery learning is very inefficient. You spend much longer on the same ideas. You don't necessarily cover all of the ideas necessary for the next stage of learning, which slows the process down even more.

 

Children discover both things that are true and things that are not true. This is overlooked, but not every generalisation that a child makes while working on a bird house is going to be mathematically correct. How do you ferret out and correct those mistakes? You need a way.

 

Education gradually moves from the concrete to the abstract. Discovery learning is concrete, but most people are gradually moving their children away from that and towards abstraction -- less experiencing, more reading. This is because both of us seek to use education to move our children outside of that which they experience. So even someone who uses discovery learning is going to be using less and less as the years go by.

[momtoamiracle]

I'm doing mostly basics for first grade this year.

 

 

I'm combining several math curriculums into my own, making games of it, requiring very little written work. My son is loving math again.

 

 

For phonics we read books and are learning consonant blends.

 

Handwriting is a few times a week.

 

I discovered simple homeschooling for science so we do a free unit study from them once a week or so.

 

 

Otherwise it's reading books or watching an educational video. We are both happier and less stressed. My son was hating school so I had to adjust things. It has been going very well.

[Soror]

eta I'm working on encouraging and facilitating more projects and such around here as well. Trying to work on having more resources and supplies etc. available. Still working that out in my head though as to how much framework I want to provide.

[Down_the_Rabbit_Hole]

I don't know is this is what you mean or not but we dropped all formal curriculum except math and part of science. We are still doing the other subjects just not with curriculum or any set plan. We do have a theme a week I center writing around and our book basket books with. I have also dropped schedule making. I am keeping a notebook of skill being covered each day so I can see what we have done and what still needs to be covered. After I go over things I want to cover for the day dd then spends time at the theme table and reading from the book basket. The rest of the day is for quality play. Notebooking is the way dd keeps record of her work as well as lists of books read/looked at and pictures of projects or events participated in. After 19 years of structured curriculum this year (our 20th) is less stressful since we freed ourselves from curriculum and I feel the day is more packed with learning (through what I teach and her self directed learning).

 

Ds is in High School so this "dropping curriculum" cannot be done, however I have dropped the schedule and besides Math and Science the rest are done in a more research, reading, and exploring type way. This has left him with more time to try new things...learning computer programing, writing a book, photography, model weapon building, and pursuing his love of mythology.

[Mommy to monkeys]

We did a very "basics" oriented year last year: CLE math, CTGE, Dictation/copywork, and lots of books and narration. It was a good, fruitful year. . .but now as we're about a quarter into this year, I really feel like we need MORE. That probably sounds crazy.;)

[ondreeuh]

I do not mean to be critical of you at all, but I see this thought process somewhat often on this forum (and in other forums that have nothing to do with homeschooling). The idea that simplifying creates a purer experience is something that cycles around. I think it is often a reaction to a bit of burn-out or boredom.

 

A few thoughts:

 

1) Don't fix what isn't broken. If what you are doing is working reasonably well, then there's an excellent chance that you are doing better than you would be by chucking it all and doing something else.

 

2) If what you are doing is OK but not fantastic, don't believe that you have to keep searching until you find perfection. It is never out there. Every program has its drawbacks and areas where you will need to compensate.

 

3) What sounds simple often isn't. The beauty of homeschool curricula is that it organizes, plans, and schedules the work for you. If you decide to wing it, then that burden falls to you. Sometimes that is worth it, but sometimes it just makes things more complicated. And when things become complicated, they are more difficult to get done regularly.

 

What sounds good in theory is not always practical in real life. Advice from others should be taken with a grain of salt too - people's perspectives on what they wish they had done is often rosy. Just look at all the homeschoolers whose oldest child is in K/1st compared to all the homeschoolers who haven't taught those ages in many years. The ones currently in the trenches are worrying about doing enough and building a firm foundation. The ones who are long past that stage are full of advice to just read books, bake together, do arts & crafts, and nature walks, because they have forgotten what it feels like to feel unsure that you are doing enough for your child. There are even veterans whose students are all grown up, and they are fiercely loyal to programs like Saxon and Spalding and eschew any of the newfangled things :lol:. This may sound dumb, but this is super common with cloth diaperers as well. The newbies are in search of the "best," most modern products, but once they become veterans they tell others to just use prefolds and simple covers.

 

Do what works for you. If what you're doing works, then you are probably doing better than you would with something else.

[shinyhappypeople]

Why do we default to workbooks when it's so much more meaningful, fun and effective to learn measurements and geometry while you build a birdhouse? OK, real-world answer: Time and money. Workbooks are cheap and efficient. They get the job done and, sometimes, that's the goal. I get that (trust me, I soooo get that). I'll even grant that some kids would choose workbook lessons over building something, though I suspect those kids are a minority.

 

Well, a few reasons.

 

First, I don't think it's settled that it's more effective to learn things via discovery learning. We know that in reading, for example, it's not. Direct instruction produces better results than discovery. Whole language is basically "discovery phonics," and the results are terrible.

 

Discovery learning is very inefficient. You spend much longer on the same ideas. You don't necessarily cover all of the ideas necessary for the next stage of learning, which slows the process down even more.

 

Children discover both things that are true and things that are not true. This is overlooked, but not every generalisation that a child makes while working on a bird house is going to be mathematically correct. How do you ferret out and correct those mistakes? You need a way.

 

Education gradually moves from the concrete to the abstract. Discovery learning is concrete, but most people are gradually moving their children away from that and towards abstraction -- less experiencing, more reading. This is because both of us seek to use education to move our children outside of that which they experience. So even someone who uses discovery learning is going to be using less and less as the years go by.

 

The birdhouse example wasn't intended as an example of discovery learning. I wasn't picturing handing DD a 2x4 and a hammer and telling her to go for it.

 

The picture I have in my head is my DH and DDs working together in the shop. He teaches them to measure by showing them how to measure the wood. He uses the language of geometry (acute angles, degrees, parallel lines) in the context of explaining what they're actively doing right then. It wouldn't be a one-time event either. Over the months and years they'd do many projects with him and, in theory, the concepts would become second nature through hands on practice. To me, it just seems like a better way to learn.

 

Anyway, that was just an example. Maybe what I'm leaning toward in all these rambling posts is teaching in context. So, returning to the birdhouse: geometry in the context of building (or origami or quilting or...?). I'm thinking this might be possible for most things I think are important for my kids to learn.

 

I don't know for sure if it's right, but it's certainly intriguing and merits further thought and investigation. I'm just doing some mental riffing right now, dancing with a new idea.

 

I love all the responses. Gives me lots of food for thought. Thank you :)

[cmac]

This is our second year of homeschooling after a two year break in ps. I am not following a curriculum too much. It was out of necessity. I wanted my ds8(3rd grade) to enjoy learning. I couldn't find a language arts/reading curriculum that would be interesting for him, although we are doing parts of MCT. He was bored with Ancients in TOG for history.

 

So after researching quality books that I thought he would like, I get them from the library, and he gets to pick from those. I make him do narrations based on the books. We will probably do dictation from them also. For copy and memory work I will probably pick out something from a poetry book I have from the library.

 

I know you asked about the basics, but I use SOTW vol. 3 for reference. We switched from Ancients to American History, but he wanted to learn about ninja's so I found a section on Japanese history and that's what we are currently doing. Science we have been able to follow BFSU without too much problems.

 

Don't know how I would do history with three different grade levels though. Maybe get them to agree on a topic?

 

I try to do related crafts and projects since it makes things more interesting for him. And I use art projects I find online for breaks.

 

ETA: As for teaching in context, I think there are curriculums that address that somewhat. So far, MCT seems practical to me. I think one of the older arithmetic books teaches more in context. I know you didn't want curriculum but I wouldn't be able to do grammar and math without one. Writing and comprehension through narration and spelling through dictation to me seems like it would be teaching in context.

Edited October 18, 2012 by cmac
less rambling:0)

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

The birdhouse example wasn't intended as an example of discovery learning. I wasn't picturing handing DD a 2x4 and a hammer and telling her to go for it.

 

The picture I have in my head is my DH and DDs working together in the shop. He teaches them to measure by showing them how to measure the wood. He uses the language of geometry (acute angles, degrees, parallel lines) in the context of explaining what they're actively doing right then. It wouldn't be a one-time event either. Over the months and years they'd do many projects with him and, in theory, the concepts would become second nature through hands on practice. To me, it just seems like a better way to learn.

 

Anyway, that was just an example. Maybe what I'm leaning toward in all these rambling posts is teaching in context. So, returning to the birdhouse: geometry in the context of building (or origami or quilting or...?). I'm thinking this might be possible for most things I think are important for my kids to learn.

 

I don't know for sure if it's right, but it's certainly intriguing and merits further thought and investigation. I'm just doing some mental riffing right now, dancing with a new idea.

 

I love all the responses. Gives me lots of food for thought. Thank you :)

 

My problem with this is that it's always a beautiful picture in my head, and I use all the right terminology and the child is focused and interested and paying attention. In real life, I'm saying, "Stop touching that! Are you listening to me? No, don't spill... OK, let's clean that up now. OK, back to what we were doing. What's this called again? No, it's not a bright angel, it's a right angle. Right. Angle. OK, go ahead and measure 6 inches. No, 6 inches. No, the little marks are parts of inches. You're looking at the big marks. Count 6. No, 6. 6 INCHES! OK, now mark it at 6 inches. What do you mean you lost the pencil? Go run and get another one. *waits 10 minutes*..." :banghead: And the next day we're back to our workbooks :lol:

 

I'm only partly being facetious here, really. I feel like I've tried this approach so many times, to shed the structure and find the joy in learning. I tried FIAR, and I got, "Didn't we just read this book a few days ago? I don't want to read it again!" I try the projects in the SOTW AG and they lose interest unless I cut and paste and give every tiny instruction along the way. I asked DD10 what she'd like to learn about, and she said "Science!" I said ok, let's go find some topics you're interested in. What does she come up with? Books about ghost stories. And no, she did not care to read anything about the science behind the paranormal. She just wanted the creepy tales.

 

On the flip side, I say, "Let's do schoolwork now," and they kvetch and moan, and then younger begs for more addition problems and lights up like a Christmas tree when I tell her how well she's doing, and older gags her way through Latin and then points out every Latin derivative she sees of every word we learned that week and says, "Boy, that Latin really is everywhere!"

 

SHP, I totally hear you. I have those inner thoughts on a regular basis myself, especially after I'm treated to "overhearing" a diatribe by one of our co-op's unschoolers about how they just magically learn what they need as I'm sitting at the other end of the table typing in lesson plans for SOTW. Yet, my kids just don't seem to operate the same way. I wish I could shake off some structure and let them learn via their delights, but honestly, my kids do not seem to have any!

 

My experience has been much more like Ondreeuh described. When I try to make everything more free-flowing, chaos seems to reign, and none of us thrive in chaos. Younger gets bored and obnoxious, older wants to bury herself in her iPad, they fight like wolverines, and I feel like I'm completely at loose ends. I think it must really depend on the individual family, but while less structure looks great from this side of the fence, it just doesn't work here. I yearn for it anyway, though.

Edited October 17, 2012 by Sweet Morning Air

[shinyhappypeople]

My problem with this is that it's always a beautiful picture in my head, and I use all the right terminology and the child is focused and interested and paying attention. In real life, I'm saying, "Stop touching that! Are you listening to me? No, don't spill... OK, let's clean that up now. OK, back to what we were doing. What's this called again? No, it's not a bright angel, it's a right angle. Right. Angle. OK, go ahead and measure 6 inches. No, 6 inches. No, the little marks are parts of inches. You're looking at the big marks. Count 6. No, 6. 6 INCHES! OK, now mark it at 6 inches. What do you mean you lost the pencil? Go run and get another one. *waits 10 minutes*..." :banghead: And the next day we're back to our workbooks :lol:

 

:lol::lol::lol: You'll note that in my fantasy it was DH and not me... that was intentional :D

[Soror]

I think we can and do idolize any/all of the different types and flavors of hs'ing. I think the beauty is though that you can take little bits from here and there. What works for one teacher or student will look entirely different than another.

 

Fwiw I'm always more of a simple person. I'm a cloth diaperer as well :) I've always just used pre-folds and simple covers.

 

With hs'ing I see things in a state of movement most of the time. We are always tweaking here and there, whether it be in our exact routine, how we use what we use, times we work or even programs at times. I personally don't like to switch curriculum much for the basics but I do like to keep an eye and ear out how to make them work the best for us.

[Alte Veste Academy]

I've been thinking about this issue a lot over the last few weeks and I had a light bulb moment: I want the learning/teaching to have the same rhythm and feel as it did before we started "school." In fact, I want our home learning to look as different as school as humanly possible.

 

...

 

Another thought: parent-direction can get in the way of learning. True story: when older DD was in first grade she was interested in mummies. We read books about mummies, watched Netflix documentaries, etc. She then, on her own, wrote a wonderful, long paragraph about Egyptian embalming practices. Her spelling was, um, like a first grader's ;) and her grammar wasn't perfect, but the words flowed from her pencil. She had something to say and she said it pretty well. Fast forward to 2nd grade (and 3rd, and 4th): mom decides it's time for formal writing program. She now hates writing, and I can barely get three or four tortured sentences out of her.

 

So, anyway, I'm trying to figure out a way to address the core, non-negotiables (arithmetic, reading, spelling) in an age-appropriate way that's so relevant that they hardly know they're "learning," while not stunting their growth as creative problem-solvers. I want them to see learning and everyday life as being part of an integrated whole.

 

Shiny, what you want is possible! A balance, yes? I am very curious to know what curricula you are using. Some are easier to balance with than others. :D I have many thoughts on this but hesitate to post them in case they are altogether irrelevant because of your particular program choices.

 

Also, what is your daily rhythm now? How does it compare to your daily rhythm before starting school? What are your end goals for your kids' education?

 

Funnily enough, I had the opposite problem from you. We also had a relaxed rhythm in the early years but, despite my many gorgeous schedules for official school time :tongue_smilie:, we just kept right on relaxing in the early years :lol: ...until DC basically told me and showed me in every way possible that they craved more. I have been adding, evaluating, tweaking, adding, evaluating, tweaking, adding...for more than two years now. My kids' love of learning (especially my oldest's) had fizzled out because of not enough "formal" school. Rest assured, it can go both ways. Since I began steering more thoughtfully, love of learning has increased steadily. But you know what else has increased? My involvement, expectations, rigor, input, output... Basically I didn't go one way or another; I went all in, all the way. More than anything, the example of my energy and attention improved relationships and that was the Golden Ticket. Anyway, I just want to encourage you in this. It is not either/or, I promise. :)

Edited October 18, 2012 by Alte Veste Academy

[briansmama]

You might enjoy reading "Project Based Homeschooling," by Lori Pickert. It has generated a lot of thought on the boards

Here, here, and here

 

Lori also has a blog of the same name where she discusses the ideas, as well as a forum.

 

Also, this post by 8filtheheart, as well as a forum search using the term 'interest led' will give food for thought.

 

I second this recommendation- we've been using a holistic Waldorf curriculum up until now (my always homeschooled boys are in K and 3rd) and even then, it still didn't feel right. My oldest would be asking me all kinds of interesting questions on his mind and we just didn't have the chance to delve into them because we were so busy with parent-led Waldorf main lessons.

 

I recently read Project Based Homeschooling and it is based on the Reggio method of education, which is a holistic approach to Ed, but one that shifts more of the decision of what to learn on the child. However, I've read all of John Holt's work and lots of unschooling materials and books over the last 10 years and I will say that to me, the Reggio approach and Proejct Based Learning is very different from unschooling and yet looks nothing like standardized Ed.

 

First, parents using PBH are mentoring their child by establishing a set Project Time. We, as the homeschooling parents, are to facilitate our child's interest, keep it front and center, and bring them back to it if they get off track. We ask them questions, support them by providing what they need, keep a journal of their ideas to remind them, etc. this method can be used with very young children and with children in the teen years and everywhere in between.

 

Second, PBH can be done along with skills/practice work. The author just recommends keeping the two separate. So for us, we dedicate our morning 9-12 to Project Time. We keep a brief 30min chunk of time in the afternoons for skills work/practice that is mostly dictated by me (math practice, cursive, spelling, and journaling).

 

I too am looking for the absolute basics for the skills- after using lots of story-based math lessons and main lesson books and artistic output for our skills work, I'm realizing that it doesn't need to be so complicated and time consuming. I'd rather put our homeschooling funds and time and research and work into their projects and buy them supplies that will support their interests rather than yet another "special" and complicated curriculum to approach math. So, I'm looking more and more at basic worksheets to make sure my boys have their math skills honed and ready, and will use journaling to create summaries together for dictation, which includes spelling and grammar and punctuation.

 

I'm really happy with this approach and so far it has been serving us really well. My boys are engaged, writing and reading during project time without any complaints or hesitancy, and we are still covering the basics in the afternoons.

I feels really good!

[momtoamiracle]

I think we can and do idolize any/all of the different types and flavors of hs'ing. I think the beauty is though that you can take little bits from here and there. What works for one teacher or student will look entirely different than another.

 

Fwiw I'm always more of a simple person. I'm a cloth diaperer as well :) I've always just used pre-folds and simple covers.

 

With hs'ing I see things in a state of movement most of the time. We are always tweaking here and there, whether it be in our exact routine, how we use what we use, times we work or even programs at times. I personally don't like to switch curriculum much for the basics but I do like to keep an eye and ear out how to make them work the best for us.

 

 

side note but I put off using prefolds and covers because I thought they were too complicated. When I finally went to them I was totally hooked! I was actually sad when my son potty trained, even tho he was 3, because I wanted to use prefolds longer! LOL! Wished I had started off with those when I started CDing at 10 mnths.

[SorrelZG]

I think you ought to have that in context learning going on, that it should be a normal part of life. We're (parents, uncle, etc.) always learning new things or having analytical discussions about stuff around here and you can tell that our 6yo is one of us. Even though I feel extra liberty because my oldest is only six, I don't actually rely on this informal continual education for "school" - I do Official School Stuff every day, I just like to keep it tight and efficient so we have save as much energy as possible for .. you know ... following interests, .. spontaneous stuff, ... whatever. It's not surprising that my most cherished homeschool books are the Latin-Centered Curriculum and The Core.