Minimal Schooling

[SnMomof7]

We have once again reduced our workload to just math and LA (they do a lot of free reading in various topics...they think Abeka readers and textbooks make great reading?). I think we are going to stay here. We are dealing with many special needs/medical things this past couple of years, and I really want to teach my children PRODUCTION rather than consumption, so we will be doing a lot more gardening, handcrafts, drawing, housework, playing with siblings, baking etc. The things they all want to do anyway. And...appointments of course (appointments everyday next week!!)

 

Anybody else? It isn't officially Robinson but certainly has some similarities.

 

What would you call it? Are you doing this too?

[Ravin]

You might like the unschooling-ish social group.

 

We are in a similar place. Next year, all I am requiring of DD is math and a study skills course. Everything else is programs she selected for herself at an enrichment program.

[KSinNS]

I would call it setting priorities, and I think that's very reasonable. I really do this with my youngers, and add in content as they can read. Living books wherever possible. Also, I think kids are much more into school if they have more choice and follow their interests.

[SnMomof7]

I will see if I can find it!

[sbgrace]

I was reading your post and thinking it resonates but I just can't at this age...and then I see that you have a 12 year old too!

 

If I had just my special needs guy and not his twin, I think my schooling might look more like you describe.

 

My biggest issue, and this goes for both, is that the biggest time sucks outside of math and language arts for me are history and science, which are, by far, the highlights of our school days. Those subjects are largely why my kids "like" school.

 

But my day/week/month gets crowded and sometimes the more important is what gets cut, especially when the more important is special needs stuff that's kind of overwhelming and sometimes discouraging anyway.

 

Anyway, I can see the plus in your plan!

[ElizaG]

We've tried something like this, but with foreign languages as part of "language arts."   Some of my children do very well.  They read a lot of books (many of them challenging), they make things, and they occupy their time in various ways that are at least semi-productive.  Others, not so much.  

 

As it turns out, in our family, the first group are female, and the second group are male.   And the OP's school-aged children are all girls.   And sbgrace has boys.   I don't think this is pure coincidence.

 

It doesn't necessarily mean that this is due to innate differences; in our family, it could just as well be modeling. The children see DH reading stuff on the computer, but not in books, and he doesn't usually start conversations about articles he's been reading.   Nor does he make things -- at least, not in a way they can see in their daily life.  So, much as I'd like it to be otherwise, I think they see all of these activities as "Mommy things."

 

If this is a big part of the dynamic, IDK what to do about it.  On my end, I mean.   (Not asking for "How to Change DH" advice.  ;) )   

 

 

ETA:  The OP mentioned Robinson - of course, he worked at home, and as a widowed father, was probably more hands-on with the children than he would otherwise have been.   So now I'm wondering if that was a factor in the success of their minimalist, heavily book-based approach.

Edited June 5, 2016 by ElizaG

[....]

We have once again reduced our workload to just math and LA 

 

Not sure if you're planning to do interest-led learning with the rest, but that was my impression from your post.

 

This is how I plan to homeschool my youngest son when we reach that point.  There is a gargantuan age gap between him and my older kids (he's 13 years younger than my oldest) and I'm going to be able to spend so much time with him individually.  I'm going to do math + LA with him and then do interest-led learning with the rest.

 

For us, interest-led learning is always a lot more time-consuming than following a curriculum plan.  That's why I'm not doing that now.  I'm frazzled.  My oldest 4 have drastically different interests and personalities.  Two of my kids seem to consume more attention than the others - so the others end up getting the short end of the stick.

 

We've done that plan off and on when we were under a lot of stress/time-constraints, having a baby, needed a break, etc.

[bttrflyvld]

I've been trying to figure out how to do this next year. Every year is different in our home. I have 6 & 8 year old and a special needs 2 year old and this year our focus for him is getting him off a feeding tube. That means lots of drs and therapist appointments. So if I can focus the time we have for school on building a strong foundation in LA, math, And hand writing I think we'll be good. My daughters are strong readers so I'll provide lots of living books on science and history. And just fun books. There are times when you need to give yourself less pressure and stress and still feel like your doing things right. I find when I try to do to much, every subject suffers and nothing we do is very thorough done. You do what's best for your family.

Edited June 7, 2016 by bttrflyvld

[ElizaG]

I don't think the OP is talking about "interest-led learning" (as I've seen it described in homeschool literature), but about self-directed learning, where you just give them time and space to do their own thing.

 

The catch is that not all children are inclined to "self-direct" in a way that fits with the parent's educational values.   So then the parent has to step in and lead, whether overtly through required schoolwork, or covertly through something like "delight-directed studies."   From what I've seen, the latter approach is often very tiring and time-consuming for the parent.  I wonder, too, about how effective it is in the long run, since the parent is doing so much of the planning and behind-the-scenes work.   

 

Anyway... in my experience, this is more or less the order, from most to least tiring:

 

Interest-led, parent-guided learning

Parent-designed, parent-led curriculum

Publisher-designed curriculum, done with a parent

Publisher-designed curriculum, assigned by the parent, and done independently

Self-directed learning, in an environment with a reasonable selection of basic resources that most homeschoolers already have:  books, pencils & paper, needle & thread, a kitchen, a garden, maybe some pets, etc.

 

Hmm... looking at that list... maybe that is part of the issue with the boys.   The "basic resources" that are currently available to our children don't include a lot of mechanical objects, tools, scrap wood, DIY electronics, etc.  We have all those things, but I've been keeping them put away because of the little ones.  Will have to think about that...

 

OP, thank you for starting this thread!  You often seem to get good things happening over here!  :001_smile:

[SnMomof7]

Our first group is girls, the second group is boys, but they aren't schooling yet :).

 

We've had appointments every day this week, except for Monday, and it seems every month is like this lately. Multiple therapists for multiple kids, dental, medical, etc. I feel like if I can direct the basics and do it WELL, instead of getting overwhelmed by all the other THINGS ;), then that would be better for everyone in the long run. Definitely self-directed as opposed to interest-led, they do it well in their free time rather naturally. There is no way I have the energy to support interest-led learning for so many people, unfortunately. I do listen to spontaneous narrations, though :).

[Guest]

That's what I have fallen into doing with my boys.

 

I just don't have anything I consider junk (toys, books, shows, building things, etc) and I trust them to find what they need within what we have. They do simple Language arts at my direction (they would not do it if I did not require it), and actually I told them they don't have to do math and they both choose to do it on their own.

 

I do make them read for a certain amount of time per day, and I read aloud for a certain amount of time per day.

 

I encourage them to keep notebooks...a recipe book, a nature journal, a book of ideas and what we call a "main lesson book" catch-all notebook for my oldest.

 

At some point I am going to have to insist on cursive.

 

I started out Charlotte Mason. I still LOVE all things CM and as they grow older I suspect we'll move back in that direction again. But for now, they can get all the CM goodness...the desired results....without any work from me. So I am free to be more the mother than the schoolmarm (the nature of the relationship was becoming somewhat of an issue).

[Jerico]

Us!

 

We usually just do math and language arts (language arts k-3 is really basic grammar, writing, and learning phonics). We are just starting formal grammar next year, for the first time.

 

Our co-op covers a few things that my children enjoy doing but i don't enjoy teaching (at this point): art, science, etc.

 

We do a lot of things like gardening, cooking, baking, learning how to tie knots, etc, fishing, camping, hiking.

 

Reading and/or listening to audio books is big around here too.

 

So far, my oldest tested a year ahead when he had to do compulsory testing this past year. It only reinforced my style to learn what I feel is necessary (for us) formally, to get out and enjoy life, but also have lots of down time for playing, thinking, etc.