If life dictated the use of a "workbook" style curriculum (sorry, a bit long)...

[Sue G in PA]

how do you not feel guilty? What I mean is this: If you were at a place in your life where you could not spend inordinate amounts of time planning, conducting science experiments, doing art projects, lots of hands on stuff, etc. (either due to sickness or family issues or whatever) but still felt the need/call to homeschool and you had to use a style of curriculum that was a "do the next thing", workbook type thing...how do you rest easy/be at peace and not feel guilty that you aren't doing more? I'm at that point. I have come to a point where I must recognize my limitations at this particular juncture in my life. 7 kids, physical/emotional health issues, discipline issues, marriage issues, etc. (you've all read my past threads and so most of you know what I'm talking about :)) have necessitated me being more focused on "me" than I would like and am really comfortable with. But...both dh and I feel compelled to keep homeschooling (yes, dh was finally honest with himself and me about his desire to keep the kids home despite my "issues"). So, that being said... I explained to dh my limitations and what I could accomplish and could not. He has agreed to make Saturdays "Science experiment day" or some other sort of hands on project day. He has agreed to be more involved with the teaching process. I have moved to using more workbooks type books that the kids can do independently more or less. But, I still feel guilt that we are not "doing enough". How do you just let that go? Or is that guilt there b/c we AREN'T doing enough? Ugh. Does anybody know what I mean? Any words of wisdom would be much appreciated. I know that this won't last forever...next year is another year and I hope to be in a much better place physically and emotionally but for now...I am where I am. :) Thanks for listening.

[dragons in the flower bed]

how do you not feel guilty? <snip> [if] you had to use a style of curriculum that was a "do the next thing", workbook type thing... how do you rest easy/be at peace and not feel guilty that you aren't doing more?

 

I have two beliefs that would allow me to justify this course of action. First, I believe children and classrooms don't go together. Any form of education that keeps them out of a modern school is better. Secondly, I believe that children benefit from a great deal of free time, time to get bored. Any form of education that is efficient, that lets kids have maximum time to play, explore, discover, stare at the ceiling and daydream, is better. A workbook-based homeschool program is still aligned with both of these reasons to homeschool.

[Jean in Newcastle]

You are doing your best. And our best is all that God requires of us. My best can't be compared with someone else's best. With my health issues I have not been able to always give my children as much as I'd like. But I do believe that what I was giving them was better than what they would have gotten in another setting. Otherwise I would have put them in that setting. And I made that determination not out of blind loyalty to homeschooling but after actually researching what is out there in our area - and that fit our budget. I do believe that if we do our best that God will honor that.

[Annie N]

I have the same problem. You have only 24 hours a day; spend it in a way that you can be the best wife and mother you can be. That is the best thing you can do for your children.

 

And besides, they are now learning to learn independently :) and that is very important too!

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

I would keep the workbooks to the minimum. For us, that would be LA and maths.

Everything else, I would let my kids do completely unsupervised. As long as they like reading, or watching videos, even playing outside, they are amassing tons of information. Do they have access to a public library? I would take them to the library twice a week, if possible. Let them unschool themselves. Be there if they want to discuss, but don't push the discussions on them.

 

As for feeling guilty, well, that's a tough one. I've stopped feeling guilty when I saw the results in other homeschooling families that had a similar approach. It does work. No, I don't entirely do this approach with my own family because I'm not in your situation. I can work with my kids, and we all enjoy it. But there are days and weeks, where I just let them go and watch them. We're fine ;)

Edited January 21, 2009 by CleoQc

[Christy B]

Sue, perhaps my experience will help you feel confident in your choice.

 

I went to a small Christian school from grades 6 to 12. We used the ACE (aka School of Tomorrow, or PACES) curriculum. I thought this curriculum was the cream of the crop until I discovered WTM and classical education, and then felt as if it (and other workbook curricula) were considered the armpit of home education.

 

And you know what? Bull honky. :D

 

My "pathetic" (yes, it's been described that way, frequently) workbook education yielded me a 1400 on my SATs, a prolific vocabulary, a scholarship to my first choice of college (which I declined but that's a long story), an effortless (as in, straight-As, no studying EVER) stint in business college, a marvelous transition into the workforce (because I had initiative and self-discipline, a direct result of our workbook and self-directed learning) and later, much later, an entrance into that college after all. And while there, I discovered that I had learned to write and communicate *well* in high school, and I held my own with English majors ten years younger and with a great deal more time to study. All of this, plus I was a (mostly) happy and (arguably) well-adjusted person. :tongue_smilie:

 

Among my fellow students in our sad, workbook driven little school: a doctor, a nurse, a lawyer, a computer programmer, and many, many other very happy, very "successful" (by both Christian and secular standards) people.

 

Does life call you to use workbooks right now? Use them with all the enthusiasm and confidence you can give them. Saturdays as a hands-on project day will add a wonderful dimension. Make sure you have your students READ -- for pleasure and for stretching a bit beyond their comfort zone.

 

I do believe I had gaps in literature (we were weak in analysis, and I would have loved to have read a wider variety of books than our curriculum offered) and history (I solved that by reading SOTW with my children).

 

Do what is best for YOUR family and don't let ANYONE make you feel bad about it.

[Tree House Academy]

Our curriculum is me piecing a lot of things together, but we still do a lot of what I could consider "workbook" type things. My oldest son thrives on it and loves it. My younger is more hands on and we get more creative with him. I tend to think that teaching the way your child learns is absolutely great...and if that is with a workbook, then so be it. Now, if your kids detest that style of learning and you are afraid it will hinder their education, then I would think differently upon this.

[Ottakee]

I am now using ACE paces http://www.schooloftomorrow.com and LOVING it for my girls. It is self paced, self teaching, very easy to use and a good education.

 

I pushed it aside for several years when some friends were using it as it wasn't "good" enough, too boring, not hard enough, etc. Then I gave in and my kids are much happier and learning things that I never covered in school with my college prep. education.

 

It might be very helpful and my kids really enjoy it. They have a list of what to do for the day and when they are done, they are free for the rest of the day--read, play, chores, etc.

[Cornerstone Classical]

I love WTM, but for some reason, my kids LOVE "workbook" and textbook currculum. I like all of Memoria Press' stuff because it is in a workbook format but still classical. And I gotta tell you, I hate narrations and so do my dc...did I just say that?;)

[Erica in PA]

Well, what you're describing is pretty much what I do normally. There are a couple of subjects that I plan out more than others, but I am not creating our own learning program at all. I just do my best to choose good, well-rounded programs, and try to make sure that my kids get through them in a year. My kids are doing well, and making good progress academically.

 

Here are a couple of programs I would recommend that are solid but require little parental planning:

 

Math- Horizons; free printable fact practice worksheets

 

Writing/Grammar- BJU, or use a free online printable program http://www.sfreading.com/resources/ghb.html

 

Science- Christian Kids Explore series is quick, easy, and good

 

History- BJU history textbooks/workbooks, or just read SOTW and have them write a short summary a couple times per week

 

Reading-- Flash Forward reading workbooks by Flash Kids

 

We don't normally do many art projects, science experiments, or hands-on projects at home. We go to a co-op where my kids get most of those things, but even if we didn't, I probably wouldn't do those things often. Our church is not far from you, in East Prospect, PA, and we have a co-op that meets for six weeks in the spring and six weeks in the fall, if you'd be interested. The cost is only $15 per family per six week session. There are other co-ops in the area as well. Maybe participating something like that would help take the burden off, so that you can just focus on the basics at home. If you'd like more info, just let me know.

[G5052]

I've been using scripted programs like Sonlight for some three years now, the years before that were mom-planned with WTM and TOG as guides. And you know what, we get more done and the darlings' test scores are identical if not even better.

 

Next year my oldest will be doing almost everything through an academic co-op and my younger one will be using textbooks.

 

As one who has homeschooled for eight years now and taught community college for ten years with homeschooled kids in my classes there, IMHO the quality of homeschooling depends much more on the focus of the homeschooling parent than on the materials. Materials of course help, but you can spend thousands on curriculum and have it all go down the drain if you kids don't do the work and improve their knowledge and understanding. Whether you unschool or use ACE, the end result won't be good if the work doesn't get done and if the errors aren't corrected. Public school teachers will say the same thing. If the parents don't care, usually the kids don't either.

[OnTheBrink]

I love WTM, but for some reason, my kids LOVE "workbook" and textbook currculum. I like all of Memoria Press' stuff because it is in a workbook format but still classical. And I gotta tell you, I hate narrations and so do my dc...did I just say that?;)

 

Same here. Dd LOVES workbooks, so we have a few interspersed in our daily curriculum.

[FlockOfSillies]

:iagree:

 

Maybe it's because I haven't read WTM in a while, but I've never thought that "do-the-next-thing" wasn't WTM-ish, that you're only doing WTM if you spend all your time tearing your hair out as you plan. :001_huh:

 

Singapore, IEW, God's Design science, SOTW -- I use all of these and consider them open-and-go. My history and science still follow the 4-year cycle, and we'll be starting Latin next year. But you can bet that I'll be finding the least teacher-intensive stuff I can. What's the point of buying teacher-intensive stuff if you never get around to using it? (Yes, I'm also trying to use TOG. I don't always take my own advice.)

 

A classical education -- any education, really -- is never good enough if it doesn't actually get done.

[Nakia]

I have two beliefs that would allow me to justify this course of action. First, I believe children and classrooms don't go together. Any form of education that keeps them out of a modern school is better. Secondly, I believe that children benefit from a great deal of free time, time to get bored. Any form of education that is efficient, that lets kids have maximum time to play, explore, discover, stare at the ceiling and daydream, is better. A workbook-based homeschool program is still aligned with both of these reasons to homeschool.

 

 

Well said!!

[SnowWhite]

This is what my Mom did (4 kids, grades two through 10) and it worked great. I would not allow myself one moment's worth of guilt. (It educated four successful graduates, one of which has her Master's degree with a 4.0).

[Sue G in PA]

Thank you everyone. Such great responses...very encouraging. I'm feeling much better and ready to sit down with dh and discuss priorities and what is an absolute necessity for our homeschool (can you believe we have never done this? :001_huh:). Thanks again!

[SW in IL]

A friend's son has been homeschooled using the AlphaOmega LIFEPACS since he was about 11 years old. It was the easiest thing for their family and he's always been able to (and expected to) work independently. I also know of a local family that used the LIFEPACS from beginning to end with their daughter and she's now attending college. I tried using them with my son, but he hates them and refuses to use them.

 

Anyway, I thought I'd throw that out as an option and to let you know that you're not alone. Hope everything works out for you and yours.

 

Sue

[Aubrey]

I have two beliefs that would allow me to justify this course of action. First, I believe children and classrooms don't go together. Any form of education that keeps them out of a modern school is better. Secondly, I believe that children benefit from a great deal of free time, time to get bored. Any form of education that is efficient, that lets kids have maximum time to play, explore, discover, stare at the ceiling and daydream, is better. A workbook-based homeschool program is still aligned with both of these reasons to homeschool.

 

I absolutely agree w/ all of this. I know that workbooks aren't a good fit for everyone, but I wonder if they haven't gotten an overly bad rep.

 

Sue, if your dc are doing workbook-style ed, how much time will that free up for you? I mean, I know you're starting out overloaded, so maybe it will just bring you to even, maybe not even that. But here's what I'm thinking. If this will help, your dc will have a happier Mama. That's priceless right there. If it helps a little *more,* you can use the extra 1/2 hr a day to make cookies, go for a walk, something you don't have time for right now. That's priceless, too.

 

Ultimately, we're shaping people. Education is important to that, & it shouldn't be dropped. But if it can be adjusted so that we have more time to pour into them, to form their character & enjoy their personalities, *that* will go much further toward making them happy, intelligent, productive adults.

 

Now I'm going to hit submit & read what I've written & try to listen. ;) :grouphug:

[Christy B]

One other thing -- I just want to echo what many posters have mentioned: there are MANY materials out there that lend themselves to this "independent/workbook style" approach. You are NOT limited to ACE, Alpha Omega, or Christian Light (although if you research and find that you like one of those publishers, go for it!)

 

Here are some materials that we have successfully used in this approach:

 

Abeka elementary grades history and science -- I just buy them slightly used and let my girls write in the books. ALSO -- I used them a year "behind" (for example, we used the Abeka 3rd grade history with great enjoyment in 4th grade). These are "ambitious" books, and my dd was able to get more out of it independently in 4th grade than she would have in 3rd grade. Ditto the science (we split one science text over two years). (Obviously, high school level would be a different story.)

 

We love the workbooks from Educator Publisher Service that are world and American history. I can't for the life of me remember the title, but Sonlight uses the American ones. They were great, and IMO, a little more "balanced" in their approach than the Christian publishers.

 

Life of Fred for math -- so independent, so enjoyable!

 

SOTW with the tests that come bound in a workbook -- my older dd LOVED this -- we listened to the audio cd together at lunch, then older dd would use the print volume of SOTW to do the "test" for the chapter (totally open book, I just used it for review and comprehension)

 

I just personally found that the ACE paces (for example), while absolutely adequate, really didn't suit my philosophy. But my "ideal" approach, which would include all kinds of teacher-intensive stuff, and projects, and elaborate lesson plans (which, by the way, my kids never cared about) simply didn't get done. So, for me, the compromise is to find materials that suit my style, but that can be used like a workbook.

 

And now, I'm going to go over to the high school board and make myself listen to my own advice. What worked for us in elementary school, which I'm describing here, is EXACTLY what I need to KEEP DOING for high school, instead of driving myself crazy trying to reinvent the wheel!

[Peela]

I have two beliefs that would allow me to justify this course of action. First, I believe children and classrooms don't go together. Any form of education that keeps them out of a modern school is better. Secondly, I believe that children benefit from a great deal of free time, time to get bored. Any form of education that is efficient, that lets kids have maximum time to play, explore, discover, stare at the ceiling and daydream, is better. A workbook-based homeschool program is still aligned with both of these reasons to homeschool.

 

:iagree: 100%