Karen sn Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Dd was a "late reader." She has always loved books and I remember her not even 2 years old yet, laying in the very back of our Ford Explorer with her feet propped up against the back of the back seat, book in hand, looking at the pictures while the rest of our group rinsed off at the beach showers getting ready for the ride back home. She has always had a book in hand. She just couldn't read well with d's and b's in almost every single word. At 10 years old something clicked. Now she is 11yo almost 12, and she reads for fun. It has allowed us to move forward in some formal studies, like grammar my favorite subject ever. I love that people who once worried can now see her education blooming. She reads, she can count back change and do simple math in her head, she can memorize anything, she remembers and applies to the real world what we learn in history and science. This week I drove 45 minutes each way so she could attend a 3 day naturalist spring break camp. It ran from 8:30 to noon so the baby and I walked around exploring or sat in the car nursing and reading while dd was in "class." As soon as we got home she would get the National Audobon Society field guide for this region and sit on a blanket in our front yard looking for all the things she had seen that day. She even copied their names into her little composition notebook. She learned SO MUCH about life in these hills. And it was only $20. The guides/leaders were so wonderful I just had to sign her up for the summer. In July she will do the week long morning camp and that is $30. This is fun. I am really enjoying our year round, little kitchen table school/whole entire world field trip. Anyone else in love with where you are now on the homeschool journey What are some of your favorite moments, subjects, field trips, incidents? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeanestMomInMidwest Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Karen, that sounds awesome. And what a good idea for a thread starter. I love homeschooling because twice this week we did our schoolwork outside. We've been going ... what's that word for crazy from being cooped up all winter? Well, that's what's been happening. So, one day we did our work at the park (after playing, and before playing, and in-between playing), and yesterday we all went to Panera and sat on the Patio to do our schoolwork while eating chocolate pastries and drinking coffee (the boys ate pastries, dh & I drank coffee). Ds7 looked at me and said, "homeschooling is good" I had to agree. good times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto4greatkids Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 I love having my children at home with me--especially since we went to school for 6 years. I especially love the slow pace of our mornings--not the crazy chaos of school mornings. I love that my children love one another and one another's friends. There's not the the age differentiation that school promotes. We have 20-30 kids/teenagers here on Fridays for coop and I love that we have purposely chosen the families our children play with. I, too, love schooling on our front porch during this beautiful spring weather. Thanks for the rose-colored glasses today. We all know we don't always feel this way, but its good to document the days we do. Blessings to you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen sn Posted April 25, 2009 Author Share Posted April 25, 2009 Ds7 looked at me and said, "homeschooling is good" I had to agree. good times. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepy Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 That's wonderful, Karen! :001_smile: We've been having a great time lately, too. I love the fact that (since I am in charge) we can get out of the house and enjoy these beautiful spring days whenever we want. We've joined a very relaxed co-op, and we spend most of the day every Thursday just hangin' out with our homeschool friends. The group meets right next to an awesome park that has a creek flowing through it, complete with shoals for the little kids to wade through on warm days. The big kids use the upper part of the shoals as a water slide! The very best thing going on right now is that I'm teaching my youngest to read. :D Is there anything cooler than teaching your child to read?? Brings tears to my eyes every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRAAB Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 I love your post. One of the highlights of being a parent has been to watch my children blossom naturally, according to their own timetable, and then watch them fly. I had a late read, and it was around 10 when she took off with reading. My twins are there also, slower, but just the last couple weeks they've both progressed leaps and bounds. And the best part: now I know to enjoy the process. Love homeschooling. Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Here's what I loved about homeschooling this week: I had to attend a meeting and wore knee-high stockings. My boys were very interested in what they were -- and both insisted on wearing a pair to bed that night! Said they were "cozy." I just know that if we had continued in school, they'd be brainwashed out of creative stuff like trying on mom's stockings. No way would they have done it. And, yes, I took pictures for those years when I'll need blackmail material. Next cool thing: Our librarians invited us to attend a meeting to find out how the library could better support homeschoolers. When I got there a mom I occasionally see -- and TOTALLY respect for how she's raised her two kids -- asked if her two (9 and 12) could babysit my two boys (6) and take them to the park that's in back of the library. I was like, "Sure!!" My boys were thrilled because they love these two older kids and I was able to attend the meeting in peace. Life is Good! Alicia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarfoot Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Yes, even though our year has been hard with a 2 y.o. and 1 y.o., I have seen my older 2 blossom in so many ways. A few years ago, we wondered if dyslexia would hinder my DS forever. Now nothing stops him from learning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in PA Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Enjoying all of these posts! This week was great for us.... The weather has been gorgeous for the past couple of days here, too. On Thursday my kids were out in the yard playing when the school bus came by to drop off the neighbors, and I was so glad that they hadn't been cooped up all day waiting to get outside (just cooped up for a couple of hours in the morning to get through what I had planned :001_smile: ). Then yesterday we spent the afternoon at the park with our hs playgroup. A few classes from a nearby elementary school had walked to the playground to enjoy the weather. I loved watching my kids instantly join in, playing with the much bigger kids.... they are just so used to spending time with kids of every age that they aren't pigeon-holed into interacting only with kids their age. We had a great time -- and I felt truly sorry for the ps kids when it was time for them to line up and march back to school. Oh, and I almost forgot the best thing this week -- getting lots of one-on-one time with one of our favorite librarians to locate new reading material, plus incredible bargains at the used book sale (my kids got to make their selections as soon as the sale started, before school was out, and we really lucked out). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMomof4 Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 I love homeschooling because I get to see their education in action. A few weeks ago we had to go to Walmart for something. Barnes & Noble is right next door so we stopped on the spur of the moment. I told each child they could get one book. We bought the books and went to the starbucks and they all got hot chocolate and sat and read their books. I love to see them loving reading. Even the 2 year old. We got some funny looks - but in a good way. How much fun to have your kids be your companions instead of just your kids! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 :001_smile: Congratulations! Even though the girls are ON my last nerve right now, I'm glad every day that we're homeschooling. We get to do cool experiments in science and I can let out my inner dork. I get to feel proud that my 6 year old is having an intelligent discussion on Tutankhamun and Howard Carter. I get to feel relieved that she doesn't have to come home from school crying because a bully stole her lunch (I overheard some awful things at Becca's gymnastics class this week). I get to see them both learn and grow, every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria/ME Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Karen, what a great story! My dd was "behind" in various areas too (reading for one) and seeing her blossom lately has been a pure joy. While we are concerned parents, we can relax and watch her grow without feeling huge amounts of pressure for her to "stay ahead" like she would in PS. I love getting to know her in person. Not that I don't feel burnt out once in awhile, what parent doesn't? But spring has been good to us. Time to reflect, and enjoy the fruits of our homeschooling/parenting labors! Great thread Karen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Atl Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 I know it sounds kinda cheesy... but getting the Iowa results back this year was very nice. Sometimes there is so much doubt, and then a silly test, a little piece of paper lifts not just my spirits, but the girl's as well. And schooling outside on a warn afternoon is also a real high. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 Karen, thanks for posting this! It is a relief to me that slow readers can go on and become successful readers. My ds6 has always loved looking at the pictures in books. He has stacks and stacks everywhere. But....he hates learning to read. I go slowly with lots of encouragement however, I find the entire process draining and frustrating. I will remember you and your daughter when I start to get overwhelmed. Thank you! What I love about my homeschool right now is that I can take the time to try to understand my 9yo. He's such a mystery to me sometimes and I love to see how his mind works. I think I would miss out on a lot of that if he were in a brick and mortar. I love to watch my 6yo's enthusiasm for life and history! He loves telling everyone that Bucephelus was the horse Alexander the Great rode into war. Most especially, I love the big, enormous hug I get when we finish school for the day. I'm so glad I instilled that routine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 Dd was a "late reader."She has always loved books and I remember her not even 2 years old yet, laying in the very back of our Ford Explorer with her feet propped up against the back of the back seat, book in hand, looking at the pictures while the rest of our group rinsed off at the beach showers getting ready for the ride back home. She has always had a book in hand. She just couldn't read well with d's and b's in almost every single word. At 10 years old something clicked. Now she is 11yo almost 12, and she reads for fun. It has allowed us to move forward in some formal studies, like grammar my favorite subject ever. I love that people who once worried can now see her education blooming. She reads, she can count back change and do simple math in her head, she can memorize anything, she remembers and applies to the real world what we learn in history and science. This week I drove 45 minutes each way so she could attend a 3 day naturalist spring break camp. It ran from 8:30 to noon so the baby and I walked around exploring or sat in the car nursing and reading while dd was in "class." As soon as we got home she would get the National Audobon Society field guide for this region and sit on a blanket in our front yard looking for all the things she had seen that day. She even copied their names into her little composition notebook. She learned SO MUCH about life in these hills. And it was only $20. The guides/leaders were so wonderful I just had to sign her up for the summer. In July she will do the week long morning camp and that is $30. This is fun. I am really enjoying our year round, little kitchen table school/whole entire world field trip. Anyone else in love with where you are now on the homeschool journey What are some of your favorite moments, subjects, field trips, incidents? I juust wanted to say what a great post! And WTG Karen's dd. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iquilt Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 Isn't it great?! We've been very high on homeschooling since we started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hferguson10 Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 Thanks so much for your enthusiasm! We love it as well. The joy of watching them "get it" helps so much to offset the really difficult days when I find myself rocking back and forth in a fetal position saying "A noun is the name of a person, place or thing..." :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 Today I got out some plastic models of insects and arthropods. I was going to have kiddo sort them by various criteria (something we did once in REAL science months back, on imaginary critters). But he was hungry and lunch was long, and then the boys were going to a parade. But while I was printing out a map for hubby, and gathering rain coats, etc. kiddo brought me a bunch "these are all beetles, right?" and then a group "these all have wings" and then "these aren't insects" etc. My mother used to say "great minds think alike" whenever any of us did something in unplanned unison. I can't believe how much I have in common with this little guy, and I don't know that I'd know it if we didn't homeschool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShelzNH Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 Thank you for sharing! I have actually been avoiding the general board for almost a year now because I was finding it depressing with all of the "sick of homeschooling" "Ready to give up on homeschooling" "Public school is actually just fine" threads... It is nice to hear about someone enjoying their homeschooling journey. Congratulations on your reader! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeatherInWI Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 This is our ninth year of homeschooling and I've enjoyed the whole journey so far. It's wonderful to have my children around me and to really like the people they're becoming. I can't imagine that they would be so interesting, creative, responsible, and skilled if I'd sent them off to our local school. I don't regret a moment of the time I've spent with them or a dollar of what I haven't earned by leaving a career to become a full-time mother. I thank God that I've been able to be a homeschool mom! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 I can let DD sleep in when she has a late night performance. She is 12, and her choral group was chosen to provide youth singers for a professional opera company. What a wonderful experience this has been for her! Although not all of the children are homeschooled, I'm not sure that I would have allowed her to try this if she was in 'real school' because the schedule is so grueling. And I love homeschooling THIS WEEK because it is National Poetry Month. My take on that? "Honey, a poem a day. That's all I ask." DD has never written so much poetry all in a row before, and she is doing a great job. (Not that we are stopping the grammar, literature, or Writing Strands for this. This is extra.) And I love homeschooling THIS WEEK because after DD took her state math exam, she came out and thanked me for reviewing absolute value and positive and negative numbers with her so much when I realized that she had not really assimilated them from her regular math work. She thanked me! On her own! With no punch line or sarcasm to follow! Most of her same age schooled friends' mothers don't even know what they are studying, if they (the 12 yo's) are to be believed. I do take that with a grain of salt; however, I have friends with schooled girls this age and strenuous objections to parental involvement in ANYTHING having to do with school work seem to be the norm. I love homeschooling NEXT WEEK because I am going to the Well Trained Mind conference! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deece in MN Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 I want to chime in because this thread is a nice boost. This is our 10th year of hs'ing and over the years I have had my doubts about how good of a job I am doing. Then I really pay attention and notice the things that are good. Today my ds and I had a great conversation about The Outsiders. He read this book in a few hours and really liked it. He is normally a quiet guy, but he had a lot to say about this book and we had a wonderful discussion about a number of things. We put the movie in our Netflix and look forward to watching that and comparing the two. My dc were also pleased with themselves this week while watching Jeopardy as they were able to answer a few questions that none of the contestants knew. :) The other thing I love is that my dc continue to want to hs. They have no interest in attending public/private school and though hs'ing is not always easy I am glad that we all want to be on this journey together. I am really loving where my dc are in their lives and in their education. We are having a great time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted April 26, 2009 Share Posted April 26, 2009 nt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidlit Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 :iagree: Amen, and amen.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauracolumbus Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 I love homeschooling this week b/c both dc are finished w/Saxon, Latin and spelling for the year (altho we're not stopping it feels good to know we could). I love homeschooling this week b/c the weather has been beautiful and my kids can stay up late and enjoy playing outside and sleep in. I even let them play outside on Friday morning for 2 hours rather than come inside and work. I love homeschooling this week b/c I decided I want to start our days out with reading a good book curled up on the sofa instead of our usual math start to our day--and I could b/c I'm the one in charge. I love homeschooling this week b/c we went to a Civil War reenactment yesterday and toured an old schoolhouse and the 'teacher' in the school house asked my 9 yo dd what # president Abraham Lincoln was and my pre-k'er answered 16th. I love homeschooling this week b/c after my pre-k'er showed off her knowledge my dd9 had no qualms about getting up in front of a large group of people and started singing the presidents song (listing all presidents in order). I love homeschooling this week b/c my ds10 continues to hug me--I wonder when he will feel like he will be too old to do this. I pulled him out 2 years ago from ps and he's been hugging me ever since. Oh my, I could go on. Thanks for getting me thinking about this as I plan our week. I will probably be a much nicer mom this week due to this reflection. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 The joy of watching them "get it" helps so much to offset the really difficult days when I find myself rocking back and forth in a fetal position saying "A noun is the name of a person, place or thing..." :) :lol::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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