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MHamberger
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| Posted: Jan 31 2005 at 7:15am | IP Logged
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My name is Megan Hamberger. I've never used a message board before so this is all new -- and I'm trying to keep up with the conversations! If some of these questions should be moved please do so...
Elizabeth Foss recommended that I use the vast knowledge of you very experienced home-schooling moms to get started. To begin, I am the mother of 2 boys. Robert (Robbie) is 4.5 years old and Michael is 2.5 years old. My husband, Scott, and I are expecting our third baby the first week of March.
I have several questions about how to get started in a very broad sense.
1/ In one of the books I read (and I've only read 3 so far)it recommended having a guiding philosophy for education (like living books) -- and having a definition of what a "well-educated" person meant. Has anyone found this helpful? And if so what do you believe a "well-educated" person is?
2/ I've read 3 books on homeschooling and have been given several others. What 3-5 books have you read that you found most helpful for getting started? (I already have Elizabeth's book!)
Many thanks!
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Megan
South Riding, VA
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Lissa
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MHamberger wrote:
I've read 3 books on
homeschooling and have been given several others.
What 3-5 books have you read that you found most
helpful for getting started? (I already have
Elizabeth's book!)
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Well, beside's Elizabeth's book, I love:
• Karen Andreola's A CHARLOTTE MASON
COMPANION (which I revisit at least once a year for
inspiration and refreshment)
•FOR THE CHILDREN'S SAKE
•John Holt's books: TEACH YOUR OWN, HOW
CHILDREN LEARN, HOW CHILDREN FAIL, and
especially LEARNING ALL THE TIME
•John Taylor Gatto's DUMBING US DOWN
•HOMESCHOOLING OUR CHILDREN,
UNSCHOOLING OURSELVES (can't remember the
author--Cindy, do you recall?)
•the Sonlight catalog
•Ruth Beechik books
• Home Education Magazine
•the children's novel UNDERSTOOD BETSY, for the
chapter in which Betsy first attends the little country
schoolhouse and discovers surprising things about
herself and learning 
Oh, and by the way, hello, Megan, and welcome!
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Lissa
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MacBeth
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| Posted: Jan 31 2005 at 11:59am | IP Logged
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I agree with Lissa's list, and want to add that How Children Fail by John Holt is one of the most important reads for any homeschooling mom.
Hope you are having fun, here, Megan! 
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God Bless!
MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
Nature Study
MacBeth's Blog 
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Willa
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"Homeschooling Our Children, Unschooling Ourselves" is apparently by Alison McKee. I haven't read it -- it looks interesting.
Here's the Understood Betsy chapter (at least I think it may be the one Lissa's talking about!)
Some books that helped me when I was getting started were:
How to Homeschool: A Practical Approach by Gayle Graham
Educating the Wholehearted Child by Sally Clarkson
and I second the Susan Schaeffer Macaulay -- I read all those over and over again.
About the well-educated person, that's an interesting question! Chesterton wrote "Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another" and he also wrote "Education is implication. It is not the things you say which children respect....It is the things you assume that really sink into them. It is the things you forget even to teach that they learn. "
That's how I think of the result of a good education -- the parents or teachers try to be the best they can be, which includes modelling the worthiness and delight in learning throughout a lifetime; the children learn to be like their parents, and a good education is simply what could most fittingly be called the "soul" of the body of learning.
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AMDG
Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
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cathhomeschool
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| Posted: Jan 31 2005 at 11:18pm | IP Logged
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Megan, you asked some great questions and are way ahead of where I was when we started homeschooling!
When we started homeschooling, I used a "Everything for 1st grade" workbook that my mom had given me. The boys pulled out pretty math and phonics pages from it and had a lot of fun. If I had to do it over again, I'd still use the simple workbook -- it was more for fun and the kids loved it -- and would just add beautiful picture books from the list in Elizabeth's book (instead of reading so much Berenstein Bears and Dr. Seuss, which are great, but that's all they read).
Once I found Charlotte Mason, the two most helpful books were:
- A Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison. This book is short and simple and breaks things down by subject. I know that we don't always teach subjects separately, but it was a simple reference book for those first months (or maybe years!) when I was stressed about, "Now what am I supposed to be doing for narration? What should I expect and how exactly do we do thing??" I found the book to be very gentle.
- Educating the Wholehearted Child (already mentioned in Willa's post)
I love Elizabeth's book too, and only wish that I had had it available when starting out.
I think that having a "guiding philosophy" is good. The use of living books definitely fits into that philosophy for us, as does spending as much time as possible doing "real things" -- playing outdoors (digging, building, hunting for bugs -- My boys are trying to build a fort in a tree after listening to Treecastle Island on cassette. Our trees are bean- poles, so this is a somewhat challenging job, not to mention dangerous for those on the ground.), building machines with k'nex and legos (The boys are just finishing a self-designed working R2D2 model. Being that they are boys, they have made the minor modification of adding a working hidden canon to the model.). We want to take them more often to plays and musical performances. In short, I suppose my philosophy is to use whatever means available to live life to the fullest without getting complicated or over-involved. To enjoy the process of education, always with the ultimate goal in mind of living a Christian life, heading toward union with Him.
What is an "educated person?" Or what is a "properly educated person?" Truly I think that a "properly educated person" is one who knows his Faith and is well grounded there, who can think for himself and communicate his thoughts to others, who can seek out answers and has the humility to do so, who tries to discern God's Will in his life. If we could only see God's earthly plan for us and our children, we would know exactly how to educate them. My goal as a teacher is to give my children the tools they need to seek and find information, and to seek and hopefully find their calling in life. What about math, history, physics, etc? Yes, all of those things are important to me and I strive to teach these and other things to my children. I just have to remind myself to do it all in context of the big picture. That is a struggle for me. That's why I find Teaching the Wholehearted Child to be such a helpful book!
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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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Elizabeth
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Megan,
I just wanted to add that there isn't a book mentioned on this board--either this topic or any other so far--that isn't in my closet. C'mon over. I'll borrow your dishes, you borrow my books. That way we can both feel a little less guilty about "collections."
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Leonie
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Another book I found very inspiring when first homeschooling was "Better Than School" by Nancy Wallace.
I still read it every now and then - I love the opening chapter, with the description of her day.
I also like Homeschooling With Gentleness by Suzie Andres - not a great book but an interesting Catholic discussion of unschooling.
Personally, I go with Ruth Beechick's idea of worrying less about the vision of "well educated" , at first, but just jump in and go with what feels right for your family, for now.
I found, over time, that certain ideas resonated with me and that this gradually built my definition of education and my philosophy.
So, I guess I recommend Ruth Beechick's books, too. 
Just my two cents!
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Leonie in Sydney
Living Without School
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Cindy
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WJFR wrote:
About the well-educated person, that's an interesting question! Chesterton wrote "Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another" and he also wrote "Education is implication. It is not the things you say which children respect....It is the things you assume that really sink into them. It is the things you forget even to teach that they learn. "
That's how I think of the result of a good education -- the parents or teachers try to be the best they can be, which includes modelling the worthiness and delight in learning throughout a lifetime; the children learn to be like their parents, and a good education is simply what could most fittingly be called the "soul" of the body of learning.
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Very interesting quote by GKC, Willa! Yes, I have been thinking about this a lot lately. I have found myself in more self study than usual, thinking how can I bring what I am learning to my children? I thought just that.. can they learn by osmosis.. or simple contact and relationship with me? I think that is happening.... as I share things I learn it becomes part of our lifestyle. Then I encourage the things they want to learn. Humm... nice to hear GKC say it.. so articulately, too..
I think this is true, too for youngers. And, this goes back once again to relationships. If we form a positive relationship with our children, have an encouraging atmosphere, bring in ideas... the ideas will get passed down... or brought in...
Oh and Welcome Megan!! It is so refreshing to have you here, esp. as new homeschool mom, to bring up all these questions that get us thinking anew. I look forward to getting to know you better. And most all my favorite books have been posted.. the MacCaulley book is a great first read as it begins with a vision. For those who are having trouble letting go of the school system, Dumbing Us Down is a must-read. Go John Taylor Gatto! He's the Bill O'Reilley of education!
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Cindy in Texas
It Is About The Journey
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Cindy
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cathhomeschool wrote:
| What is an "educated person?" Or what is a "properly educated person?" Truly I think that a "properly educated person" is one who knows his Faith and is well grounded there, who can think for himself and communicate his thoughts to others, who can seek out answers and has the humility to do so, who tries to discern God's Will in his life. If we could only see God's earthly plan for us and our children, we would know exactly how to educate them |
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Beautifully said, Janette.
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Cindy in Texas
It Is About The Journey
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TracyQ
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Hi Megan! It's nice to meet you!
Hi everyone else! This is my first (of probably many, many) on these WONDERFUL new message boards! Having been on, and moderating a homeschooling message board for 7 years, I've really missed this format, and am extremely excited that this place is here! I feel blessed today more than you all even know, and have been praying for a wonderful, special message board to come to for a long time now!
Megan, there are two wonderful homeschooling books that have really blessed me in my homeschooling that I don't think have been mentioned yet. I also have and love the books that have been mentioned!
The first is Beyond Survival, A Guide to Abundant Life Homeschooling, and the other is Things We Wish We'd Known. Both books are by Diana Waring.
I hope these recommendations help!
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Blessings and Peace,
Tracy Q.
wife of Marty for 20 years, mom of 3 wonderful children (1 homeschool graduate, 1 12th grader, and a 9th grader),
 homeschooling in 15th year in Buffalo, NY
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Getting Started
