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mamaslearning
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| Posted: Jan 30 2009 at 3:52pm | IP Logged
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After much considertion, we applied to our local Parish for our oldest to attend K in fall. I am still torn about this decision, but hubby believes it the right thing to do and I will support him in this decision.
My question is how to keep up or learning environment at home without overloading her? I love all the books we read, experiements we do, and all the other "learning" activities we pursue. Once in school, I can envision that I'll want to take what she's learning and add on to it with books and projects, but I don't want to come on too strong.
I will be continuing home education with my son (he'll be three this year and that's when I start using some Montessori materials and other guided learnings), so my need to teach will be curb a little (plus I have an infant as well). I'm so sad that I won't be her full-time teacher.
Is anybody else here a "homeschooler at heart"?
Lara
Married to DH since 94
DD '04
DS '06
DS '08
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PDyer
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| Posted: Jan 30 2009 at 4:17pm | IP Logged
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Oh yes! My son went to the parish school mid-year last year and continued this year for sixth grade. I wish we could share more learning together during the school year. With his extracurricular activity schedule, I have to wait until summer. but then it's like old times again. 
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Patty
Mom of ds (7/96) and dd (9/01) and two angels (8/95 and 6/08)
Life at Home
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monique
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| Posted: Jan 30 2009 at 5:00pm | IP Logged
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I've learned this the hard way. I'm so sad that my son is in public school. Yuck! We've had such problems with him at home that I finally gave up and enrolled him 3 weeks ago. I've been depressed since he's been gone, but he seems happy and it's nice to see him smile again. With this decision I've learned how much a "homeschooler at heart" I really am. I'm so disgusted with some of the things the school does. I'm torn though because it was so hard for him at home and now he seems happy, but I miss him so much. We don't have a parish school close so this was our only other option. 
Patty, how did you know this was the right decision for your son? I want to bring Liam home so bad but it was so hard for us at home.
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Monique
mom to 5
Raising Saints
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CatholicMommy
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| Posted: Jan 30 2009 at 8:36pm | IP Logged
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(this got long, but I don't know what to cut out! I hope it helps with something!)
I think it was Cay who quite a while back had really expressed things well - that homeschooling is about a lifestyle, not 'just' that your children are receiving most of their education at home (she said it MUCH better!). Along that same vein, "homeschooling at heart" is also about making those connections between home and school - that the learning does NOT stop just because the school day is over, but it is a lifelong process (just the same idea as if the children were home all day - everything is a learning experience).
We're half and half right now - my son has a 3 day a week school he attends (2 1/2 hours each morning and afternoon and we have lunch together) and we officially homeschool the other 4 days (and I work two of those days and he comes with me). It's taken this whole school year to finally find our groove - we found it, then we've been snowed in the last 4 days so now I've had the full-time homeschooling again and I don't want to let go!
Here is what I did: I made my list of "required" topics each week as if I were full-time homeschooling. I looked at the school's curriculum and activities. Try not to focus on what *I* would do different, and just cross off my list the things that ARE getting done - but consider the particular child and our particular family, what are we going to do as a family. We will we add on to some teachings, will we have additional things that just aren't being taught - and just to stay abreast of the topics from school for at-home discussion. My goals are 1) maintain home-school connection and 2) assure my child, while not overwhelmed, receives the education he deserves.
Then I try not to worry that he's not learning everything the way that *I* want it done. (note that I'm still trying!) 
You say that you do Montessori with your children at home - so do we (I have the training and have set up one bedroom as our classroom and it is 90% Montessori (we like our building blocks around here too!).
An example: At my son's school, they play a lot of sound games and do a LOT of counting. Ok, at home we do the bead chains and continue with the golden bead work. We just keep moving ahead with the reading (we do LSLF in addition to the Montessori activities and I've recently had to add in other phonics based books because my son MEMORIZES the first time through and it's no longer practice reading - it's memory work - but I digress).
Lately it was a dinosaur theme. So we used a dinosaur matching game at home, that I had cut up to create 3-part cards; we then supplemented some new words that were not being taught at school (carnivore, omnivore, etc). I'm not keen on dinosaurs, but if he's going to get them at school he deserves to know the real terms for "plant-eater" and such - the kids learn the dinosaur names and those are harder to learn!
I have a daily required list (things we do whether it's school day or homeschool day) and a weekly required list that are usually taken care of on the homeschool days, though sometimes we do them on school days too - it's up to my son - AND since our Montessori things are so hands-on, it's just not the same as school, so it doesn't feel like school to him.
On school days, we do much less academically together at home, hitting just those required daily things (prayer, religion, read-alouds, he reading to me, chores, music). Now if some of the music learned at school were more up my alley, I'd drop that as a daily thing (just an example).
Other subjects we only do on our homeschool days, unless he wants to work on something on a school day and then I'm all for it! Math (2-3 times), art studies (real art - not what they do at this particular school!), geography/culture, further Montessori language, science.
It's taken all year to work out a feasible plan, but thus far this month it's gone great. But as I said, we've had 4 snow days and our van has been encased in ice (the front tires STILL are!), so I am oh so NOT looking forward to Monday. But he is - he wants to play with his friends. 
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PDyer
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| Posted: Jan 30 2009 at 10:27pm | IP Logged
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monique wrote:
| Patty, how did you know this was the right decision for your son? |
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We had a series of circumstances put our path that made the decision as clear as it could be.
We made the best decision we could, and we've left the rest up to Him.
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Patty
Mom of ds (7/96) and dd (9/01) and two angels (8/95 and 6/08)
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mamaslearning
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| Posted: Feb 03 2009 at 8:13am | IP Logged
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Thank you all for sharing your experiences.
Quote:
| I think it was Cay who quite a while back had really expressed things well - that homeschooling is about a lifestyle, not 'just' that your children are receiving most of their education at home (she said it MUCH better!). |
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Yes, that's it exactly. I'm still in charge and right now I'm just having to outsource some of her education. Thank you for sharing this perspective. It really gives me a new way of approaching our situation.
Lara
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JuliaT
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My sister is a homeschooler at heart. She reads lots and lots to them and then they go off on rabbit trails from what they have read. She also does experiment kits with them on the weekend. They do art projects and learn art history along the way. She doesn't do anything real 'schooly' because they get enough of that during the day. She just does things that they enjoy to spark that love of learning.
Blessings,
Julia
mom of 3 (9,8,6)
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Cay Gibson
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Lara,
This is probably what was being referenced:
Our Mother's Garden of Sorrows ~ Loss of the Homeschooling Dream
"We settled into this homeschool lifestyle and it is definitely a lifestyle. It's not only about education. It's about us as a family. It's a philosophy that we are learning each and every day of our life...from the time we're born and begin learning language from our parents' lips to the time we are dying. Yes, our great and holy Pope John Paul II taught us the greatest life lesson of all: how to die with grace and resignation. In short, home education embraces life-long learning that is learned only outside of a brick-and-mortar building.
"I knew one thing for certain. These children are my life and I love my life with them. I have not been called to be a Mother Teresa who gives life to the world at large. I was called by God to give life to these five people within my household. And, yes, I give them my life in much the way Christ gave His to His church. I give them my whole self. I give to them my eyes for admiring their work, my ears for hearing their stories and their problems and their decision making, my lips for giving advice and guidance and kisses, and my hands in support and service.���This servitude is not restricted just to the children I have at home all day long.
"My oldest daughter is still in school and we have had no reason to speak ill of her teachers, the lesson plans, her friends, or her conduct. If any child has been my guinea pig, she is it. I have anguished to my friends that my public school child might turn out better than my homeschooled children and wouldn't that be an abomination.!!! My friends, being my friends, have laughed at me and assured me that this will not be the case because, whether the children are in school or not, we live a homeschooling lifestyle. It's through the convictions we stand firm on at home that have afforded us this grace outside the home."
*****
Lara,
I've had to come to terms with this myself through the years. Remember that no matter how you decide to educate your children, as long as you are a homeschooler at heart and soak in all the extra wisdom you can by reading and conversing w/ likeminded women, you will be able to offer that part of your heart to your children. And, I can guarantee, it will be the best part of yourself. That's the greatest education you can give them at home.
Good luck!
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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monique
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Cay,
Thanks so much for sharing this article. I was in tears Saturday night after reading this. You have put into words everything I've been feeling and worrying about. I just wanted to know how much your writing touched me. Beautiful, just beautiful. It is just what I needed to hear.
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Monique
mom to 5
Raising Saints
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4Real Forums : Philosophy of Education
Topic: Homeschooler at Heart
