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Cheryl
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| Posted: Jan 04 2006 at 11:18am | IP Logged
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I was going to call it "How do you choose what books you read" or "what topics you study". I've been homeschooling for 1 and a half years now and it seems to me that I've changed my mind quite a bit. I started out attracted to the Charlotte Mason method. I thought I'd read Pooh and Beatrix Potter and do picture study, composer study and nature study... Then I read Real Learning and started using that booklist. I had some fear about not covering what they do in schools, so I used the Core Knowledge sequence as a guide to what topics we would study. Then I discovered FIAR. I thought that was a great booklist and so simple. So this year I planned on Core Knowledge topics using FIAR and my own unit studies. I spend a lot of time planning stuff to go along with the books and I often times don't do what I plan. I think I might be losing interest in doing unit studies.
This week we're doing Africa -Honey, Honey Lion. I got a bunch of books from the library. We've been reading a couple a day. I found crafts to do, music to play. Right now my kids are playing with our African animal toy figures and some dollhouse vehicles. That's really what they want to do. They did it yesterday too.
Now, I've been looking at my Sonlight catalog at night. I'm attracted to the instructor's guide (having it planned for me) and mostly just reading aloud. I thought maybe I could use one Core with the three kids. But is this another method that I will get excited about, then get tired of? Is this something that new homeschoolers do until they find the way that works for their families? I would prefer to pick a method and stick with it, but maybe this is unrealistic. I'd love to hear your experience with planning.
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Cheryl
Wife to Bob ('97)
Mom to Matthew 13, Joseph 11, Sarah 10, Rachel 6, Hannah almost 4 and Mary 1
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Meredith
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| Posted: Jan 04 2006 at 12:10pm | IP Logged
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Cheryl, you've asked such a great question and I'm sure that many of us here, especially me have struggled with these issues over the course of our home school journey. It DOES take a while to find a fit that seems conducive to your teaching *style* for your family and keep in mind the ages of your children are very young still so you have alot more leeway in how you plan. The planning and choosing has gotten easier for me with each passing year (6 and counting for us so far) and I think it's partly a comfort zone and your personality type. EG: are you and Over planner, or lax in your style?? This probably isn't very helpful, I'll be interested in other's responses too, I do have a schedule and booklists that I follow and perhaps if you want more in depth you could email me or PM, or I could post more. It sounds to me like you're doing a great job already!!
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Meredith
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LLMom
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| Posted: Jan 04 2006 at 12:22pm | IP Logged
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It is difficult at times because there is so much out there that looks attractive. I think sometimes we can get overloaded with it all and overwhelmed with all of the choices. It is good to look at your family--how your children learn and how you are as well. Some people really like to check off lists; others like to float by. I think I would hold off on purchasing more stuff until you really pray and ponder your family learning situation. Things always look good in the catalogs. I know I have purchased MANY things that looked good but we didn't use over our 11 years of homeschooling.
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Lisa
For veteran & former homeschool moms
homeschooling ideas
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Taffy
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I have to admit that all of the unschooling discussions have really started pulling me in that direction. So far, I'd call what we do very eclectic.
Vic is PDD-NOS (autistic) and is very behind in his language skills so that effects what we do here a LOT as I have to make sure that he's getting taught in a way that he can understand and learn from. I started off being very attracted to the Well Trained Mind and Charlotte Mason. Quickly got burnt out with the workload as Vic needs a lot of one-on-one time with me. Then I found AmblesideOnline which was a great resource. But Vic got very little out of the readings. He still wasn't handling narrations well (due mostly to ineffective teaching by me and public school). I've been lurking in the CCM list for a few years now and on this board as well but it wasn't until this past summer that I finally purchased "Real Learning" which I'm reading slowly as it's been giving me so many "lightbulb moments" that take time to digest. And Julie's Bravewriter blog and ideas also rang true to me for what Vic needs to develop his language!
I do have two others and to be honest, if Matthew were the oldest, we'd probably still just be using "Well Trained Mind" with some CM thrown in as he is SO EASY to teach. But God is good and gave me the challenging one first... his brothers are getting the benefits.
What I use now is...
MaterAmabilis for our "faith studies",
Singapore Math
CM and Real Learning ideas in studying books and readings along with some teaching CDs as that really holds Vic's attention. I'm also using reading lists from AmblesideOnline, MaterAmabilis, Real Learning, and 1000 Great Books. And, as I have to deal with IEPs and the like, I'm using the scope and sequence for Language Arts from the Evergreen Curriculum which is Saskatchewan's public school curriculum guide as a checklist.
I'm also using the Evergreen curriculum for scope and sequence ideas for what to cover in math and science
And we use a combination of things for the other subjects.
The more we do this, the more comfortable I am in going my own way. The unschooling thread has really highlighted the importance of observing my child and noting what works and doesn't work for them. And I'm also learning to focus on the end results more than the process. In other words, doing whatever works best.
I don't know if that answers you're question... Hope it helps
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Susan
Mom to 5 on earth and 1 in heaven
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Cheryl
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LLMom wrote:
| It is difficult at times because there is so much out there that looks attractive. I think sometimes we can get overloaded with it all and overwhelmed with all of the choices. |
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I agree. There's so much to choose from. I think part of the reason I'm feeling overwhelmed is because I'm almost 7 months pregnant and I have a cold so I don't have much energy. I definitely won't be purchasing anything for this school year. I don't think I'm an impulsive person. I'm more of an overthinker. I was considering Sonlight for next September. I do need to pray about this. I could also try observing my children more, as people have been resolving to do.
Meredith, I will try to PM you later. I haven't done that before.
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Cheryl
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Mom to Matthew 13, Joseph 11, Sarah 10, Rachel 6, Hannah almost 4 and Mary 1
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Cheryl
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| Posted: Jan 04 2006 at 9:42pm | IP Logged
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Taffy wrote:
The unschooling thread has really highlighted the importance of observing my child and noting what works and doesn't work for them. And I'm also learning to focus on the end results more than the process. In other words, doing whatever works best.
I don't know if that answers you're question... Hope it helps |
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Yes, this is helpful. See-there it is again. I keep reading about observing my child...that would be a good place to start.
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Cheryl
Wife to Bob ('97)
Mom to Matthew 13, Joseph 11, Sarah 10, Rachel 6, Hannah almost 4 and Mary 1
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Meredith
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| Posted: Jan 05 2006 at 11:07am | IP Logged
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Cheryl wrote:
| Meredith, I will try to PM you later. I haven't done that before. |
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Cheryl, I PM'd you, all you have to do is read and reply if you want!!
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Meredith
Mom of 4 Sweeties
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Mary G
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| Posted: Jan 05 2006 at 12:27pm | IP Logged
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One thing I've learned in my few years of hs'ing is don't get so caught up in the curriculum or the unit study or whatever that you lose sight of your kids.
Here's an example -- I thought it would be so cool to do a history unit on the Crusades for my almost-6 and almost 7 yo kids. Lots of swashbuckling and good Catholics, the mystery of the Middle East......
Anyway, after tyring to read two or three differtn sources with them -- and saw their eyes glaze over I realized that the Crusades, even a water-down version wasn't going to get it. This morning I asked them would they like to look at something else and both said "CASTLES"! So, quick glance at our shelves (and the toy box!), reserved some books at the library, and we'll start a "unit" next week. At the same time we'll do fairy tales with castles and princesses (my almost 6 is a girl  ) and heros....
So, my best advice is "don't forget who you're doing all this work for"
Hope this helps.....
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MaryG
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Martha
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| Posted: Jan 05 2006 at 12:55pm | IP Logged
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Cheryl wrote:
| I keep reading about observing my child...that would be a good place to start. |
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I really have to deviate from there because that just didn't work in our house.
I do note if somethng just won't fly with a certain child for some reason or if I need to tweak it for a child.
BUT, I think the most important thing is that the TEACHER is observant about her own teaching needs. I will probably never get it together enough to have a tailored curriculum for all nearly 8 of my children, but I can make sure I buy materials that I am comfortable with and will actually be used. I can tweak THAT a bit for each child, but it's a good deal harder, imo, to tweak 8 curriculum/styles to the teacher's needs.
Have you ever picked up a book or idea (whatever subject, whatever style) and LOVED the concept and method, but then find just looking at it makes you tired and stressed and guilty? I have!
Have you ever chosen the "perfect" fit in a subject for your child, only to find that you HATE teaching it and now have the added chore of making sure your dc doesn't catch on to your feelings? I have!
Now I look at:
What I already have and want to continue using - what worked this year or for the other kids when they were in that grade?
What do I need to be able to teach effectively? I know that I am not likely to stay up every night putting things together and I don't have the finances to make a trip to the store every week for additional suppies - doesn't really matter how wonderfull the results are, that's just not who I am and the house I live in. I will take time to sit with them and cover the materials, but there is only so much time in a house with 8 children. I cannot spend an hour on 1 child's math every day, 20 minutes on each child's spelling, ect... I can have maybe 2 or 3 subjects liek that, but I can't have an entire curriculum that teacher intense.
What do I really want to make happen/change next year? Focus on art? Relax the schedule a bit and slow down the extracurriculiar activities? Up the schedule and be more active out of the house? I usually pick no more than 3 areas I want to focus on.
This year's was doing more art and science. I also decided to reduce outside activites to no more than 3 afternoons a week so we could focus more on our academics without time stress.
Next year I'm taking a break from formal history studies to focus on geography. We are also taking a break from formal science to do an in depth nature study method I'm making. I'm also going to use next year to focus just a bit more on my oldest as he will be in middle grades and needing to focus much more on his studies and growing as a young man.
Just my .02... Don't know that I helped at all though.
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Martha
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: How do you choose your curriculum?
