New Wave Homeschooling: no denim jumpers here, thanks!

Posted on February 23, 2010 by elizabeth

Homeschooling isn't weird anymore. In fact, it's actually kinda hip. I love that homeschooling has moved beyond the stereotypes and is emerging as a source of progressive education.

As someone who only experienced homeschooling within the confines of religious fundamentalism, I have to admit that homeschooling conjured up depressing images of overweight mothers in denim jumpers trailing a pack of scarily demure children in prairie dresses.

But I also don't believe it's all delight and joy. Remember, I'm not an idealist anymore. So, I understand (if only in an abstract way) that homeschooling is a lot of hard work. 

I guess my over-riding desire is to provide what is best for my child at that particular time. In the increasingly colorful spectrum that is homeschooling, I'll probably be the mom who sends some kids to traditional school, keeps others home and is willing to make changes whenever it's best for the child.

Curriculum wise, I can see myself with a literature-based approach to education. I'm abysmally disappointed with the reading material in public elementary school. One of my favorite things is to read aloud to my children and then have discussions. 

I also think that for my son who might have ADHD, I'll be enrolling him in an individual sport like running, track or swimming. He's already a swift runner and I know from experience that he's a more focused after burning off all that energy.

Since I'm just starting this process, I would love for you to:

Share with me your favorite homeschool curriculums/educational philosophies. What works for your family? Do you tend toward structure or flexibility? How do you test your children? 

Please share any links, book recommendations and/or blogs that you think might be helpful! Thank you!

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  • http://thejunia.blogspot.com junia

    Hello!
    I feel strange randomly leaving comments, but I do read your blog through my google reader and I was really interested in these series.

    Just some background on my education:
    I went to 4 different elementary schools; one “alternative” school for “gifted children” (I was new to the area and got raffled in.. nothing of my own merit; I was in kindergarten and didn’t even know English), two “normal” public schools in central California, and one independent study program (only 6th grade).

    I think in California, a lot of these “independent study” programs are popping up. Basically, I used the same curriculum and textbooks as the public school system and met with my teacher once a week. I was given pretty free rein from my parents in how I learned. Basically, I was supposed to fill out a daily time sheet with all the required subjects. I remember going to the library with my dad every Tuesday and sometimes mixing up the subjects so that Mondays would be all Reading and Spelling and Tuesdays would be Science, etc etc.

    I know other children however had learning difficulties, so their parents were a vital part of their studying process. For me, my mom wanted to take me out of the school (there was a lot of peer pressure) but she didn’t have the means to really home school me in America.

    We would have continued through middle school but we moved. The teacher gave me the option of coming monthly instead of weekly, but I wanted to meet friends in a new town.

    Also, I was part of the swim team from 3rd-6th grade and not only has it been really fun but it kept me pretty busy socially. Also, the independent study program held field trips and such for us to meet other students in the program.

    Currently, I’m teaching at a private Christian school abroad in Taiwan. It’s my first time using A Beka for grammar and spelling. I must say it’s INTENSE… I’ve never “learned” grammar so this was a surprise for me. But I think it’s very thorough. My one issue is how for A Beka grammar, they use very American examples that can get a little cryptic for international students. Also, the KJV always trips kids up (Thee, Thou, dost); but I think it’s good preparation for other older texts in the future.

    Anyway, I don’t have kids but I do have a child with just ADD in my class. Unfortunately, for him, his parents just keep on changing (read: adding) medication so he’s sort of very mellow (yet still unwilling to do work) in my class. I’m really encouraged that you’d really work with your son (the one time I called the mother and she began working with her son, he improved drastically!).

    Anyway, I think the reason my relationship with my mom is different from my brother and sister’s relationship with her is partly due to how close we got when I was in 6th grade.

  • http://sue-livingandlearning.blogspot.com/ Sue

    No denim jumpers here, and my daughter wouldn’t be caught dead in a prairie dress (though she is a very modest, sweet girl!).

    We use Sonlight Curriculum, and love it. It is literature based, and structured around history. We read a ton, and learn from real books, rather than text books. I love Sonlight because it is not too America centric. We started out in first grade with World History! That is very important to us, since our kids are duel citizens.

    I would say that I am a pretty flexible homeschooler. I love to do the basics, read a lot, and follow my kids’ interests.

    I do not test my kids at home, other than tests that are built into our math program, for example. I do have them tested at the international school once a year (Iowa Test) just to see what we might need to work on, and also because test taking is a skill they will very likely need at some point in life.

    There are so many curriculum choices out there now. It can be dizzying! If you are interested, check out their “Why Sonlight?” page here: http://www.sonlight.com/why-sonlight.html

  • http://whwhhow.blogspot.com/ Jess

    I’m very flexible and think of myself as an “eclectic” homeschooler – which basically means I take bits out of all the theories etc. and mash them up into something that fits with us. I have been influenced by Charlotte Mason, Classical, unschooling and natural schooling. But at the end of the day, I think homeschooling is as diverse as the homes it comes out of! I patch together our own program using various bits and pieces (I LOVE Math-u-see for maths and I am looking into Learning Through Language Arts for our English later this year) but if I was going with a ready made curriculum I would definately go Sonlight. There is a brilliant Blog put together by a Mum of 8 based in South Africa who uses Sonlight http://www.se7en.org.za/ that I find very inspiring. I also have my own blog that I update periodically as I feel the urge which may have something useful (or may not!) http://whwhhow.blogspot.com/ God Bless with your adventure!!

  • http://ginagsmith.com gina

    “I also don’t believe it’s all delight and joy. Remember, I’m not an idealist anymore. So, I understand (if only in an abstract way) that homeschooling is a lot of hard work. ”

    True that! Hard work, but less frustrating than hours upon hours of stupid homework, I would think.

    We use sort of a mish mash of curriculum so some things are traditional (like math) and others are fueled by our interests. We do lots of reading, and I love Veritas Press because so many of the classics are used in literature. (that means i can use my library and spend that book money on other things.)I’ve also heard great things about Apologia Science (also lots of reading)Apparently, you can use it all throughout your child’s education. So, if you have a six year old and an eight grader, they would be studying the same things from the same book, but on different levels and with different supplemental activities that apply to age. Neat!

    Although I am testing my kiddos this year (iowa based testing) I see the option of a portfolio in my future. (in our state, you can put together a portfolio of your child’s school work for the year and have it examined by a licensed teacher to make sure you are covering all the necessities.) This way, we can spend more time on stuff we’re having trouble with and buzz right through the rest. I love that flexibility.

    You can find out what is required in your state via these guys. http://www.hslda.org/Default.asp?bhcp=1

    Also, I always get a great chuckle out of this. http://www.secular-homeschooling.com/001/bitter_homeschooler.html so many true and humorous thoughts about steroetypes and how we don’t fit them.

    Have fun with your research!

  • http://www.candacemercyisnew.blogspot.com Candace

    Hello! I’m de-lurking to share my favorite homeschooling links with you. :) I found your blog recently with your T. Howard book and immediately added you to my google reader. We homeschool, our kids are 8,6,4yrs. And we love it!! We don’t use one certain curriculum, but are rather “eclectic” as they call us in some homeschooling circles. We mostly use unit studies, and those are usually literature based. Five in a Row is the perfect snuggle on the couch with good discussions kind of curriculum.

    I have LOTS of links and unit study ideas on my blog. If you scroll down on my blog to the categories, you can click on unit studies or Five in a Row to see how those things look in our house.

    If you aren’t familiar with lapbooks or unit studies, or even if you are, one of the best and FREE resources is Homeschool Share. There are thousands of free and WONDERFUL unit studies and lapbooks there!

    http://www.homeschoolshare.com

    Good luck to you as you weave through this somewhat overwhelming and amazing number of resources for homeschoolers now. Try not to let it bog you down that there are so many choices. Rather think on it as a blessing, because now ALL KINDS can homeschool and be successful…not just the fundamental, denim jumper kind. hee hee!! (I’m sure we all have that image stuck in our head, but I believe that is changing now!! thank goodness!)

    Nice to “meet” you!!

  • http://ifmeadowsspeak.blogspot.com/ Tammy@If Meadows Speak….

    Yea for you and your son! There is such tremendous support out there for homeschoolers! I NEVER thought I’d be one of them. Never. But I am. If you haven’t already, look for a homeschooling group in your area. It’ll usually involve an organized sports program (ie., basketball or etc), organized activities and get togethers, field trips, mommy get togethers and etc.

    Also, some homeschooling groups (I have 2! in my area) who do something called a Co-Op. It’s where they have a class all day (of homeschoolers) and various subjects. Usually it requires a commitment from the Mom to be there too and volunteer so many hours per hours child is in class. One day a week is the normal for this area, like I said I have two LARGE homeschooler groups who do this.

    My materials I use right now are:

    1st & 3rd grade math: Purposeful design
    1st grade Grammar: ABEKA

    3rd grade Grammar: Evan-Moor

    Both grades spelling: ABEKA

    3rd grade History:ABEKA (“Our American Heritage”)

    Literature & Reading: Bible (reading Psalms or etc), various Science books, them making their own books (they LOVE this) and etc.

    Both grades Science: This year they built rockets and shot them off. Last year they did electricity circuit boards and learned about conducting & connecting currents. Daddy takes on these projects. But every year they learn about various wild animals, habitats and etc on the farm. Bird species, plant species, astronomy (big dipper, little dipper and etc), and various field trips.

    BUT, NEXT YEAR: I plan on using either Bob Jones University material, or A.C.E.

    IF you like doing it from a literature perspective you may LOVE Charolette Mason material. Here’s the websites:

    http://www.charlottemasonhelp.com/
    http://www.aceministries.com/Default.aspx
    (ACE actually has a free online test you can see where your son is academically, so you’ll know which one to order)
    http://www.bjupress.com/page/Home
    (Bob Jone University)

    If you need anything Elizabeth let me know! Blessings to you and your family and you start your journey.

  • http://ifmeadowsspeak.blogspot.com/ Tammy@If Meadows Speak….

    Ps. Here’s a blogspot on homeschooling. With helps and materials and various ideas to get you started.

    http://fieldlilynotes.blogspot.com/

  • http://nakiru.wordpress.com nakiru

    My siblings and I were raised in a literature-centered (Christian) home. The first test I took was my SAT/ACTs. We used Saxon math, but other than that, my mom (who put a lot of hard work into our education, which I am SO thankful for) tailored a lot of our curriculum to each of us individually. My dear friend Guinever homeschools her four children in KY, and I think her blog http://homeschoolingwithguinever.wordpress.com/ probably has more resources than I can offer right now. I’m a single adult working, with a graduate degree – no family yet, so I think that Guinever would be a more up to date resource.
    Blessings.

  • http://taguelisa.wordpress.com lisa harding

    We use some abeka and some bob jones and maximize our city’s science and history museums. For history we use a text published by our state historical society. That’s cool too b/c then all the field trips are local and interesting! (as your historical society about their resources)
    Also a big fan of literature based learning…. I just love how it’s so comprehensive.
    for standardized testing (which usually drove my ADD daughter NUTS!) we switched to the Peabody test. It’s individually administered and is really low key. Takes one short afternoon and it’s all over with! Almost painless.
    don’t know if all states accept it though? Good luck!

    http://www.echo-mn.org/blogengine/page/MN-Homeschool-Testing-Resources.aspx

  • Rachel

    I am a LA County resident and have been homeschooling for three years now through an amazing program called California Virtual Acadamies. I’ve been really impressed with their scope and especially their literature and language arts. You do all of it through your computer and they send you boxloads of wonderful curriculum. Best of all, it’s free, and you get accountability through accredited teachers. They leave you room for flexibility, too! So it’s not like you have a big, hairy, oppressive gorilla breathing down your back to get work done. Check it out! http://www.k12.com

  • Cyndy

    Well, I was all excited to finally offer my two cents and a few folks already beat me to the punch on great homeschool curriculum…so I’ll just add another vote.

    Hands down for literature based curriculum Sonlight is the way to go. They also offer you a pre-made schedule which I use as a jumping off point for the rest of what we do.

    I would also like to recommend MathUSee for arithmetic. I have used two other math curriculums and this one by far has been the best for our family. I like it because it comes with a DVD and an experienced math teacher on the DVD…this is huge for me as this is the one area I am very challenged in, personally. Here’s a link: http://www.mathusee.com/default.php?language=California

    Here are some great reads for you in preparation:

    Educating the Wholehearted Child by Sally Clarkson here’s a link: http://www.wholeheart.org/whitemdetail.php?itemid=6

    Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreoli Link here: http://www.christianbook.com/charlotte-companion-personal-reflections-gentle-learning/karen-andreola/9781889209029/pd/20902?item_code=WW&netp_id=114474&event=ESRCN&view=details

    I wish that I could say I’ve found a great book about what it’s like the first few months after you have pulled your child out of public school…(err, maybe I need to write it)…there are adjustments. Let me just encourage you to stay on your knees, especially when you hear something like, “That’s not the way it’s supposed to be done.” or “That’s not the way they do it at real school.” Yes, I’ve heard these…BUT…four years later I’ve been rewarded with a son who relates to his parents instead of shutting us out, works hard, has found his own best learning style, still needs to be pushed a little ;) , loves his little sister, and is growing in his relationship with the Lord. He also, so far, has no desire to return to public school.

    There is a ton of great stuff and resources out there but the best resource is anyone you know personally, as in real life. Someone who is already homeschooling and has been doing so for awhile. They hopefully will be able to connect you with local support groups which are worth their weight in gold.

    Oh and one more thing, get yourself a Rainbow Resource Center Catalog (and be careful how you type that one in your google box ;) , I’m tellin’ ya it’s three inches thick and the best thing since sliced bread. Here’s a link: http://www.rainbowresource.com/index.php

    Blessings to you Elizabeth, I will be praying for you!

  • http://bellwhistlemoon.blogspot.com/ mary bailey

    So you’re really going to homeschool? That’s awesome, Elizabeth! I’ve considered it several times with my son and he’s begged for it, simply because he hates school. It will be interesting and encouraging to see you on this journey. Best wishes!

  • http://www.seekingfaithfulnessblog.com Holly

    Elizabeth,

    I’ve been wanting to comment and just encourage you – but the days have been so busy here.

    Finally a moment! Whew!

    Of course you won’t be the stereotypical homeschooler. I am hopeful that the old stereotype is falling by the wayside, anyway. There has been a monopoly, it seems, and it is time for that to end! :)

    Homeschooling really isn’t about the stereotype, anyway. It is about the freedom for you to teach your son in the way that fits him best.

    Actually, when I read your description of your son, I thought to myself, “It sounds like he is a very smart boy, who just doesn’t fit into a traditional classroom way of learning.” After some adjustment, you just might find that he FLOURISHES at home. Frankly, for myself, I look at how my kids get to learn (and always have,) and wish that I’d had the same advantages as a child.

    Want to lie down on the couch while reading? Go for it! :) Need to go to the bathroom? No need to get permission and a hall pass. Want a cup of hot chocolate while you do math? It’s approved of! :) Only need 15 min. to grasp a piddly grammar assignment? Then that’s all it takes, and you move on. No need for a worksheet that HAS to be filled out in order to reinforce a concept you grasped long ago. It’s peaceful. It’s freedom. It’s good.

    I love that you don’t feel boxed in. Be sure that you keep that perspective! Feel free to just homeschool one child. Don’t feel that his homeschool has to take all day. If you need to pick up a subject on Saturday because the twins wanted to go to the park, that is fine! It can be done. You can tailor the subjects to his likes and abilities. You can add in extra as you need – sports or other classes here or there – whatever he needs to flourish.

    As to curriculum choices? I think that I have tried most of them. I tend to pick and choose among subjects instead of selecting one big package deal. Abeka is overkill, very difficult, I think. (But yes, thorough, if you need that.) I taught my first son cursive at age five. Totally unnecessary, but I learned. :) Sonlight is good, but there again, you don’t need EVERYTHING nor to DO everything they list. Feel free to choose your own language arts or math if you go with that. (I like Math U See, too.)

    As my children have hit the highschool years (one is graduating this year, one is a freshman, another 8th grade) I am finding it harder and harder to find good curriculum. I end up piece-mealing many things together. I don’t want something that comes from an extremely closed or fundamental point of view, or even something that gives one individual’s point of view. (That is kind of my issue with Sonlight in the highschool years – yes, it is not American centric, and I like that, but John Holzman is a little bit fringy and even paranoid (in my point of view). (I read his blog.) He pushes a libertarian view – and I think that’s great for a private citizen, but when it comes through in a curriculum, well, then I am choosing to allow my children to be indoctrinated in yet another point of view. I have struggled and struggled and struggled to find good curriculum for the upper grades. Most homeschool curriculum is strongly Calvinist. Much of it is strongly fundamentalist, too. I’ve used it, but I find that I’m always having to say to my children, “Yes, I know that the book says that, but we don’t believe that way.” And so, it becomes increasingly tiresome.

    Perhaps you will find different curriculum choices within Catholicism? That would be really great for your family if so.

    http://ebeth.typepad.com/reallearning/ is probably a great place to get ideas for the elementary years. There are so many Catholic networks, and so many wonderful Catholic moms who homeschool, I would imagine that they can give you some great ideas and curriculum choices.

    Feel free to e-mail me any time if you have any questions. This is definitely something you can do! :) God Bless!

  • http://sevenlittleaustralians.blogspot.com Erin

    Elizabeth, {{}} to you as you prayerfully discern. Well I can only share what works for our family (after trial and error) Time and again we keep coming back to Charlotte Mason. I can’t say we are purists but we are certainly a family who is literature based. Interestingly, despite being a non-text book family I have come to see they have their place, but within that I am very fussy. We have tried Unit Studies over the years but I have had to let that go as we played more at learning than learnt. (Just us, works well for others) I finally feel that this year we have hit our stride (only took 11 years, I’m kinda slow) Anyhow if you want the nuts and bolts you are welcome to visit our learning notes blog (which will also take you to a number of other learning notes blogs)Look at the planning posts.
    http://sevenlittleaustralianslivinglearning.blogspot.com/

  • http://www.morningstarr.typepad.com Dina

    I echo the thoughts already shared here about Charlotte Mason…I even have an extra, albeit earmarked book I could send to you. Reading this rich resource was a huge catalyst for me at the beginning. Reading A Charlotte Mason Companion would be a great start, it’s subtitle is Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning.

    Sonlight is great too. I finally sprung for one of their core packages this year because it comes with all the literature books that coordinate with their syllabus. Now we have a library at home!

    The Pioneer Woman also has a homeschool site that has spotlighted some great products which I have used or plan to use, ie. Latin.

    (an aside, I love the Simple Living Media sites, one of which you linked to in this post. A blogging friend of mine contributes at Simply Organic, another one of their great sites. Her personal blog, SortaCrunchy is one I think you might enjoy as she tackles some similar topics as you. I am her new homeschool contributor but my aim is simply :) to encourage all mothers to look for teachable moments with their their children all day/night long, whether in the home or not. Let’s face it, your already homeschooling your children on the things that really matter in life. What’s a little math and science?! ;)

  • http://MeditativeMeanderings.blogspot.com Susanne Barrett

    Despise denim jumpers here and am even iffy om mommy jeans. We listen to U2 during school hours, when my middle son isn’t playing his electric guitar.

    I sent you a humungo e-mail yesterday. But you mentioned testing, and I wanted to add a word about that.

    As far as standardized testing, if you join a PSP (private study program), they usually offer testing. Our PSP in San Diego, Heritage Christian School (www.hcssd.org) requires testing in grades 4-11, optional for younger students.

    As far as testing as part of school, I don’t start formal testing until high school, except for math. History, science, literature, grammar — all these I evaluate through discussion to determine how well they understand concepts, how well they’ve applied material, etc. Sonlight is nice that way in that they provide GREAT discussion questions for literature and history that are thought-provoking and also enable me to ascertain how much they’ve learned and how well they’ve learned it.

    Most of us veterans don’t use a single curriculum; we pick and choose. We use Sonlight for literature and history, pray the Divine Office for Bible, use ABeka or Saxon for math; Spelling Power for spelling; English from the Roots Up for vocabulary; Daily Grams and Easy Grammar for language arts; ABeka for science and high school science & history (skipping tests for younger kids and doing chapter questions orally); SMARR for some high school lit — also designed my own American Lit because I didn’t like anything available, etc. We use Brave Writer (www.bravewriter.com) for writing, copywork, and some literature; the subscriptions for middle school have online discussion of books available.

    We tend toward structure but with great flexibility. We always talk to the kids as each year closes regarding what they want to do the next year: remain home? go to school? try the local charter school? We’ve had some home and some in school in the past, but lately they’ve all wanted to stay home.

    Another nickel’s worth from
    Susanne in San Diego :)

  • http://www.candacemercyisnew.blogspot.com Candace

    Oh, I came back to tell ya that we are DONE with school around lunch time! And no homework!! :) Yipeeeeee!!

  • http://www.mommyprincessof2.blogspot.com Allison

    I just started reading your blog. I have home schooled for 5 years. I do not have all of the answers. I will tell you that I have used abeka for my daughter and it did not work. We moved to Bob Jones and they did better, but it is still a traditional school method. This past year we used some My Father’s World, some Bob Jones, and Apologia for science. Next year we are enrolling our kids in Classical Conversations. I have no idea if their is one near you but you can check on their website. It will still give me the freedom of homeschooling, but the accountability of a traditional school. You can google it and also check You Tube. I am so excited about using this program because we can go as deep as we need to or go deeper. Hope this helps.

  • http://www.veritaspress.com Marlin Detweiler, President, Veritas Press

    I highly recommend Veritas Press–everything they offer. But I would.

  • http://www.elizabethesther.com Elizabeth Esther

    I am SO LOVING all these helpful tips and ideas! I will be returning to this post frequently in order to sort/organize our family’s needs for homeschooling.

    THANK YOU, EVERYONE!!!

  • http://thebookbeast.blogspot.com SaraJ

    Our kids are quirky, and it’s a relief that they don’t have to fit into the system. My 7yo son would actually be in first grade this year due to his birthday, although his reading and math are on a much higher level. Can you imagine how miserable both he *and* the teacher would be?

    So I think your son could benefit from some flexible schooltime.

    We’re a mishmash family also. We use Horizons math, Apologia science, and Enchantedlearning.com for when I want a worksheet. For grammar practice, I print off blog posts I wrote about the kids when they were young. Although we don’t use Sonlight as our core curriculum (I hate curriculum guides), nearly every book they’ve recommended has been a hit in the family. Can’t go wrong with Sonlight.

    I nearly commented on your homework post that “that’s a minor reason why we homeschool — because if I know they know a concept, I can draw slash marks through entire worksheets and move on.”

    I think you and your son both will find it a rewarding change. Good for you!

    – SaraJ

  • http://www.spendandbespent.blogspot.com Samantha

    One more good resource is a book that will help you narrow down curriculum…

    “100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum” by Cathy Duffy.

    It has an overview of many teaching styles/learning styles and an assessment you can do for both you and your kiddo and then recommendations from that assessment.

    Grace as you pursue the Lord in this!

  • http://www.UsborneConnection.com Tressa

    Structured flexibility…

    We do have a schedule but, we don’t carve it in stone.

    I wish you the best!

    If you’re wanting to use Usborne and add to your family/homeschool library, call me. I know a gal who can give you a great deal!!

  • http://thehomespunlife.com Sisterlisa

    Hi Elizabeth. I shared some links with you the other day, but also that it’s perfectly acceptable to incorporate other classes along with your home education. And it’s acceptable for you to choose which kids you want to home educate. Check with the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (one of your readers listed in already in this thread) and find out the laws in your state. When we began considering HS as an option for our family I read every book I could get my hands on before making the decision. I’m a fast reader! You’re the parent so you decide what’s best for your children. One thing I recommend is finding out what style of learner your child is. google ‘learning styles’. Once you know what kind of learner your child is, then you can select an education plan or create one, that suits the educational needs of your children. All 4 of my children have different learning styles, which has been a challenge for me, but has also made me a better educator. I have some articles already written on my blog that answer what you’re asking here.
    http://www.thehomespunlife.com/2008/07/homeschooling-are-you-sure.html

    The second part is linked in at the end of that article.

  • http://profile.typepad.com/6p01310f35e214970c www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawmNznI2aEARDrvNUpThV5iZBEqVrLpIYng

    Elizabeth, I don’t know much about Homeschooling, but do follow this blog and she homeschool’s her four children.
    http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeschooling/
    Maybe you will find something useful there?

  • cristy eirich

    Hi Elizabeth,
    My girls sometimes check up on your blog and they mentioned you were thinking of homeschooling. You might want to check out Carole Joy Seids website. It is a literature approach to education and we are having a seminar on April 17 here in Costa Mesa. Just food for thought…It is what we have used for about 9 years now and before that we were in bondage to schooling like the school with text books that drove all of us up the wall. The girls have graduated and are doing really well so i see the fruit and it is “sweet” love in Him, cristy eirich p.s. if you have any questions just email me, i never check facebook…

  • http://www.lorimcktia.blogspot.com Lori McKenna

    Wow, my eyes are burning, that was a lot of information. I’m now going to attempt in this small parameter to throw in my 2 cents. I have 5 children. I have home schooled, private schooled and public schooled. I truly feel that each child is different and has different needs. You will have to go through a lot of trial and error which is probably not what you want to hear. My kids who have done the best went to private and religious schools. I have one son who could never fit “in the box” at any school. However, ONE of his challenges was Add. His teachers at school would make him stay in during recess to punish him for acting out in class. I told them that if they made him run laps at recess instead, he would be able to sit still and behave during class. Worked every time. We also used to do our spelling words out on the trampoline. Each jump would be a letter and imprint a pattern in their mind. Worked like a charm. My prayers are with you. You have a lot of decisions to make but, you seem like a woman who makes decisions by being well informed and by being deeply seated in your faith beliefs. Blessings

  • http://heart-and-home.net Ashleigh (Heart and Home)

    Wowsers. Lotsa good stuff here. I’m not going to add anything, being we used a bit of ev.er.y.thing. and I tend to start twitching when I think of denim jumpers. Or floral print. With white Keds.

    (twitch… twitch)

    I will say that I’m praying for you oodles and I honestly think you’d be an awesome, amazing, non-stereotypical homeschooling mom.

  • Barbara

    We are not homeschoolers (yet!) but many of our friends use Tapestry of Grace, especially for the older kids. I have seen it and am impressed. Good Luck!
    Barbara

  • http://www.oldhousekitchen.blogspot.com Carmen

    You would probably love Sonlight (from what I’ve heard of it, anyway). My husband used to teach an ACE school so that’s the curriculum we chose. Yes, it’s a bit cheesy in format and yes, they use the KJV, but it works great for us. Each subject has 12 paces per subject. Each pace has both the reading and writing in it. You can reuse some of it but you can also find it used. I like it because once they can read pretty well they are sort of self-guided. There are pages that you need to listen to them read or check the work but for the most part they set their own goals (how many pages in each pace they’ll do each day –with your guidance), they score their normal work but you score their tests. Each pace has a test with it. Each pace has a Bible verse to memorize with it. We don’t make them memorize it KJV like the pace has, we use ESV. So that’s what they memorize it in. The paces are great at emphasizing character traits. Another down side is that it makes salvation seem so cut and dry. So we use that as a springboard for conversations with the kiddos. (A magic prayer is not fire insurance, you know? ;) ) As far as testing (like standardized tests), here in Indiana it isn’t required. I don’t care for them anyway, but we do it about every other year. There are homeschool groups that arrange this.
    All this to say no one curriculum is perfect, but this one works for us. It might work for you.
    http://www.aceministries.com

  • Gail Brightbill

    I’m a newcomer to your blog via Tulipgrrl and like what I’ve read. We homeschooled our 4 children for 18 years, imperfectly, but they/we survived and all are now working on their graduate degrees. Overall it was good though our youngest son was bored silly, graduated high school a year early and college a year early. We could have found more interesting challenges, but that’s another story. We used Bob Jones mostly because it was given to us.(Wouldn’t use it now; too Fundamentalist.) My husband was a math teacher so he handled that part of their schooling. Parents should homeschool for positive reasons, not to “get away” from public school, or other forms of schooling. We did it because we thought it best for our kids. Other parents may choose other forms of schooling. It’s not for everyone. Always it has to be what’s best for the individual child. And, yes, my comment when my last child graduated from high school, “Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, I’m free at last!” :-)

  • Amy

    Hi – we use Moving Beyond the Page – http://www.movingbeyondthepage.com – there’s a yahoo group for it as well – very helpful. Its a literature based curriculum for “creative or gifted learners”. We’ve been using for almost 2 years now and LOVE IT!!! Kim (the person who wrote it) is incredibly hands on and will even talk with you by phone if you have any questions/concerns. Easy for you to implement and fun for your child. With your son’s possible ADD issues, it would be incredibly easy to do – We usually take about 2-2.5 hours to complete our day and it is sometimes done in 15 to 20 min. increments. Just start when he’s interested and stop when he’s not, then pick it back up again. And we use Right Start Math, though I’ve heard GREAT things about Math U See…Good luck with your decision. Some other interesting blogs you might be interested in regarding homeschooling are: http://www.educationconversation.wordpress.com and http://www.freedomofeducation.net. I don’t always agree with everything written there (and you probably won’t either), but the perspectives are interesting and informing. Never hurts to explore all the angles! Again, good luck. Homeschooling was not my 1st choice either, but now I know it was the BEST choice for my child and we’ve never looked back!
    Amy (new reader to your blog – LOVE it!)

  • http://www.thoughts-of-home.blogspot.com Carole

    Share with me your favorite homeschool curriculums/educational philosophies.

    We tend towards a blend of Classical and Charlotte Mason – both being book/literature based.

    What works for your family? Do you tend toward structure or flexibility?

    I think the biggest thing that ‘works’ for us is to have a flexible routine. I can’t handle schedules that dictate at what time a certain subject will begin, etc. It’s way too easy to fall behind and feel woefully inadequate. So I’ve made a weekly checklist (think simplemom.net) for our schooling subjects, and although we ‘do’ school about 5 days a week, I’ve only scheduled 4 very full days worth of material. We prefer to have lessons in the morning only, but again, have to be flexible there as well.

    How do you test your children?

    Right now my oldest is not quite 8. I am waiting until he is in 3rd or 4th grade to give him any standardized tests. At that time I will probably use the PASS (I think that’s the acronym?) test because I can administer it at home. Until middle school I am really not too worried about ‘keeping up’ with national standards (I’m talking about average kids here, not special needs) because I want instead to fuel a love for learning and exploring.

    Please share any links, book recommendations and/or blogs that you think might be helpful!

    Pretty much anything about education at Mt Hope Chronicles. (look on the side bar for some popular posts) http://www.mthopeacademy.blogspot.com/

    I love this post by Jennefer at Smooth Stones Academy: Comparing Charlotte Mason and Classical.
    http://smoothstonesacademy.blogspot.com/2009/01/comparing-charlotte-mason-and-classical.html

    Here’s my ‘weekly checklist,’ if you’re into making your own schedule.
    http://thoughts-of-home.blogspot.com/2008/11/home-education-getting-it-onto-paper.html

  • http://profile.typepad.com/teachingonmarsblogspotcom Loren C. Klein @ Teaching on Mars

    Hmm, schoolteacher here who is giggling that I’m driving yet another family away from public schooling into homeschools. It warms the cockles of my cold, cold heart that I’m doing my job. ;^)

    In all seriousness, my mother homeschools my 15-year old brother, and has for his entire academic career. He’s doing OK, and I totally support it, but it is in no way the panacaea that a lot of homeschool advocates sometimes sound like they say (Not saying any of you fine ladies are saying that). Homeschooling your kids is way more than just letting the kids follow the curriculum you bought (Not that you’re planning on doing that Elizabeth), and I’ve seen a lot of people in church whose homeschooled kids aren’t any better off, if not worse than their public-schooled peers.

    My mom uses ABeka for my brother, but being a product of a Christian school that used ABeka until my later high school years myself, I urge you strongly to steer clear of it in everything outside of grammar. The kind folks who make ABeka are the same folks that Matthew Paul Turner rightfully lampoons in his memoirs, and it just oozes from everything they publish. As far as they’re concerned, any liturgical denomination of Protestantism is in a pact with Satan and Roman Catholics are Satan themselves. American and British history are nice and perfect, and any traditionally Catholic nation was (and is!) still backwards and in control of Satan. I taught at a Christian school one year and I spent the better part of two hours at their annual conference arguing with their faculty over the fact that things like primary sources were in fact planted by Satan to confuse the elect, which had me unprofessionally laughing at them to their faces.

    Science is equally ludicrous, as it’s wedded to the fundamentalist view of a literal six day creation, and it does a very poor job of establishing the position, instead relying on poor cliches and the “research” of Kent Hovnid, still in jail for tax evasion after telling a federal judge that God told him to not pay taxes. Smooth. No attention is given to alternate creation viewpoints and especially in later years, there’s the same chapter on evolution using the same cliches and same poor arguments.

    I hate to sound like I’m bitter, but I can’t in good conscience let people discuss ABeka without bringing this stuff up. You ladies can feel free to flame me now. This guy’s ready. ;^)

    BTW, as for Homeschooling becoming mainstream, even educational researchers are noticing this. Check out this article in Education Next, the educational journal of Stanford’s Hoover Institution entitled Homeschooling goes Mainstream:

    http://educationnext.org/home-schooling-goes-mainstream/

  • http://www.thatmom.com thatmom

    I don’t have a lot of informationon homeschooling curriculum on my blog but I have homeschooled 6 children and have 10 grandchildren who are now being homeschooled so want to offer any encouragement to you moms if I can. I have about 130 podcasts available on i-Tunes for free downloading and the Lord has really burdened me for encouraging moms in what I call relationship homeschooling. I hope I can provide a good resource for you all.

    http://www.thatmom.com

  • http://shadowspring-lovelearningliberty.blogspot.com/ shadowspring

    Yay! I am so happy you want to home school in a way that really blesses your kids.

    I recommend an oldie but great book “Homeschooling Matters” by Dave Guterson. You can get it used at amazon. It’s from the 80s but its fantastic. Also “How They Learn” by Cynthia Tobias. Same time frame.

    And then, have fun! Use lots of manipulatives in math (Cuisenaire rods, legos, toy cars, ponies, etc!).

    Go lots of cool places (beach, mountains, your backyard).

    Do lots of cool things (snorkel, milk cows, tour the grocery store, roast a pumpkin on the campfire at Thanksgiving, make a model of the earth’s layers with playdough).

    Let your kids “write” reports by drawing their experiences and dictating text to you.

    Do a brief bit of handwriting each day (with lots of praise for one perfectly formed letter and then they can stop).

    And oh yes, read to them, read to them, let them read to you, and then read to them some more.

    What else? Take lots of pictures! It’s so fun to make little photo pages of field trips and projects and outings.

    As far as curriculum, I used Moving with Math (I think that is no longer available though) and Miquon Math together for the first three years. One worksheet in each, and depending on how much you played with it (MwM had a teacher’s guide) it could take from 5-30 minutes. So much fun! Number lines of masking tape across the living room and working out problems with cars or ponies moving up and down the line, word problems acted out with beanie babies, *sigh*I loved every minute.

    Science? BJU Press with lots of additions if the kids were interested: Frank Shaffer publications and other workbooks, posters, etc. from the local education supply coupled with experiment books from the library. If the subject did not catch my kids attention, then we only did the BJU workbook pages. There could be better stuff out there, but it worked for us.

    I used BJU Phonics and English all along too, though we are not a strict fundamentalist family by any means. I loved the way the teacher’s guides cover all the different learning styles. I could leave out or counter the religious posturing when needed. Otherwise, that was WAY FUN with puppets and activities and writing spelling words in pudding! Yum.

    History, well there’s so much out there. I tried a lot of different things: Abeka for K, BJU for 1st, Greenleaf Press for 2nd, 3rd plus museums, videos, trips to historic sites, festivals, holidays- it all seemed to come together. Then in middle school I started using Beautiful Feet Books History Guide which I LOVE! So much good reading.

    My oldest is now a sophomore in college studying Japanese/Chinese and vying for a commission in the Air Force. My youngest has aspirations as either a rock star, surgeon or CSI- LOL! He’s a sophomore in high school.

    Good luck! =)

  • Vicki

    OK, I confess, I wore a denim jumper in 1992 when I began homeschooling! But I never ground wheat and baked bread! Both my homeschool projects, sons ages 21 and 24, are in college now. My husband and I homeschooled them K5-12. We used ABeka as our base text but incorporated unit studies using KONOS, met with a co-op each week, and lived to tell about it! As a veteran I believe all mothers are “homeschool” moms because mothers are their children’s first teachers. I also believe that a high quality education is just a side benefit to the homeschool lifestyle with family relationships the primary benefit. Love to chat about this subject so dear to my hear. vicki in Georgia

  • http://www.vitafamiliae.com Lora Lynn @ Vitafamiliae

    I can’t recommend it from experience… yet, but we’re going with Tapestry of Grace next year. It has lots of options so you can pick and choose activities based on you and your child’s interests. It’s a buffet of learning. Hee. Christian (there’s a Catholic forum on the forums board for the few modifications that they make), chronological, flexible, all the research is done for me, it’s a good mix of classical and literature based learning. Plus, we can all study the same thing as a family, just at different levels. There’s even an mp3 for dad that let’s him listen to it and know what we’re studying for the week.

    Math-U-See. I love it. But having talked to other folks, I think those of us that love it either have very tactile children or we started it from the very beginning, like with Primer. There’ s a certain method to using it that works really well, but it would be hard to pick up at a later level. Just my two cents.

    Have you seen Karin Katherine’s homeschool toolbar? Go here: http://www.passportacademy.com/ and download the free toolbar that’s located in the sidebar. All sorts of freebies, printables. There’s online games, online curriculums, and even a shopping tab that lets you search some of the most common curriculums, all in one place. I love it.

  • Mary Brooke Baria

    EE,
    Hi I’m the Mommy with 5 (twins are 1 now) and our oldest is 7. Well, I’ve wanted to homeschool for 5 years now because I love doing devotions, poetry, hymn, breakfast all together. We love having an excellent, Charlotte Mason education for our children. I am thrilled that my children are reading and loving excellent books. We use Ambleside as a core and Right Start Math. It is a gentle, rich, yet rigorous education. Copywork must look beautiful. I am thankful for the family bonding and the babies’ first year where my oldest got to love on the babies so much. Basically, my husband and I *love* to learn and want our children to learn excellent things. Anna @ PleasantViewSchoolhouse clinched it for me when she said that she and her husband felt that their schooling was a “waste of time”. I guess it is more work being a homeschooler, but I wouldn’t know. I cannot imagine sending them off all day missing the opportunity to read great books and have devotions, one-on-one math, etc.

    hugs and best wishes, Mary Brooke with our 5

  • http://www.surprisingjoy.blogspot.com Jennifer@SurprisingJoy.blogspot.com

    I am SO with you on the denim jumpers. I’m homeschooling my 2nd and 3rd grade boys this year, and I’m so glad to have made the change. Our motivation was primarily educational, but the family benefits have been huge. We love our Sonlight Curriculum, though I flex with it and find it to be more than we can swing every day. We keep on track with history and reading, and we do the other subjects as we’re able. I love, love, love Handwriting Without Tears, and I highly recommend Writing With Ease by Susan Wise Bauer at http://www.peacehillpress.com. It’s especially wonderful for boys because they can dictate their thoughts to you, and they don’t get overwhelmed. I also recommend hearing Carole Joy Seid anywhere you can. Her website is http://www.carolejoyseid.com. (Don’t let the design fool you. It’s very relevant and up-to-date. I think she has a radio program on the site you can hear. I hope these are helpful! Thanks for your post.

  • Robyn

    We also use Ambleside, and have been using it for 5 years (Years 0 through 4). We love it. Every year I research other ideas, just to make sure, and I always come back to it!

    http://amblesideonline.org/

    For math, we have done the circuit. Loved Right Start, but it required way too much prep and one-on-one time (I have 4 kiddos). We’ve tried Saxon this year (grade 4) and ugh. I’m looking at something called Math on the Level for next year, looks promising.

    https://www.mathonthelevel.com/

    Spelling: I have an ADHD/dyslexic learner, and we LOVE Sequential Spelling. Writing Tales is also great around Year 3 or 4.

    For science, we’ve been using Exploring Creation With … by Jeannie Fulbright. It’s engaging. As mine get older, we will start into more investigations of science, helping them think critically.

    Our philosophy of education is to present MORE to our children than they would see in any school, public or private, and to present all views with respectfulness. They get to walk through it with mom and dad, hear what we have to say, but ultimately we challenge them to think, pray, and come up with their own conclusions. No denim jumpers here. :) Good luck on your journey!

  • http://www.sonlightblog.com/ Luke Holzmann

    A friend pointed me to your blog, and I’m so glad he did [smile]. If you’re looking for a literature-rich approach to homeschooling, Sonlight is absolutely the best. Of course, I’m a little biased, but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong [laughing]. I grew up using Sonlight and now we’re using it with the two girls we’re caring for. I love the flexibility, ease of use, and the joy or reading together.

    So, here’s a big vote for Sonlight.

    May you find materials that are a perfect fit for you and your family!

    ~Luke

  • http://www.VirginiaKnowles.blogspot.com Virginia Knowles

    We’ve been home schooling since 1992 — our oldest is 22 and our youngest is four. We’ve been in a co-op for the past four years, but we are dropping out to go back to the literature-based Charlotte Mason / unit study approach we used with our older kids. I love to read aloud to them and see them read by themselves, and that has gotten squeezed out too much by the busywork assignments. I’ve got a preschool / elementary blog you might like at http://www.StartWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com. I also have a regular life blog http://www.VirginiaKnowles.blogspot.com.
    I also just did a podcast with Karen Campbell on mentoring that you can find at http://www.thatmom.com/?p=3917. The second segment of it, which isn’t up yet, has more about home schooling.

    ~~ Blessings,
    Virginia, mom of 10