This Is My Joy!

What joy it is to see my kids learning!  Yesterday, I caught Mercedes helping Jared with his math work.  They were sitting on the couch, and she was teaching him.  Not only are they learning math, but they are developing a relationship that will last for a lifetime and beyond. 

Of course, this was after I was helping her figure out a problem that involved figuring out how many cookies were eaten at a party.  There were 8 boxes of 12 cookies brought.  How many were brought?  Her answer: "8 dozen."  Can you tell she likes to bake?  LOL!

I am so excited as history progresses.  We are reaching the important developments that lead to the American Revolution.  They are enjoying their reading, which excites me to no end.  I keep telling them there is so much to learn, so much to figure out, so much to find! 

Different Methods of Homeschooling

Just as every family is different, every homeschooling family uses different methods with their children.  There are rigid school-at-home-ers (wow, that's convoluted!), the eclectic homeschoolers, the unschoolers, and so forth.  There's classical homeschoolers who use A Well Trained Mind  or Charlotte Mason or A Thomas Jefferson Education as their curriculum.  There are advocates of child-led education.  I tend to use a mix.

My primary inspiration, and the book I go back to when I feel like I need to get "back on track" is A Well Trained Mind.  I do not follow it strictly.  For one thing, I am a very busy single mother - I basically have 2 jobs, one outside the home for a couple hours a day, and another that I mostly do at home.  Either way, when I'm working, I'm WORKING.  (The ex didn't understand it - part of the reason he's the ex.  Bless his heart.)  Because of all this, I have to schedule time to take an afternoon off to have a field trip with the kids, and I need my kids to be very independent workers.  I just don't have time to molly-coddle them.

Hanging out learning about nature.

Also because I work all the dang time, I'm not able to "present lessons" the same way other classical homeschoolers are able to.  History is the only "lesson" I'm able to present on a regular basis.  (We use Story of the World right now.)  I have the kids read classics that go with history, and write narrations about what they read, then correct spelling and grammar and have them re-write it correctly.

I outline for them what I expect them to do that day, and they are able to ask me questions about their assignments when I'm working my WAH job.

The wonderful part of it is that they learn quickly how to be truly self sufficient.  Mercedes is a perfectionist by nature, but by learning to ask questions and daring to make mistakes, she's learning to learn.

Jared has learned to find the answers he needs in rather *ahem* unconventional ways - he's notorious for finding Mercedes' old workbooks and then copying them.  Argh!

Because my youngest kids have never been to school, I haven't had to cope with the necessity of "de-schooling," or allowing time for them to decompress after being removed from public school.  We do have times of burn out, for them and for me, when I feel like the best thing I can do is have them play as much as possible.  We have dolls, dollhouses, K'nex, Legos, magnets - and that's a great time to do science experiments that are noisy and messy, like the Diet Coke and Mentos experiment.

If you're planning to begin homeschooling, start with the books listed above, as well as John Taylor Gatto's writings.  And feel free to ask me questions!

Virtual Public School vs Home School

I spent part of the evening helping a friend get her granddaughter's computer set up for K12.  This young lady is 14 and has not been happy in the public school system, and is thrilled to be doing K12 and to be out of the classroom.

Why don't I set my kids up with K12?  After all, it's "free" because it's public school.  And you know what? That's why.

I don't educate my kids according to a public school model that's not working well anyway.  I am using a Thomas Jefferson Education / Well Trained Mind approach, which is a more classical education.  I prefer to be in full control of my children's education.  It's just a different philosophy.  I certainly don't put anyone down who uses K12 - they're getting their kids out of the pressure cooker, which is wonderful. 

It's just not the choice I made when I chose to homeschool.

And we're loving the process. 

I'm excited to see how my friend's granddaughter does!

Reason number 40028 why I homeschool

There's nothing so rewarding as realizing what fun learning is for your kids.  Jared lost his math book a few days ago (before Christmas, probably) and had been searching for it for weeks.  He even suggested that Mercedes had hidden it to keep him from passing her up in math - and I wouldn't put it past her, either.

What joy it was to hear him shout, "Mom!  I found my math book!"  with triumph and excitement in his voice. 

Jared loves math.  It's what he works on first, and loves working on most.  Other than building his Bionicles, Legos, or K'nex, of course. I love that he loves math, and that he doesn't have school to take the enjoyment of learning away from him.  He goes at his own pace, keeps up with his peers easily, is developing an amazing work ethic, and quickly and easily understands concepts.  He explained to me how to divide yesterday, and he hasn't even hit that part of math yet.

Learning doesn't stop during Christmas.

Yes, we are still doing schoolwork.  Most of the learning going on is of the "fun", unplanned variety - a lesson on who Saint Nicholas was, and how this person became known as Santa Claus. 

A video online about the writing of the Star Spangled Banner.  And a discussion about what it must have been like for Francis Scott Key, straining to see the Stars and Stripes, when the British were determined to bomb it into oblivion.  The meaning of patriotism, and what it means to be an American.  That's something we're extra-sensitive on - my dad is a retired Army colonel with 42 years of service, my brother is serving in Iraq, my boyfriend is a former sheriff's deputy, and my ex-husband is a Mexican immigrant (the proud holder of a green card). 

We've watched Nato track Santa - what a wonderful geography lesson every year!  That leads into discussing time zones, and watching the map to see where Santa is, and what it's like in those countries.  It's also lead to a discussion about what government is supposed to do, versus all the extra stuff it's taking on. 

Mercedes is still writing her business plan for her party planning business.  I'm going to make her write it over - with correct spelling this time! 

Jared got a bunch of Legos from my boyfriend, Tim, and he's been spending all day every day either riding his new bike (even in the snow) or working on his Lego project.  He also got a box of K'nex, and has been building with them also.

History lessons have started up again (I've been lazy). 

Jared's learning his two-times tables, and is proud as can be that he got it right off the bat. 

Mercedes is struggling a bit with spelling and got a little confused when we started adding thousands instead of just hundreds - the extra column scared her a bit, but she's getting it. 

Bedtime story lately has been a chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.  

I'm so proud to see the kids growing and learning. 

Getting too busy!

This past couple of weeks I've moved my office back into my home, leaving me with both more time and more demands on that time.  It's hard to juggle housekeeping, paid work, homeschooling, and recreation sometimes.  However, nothing is more rewarding than having the kids laying in the living room (where my office is) working on schoolwork while I do my bookkeeping. 

I love being a homeschooling mom. 

And people wonder why I homeschool....

On Friday evening:

Me: Son, you've gotta go to bed.  Daddy will be here early in the morning to pick you up.
Jared: But, can I bring my math?  I'm adding and subtracting HUNDREDS!
Me: Yes, I guess.  You may also sit at your desk and do math for a while, if you want.
Jared: Oh, thank you, Mommy, thank you. 
Me: (bemused) Do you like math?
Jared: Oh, yes, I love math!

He then dashed off to do math work.  He's well into 2nd grade math, nearly half a grade level ahead of his peers, and reads well, too.  He's competing with Mercedes to see if he can catch up with her.

And people wonder why I homeschool.  What a joy to see my son loving math, enjoying music, art, and begging for a lesson in history.  When else do I get to have the kids gathered around my computer looking at pictures of the planets and discussing the solar system?  How many 1st and 3rd graders do you know who know Copernicus and Galileo?

Testing, one, two....

Since I homeschool, I'm often asked about standardized tests.  No, in Utah they are not required, and I'm pretty sure my kids know how to fill in bubbles with a number 2 pencil.  Does anyone remember the purpose of testing any more?  Anyone?  Anyone?

The purpose of testing used to be to find out what students had learned, and what they still needed to master. In a classroom setting, testing is important, because teachers need to prove that they have taught effectively.

In a homeschool, testing is virtually unnecessary.  Parents who are taking on the responsibility for educating their children are well aware of the areas the kids are deficient in. 

Eventually, of course, they will need to take the ACT and SAT.  In the meantime, they are already better educated than their peers, who are in classrooms and only after the grade.

I "test" them sometimes by having them read to me, explain what the last history lesson was about, talk to other adults about what they've learned, and solve real-life math problems.  Sometimes what they've learned isn't what I thought I taught, but that's OK - that happens all the time, too.

Homeschooling as a Single, Working Mother

I wondered if I would be able to continue homeschooling when I divorced my husband and needed to go back to work.  However, where there's a will, there's a way, and I continue to homeschool even through a heavy work schedule.

I'm blessed to be able to make my own schedule.  Generally, we do school in the mornings, when the kids are fresh - but I've also done it in the evening after work.  I've also asked my daughter, Krista, who is grown, to help me with the daily routine subjects, like making sure the kids read and do math daily, and then I review their work at the end of the day.  Some days, we do part in the morning and the rest in the evening. 

We do history and writing together, and I look for every opportunity to get the kids to write.  Shopping lists, journals, book reports, family newsletter.  They see me blogging and writing in my journal frequently.  Krista likes to write song lyrics, which has inspired Mercedes to write poetry as well.

I can plan a day off midweek (when everyone else is in school) to take the kids to a museum or the zoo. 

My oldest, Krista, works as my nanny.  The younger kids are very self sufficient - they've been taught to fix their own breakfast (even bacon and eggs), clean up after themselves, do the laundry - valuable life skills that will serve them well.  And I teach them routines.  They get up in the morning, get dressed to shoes, have breakfast, and start on their schoolwork without too much prodding from me. 

And that is a very big deal.

Last week of vacation (so to speak)

Mercedes arrived back home on Monday night, tired, but excited about the time she got to spend with her Grandma and Grandpa.  (Grandma and Grandpa, please send me some photos!  You too Denise!) 

We had sort of put formal school on hold while she was gone, because I didn't want to jump ahead in history without her, and Jared just wasn't into studying.  Notice that I said "formal" school.  We have a couple of hours of instruction in the mornings, and then let the kids do their own thing in the afternoon, so I can get my work done. 

Jared caught a grasshopper and made a little habitat for it in a Tupperware dish.

They have spend a couple of days with Krista, boating and playing in the sprinklers.  I try to get them worn out good during the day. 

Today, Jared evidently was over tired, so he got sent back to bed at 10:30 am.  Mercedes is in her room reading Pippi Longstocking and journaling about her trip. 

We'll resume formal school when the public schools resume as well. 

Logic at 7

I got so tickled at Jared.  Keep in mind - he's 7 years old.  Like most 7 year old boys, he's a budding paleontologist.  Dinosaurs, reptiles, and the like fascinate him. 

So he came up to me last night and asked me if crocodiles were cold-blooded.  (We had talked about cold/warm blooded animals a few nights ago.) 

Me: Yes, crocodiles are cold blooded.  They're reptiles.
Jared: Then dinosaurs are cold blooded.
Me: Well, son, we don't really know.  What makes you think that?
Jared: Mom, you know crocodiles are dinosaurs.  So, if crocodiles are cold blooded, then dinosaurs are cold blooded.
Me: I can't argue with your logic there....

although I can see the fallacy (ie - we don't know enough about all dinosaurs, some may have been related to birds rather than reptiles),  he doesn't have enough information to know it, and for 7, that's a pretty formidable use of logic!

The way this boy thinks is so interesting.  I'm loving the extra time alone with him to see how he thinks! 

The Challenges of Being a Single, Homeschooling Mom

Right now, with working full time, and cleaning house, and generally living as a single, homeschooling mama, some of the formal part of the kids' education is going by the wayside.  We still go to the library, and I encourage them to sit under a tree (now that it's FINALLY warm outside!) to read, and I help with math when they ask, but it's challenging to "do school" in a formal way at all.

Some days are left almost entirely to play.  The kids get up at the very crack of dawn. Now that school is out, their friends are out playing nearly at sunrise, so I shoo mine out to play too.  Partly so I can get another few minutes of sleep.  Partly so I can stagger to the shower and get ready for work without worrying about them every minute.  Or having Mercedes study the way I do my hair and makeup.  It's unnerving at 8am.  (I am emphatically NOT a morning person.  Mornings would be great if they just came in the afternoon.)  Or having the kids at my elbow asking me if I want a fresh Diet Coke.

It's challenging sometimes to hear about 13 year olds headed off to college and wondering if I'm failing my kids because I'm determined to keep them home.  I'm reviewing my goals for my kids and determining what reality looks like for us.  It's not going to look the same as it does for my married friends where mama is the homemaker and the kids go to public school.  It's not going to look the same as my married friends who homeschool their kids because daddy is there and makes a bunch of money so mama can stay home with the kids, either.  No, in my family, everything falls on my shoulders.

There are things the kids need to learn for themselves.  One is self discipline.  No, you cannot go outside to play until your schoolwork is done, and that is written on the white board. Doing what you enjoy means getting through things you don't care for too much.  Example:  I like to cook.  I hate to clean.  But if I want to cook, I have to have a clean kitchen to do it in.  So I have to clean the kitchen. 

Another is routine.  Habits will make you or break you.  Get up, do your morning routine - and for my homeschooled kids, that should include reading, writing, 'rithmatic, and history.  C'mon kidlets, that can be done in an hour or two!  We're also working on routines of cleaning the house before bedtime.  That was a lot easier in the winter, when they were in by 5 because it was dark.  It's a bit more challenging now - but then again, they're OUT of the house all day, instead of making a mess inside.  That's a plus!

Are there any other single parents (or not single!) who have some ideas on how to maximize the kids' education without sacrificing my health, or putting them in public schools?  I'd love to know!

"But I Got the Grade...."

My Mercedes is struggling with getting into a schoolwork routine.  One of the things she had to do on a daily basis is math.  She's a little behind right now, but she's got the concepts down pat, and I'm so proud of her for that. 

The other day, I was talking to one of the neighborhood kids, who informed me that she didn't need to learn math because she'd already gotten the grade.  So learning it doesn't matter.

Is THIS what the public schools are instilling in our kids?  Once you get the grade, you're done? 

I do think it is.  I was reflecting over my formal education, and I can't even count the number of times I've heard people of all ages say basically the same thing. 

Adults saying (with pride, no less) that they've never picked up a book outside the schoolroom.  Never mind that the point of taking English lit was to learn from it as well as enjoy it.  They got the grade, and besides, Lord of the Rings is now a movie series. 

Moms who brag that they can't even balance a checkbook because they didn't bother studying math in high school.  And they got good grades, no less.  But that was 25 years ago....

We're shortchanging our youth and ourselves if this is the attitude we have. 

Why bother learning then?

Why bother trying so hard to educate our children, if it's just about "making the grade"?

I've spent a lot of my time pointing out to my kids that I make my living doing math (I'm a bookkeeper and executive assistant).  I have them shop with me at the grocery stores, and discuss how to figure out what a good deal looks like.  I've capitalized their budding businesses so they would learn what a profit margin is.

I let them see me read (and I am a big reader - if I don't have a book in my hand, I'm probably working or sleeping).  I talk to them about WHY I read.  I enjoy it!  I learn how other people think.  It's a magic carpet ride to other cultures, times, and places. 

I let them see me keeping my personal journals and blogging.  Is writing clearly important?  You bet!  I've talked to them about the importance of being able to make an intelligent, thoughtful business proposal. 

It's not about the grades, at all.  It's not about the test.  It's about instilling a love of learning that will last them all their lives.  That's an attitude that no grade can replace.   And that may not be measurable. 

Personality quirks

I get so tickled at Mercedes.  She is so her own little person (not so little anymore at 9). She's definately a neat freak - tonight she didn't go to bed until 11:30 because she wanted to make sure the house was clean before she went to sleep.  Her bedroom is kept very neat and clean.  Also, because she's so competitive, she spent half an hour extra working on her math while I was blogging.  Just for fun, let me point out that her Sun sign is Taurus - stubborn, bull headed, and very sensual, liking things "just so" and disliking things out of order.  Her idea of "homeschool" is rather rigid "school at home," working on certain projects at certain times, and finishing her day with a good book in bed.   She reminds me of the "Story About Ferdinand."  She's perfectly content to sit under the cork tree and smell the flowers.  Unless she gets stung, then watch out!

Jared, on the other hand, is a Pisces.  What a riot.  He just floats around doing things boys do.  He's not into structure at all.  In fact, school irritated him the few days he went - he complained that they had all these games stacked up but wouldn't let anyone play with them.  Made no sense to him at all, and he was relieved to come back home. He's one to wake me up the second the sun breaks over the mountains because it's time to go play.  Forget eating, sleeping, being clean - he's busy!  He's got mudpies to make, snakes to watch, grasshoppers to catch, and friends to play with.  Read?  Um, well, Mom can read to him while he's in the tub, because he's got too much else to do.  Unless it's raining, and then he's happy to curl up with a good book. Sometimes he just sits and thinks, and then he tells me some of the funniest things (and I'll post them later.)

Me?  I'm the rather lassaiz-faire Aquarius mom.  One of the best ways I've heard Aquarius described is a "bouncing crystal ball."  And that's me.  It's a good thing I'm required to do school at home, because that would drive me up the wall and across the ceiling in a week. I like to suggest activities for the kids, and then let them try by themselves.  I'm glad to help, but I want them to learn to do things on their own., and to ask for help when they need it.

And it all works.  Mercedes reads very well.  Jared reads quite well, but he needs more practice because he doesn't want to read anything challenging.  They're both on track with math, but they need some more consistency. 

It's all an adventure, and I'm glad I'm on it with these great kids. 

We're loving homeschooling!

Whenever I have a friend ask me why I homeschool, I tell myself that I cannot do any worse than the public schools.  I'm lucky enough to live in an area that permits me to dual-enroll my children as they get older; there are plenty of opportunities for community sports, dance, and music outside of school; and I don't fret about socialization at all.  Mercedes is a social butterfly, and Jared is close to becoming one as well.  They have plenty of friends through church and community activities.

I was tickled at Mercedes' wanting to do math until 1am.  She brags to her friends that she's allowed to do homeschool or reading activities all night if she chooses - she just has to get up on time.  She's very competitive about her school work (we're sort of eclectic - some school at home, classical home school activities such as math, phonics, and history, lots of unstructured stuff).

Jared is fascinated with his Legos right now, as well as magnets. 

They both speak Spanish as well as English, thanks to their Mexican father.  One of his friends is German, so I hope she'll teach them German as well.  


I'm looking forward to posting more about their activities and accomplishments.