You can do it!

This week my posts have been  geared toward helping others who may be new to the homeschool arena and or those who are curious about homeschooling in general. I blog and share how we homeschool not because my way is perfect but because I feel that if I can do it, so can you, if you want or choose to. I am hoping to have one or two of my  homeschooling friends guest blog at some point so that others can get a better idea of  the methods that are out there. The fact is that none of us do it the same way. We each play to our strengths and our families needs. Lets face it, I was the girl who took, Ag Farm, Home Ec, Shop, and was a member of FFA( ya, that stands for Future Farmers of America just in case you didn't know) - and I  loved it! It only follows suit that my blog and teaching style fall along these lines. I am also the girl who loved Microbiology and Chemistry in College, and got a Nursing degree, but would have preferred to be a potter, a teacher, an archaeologist, or a forensic scientist- go figure,  so again my teaching style plays heavily towards the sciences. My husband happens to have a strong musical background and we are trying to instill some of that. My kids are scientifically and musically inclined as well, and being tactile learners for the most part  the style suits us well.

Knowing how your children learn and what your strengths are will ultimately create your homeschool environment. You can have your children tested but there are plenty of free resources on line that can help steer you in the right direction.

There are many  sites that vary in complexity but for a simple 10 question quiz you can check out Scholastic.com

  http://www.scholastic.com/familymatters/parentguides/backtoschool/quiz_learnstyles/

For more detailed  information check out Child Central at : http://www.child-central.com/learning-styles-children.html

Before I get to the details of the day I thought I would share some of the Curriculum we use just because that seems to be the question everyone wants to know when they talk to you about homeschooling.

For some Reason Math Curriculum is always a hot topic. We use Saxon Math and love it. It is very parent and student friendly, the teachers manual is scripted(meaning it tells you how to teach it) and after 3rd grade can be purchased on DVD so the parent does not have to teach the lessons. Of course you will have to know how to help with the work so I always think this is a catch 22.You will still have to watch the DVD in order to know what is going on. Another reason we love Saxon math is the manipulatives. From teddy bear counters to tangram pieces, this kit is lots of fun!


Grammar! The next big question. O.K. we use Shirley Grammar/ Shirley English. Gasp the horror! Lots of people think Shirley Grammar is too intense and I agree so that is why we do it at the pace that each child is ready for at the time. The reason I use it is because I think it really is the most thorough.I am sure there are lots of other great programs out their though.


Reading: I am a huge believer in phonetics so we used Hooked on Phonics because there is a strong emphasis on word families. Many people will love this and others not just because you have to add in  grammar and spelling . Again this is just what works for us.

O.K. , those are the top three that I get asked about so, on with our day!

Today our lesson in Bible was on the Tower of Babel. We read the story as the kids  busied their hands making  bricks. I should mention that before we started I whispered a word into each childs ear and had them repeat it to me several times before we started. They were told not to tell each other their word.I basically had the kids say hello in 3 different languages- but they didn't know that. After the story I had the kids say their words one at a time and had the other kids guess what the one who said it was trying to tell them. This made everyone laugh. afterwards I told them all that all they had done is say hello. They understood the meaning of Babel quite well after that.  They then could work together to build the tower.

Cooperation at it's best :)

We then proceeded to science where we discussed atoms- the building blocks of matter. Hence the tie in with the bricks/blocks from the tower. I just love it when things work out that way! Before we read the text and worked on the review questions we watched a video on Neo- Kids- a great site by the way. I was surprised at how much they learned and how great their ability was to understand despite the narrator. All in all a good intro to atoms. You can check out the video here:    http://www.neok12.com/php/watch.php?v=zX535b645741075450741a06&t=Atom     

I would also like to mention someone named Steve Spangler. You can watch his video's on You tube where he explains all  kinds of cool science things and has a website where you can buy supplies. Very kid friendly stuff! 

So the rest of the day  was grammar and math, writing, and spelling, reading comprehension, and the like. 

My hope is that you will be encouraged by what you see. Realizing that you can make homeschooling simple,  fun, and distinctive to your family. It can be artsy, it can be sporty, it can be techy, or a myriad of other things but  most importantly it has to be true to who you are as a family in order to succeed. 

And with that, I wish you a good night! See you tomorrow!