Homeschool Curriculum

Many of you have asked about what homeschool curriculum we are using. Two months in, and I really love what we are doing right now. It took me a little while to find my way amongst the all of the vastly different homeschool curriculums and education philosophies. I can't say it's right for everyone, but it's really working for us for now. I'm sure we will evolve as life continues to change.

My educational philosophy is a buffet that offers a little of everything - un-schooling, literature-based, classical, Waldorf, Montessori, and probably others too. I had a love-hate relationship with school, and I really want to pass on the good parts of my educational experience and withhold the negatives for my own children, while morphing my curriculum to meet each child's individual interests and learning styles at their level. I'd like to skip the boredom, repetition, compartmentalization, in-applicability, and lack of self-direction that can be present in compulsory education. And I want my children to love to learn. I want to foster creativity, independence, self-motivation, exploration and a passion for life and learning. I want them to feel challenged and for them to feel like there is always room for growth and expansion.

And I want my children to be happy, care-free, and enjoy life, while still being prepared for whatever dreams they want to pursue.

As an over-thinking, introspective, perfectionist, I have spent a great deal of time thinking and searching for how to practically turn my vision into every-day life. After obsessing about homeschooling a little too much, I finally found peace when I started following my children's lead: looking at what they love to do and what they get excited about.

And as far as being prepared for life beyond childhood, I realized that if you can read, write, and reason well, then you can be successful at anything. So, I think that sums up a lot of the theoretical that I have been thinking about. Here are the specifics...

The Specifics

Sonlight

Sonlight makes up the core of our curriculum. It is a literature based curriculum that focuses on reading classic literature. By reading books, we are covering history, reading, and science. Right now, we are finishing up P 3/4 and are starting P 4/5  While I love that Sonlight does all the planning and scheduling for me, and I can fall back on it if I need to, we are currently moving at our own pace and I am letting the boys direct what and how much we read. (Hence, why we are finishing up our year of curriculum after only two months...they really love reading)

We ARE editing some of the curriculum. I'm not using a few books, and I'm adding to it in areas that are lacking. For instance, Dmitri is very interested in the earth, dirt, bugs, worms, etc. So I have added 6-8 books on those specific topics. (Like this cool Beetle Book!)

Math
We use math every day. When they help me bake, when we count, when we look at the clock or read the page numbers of our books. They like to play with money. Right now, I feel that is more than enough.

When Dmitri has learned to write his numbers, we plan to start Life of Fred. I wish I had this when I was in school! (Maybe I wouldn't have hated math.) It makes math applicable and humorous, and avoids laborious homework assignments. Seriously, I am in love with this math curriculum.

Handwriting
Dmitri has a Handwriting Without Tears workbook that he works in when he wants to. He enjoys using it, as if it were a coloring book.

Projects
Sonlight is not very hands-on/project oriented, and this is something that my boys and I really enjoy. So we add in fun activities that we come up with together. Last week, we traced and cut out the boys bodies, and then taped on all of the body parts (which I had printed) that we had learned about in the human body book that we had just read.

Field Trips
I try to find field trips that are related to something we are learning about. A few weeks ago, we drove to Atlanta for a Peter Rabbit Puppet show (we just finished reading "The Complete Tales of Peter Rabbit"). They loved it, and so did I!

Extra-curriculars
The boys go to an open gymnastics once a week, which they absolutely love. Once they outgrow this weekly event, I think they will want to take gymnastics classes. It's such a great way for them to get out some energy and test their physical limits.

In the Spring, we plan to do a wilderness program once a week (where they hike in the woods for 3 hours). I adore the idea of a forest kindergarten, and I think this will be a great addition to our week.

All of that say, homeschooling is really just laid back and fun as I follow my littles' natural interests and pace, and we are learning so much. And there is just enough structure that this planner doesn't go crazy.

My Journey to Homeschooling

We have spent the last month, still floating along in newborn land. Eleanor keeps growing. She has stolen my heart. We have all been sick on and off. The littles and I attended my grandfather's surprise 80th birthday party in Memphis. David started his Ph.D. We are handling some major house repairs. And now we are "starting homeschooling". And here is the story of how that came to be...

As Dmitri could officially start Pre-K, I've been soul-searching, researching, and grappling with all of our educational options as the time for school draws nearer. My thoughts have chased each other into circles and down rabbit trails as I've tried to figure out the best option for all of us.

We aren't in a "good" public school district (actually quite terrible, really), but some people have had good experiences with it. And yet, the more public school teachers I meet and talk to that won't put their children in the public schools here, the more uncomfortable I feel putting my own child in. I worry about what he might learn, especially socially and emotionally. And educationally, I worry about taking away my child's "childhood" - the pressure that comes from testing and homework, the waking up at 6:30 AM to get to school on time, the 8 hours away from home. I just didn't feel at peace about it.

I have hoped that we could send him to Montessori school. I like the Montessori educational philosophy, and I think Dmitri would thrive in that environment. I would not have to worry quite as much about the negative socialization (not that it is non-existent), and there would be smaller class sizes and lower student/teacher ratios. Considering how reserved Dmitri is, I think these things are important. The day starts at 9 AM instead of 7:30 AM, which seems to just make more sense for young children. But, financially, a graduate student income was not intended for a family of five, and especially does not allow for Montessori school tuition. While I think it's worth every single penny, it does not change the fact that we do not have those pennies.

And so I've felt disappointed and frustrated by my lack of options.

There is always homeschooling.

I was homeschooled from kindergarten to graduation. It's not a foreign concept to me. I've been to curriculum fairs. I've worked at curriculum fairs. I've read Charlotte Mason. I've read John Holt. I've known hundreds of homeschoolers. I've seen unschooling, relaxed schooling, textbook homeschooling, classical homeschooling, literature-based homeschooling, Waldorf homeschooling, homeschool co-ops, homeschool "schools," etc. I know what HSLDA stands for.

But the older my children have gotten, the less I've been interested in homeschooling. I think I ultimately have felt that I cannot be the mom that I want to be - a patient, calm, loving, playful, interactive mom, if I am with my children all day long, every single day. Especially since Eleanor's arrival has thrown me for a loop and my house is in varying states of chaos, and for the first time in my adult life I have not bathed daily (sorry, friends). I dream of having a half-clean house, dinner waiting in the crock-pot, having clean clothes folded and put away, and being able to ENJOY my children when I am with them without stressing about mundane things that don't really matter in the long-term (but I just can't help it that they bother me!)

I felt like homeschooling would poop on my dream, and then stomp it into dust. And laugh. And say, "Poo, poo!" in a Madeline-voice.

I've felt inadequate. And I am terribly afraid of becoming "one of those homeschool moms". I can name at least 15 homeschool moms that seem literally crazy. Were they always that way or did their children make them that way? Nobody knows...I could go on about my fears of homeschooling and homeschoolers and homeschool moms. But what they really are are just fears about myself.

And that very realization led me to think, "Maybe I should give homeschooling a try." Because I believe in pushing the boundaries of oneself, growing, and being scared to death of it all. (Or maybe I'm just as crazy as I fear).

So, I started doing a little more research - delving into the world of homeschooling philosophies and curriculum. Re-familiarizing myself with all that is out there. And I became just a little bit excited. And when I found the perfect curriculum, I became just a bit more excited. And when I started planning projects and field trips and ordering books, I became pee-my-pants excited.

It's taken time. Over the course of severals months, I've been metamorphosing. Acknowledging who I am, embracing that "I am enough" (which I have had hanging on my fridge), re-centering myself with what's important, and letting go.

But a conversation with Dmitri took away any smidgen of doubt that may have remained.

I had borrowed some books from my aunt that were a part of our school curriculum. As I was tucking Dmitri into bed, I said, "Aren't you excited about the books that we got from Aunt Stacy for school?" Since Dmitri loves to read, I expected an enthusiastic response. But instead, in a belligerent tone, he nearly yelled back, "NO! I don't want to do school." Taken aback, I cautiously said, "Oh, well I thought that you would be excited about reading the books." He again yelled, more flustered, "NO! I'm not doing it." I questioned him, trying to figure out what triggered this outburst. And what he meant became clear when he threw his arms around my neck and said, "I'm not going to school! You can't leave me, because I LOVE YOU TOO MUCH."

And that little misunderstanding brought tears to my eyes, and solidified my decision. Because I love him too much too.

And here we are. Today, we attended a homeschoolers beginning-of-the-school-year bash. Dmitri was trying to understand which of his friends would be there and which would not. I explained to him that "...homeschoolers will be there." And he exclaimed, "HEY! I'M A HOMESCHOOLER!"

Yes, Dmitri, yes you are.

I don't really know where we are going, what this journey will hold, or how long this will last, but right now, we are homeschooling. I'm scared, but I am enough.

Homeschool Days

Dmitri, who is 3.5, absolutely loves to read books. For hours. And hours. And Damon likes to join us, and when he gets bored he'll go play for a minute or two on his own, and then come back and read some more.

As I've considered different pre-school options and curriculum, I wanted most of all to follow my little ones' cues and interests. This had led me to procure a library card at our local library, and to create a book list of quality reading for pre-schoolers. Weekly, we've been going to the library and checking out  a stack of books. The little ones love it.  I love it almost as much as they do. And it's nice that I don't have to read the entire "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" Treasury multiple times per week.

And while I hope to incorporate some art projects, field trips, and other exploratory and hands on activities as a part of our little homeschool pre-school, reading makes up the bulk of it right now (of course, we also do our circle time, and our daily/weekly household activities- bread-baking, cooking, gardening, etc).

As I was thinking of a way to chronicle our readings, I decided a photo might be best of all for now. And so from time to time, I will post a peak into our little homeschool.

These are the books we read this week (many, many times each).

Dmitri's favorite: Winter Days In the Big Woods (adapted from Laura Ingalls Wilder).
Damon's favorite: First the Egg by Seeger
Mama's favorite: Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

But really, all of them were wonderful.

Circle Time

A part of our new routine for this year is a morning "circle time." It is a common part of Waldorf education - whether in an institution or through homeschooling. I liked the idea of taking time each morning to connect as a family and with each person, and I knew my children would enjoy any opportunity to sing songs (which is also something I wanted to incorporate more intentionally into our day.) There is a lot of different reading and blog posts about circle time, and I am sure plenty of variation on how each person does their circle time, but here is what ours looks like and why I absolutely love this new addition to our lives:

After we've eaten breakfast, gotten dressed, and are ready for the rest of the day, we all sit in a circle on our living room rug. If David is home, he joins us. We begin with our "Good Morning Song," which is a Waldorf good morning song that I learned from a friend. It signals the start of our time. (You can hear it in this YouTube video - it's the first song. I do, however, say "bees" instead of "beasts".) We do little hand movements/sign language to go with it - which they LOVE.

Good morning dear earth,

Good morning dear sun,

Good morning to the trees and the flowers every one,

Good morning to the bees,

And the birds in the trees,

Good morning to you and good morning to me

After our opening song, I read a poem. I have been choosing one poem for the week, and we read the same poem each day for the week. Last week, it was Emily Dickinson's poem, "Out of the Morning." which I found from a selection of her poems. I will probably continue with her works, both because I like them, and because her frequent nature themes are relatable to the children and correlate with our day.

We then do open songs - whatever the boys request. They usually request the same songs every morning - Dmitri requests "The lady song" (There was an old lady who swallowed a fly...), and Damon requests "The bus song" (The Wheels on the Bus). Sometimes we will sing 4 or 5 songs, other times just two, depending on our schedule for the day. We also sing a days of the week song, and we talk about what day it is. And they look out the window and describe the weather.

After our songs, we will discuss what we have on the agenda for that day. Any errands that need to be run, if we are playing with anyone or going somewhere, or if we have no plans, listening to what Dmitri and Damon would like to do that day. It helps them to know exactly what we are doing that day, since routine is important to children this age.

We close our circle time by singing the "Good Morning Song" again, which started by Dmitri's request and has just stuck. And then we have morning hugs and snuggles, where we all give each other hugs and kisses.

And that's it. It takes no more than 5-10 minutes, but the boys absolutely love it and get so excited about it. Damon will run to our rug and sit and wait as soon as he hears the words "Circle Time". It has a big impact on how we relate to each other after the busy-ness and hustle of getting ready in the morning, and has really shifted our moods as we head towards noon and the afternoon. And it's reminded me how important it is to unplug and connect with Dmitri and Damon, indivisibly.

I am sure that our Circle Time will change and evolve, and I look forward to adding more songs to our rhythm. Right now, I am loving the opportunity to just be present.