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Why do we choose home education? Reasons I can't admit to the secular world:
We choose home education because I want my children to be nice to people. I want them to spend part of their week in service to the elderly, in following their Daddy to teach Bible study.
I want them to think it's important to be together as a family. I want my 3yo to be my 6yo's best buddy. I want my boys to be sweet and kind, and not into the gory horror "fashion" that attracts so many not so much older than they. I want my boys to think it's "cool" to attend church and to pray together as a family. I want them to enjoy memorizing and reciting scripture and hymns together.
I want to enjoy learning with them - indeed, I am becoming fascinated with America's early history which, with proper resources, adds so much Providence to my limited (public) education. I enjoy being with my boys.
I think sheltering from evil is important until they are old enough to stand firm against the schemes of the evil one. My baby lambs are not in any condition to face the great deceiver - yet - but when they do, they will be prepared to counter evolution, humanism, selfishness, greed, abortion, drunkenness, immorality, perversions and the early sexualization of children, not to mention girls their age wearing provactive clothing, with a Godly, Bible-centered, Christ-submitted world view.
Oh, and I just LOVE the fact that as the school bus roars past our house, carrying bleary-eyed children to the government school, we are just sitting down to enjoy a cozy breakfast together!
How about those, for reasons? Share yours!!
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Well, we are back at work, this week. Hence, no time for blogging! It is so nice to have my project room all organized! My darling, creative, helpful and wonderful husband built fabulous shelves in the closet for storage. I have now put all our paint sets, legos, puzzles, etc., etc. in tubs and bins and they are neatly put away in there. It is WONDERFUL to be able to finally see the floor and not fall over stuff, getting to the project table!
"School", as we do it, is just a bit more focused than what we normally do. I do more thematic reading of living history books. We try to do some science experiments and more craft things. Today, we punched holes in tin cans to make something like the tin lanterns of the Revolutionary era. The boys loved it, of course. My 6yo's "lightbulb" went on when he realized this rather mundane, precise work was what a Tinsmith might have done. And, boys his age were learning to do it, if that was his father's craft. I think he was grateful to be living now, rather than then! Phonics worksheets are my one concession toward "formal" school. The rest, we manage to make a bit more fun, like learning long addition with Yahtzee!
Our weather can't make up it's mind... but the Robins came back anyway, a few days ago. The boys and I ran to the window, noses pressed against it, yelling "the robins are back, the robins are back!!" I think we are truly ready for spring! We drew birds in our nature journals, copying them from a field guide.
I am so happy to be given the privledge of educating our children at home. We really do love learning together. My son watched as the school bus pulled up to drop children off, right by our driveway. He commented on how sad it was for those children to "not be with their family all day". Oh, how I hope I can keep his heart right here at home, until he is mature enough to launch into this difficult world. |
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Today was "off" school - instead, I ignored the boys (as much as you can ignore a 3 and 6 yo) and took out every children's book in our home. I put them all in piles of easy readers (jE or jZ), non-fiction, biography, historical fiction, picture book etc. I culled what I could to give a needy inner city school library and put the rest in newly categorized shelves. It all looks so pretty!! I marked all the books, so HOPEFULLY the boys can learn to put a jP with the other jPs and not with the F! It works for another hsing mom friend of mine. I am hoping, too, it will inspire my reader to read more since he should be able to find all his "easy" books in one place. My next bookish goal is to update our Excel so that I have a quick reference for what we have and what we "need" to purchase. I used to keep track of everything we read, what it's topic was, author, publisher, and whether I thought it was any good. I haven't done that for about a year - but doing it helped me be able to recognize good publishers and authors quickly when I was at a garage sale or Half-Price Books. I would, however, rather have an actual list of "wants" for when the grandparents want to give us something! |
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I am such a dork. I just wrote the most intelligent and witty blog entry... but you'll have to take my word for it, because I neglected to update correctly and lost the whole thing into the abyss.
So, take it from me... one day this blog will be worth reading... but today, I have to get the laundry done before it takes over the house! And, my washer is trying to tilt, as I type.... aaarrrgh! Perhaps later in the day I can be witty. For now, I have to get my appliances under control. |
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Never having Blogged before, I hardly know where to start. I mean, it's a little weird, isn't it? Having everyone read my thoughts? Well, that's a bit exaggerated, isn't it? Everyone? Really, now. It seems unlikely that anyone will actually read this. Anyone but me, that is. Well, here goes nothing.
My friend emailed me today. She didn't call, because she was worried she'd interrupt school. She need not have worried. I emailed her back: Hey, thanks for thinking of us. Today's school includes such topics as
Virus or Bacteria?
Antibiotics: They don't work against Viruses!
Temperature Testing: Ear canal vs Mouth and Mercury
The Pleasures of Strep Testing
and
Eyeballs and Videos : Which will Wear out First?
No sunshiney extravaganza here... just the flu.
That was our day. A fitting end to 3 weeks of focused work. Today was to be our first "Awards Night". My 6yo went to bed at 6:30, skipping dinner (and it was PIZZA AND JELLO!) Ah, well.
This weekend, I hope to plan for the next 3-week focus. That, and meals. I find when I am good at one thing (focused homeschooling) I completely neglect other areas (housecleaning, dinner, etc). Balance, girl, balance!
In all, God is gracious and continues to patiently teach me. Until next time...here a little, there a little.
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