It seems as though I'm saying this more and more often now that J is nearly 5, or "school-aged." Most young children in this area seem to go to preschool, so the questions have started already.

I really don't like the term "homeschool", because people get the impression that we're sitting at desks learning the way that one might learn at school. J and R do learn at home, to be sure, but it's nothing like the "school experience" that you are probably familiar with.

I have started this blog because many people seem to be interested/concerned/worried/questioning. "How do you know what to teach? What about math? What about socialization?" are the questions that I hear when I proclaim "we homeschool."

Take a glimpse into our days and see what we're actually doing. Be forewarned: not much here is going to look like "school." We as a society are conditioned to think that learning takes place in a sterile environment, by trained teachers. I don't feel that this is real learning. Rote memorization does not good understanding make, nor does it facilitate real thinking. My goals for my children are for them to be independent thinkers, to love learning, and to have the tools to learn about anything they want, whenever they want. I want them to question authority and "group think." These things are not valued in a traditional school setting, as they tend to disrupt the classroom, and don't lend well to the "crowd control" that teachers are trained to implement.

We have done a lot of thinking, researching, and soul-searching in the past nearly-5 years, and it all adds up to one thing: Our children will learn at home, where we feel they're meant to be. You might be surprised by what we do, and you might not agree...but then again, our method of eclectic unschooling just might open your eyes to a better method of educating our young, and maybe you'll be the next crusader in the growing homeschool movement!