Posted in Homeschooling

There are times when I am reminded afresh how much I love homeschooling.  When I sit at the kitchen table with my children, listening to my daughter sound out a word or my son ask a question about his math problems, I have such a sense of rightness.  This is what I am meant to do.  Even the interruptions, like a toddler's tantrum or the baby's need for a diaper change, are blessings because they are also part of my children's real-life learning.

Those of us who have homeschooled for a while know that one of the greatest benefits of homeschooling is the relationships that are built between homeschooling parents and their children.  I know and appreciate my children in a way that I would not if they were away from me for hours each day.  I know their personalities, their idiosyncasies, their likes and dislikes.  But even more than that, I know who they are in a very intimate way.  I know what interests them, what scares them, what makes them laugh, how they learn, what frustrates them or worries them.  I know these things because I talk with them.  They feel comfortable discussing things with me.  In return, they know me closely as well.  They see me struggle, they watch me work, they see all the things I am responsible for each day.  There are so many moments each day that can be captured and used to teach many valuable lessons.  We would miss these moments if we were not with one another each day.

I love knowing my children, and though it is humbling, I am glad they know me as well as they do.  We are building relationships with each other that will last throughout our lives.

My children have my heart, and for now at least, I have theirs.  I will savor every moment.

Posted in Homeschooling

Only in Maine can you take your children shopping and call it a homeschool field trip.  That's what we did yesterday.  Now don't get me wrong; I'm not saying I took my children to the mall and consider that a complete learning experience (although it may be a kind of learning experience in the wrong sort of way--I really don't know because I haven't set foot in a mall in several years!).  Rather, in honor of my husband's birthday, we took a trip to the big city of Portland.  For us country folks, that's a learning experience in itself.  We went to Portland (which incidentally is the largest city in Maine) with the express purpose of visiting the new Cabella's store.  What an amazing place!  There is a wonderful wildlife display in the middle of the store.  This display consists of many stuffed and mounted animals in a replica of their natural environments.  There is also a very large fish tank with several varieties of fresh-water fish swimming around.  Fascinating.  (I never really realized before how ugly fish are.)  The experience was so much fun and the children really did learn quite a bit and enjoyed themselves in the process.  I think, though, that what they enjoyed the most was spending the day with their Daddy.  That is what truly made it special for all of us.

Because my husband was the one planning the trip, and because the military is in his blood (having grown up on military bases), we also visited the Maine Military Museum.  While all but our oldest child (who as a 12 year old boy found it very interesting) were not all that captivated by what they saw there, it meant so much to my husband to be able to share the experience of visiting the museum with his children.  The musuem is a very simply but beautifully presented commemoration of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their families, friends, and country.  There were many interesting displays and artifacts from several different wars, beginning all the way back with the Civil War (which was my oldest son's particular area of interest).  The visual reminders of all that those men went through to pay the price for our freedom was very meaningful.

One of my favorite things about homeschooling is spending times like these with my children, learning alongside them, getting to really know them and what interests them.  I love being able to spend this kind of time as a family building relationships and making memories.  These kind of things will last far beyond the lessons in grammar or math (those things, of course, are important as well).  The joy and the friendships that result from spending time together as a family are priceless by-products of this wonderful lifestyle we call homeschooling.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

Posted in Homeschooling

I wrote the following article for our state homeschool organization's online newsletter.  To read the rest of the great articles included in the newsletter, visit the Homeschoolers of Maine (HOME) website.

Living History

Two young boys, heads upturned, eyes wide, looked on with rapt attention at the older man sitting before them. This older man, their own grandfather, was carefully recounting life as he remembered it, over the previous three-quarters of a century.In homeschooling, history can come alive for our children in a way that makes them hungry to learn more—far beyond what they will learn in the few short years they spend in our homes. We can give them a broad, yet detailed view of the panorama and scope of times past and a better appreciation and understanding of where they came from and how God has worked throughout time. That is a goodly heritage to pass on to them, one that will stand them in good stead throughout the rest of their lives.

“Tell us again, Grandpa, about when you were a boy on the farm during the Great Depression. If you didn’t have any money, what did you use to buy things? What was it like growing up during World War II?”

These two boys are my own sons, the older man is my own father, and the scene I have described has taken place many times. I count these times as homeschooling at its finest. Soaking in all the wonderful tidbits of information, my sons are doing much more than simply listening to stories. They are reliving, along with the storyteller, a time in the past—their own past. They are gleaning wisdom and insight into a time gone by while at the same time getting a better understanding of who they are and where they have come from.

My children have been very blessed to have had opportunities to learn history from many first-hand sources. Their grandmother grew up in Germany during World War II. Their other grandfather (my husband’s father) served in the military during both the Vietnam and Korean Wars. Hearing first-hand accounts of these pivotal times has made history become much more than dates and names and battles. It has become to them about real people in real places who experiences real events.

First-hand accounts, though, can only take us so far back. That is why I have made an effort in our homeschool to be sure my children are learning from well-written, idea-rich, interesting living books, the kind of books that capture the imagination of the reader and carry him or her away to another time and place. Historical novels, biographies of important historical figures, and factual tellings written in story form have all been an essential part or my children’s learning.

Because of this, history is not a dry, dusty, boring subject to them. Rather, it is a wonderfully exciting story of the people who have come before and how God worked in and through their lives to bring us to where we are today. It is the living ever-moving story of God’s hand guiding the affairs of men and women.

Both my husband and I have always been students of history. When we began homeschooling our children, we felt it was very important to pass on our passion for history to our children. As a result of that desire, we have through the years come up with creative ways to stir their curiosity and peak their interest in things of the past. Living books, first-hand accounts, living history museums, and even accurate audio-visual presentations have all been used to present history to our children in a way that will fascinate them and ignite in them a desire to learn more. And so far, it has worked beautifully.

A homeschooling parent who wants his or her children to love learning about history need not look far. Homeschool curriculum catalogs abound with wonderful resources to make the study of history a joy. Some of our favorites have been Susan Wise Bauer’s The Story of the World, V. M. Hillyer’s A Child’s History of the World, Genevieve Foster’s wonderful series (Augustus Caesar’s World, George Washington’s World, etc.), as well as the Landmark books and historical novels like The Sign of the Beaver and The Golden Goblet. Of course, the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder has been well-loved by our family as well.

Living history museums (such as Plymouth Plantation or Old Fort Western) are excellent options, especially here in the New England area where they are many. Most homeschooling families also have in their acquaintance at least a handful of people who have lived through important events in history such as the Great Depression of the 1930’s or World War II. Many homeschooling parents themselves have interesting stories to tell of personally experiencing exciting happenings that “made history”.

Posted in Homeschooling

When I woke up this morning, the last thing I felt like doing was grading math papers.  Don't get me wrong, most of the time I love the schoolish part of homeschooling.  But there are some days when there are more appealing things to do.  This was one of those days.  Did I tell my children, "Okay kids, you're free to do whatever you feel like all day?"  Well, wouldn't that have been a disaster!  Actually, what I did instead was snuggle on the couch in front of the fire and read out loud for a couple of hours.  The children also drew pictures while listening to me read from a variety of books such as The Story of the World and The Pirate City (my 12 year old son requested that one).

I realize there are plenty of homeschooling moms out there that would be shocked at the laid back approach to the educational pursuits in our household on this day.  To which I say "You don't know what you're missing."  It can be very refreshing to take a break and do what my children call "fun school".  There is so much educational value in simply enjoying a good story together, or playing a board game, or baking a batch of cookies or creating a clay sculpture.  With some classical music playing in the background, a home can be transformed into a center of culture and appreciation of the fine arts.  Many homeschooling moms underestimate the educational value in activities like these.  My children learn as much (in many cases more) from listening to good literature read aloud as they do from filling grammar worksheets or doing a page of math problems.  And in truth, I find that having more of the former in our home enables them to do better and find more enjoyment in the latter.

So, after this calm, relaxing, cozy day, my children and I are ready to get back to more of the skills-based subjects with renewed vigor.  There's nothing like a good book and a cozy fire to set me on the right track.

Posted in Homeschooling

One of the "school subjects" my children and I have found great delight in over our years of homeschooling is Nature Study.  There is so much to explore and learn about, I have never needed a seperate science textbook.  The wealth of knowledge my children have about many of the wonders of God's creation was not accumulated sitting at a desk with their noses in a textbook.  Rather, much of what they know about science and nature, they have learned through their own observations and by pursuing interests in certain areas through independent study of living books on related topics.  In other words, by watching the world around them and reading about what they are watching, they have learned so much more than they could ever find in some dry textbook.  Science, after all, is really about observation.  What better way to teach children scientific observation than to watch a spider build a web (and then read about different types of spiders, how each spider has different kinds of silk used for different purposes, and the ways in which spiders are useful and helpful to humans and other animals)?  Isn't it more interesting to actually observe and record different types of clouds than to simply read about them and perhaps look at some pictures?  Doesn't is capture the attention more to look closely at a real flower and notice the different parts than to look at a drawing of one?

Summertime provides ample opportunities for homeschooling families to practice nature study.  The world outside is teeming with activity for us to explore.  I find that my children are naturally drawn to observing and learning about different creatures and plants.  They love to find out more about the birds that visit our feeder or the frog they caught this morning or the beavers building the dam in the pond down the road from our house.  The best part of it is, they don't even realize that while they are learning and observing and recording, they are "doing school"!  Better yet, all this delight in nature gives the Christian parent an opportunity to point to the Creator God and praise Him for His mighty works.  Real life, hands on learning is best as it applies not only to science, but especially to learning about the God who made all things.

Posted in Homeschooling

I recently read an article by Kevin Swanson which I found especially encouraging.  The article is entitled "The Second Wave", and if you are a homeschooler, I think you will find it as inspirational as I did.  Here is an excerpt:

"This movement is not over. In fact, it is bound to grow and grow exponentially. For the next ten years, we will see a plateau effect, if not a slight decline due to the huge influx of government-funded school-at-home programs. But somewhere near the year 2017, another huge wave (not unlike the exponential growth we saw in the 1990s), will take the movement towards 6 million. Then, the third generation will advance the movement towards 15 million.

What does this mean for the parents, leaders, and advocates that make up the movement today? For the next ten years, we must continue to stay vigilant to keep home education free. Leaders in the movement must continue to provide strong encouragement and vision to the movement."

As a second generation homeschooler, I have seen the growth of the homeschool movement first-hand.  Like many homeschool graduates, I am committed to continuing the vision of the discipleship of Christian children through homeschooling.  God has, and is continuing to use the homeschool movement to turn the hearts of parents to their children and children to their parents.  Homeschoolers are engaged in culture-changing work.

"It doesn't take a majority to change the direction of history - just a principled minority who lead with generation-deep vision. America will not be the same forty years from now because of the homeschooling movement.

An exciting future awaits the home education movement, with significant generational growth coming in the not-to-distant-future.

Of course, all of this assumes that the vision contained in this movement perpetuates from father to son to grandson - something that will only happen if the vision solidifies in the hearts and minds of the millions in the movement. And that is a function of the conventions, the leaders that lead the movement, and the faith of those that disciple those children in the kitchens and living rooms across this land."

(Read the rest of the article on Kevin Swanson's Generations with Vision blog.)

So, homeschooling moms and dads, as we wrap up another year of educating and discipling our children, let us not be weary in well-doing.  We are a part of something so much bigger than what we do in our homes each day.  We must be vigilant in passing on our vision to the next generation in such a way that they will desire to pass it on to their children, continuing on and on through the generations to come.