I've presented L's information in a conversational format for ease and broken it into two entries so it's easier to read.  This isn't verbatim but is the 'gist' of our conversation.

L: "Firstly, I don't schedule the stuff my kids have to learn each day.  I do schedule a time block where learning should take place but not what they do in that time."

 "So you give them, say.....three hours a day, where they are expected to be engaged in some learning activity"

L: "Yes.  Sometimes it's less than that, sometimes more, depending on how interested the kids are in what they're doing."

 "So you mean they can learn whatever they want, do whatever subjects they want?'

L: "Yep"

"But do you have any 'required' subjects they must do each day"

L: "No not really.  But I do have a plan in my mind of what I would like the kids to have achieved by a certain time.  For instance I want them to have done at least 3 sessions of Math each week.  If days go by and the kids haven't done any of what I think should be done, I'll say for instance....right, you haven't done any Math for a while, today we are going to do Math. As a general rule though, as long as the kids can justify to me what they have done and why they have done it, okay.  Now take my youngest boy "A", the other day he spent four hours making a kite and trying to figure out how to make it fly.  In the end he was getting upset because no matter what he did, he couldn't make it work, so I stopped him at that point.  He was unhappy with what he'd achieved that day until his older brother told him that he hadn't spent four hours failing to learn anything. He'd spent four hours finding out all the ways and reasons why a kite will not fly!  He was much happier after that."

"But what if the kids decide that they're learning for today might be to sit and watch telly?"

L: "Not an option.  There are certain things that we have discussed and 'deemed' to be acceptable learning activities, and certain things which are not.  They've tried many different ways to describe playstation as a learning activity believe me!"

"Aha!  So you do have certain standards in your homeschool, certain minimum requirements that the kids must achieve?"

L: "Yes.  Doesn't everybody?"

"No.  What about books? Is it okay for them to read a book for the whole learning period?"

L: "Yes as long as it's a book that we've decided is a worthwhile book to read.  I have a certain area for books which we have decided would be good  for the kids to read.  They are free to choose any books from there.  Again, as long as they can justify to me what they have learned and why."

"What do you mean by 'justify?"

L: "Well I sit down with each of them at the end of each learning time and ask them what they have done, what they have learned, why did they want to do that today....that sort of thing."

"So you get the kids to narrate back what they've learned."

L: "Yes.  Sometimes in a very informal manner.  Like if "A" is reading a book I might ask him what he thought about the characters, about the story.  Sometimes I get my older boy to write it out but he's more mathematically inclined so language arts aren't a big thrill for him."

"Do you read-aloud any books with your kids?"

L: "No. Never done that. "

"Do you use any curriculum for different subjects?"

L: "Yes.  We use Math U See for Math, and a grammar programme.  Apologia Science is a great one for Science.  "N" as you know is a natural in Math & Science and he's found that series great."

"So whatever you've chosen for your 'core' subjects (I guess you could say the ones that you have a minimum work requirement for-however fluid that requirement is) is on the shelves with their other interest-led stuff, and the kids are free to decide when they will do those subjects?"

L: "Yep."

"Do you do any unit studies?"

L: "Yes.  Again according to the kids' interests.  My daughter "S" loves Geography and I reckon would spend all her time doing stuff like that if she could.  Often they'll come to me and say something like 'Hey mum, can we do something on Geography?'  I'll then prepare a Geography, History, whatever...unit for them and we all do it together.  If they want to study something in particular, they must give me sufficient warning so I have time to prepare it.  We tend not to use the internet much and go to the library frequently."

"So you drop everything when they display an interest in a subject and run to the library."

L: "No.  If I'm too busy I'll tell them to wait until the next time we go to the library."

More in next entry.

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