The Adventure Begins

     Discovering the right path for your family is quite a task. Since we began homeschooling our two daughters, ages 1 and 11, in July 2011 we have tried a few different methods. At first we ordered a very rigorous boxed curriculum for the 11 year old with daily lesson plans, online quizzes, textbooks, workbooks, etc. We actually stuck with the curriculum for about half of the "school year", but as I read more and talk to other moms about the possibilities in the world of homeschooling I learn that there are so many more options than just sitting and reading from a textbook.

     I never liked the guilt of feeling like if she "got behind" on her lessons we were failing. She always received good grades, as she had in public school. She had very little time to be a kid or explore her other interests while we were using the curriculum. After a while she grew to dislike schooling and dread her next lesson. 

     I found some classes for her to take at a fellow homeschooler's home near us. The classes meet once a week for about 4 weeks a session and the topics vary. She usually takes one on the history of a certain civilization, such as Rome, Greece, or Egypt, and one on a science topic, such as the human body, insects, or sharks. I like that she receives instruction from a different perspective and spends time with other kids, plus it gives me a little bit of a break. Recently we stopped using the boxed curriculum so religiously and began exploring other options a bit. 

     At the moment she is very interested in animals, mice and dolphins seems to be her top picks. We recently added a pair of female mice to the family after finding an old glass aquarium in the garage. She loves building mazes and playgrounds for the mice. We went to the library and she checked out several books about mice in general and mice as pets. She loves to read all about them and share her newly acquired knowledge with the rest of the family. She has had an interest in marine life for a while now so she is taking a marine biology course and visiting a local aquarium often. She hopes to one day swim with dolphins. I would love to be able to do that with her. 

      We are basically exploring the unschooling method now. I have bought and borrowed several books on the topic, and looked at online resources to discover what it really means to unschool. I love the idea of it. We are concerned with her acquiring all of the skills she will need to become a productive member of society as an adult. We are mostly concerned with math and writing. For now at least we are still using the math materials from the boxed curriculum, although it is like pulling teeth to get her to complete those lessons. In order to practice writing skills we've had her begin a learning journal. The idea is to write a little each day about what she has learned that day. Unfortunately, this has also been a major issue with her. If someone is not sitting right there next to her pushing her along the whole time the writing does not get done. 

      We are very excited about letting our girls explore the world and learn through life. Their natural inquisitiveness guides them on this journey and our job is to make sure they have everything they need  when they need it. I love watching our 1 year old explore her world. She is so curious about every thing around her and I let her interact with as much as possible as long as she is not harming herself, others, or property. Unfortunately, years of public school has suppressed this curiosity in our older daughter, but I hope it will come back with time.  I can't wait to see where this adventure takes us.