Blogging Through May Day Two

This is the topic for today: Educate us on something you know alot about or are good at. Take any approach you'd like (serious and educational or funny and sarcastic).

Hmmmm....I feel like a know a little bit about a lot of things. But something I know alot about or are good at.....well, for me that would be homeschooling. I feel I know both a lot about it and are good at it. On most days.

I could approach this post as if I'm preaching to the choir, but the topic did say "educate us". So I'm approaching it for someone reading this who has misconceptions about homeschooling or doesn't know much about it at all.

Homeschooling is not necessarily "school-at-home". Some homeschoolers model their school after the public school, but most homeschoolers are avoiding public school for a variety of reasons. So they definitely don't want to look like public school at home. I am one of those. I do not start at 8:30 and take breaks every 50 minutes. We don't have a chalkboard hanging on our wall (although I use a white board that tucks away when we're finished), we don't have hall passes, we don't have cafeteria food (yay!) and we definitely don't have a classroom full of kids all the same age doing all the same lessons all on the same day.

No, my homeschool is not school-at-home. We start school later than public school. This allows my children to get the much needed rest recommended for children. My oldest son, age 16, does his school via internet streaming on a computer in his bedroom. My youngest two children, ages 11 and 8, work across from each other at the same table. I also sit at this table to teach and moderate. This means the youngest two learn from each other. It's not a distraction to them. It's fun for them to see what each other is learning. They even help each other when they've already done the topic or subject before.

My oldest is a sophomore in high school and he is taking the following classes this year: Plane Geometry, English, Biology, World History, Typing, Driver's Ed, Computer Programming, and World Literature.

My next is in 5th grade and he has these subjects: Math, English, Spelling, History, Science and Reading.

My youngest is 3rd grade and she does these: Math, English, Spelling, History, Health/Safety, Penmanship, Bible and Art.

They choose to do them in whatever order they want. They like to start with math and get it out of the way. That's fine. We do lots of reading aloud. They mostly work at their desk, but it's not uncomon to see them in the living room on the couch where it's quieter. We break for lunch when we're hungry and it's homemade food--not cafeteria food! We can go on field trips on days when most "other" kids are in school. That gives us more time and space to explore.

I know what we do is working! I see results weekly if not daily. My oldest son just took his ACT test and scored very well. He will be taking college classes this next year and earning dual credits.

That's the tip of the iceberg concerning homeschooling. Ask me questions! I will respond.