Image by foreversouls via FlickrI can't help it. I still go back and forth on the Homeschooling issue. Some days, I feel I know that I can do it. Other days, I worry it's not the best thing for the kids and they need someone better qualified to teach them. But then I think about them going to school, and I get knots in my stomach. What sorts of things will those folks teach them? What will they learn from the other kids? What will they be told about themselves that I won't approve of? What's in the curriculum that I wouldn't want my children learning?When I think about homeschooling, though, I wonder if I can do a good job. I also want to work from home. Will I have time to do this? What about when my husband gets deployed? Will I go nuts from having constant, uninterrupted exposure to my kids without him around?
So many questions.
I've been looking through some of your blogs, checking out resources and everything. But I want to know, from you homeschooling mamas...
What books do you recommend?
Also, I really need to re-evaluate my preschool curriculum. It works fine, but I think it could be better. I need some reading material on this as well. I'm looking at Living Books. It looks nice, but I need some recommendations on this type of thing. I can't go around spending money on materials that turn out to be useless to me.
**sigh**
I'm in the same predicament as the rest of you. We all want what's best for our children, and we hope that we make the right choice with the information we have.
I should be praying instead of blogging...
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My oldest is only three, so I'm certainly not an in-the-trenches homeschooler yet, but right now I love The Well-Trained Mind. The authors provide lists of recommended resources, and those I've used so far (Slow and Steady Get Me Ready, The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading, and Bob Books) have been fantastic. I'm terrible at time management, so my biggest difficulty has been working out a schedule and sticking to it!
Julia
this is a hard one. since i am single and without child, i can't give advice...
it may depend on where you are living, who the teachers are, what your child is like, etc...
how to keep a child safe, pure and still ready to become an adult!
perhaps prayers to St. Daniel who succeeded in the world while remaining true to God would help?
take good care!
I am in my sixth year of homeschooling. We now have five children (6th, 5th, 4th, 3rd and Kindergarten). I have tried soooooo many different things, but we're now using Sonlight and I just don't think I'll ever go back to anything else. My four oldest kids do almost everything together. It saves on my workload, but it is also so wonderful to have them working alongside one another, and us all participating in reading as a family.
I do NOT pay full price for Sonlight. I purchase the History/Geography Instructor's Guide for the year we are doing (I can always find them used). I then go through their catalog and determine all of the books I can locate at our library. Then I list the rest on PaperBackSwap or BookMooch. If it is getting within a month or two of still needing a book, I locate it used and cheap.
The best advice I can give you is to focus on teaching your children to love learning. If you are not enjoying it, then they will not enjoy it. You can change things up all the time to fit your schedule, your interests, your uniqueness's, etc. Work in a support system for when you have long periods without your husband. Never turn down an offer for help! :)
I cannot offer any advice on homeschooling. If I had to do it, I would. As long as we have an Orthodox school in our area, that's where my children will go. Pavlos begins and ends the school day in the church (they have morning and afternoon prayers) with our priest! They even let the children rotate through on the chanter's stand (one on my son's favorite things to do). It is a struggle to pay for the school, but I believe that in the long wrong it will be so worth it (we live in a neighborhood where the local public school is definitely not an option). But, I admire moms that do homeschool! It is a huge undertaking. But I also believe that no matter where you send your children, you can be on top of their education by simply being a part of their school, too.
Christina - I keep telling myself that. I can be a part of their education without homeschooling, but then I think about the fact that my oldest has some delays that a few "experts" are going overboard with. So many kids these days are being pushed into therapies they don't need to ADD/ADHD and other "issues" that they don't have. Don't get me wrong, some kids need extra help, but the rate at which these kids are "diagnosed" is mind boggling.
I don't want my kid to be put into the system where he will be expected to learn at a rate decided by the school board and teacher, and if he falls behind or there's a clash between him and the teacher, "there must be something wrong with him."
Oh - I forgot. If I knew there would be an Orthodox school where we're going, I would most definitely consider it, although my husband wouldn't agree to it (he's not Orthodox - nor is he Christian). He's actually not to keen on the idea of me homeschooling either, because he worries about their social development, but I know if I do well and the kids get to be around other kids some of the time, then he'll come around.
I feel just the same way! (Well, without the urgency, since our little boy isn't three months yet.) I have been looking into Montessori materials, since I remember enjoying learning when I went to Montessori school, and many (but not all) of the theory reminds me of Orthodoxy. As to socialization, you may want to check out what homeschooling resources are in your area. I know the nearby city facilities have homeschool classes (archery, swimming, even PE). If you would like your child to be more involved in church, you could incorporate readers' services, or ask a nearby priest whether you could visit the church on a regular basis; I know my husband would be happy to have a weekly prayer service with any interested children, homeschooled or not.
I am praying for you, and look forward to seeing you succeed in your struggle (and, selfishly, I'd like you to blog about what solutions you've found).
the homeschooling question is a tough one, and one that I still struggle with (even with all my children in public schools, gr.10,8, and 6). we live in a good district that still sits mostly in the 'bible belt' of our area, so I was never worried about sketchy curriculum and ideas. however, I was (and still am) worried about the 'socialization' aspect. it is a lie that the world tells you that your children need to 'socialize' with others their own age. If they have siblings, then they already are! and what a bizarre and random process public schooling is. what a grand and terrifying social experiment. your kids are thrown together, willy-nilly, with a bunch of other kids whose parents just happened to move into the same neighbourhood as you did. do you want these kids (and their parents ideas?) influencing your child? Fr.Thomas Hopko sent his kids to Catholic school. When I asked him why he did this, he said it was because in the neighbourhood they lived in, no responsible parent who had other options would consider sending their child to the local public school.
It was a scary thing for me to send my daughter to school for the first time. we had had 5 uninterrupted years together, and now I was going to let a civil-servant take over the job of caring for her 6 hours a day!! yikes. I sometimes do still wish I had homeschooled, but things have worked out well so far.
I have no advice to offer except trust your instincts and pray (which I know you are already doing!)
prayers and blessings!
I ditto Simply Victoria on the socialization.
We have been homeschooling all the while (6th, 4th, K, and pre-K -- with speech issues for my youngest)
There is no "one size fits all" and you will bring what is needed for your family.
I also second Christine, do not turn down any help. FInd a local HS support group and/or get out on your own for mommy and me swim, art, or gym time.
This year I am sending my older two for tutoring in creative writing. A young mom on campus, another Orthodox christian and it has been a grand blessing.
SUre, there are rough patches, seasons if you will of times that will stretch and strengthen you -- should you allow so. Assuredly you'll question what is right -- as we should.
Continue to pray, seek, fill yourself with knowledge of WHY to HS.
I also like SUsan Wise Bauer and use her curriculums, Story of the World, and Language Lessons.
We use Saxon for math and Noeo for Science(recently found and LOVE IT -- a "non-creation care" base where some other Christian texts will teach that the earth is only 6,000yrs old. etc...) we wanted the pure science, others use Singapore, ALpha and Omega...the list is endless. You will find your nitch...I will certainly pray for you too and no question is silly -- we are all here co-struggling...
I hs'd my oldest until 6th grade, then put her in a Catholic school, then a Catholic high school. She did very well with the exception of teenage girls being mean to each other. We moved to another town and enrolled her in public school, no private schools close enough and she refused to be hs'd. Her grades plummeted and she was more concerned with being prom queen (which she was) than studying. I regret transferring her.
My 2nd son was hs'd until 6th grade also. We enrolled him in PS when we moved thinking, it's a small town it will be okay. It isn't, he struggles daily, constantly complains, and wants to homeschool again. My husband is against it because his family is against it, long story.
My 3rd son, is presently in K at a public school and is learning such wonderful things like , you have to be cool, and hitting each other in the privates, he even got kicked off the bus for a day. There are 26 students per class in K unfortunately and my son is being labeled as the trouble-maker.
I so want to HS again, so I pray daily about it. If I were you, and my husband was for it, I would HS and NEVER try public school. Even the private schools my oldest went to had their issues. Those were mostly monetary in nature, like who could donate the most money, or drive the biggest SUV, we didn't fit in because we live on a budget! There are good and bad things about HS and private/public school and it is a VERY HARD choice. I wish you the best in your decision.
indybreeze - those are all things that I worry about, especially because we're moving someplace new, and I don't have personal experience with the educational system there.
The last thing I want is for my kids to become different people because that's how their "friends" are. I want to be able to recognize my children after the first few months of their education.
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