Our First Lessons: Social Studies!

Tomorrow is our first day of school! I know I may have mentioned this before, but I am so happy that we made the choice to homeschool. While I was proud of and excited for my children each year as they began a new school journey, it was always mixed with a feeling of dread and a deep sadness about the extreme detachment that traditional public schools causes. This year? Nothing but joy and excitement! Yes, yes, a bit of nervousness, too - but it's the good, stay-on-track kind of nervous.

I am really looking forward to being part of my children's learning process. I have loved teaching them since they were babies, and suddenly having strangers take over when they turn 5 felt wrong. I plan on making this a fun, family-friendly, very interactive experience, just like I believe learning should be. Learning should not be forced, demanded, or micro-managed. Children are amazing at learning, and even more so when they are actually enjoying it. They need guidance and some encouragement, not force.

My sweet R just completed her first assignment as a second grader! We did a Social Studies lesson today about our national anthem. She learned about Francis Scott Key, how The Star Spangled Banner started out as a poem, what all the words mean, and she finished her lesson by coloring a picture of the flag which is now displayed proudly on our fridge. She scored 100% on her assessment!

Not to be outdone and very anxious to get started, G decided that he also wanted to do his first Social Studies lesson today! He learned about The Pledge of Allegiance, and a little about our location in our country, and he also completed his assessment at 100%. I think he is most interested in getting started on Math and Art, but he really enjoyed looking at the states on his map and finding ours and some of the other states he has visited.

The time has come; Happy School Year 2011-2012!