Home Gardening

One of the things we love most about summer is our organic garden.  All of us love veggies, and nothing beats fresh ones right out of your very own garden.  This year, we've all taken turns watering, pulling weeds, and carefully picking.  Little G and Reezle both planted flowers along the perimeter and they did a fabulous job.  I was really impressed because it's the first time they've done that without any assistance from us.  With everyone assigned to a task and working together, our planting went quickly. 

Little G waters newly-planted seeds, tomato plants, and flowers

It was a slow summer in terms of garden growth.  Our weather has been strange this year, and we think that the decline in the bee populations isn't helping matters.  But Reezle and I love our zucchini, and once it starts to yield, it's the gift that keeps on giving.  Well, unless you get squash bugs like we did last year.  So this little one was a welcome sight!

Delicious organic zucchini

The other day, Little G asked if he could check the garden to see if any more zucchini had grown large enough to pick.  This is what he found!  Needless to say, we've been eating lots and lots of zucchini!

Little G's proud zucchini harvest

For perspective on how gigantic these bad boys can get, this is Little G holding the zucchini that is in the far right of the picture above.  He said he got his exercise picking these, and he wasn't kidding!

Little G and big zucchini

We're also getting some delicious cucumbers, and the rain over the past couple of days will no doubt move things right along.  No tomatoes or peppers yet, everything is still very green, but hopefully soon.  I wish we could garden year-round, and I've been looking into hydroponics and various greenhouse setups.  Our winters get blistering cold, and stay that way for long periods of time, so I need an option that will be able to withstand occasional sub-zero temperatures without failing.  However, even if I could have an option to extend our growing season so we can start earlier in the spring and continue enjoying fresh produce even after the first frost, I'd be very pleased with that.

3rd Grade, K12, Teachers, and Learning Coaches

Miss Reezle had an opportunity to meet with the 3rd grade K12 teacher via internet/phone conference today, and for the first time ever, actually expressed an interest in doing math.  I was impressed.  I'm not sure what changed, and I kind of wonder if it is the attention her little brother gets for being brilliant at it, but I'll take it.  Math has been a struggle when it comes time for lessons, and not because she finds it difficult; Reezle simply doesn't like math.  Well, until today.

The conference went well; Reezle enjoyed it, talking about her hobbies (photography and hooping, a girl after my own heart) and excitedly announcing that she was going to send her teacher an e-mail weekly.  Oy.  After reading a few passages and word lists, the teacher asked Reezle if she read a lot.  When Miss Bookworm announced with great enthusiasm that she does, the teacher told her that she'd just been reading a list of 5th grade words.  Reezle grinned proudly from ear to ear.

People are sometimes confused when I mention my children's teachers.  "Aren't you their teacher?" they ask.  Well, yes and no.  They're independent learners, and I do present material to them and explain it in various ways to meet their unique learning styles.  I answer questions when they have them, supplement material that is relevant to our lives and in areas where they need additional enrichment or a better understanding, and basically do the things a teacher does.  K12 calls me a "learning coach".  I don't like the term; I'm not merely standing on the sidelines cheering my kids along.  All parents are teachers.

Each child is assigned a teacher (or teachers, depending on grade) by K12 for their grade level.  This person is the child's primary school contact, does assessments, holds online connect sessions like reading and math groups and other fun and educational events, and helps keep the kiddos on track.  Contact, for us, is minimal, as my children are typically pursuing their own interests and learning well beyond the assigned school day.  We might put in an hour a day of Spanish for attendance, for example, but we're speaking it and going over the words right up until bedtime.  Our learning never really stops, and the kiddos are always walking around with workbooks, notebooks, and pencils in hand.  They love to learn, and my husband and I love to teach them.  It is not uncommon for the kids to be snuggled up in the recliner with Daddy when he gets home, going over binary code or fractions, playing some strategy game like chess or Solitaire, or playing Sudoku puzzles.

Those are a couple of G's illustrations depicting fractions.  And, of course, they read so much and so fast that I can barely keep up with their books!  Not that I'm complaining...

Circulatory

Little G used his magnetic drawing board to illustrate the circulatory system. Look carefully and notice that he even made a key to show which are veins and which are arteries, and used little arrows to show the direction of the bloodflow. He later lamented that the magnetic board did not afford him the opportunity to use color for a more realistic appeal.

He rocks.

Second Round of Assessments

When I decided to take on the responsibility of teaching my children and removed them from public school, I was both excited and nervous. I looked forward to being a part of their learning experience, to taking field trips together, and to feeling like a whole family again. During the two years that Reezle was in public school, I felt as if I lived for weekends and strangers were spending more time with my sweet girl than I was. But I was also really nervous. Education is not something I take lightly, and I was (if I'm to be honest here) a bit unsure of myself. There is an overwhelming message in our society that parents are incapable as teachers and barely equipped to assist with homework, and there was a part of me that believed it.

Today, Reezle did her second assessment of the school year. The first was done when she started homeschool to get a baseline. At the time, she scored off the charts, 'well above average', as did Little G. Today, she did it again. According to the teacher who assessed her fluency, Reezle is reading at 158 words per minute (2nd grade average is 89 wpm, 5th grade average is 139 wpm, 6th grade average is 160 wpm, according to this. Wowza.). She started the year already reading 142 words per minute, so I didn't really expect much in the way of gains between September and February. I guess I should have known better, considering how much she loves to read and how many books she's devoured in the past five months. I am so proud of her! I always had exceptional comprehension and vocabulary, but I was and still am a very slow reader.

She also scored perfect on the math assessment, quickly answering all 50 points worth of questions correctly. I wish her confidence in her math skills matched her ability, but it doesn't. I suppose having a 6 year-old human calculator for a brother probably doesn't help. She doesn't seem to realize she's still way ahead for her grade level. She has a very competitive spirit when it comes to academics.

Thus far, I've been keeping her at grade level work because of her extremely low frustration tolerance and the fact that I wanted to transition her into homeschooling comfortably. However, she is working below her ability and I've decided it is time to start challenging her a bit more. While I stand by my decision to keep her in grade 2 math and language arts, we are working through it at a faster pace now. I echo the teacher's sentiments; we don't want her getting bored...it's difficult to get them back after that. Indeed. I was bored at her age, so I stopped paying attention. I didn't need to pay attention. But by the time I realized I did need to listen, I was out of practice and overwhelmed with frustration. It can be a delicate balance for kids.

In some really fun news, the teacher introduced us to a cool educational website this afternoon called Reading Eggs (it's so much more than it sounds like!) that the kids can hardly wait to start using! There are even books they can read on all kinds of topics, and Reezle is anxious to dig into the history ones.

We're now more than halfway through the school year, and I love this more all the time. The kids love it, too, and there is no doubt whatsoever that we will continue with the K12 curriculum for the coming school year. If anyone reading is considering homeschooling, or looking at different curriculum options, I encourage you to look into K12. It is absolutely wonderful!

Common Questions People Ask About Homeschooling

Some of the most common questions I am asked as a homeschooling parent are: What does your day look like? Do you teach for as many hours as they teach in regular schools? Isn't it difficult? Do your kids respect you as teacher, or do they think they can get away with stuff because you're mom? Do they have recess? What do you do for gym class? How do you teach two grades at the same time? Do your kids still get up early? Do they 'go to school' in their pajamas? Well, I've finally put together a post to answer these questions!

Do you teach for as many hours as they [the teachers] teach in regular [public, bricks and mortar] schools?

No. And yes. Are my children sitting with pencil to paper for 6 hours per day in a highly-structured manner? No. But if I tried to quantify the hours they spend learning, it would add up to more than the typical school day. Because I am the one teaching them, I can slip relevant information into just about every aspect of their daily routines, and I often do. Baking is science and math. There is history all around us. Health is a part of our lives every day. And my children and I love to hula hoop, so we get lots of physical activity that way and count it toward our physical education hours. My husband and I will discuss what they have learned and delve deeper into history lessons or do flash card contests in the evenings or on weekends. I find a lot of great resources on YouTube (travel videos are a fun way to learn more about geography and world landscapes, for example). The whole world is a classroom without limits! Learning at home is a much different style of learning, and affords us a lot of flexibility. For us, flexibility means enrichment opportunities more than location or time.

Isn't it difficult?

It really isn't! I was a little nervous (okay, completely terrified) going into this adventure. However, I did a couple of years worth of researching various curriculum options and I feel extremely good about choosing K12. The curriculum is excellent and the support is very good. There is very little I don't love about K12.

In terms of keeping the kids focused, I really don't have a problem there. They love to learn, and I have been "teaching" my son since he was a baby because he has autism and a speech disorder. This is no different for him than teaching him sign language or doing his speech homework. There is a lot of reading in the K12 curriculum as well, and I have read to my children since before they were even born. It is a very good fit for us. My daughter did have a rough few days one week, but that's about it. I think it was more that she wasn't feeling well than anything else. As long as you already have rules and discipline, and you discuss with your child the responsibilities of learning at home, homeschooling should not be difficult - especially with a supportive structure like K12 has.

Do your kids respect you as teacher, or do they think they can get away with stuff because you're mom?

My children respect me as mom already, and all parents are teachers whether they homeschool or not. I always find myself telling other parents this, because it's so true; you are your child's first and most important teacher. The only things I ask that differ at all during learning hours are raising a hand during discussions (which my daughter does whether we're learning or not - and it's kind of funny), and there is a no electronics rule (except, of course, the computer).

Do they have recess?

Yes, they do! Indoors or outdoors, depending on the weather. Sometimes we go for a walk, sometimes they play a board game, and sometimes they combine recess and physical education and do some hooping or bike riding.

What do you do for gym class?

Lots of things! We do many of the things children would do in a bricks and mortar school, and a lot more. I try to involve my children in community sports when possible, we ride bikes, we hula hoop, they do sit-ups, squat jumps, jumping jacks, balloon chases, run races, do hopscotch challenges, play catch, jump rope, and much more. The possibilities are endless!

How do you teach two grades at the same time?

It's very easy. I work with one child while the other works independently. Also, since my son is in Kindergarten, but doing 1st and 2nd grade work, much of what I am teaching works well for both grades. This makes it much easier for me, but I think we would do just fine even with a much greater grade level difference. It's all about time management and finding a groove that works for you. It takes a few weeks when you're just starting out to find that groove, but things go surprisingly well once you do.

Do your kids still get up early?

Usually, but now I don't have to worry about a rough morning if they have a cute holiday movie on TV until 10PM! My daughter used to catch the bus shortly after 8AM. She used to wake up at 7AM to be ready, and now she wakes up closer to 8:30AM. However, we're usually starting our school day around the same time the public schools are because their transportation time is our breakfast time.

Do your kids 'go to school' in their pajamas?

Not always, but sometimes! And sometimes upside down in pajamas!


They both like to start the day in pajamas, for the most part. Unless we have something fun planned, in which case they want to get dressed up before I even have breakfast started.

Do you have questions? Feel free to ask! If there's one thing I love to talk about, it's definitely homeschooling!

No Subject Left Behind

No Child Left Behind. It sounds great when you just hear the words, doesn't it? But what does it really mean and how does it translate into real education? Simply put, it may mean a whole lot of subjects left behind instead.

Math and language arts (reading/writing) are the core areas where schools are evaluated based on student performance. This is great if you consider how much these areas mean to effective learning and functioning in this world. However, it's not so great once you realize that schools are losing sight of equally important areas such as history, science, and the arts. While some would argue that these areas are not on level with math and language arts, I completely disagree.

First of all, there is a saying that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. I was appalled not long ago at how many people my age and younger don't even know who Adolph Hitler was, or much of anything about World War II and the mass genocide of the Jewish people in concentration camps. Far fewer are aware of our own country's post-Pearl Harbor internment camps which the Japanese-American citizens of our country were forced into, many after agreeing to renounce their American citizenship because they were bullied into doing so. If we do not know our history, and world history, we are doomed to repeat it. That is a frightening thought. But beyond simply repeating past atrocities and costly mistakes, there is also the insight that comes from comparing similar past events to current situations and making more informed decisions based on what happened previously; this insight is lost when we do not know our history!

It is not just political leaders and big decision-makers who need to know history, but the people voting for their leaders, laws, and government. People rely much too heavily already on others to make decisions for them, and a frightening number of people are just plain apathetic about politics. As a country, we do not appreciate the power we have to vote and make a change; and considering how far we have come to have such right and privileges, this is truly a shame. If our forefathers could have seen the ambivalent mess we have become, they would likely have either thrown their hands in the air and said, "Why bother!?" or done everything they could to instill within each new generation the importance of knowing history and being a part of their own instead of passively sitting by and consenting to whatever others chose for them. I choose the latter for my own children; in some ways I believe history is even more important than mastery of math or language arts. Our country was founded on the hope of having a choice and the freedom to govern ourselves. We have become a country that largely lets others govern us. It may not be kinds and queens anymore, but it's more corrupt than ever.

Science is important as well, for reasons too numerable to list. Science helps us understand how our world works and how we interact within it, in addition to providing us with an understanding of the most fundamental facts about ourselves and our bodies, from nutrition to exercise to our overall health picture. But it goes much deeper. Without science, history, and all of the subjects we used to learn in school, we become sheep. Plain and simple.

The cursive writing debate is one that seems to be drawing attention from just about everyone. Because the focus of education is the "core" math and language arts courses, cursive is being dropped from many curricula around the country because it is not something the schools are evaluated by. This is not in the interest of our children at all, but rather the interest of the ratings of the schools and their respective districts. Good penmanship may not be as critical as it was 20 years ago since technology has become paramount in producing finished academic works, but there are benefits (as this ABC article points out) which are being overlooked for the sake of schools looking better on paper. I don't know about anyone else, but I couldn't care less what schools look like on paper; I have always wanted my children to have a full and excellent education which will prepare them for the future - whatever that means.

People seem to be completely unaware of the fact that our current way of life is neither natural nor sustainable. We have achieved great things in this world, things which are incredible to even consider. Most people, however, stick a plug into an outlet or place a call from their cell phone and take it completely for granted. I'm not saying we should all return to the times before electricity, computers and cell phones. I rather enjoy these luxuries and I believe most people do. What I am saying is that we should all be prepared to live off the grid like our forefathers did, should the need ever arise. This is not some doomsday prediction, but rather something we should give some consideration to; what kind of mess would our society be if we had to live as they did 100 years ago? 200 years ago? It's fascinating but also sad how far we have come from that. Also, we should value the wealth of knowledge we have to learn from, realize that many of our ideas are not new but tried and tested, and act accordingly. In 200 years, your school's academic performance rating won't mean a thing to this world; your child's knowledge and potential to change the world, however, will mean a great deal.

Learning is important, and not just the subjects someone deems more important than others and evaluates schools by. Knowledge is power.

Other Lessons: Want vs. Need

There is much that I want to teach my children. This goes well beyond what they would learn in public school, which is often some of what we would want and a whole lot of what we wouldn't. Among the things I want to teach is living simply.

One does not have to look far to conclude that spending money and having material possessions must be what brings happiness, or that bigger is better. Living Beyond Your Means has become the American way of life, and if you're actually living within your means, you're either rolling in cash or you've accepted that you don't have half of what your friends do.

Our culture is one of entitlement and materialistic arrogance; if lots of other people have something, shouldn't you? Mr. and Mrs. Jones next door have their lawn professionally manicured and chemically treated, so why aren't you entitled to the same? And you can't take your kid to play group wearing something from a discount store clearance rack, no matter how cute or practical it is, if at least two other moms from the group will have their kids dressed in boutique! People are actually more ashamed of lacking material possessions and being judged for it than they are about their financial security.

As a result, our economy is collapsing under the weight of greed and want. This way of life is not healthy for people, and it is not healthy for our country. We can blame the government, the banks, the economy, but it really all boils down to choices we make. It's like pushing over the milk pail and complaining that it has to be cleaned up; people want to do as they wish and have no consequences. Actually, it's going beyond just wanting, because people are starting to believe they deserve that.

So many people talk about how life is so much worse now than when they grew up because most families have to have two working parents to make ends meet. I'm going to say something unpopular about that. I'm going to tell you that many more families could get by on a single income. Thing is, they would have to live in a more reasonably-priced home, give up some of the designer labels, vacation less frequently, and make smarter financial decisions. But it would enable them to spend more time as a family, the thing they claim to wish so desperately for.

Unfortunately, people have themselves convinced that what they are doing what is best for their children, because their children have stuff. Maybe they have a great big home to live in, or lots of expensive gadgets. Perhaps they take pricey vacations or are involved in a sport that is highly cost-prohibitive to the typical family. Whatever it is, it matters more than living a more modest but closer-knit family life. And it's not necessarily a conscious choice; it has simply, and sadly, become the norm.

Not so long ago, I wanted the bigger house, the brand names, the big vacations. But in my disgust over how money can bring out the most disturbing of behavior in people and how money seems to basically be the root of all evil if you really consider what motivates the most horrible things in our world, I started thinking. Simultaneously, a certain mommy blogger was spiraling rapidly into debt and overspending oblivion, and all of it made me sit back and do some real soul searching about my own life and priorities. As far as I can tell, want, and never being content with what one has, is the best way to guarantee debt and misery. It's also a great way to guarantee that you'll look back one day with tremendous regret about missing out on what mattered most. I'm pretty sure no one is going to deeply regret not having owned a few more items from an expensive store.

I started asking myself what made me happiest when I was a child, and what I truly cherish from my early years. None of my answers involved costly things; all of the wonderful things I hold dear are about quality time with my family or running around outside with my cousins and riding my bike as far as my legs would let me. While I did, admittedly, love some of my material possessions, those could not compare to the things which no money could buy.

Our little home is small, but we can easily afford it. We have no need for a larger house. Knowing some of what other families are going through because of wanting too much, I feel resolved to think more about need and less about want. This is not to say I won't still want things, or that we won't still buy things we don't need. If you've got the money, it's fun to spend a little once in a while on something you'd really enjoy having. But I will be much more thoughtful about choices I make.

I want my children to grow up feeling appreciative of what they have, aware of what they need versus what they want. I want them to be willing to work and earn because they know that they are not entitled to what they want simply because they exist. And I want them to know that there are people truly in need, and have a heart to help those who are.

Language Arts and Science

For Language Arts today, R's assignment included reading aloud. She could choose a passage from a book she enjoys, a poem she memorized, or something she had written herself. She chose to read an entire (short) book and a story she wrote about our cat. I was thoroughly impressed with how well she did! She started with the story she wrote, standing straight and tall, making great eye contact with her audience (me and Little G), speaking clearly and with expression (smiles) and feeling, holding her composition book low so we could see her sweet little face, and she had both of us smiling through the whole thing. Afterward, she read Harry The Dirty Dog with he same great enthusiasm, lots of smiles, and tons of great eye contact.

As for G, the boy starts his mornings by hugging his beloved Math workbook. Now, I've never witnessed that kind of enthusiasm from kids in bricks and mortar schools. One of the things that bothered me most about sending my kids to school was the concern that they would lose the love of learning they both have.

Even our cat has something to say about traditional schools...

Or, okay, maybe she was just yawning instead of acting all ferocious and scary. Sticky is probably the calmest, most tolerant cat on the face of the planet.

R also enjoyed some Science experiments today. We discussed bouncy balls and which would bounce higher and why. She did trials and recorded what happened each time, dropping them from different heights. She also compared how an empty water bottle versus her bear's brush compared in "bounciness". The water bottle won, in case you're wondering. It won big. The brush just sort of hit the floor like a brick.

We also did an experiment to learn whether salt would dissolve more quickly in hot versus cold water. Hot won, of course, and we discussed why and what other things hot water is used for dissolving (dirt on our clothes in the washing machine, messes on the table after dinner, and so forth). The salt-in-water experiment is a fun one, which is more fascinating for kids than you might expect. We did this years ago when she was in preschool, though she doesn't remember. I recommend it! For our next Science lesson, I think we're going to cook up something extra fun...but I'm keeping it a secret for now.

And last, but certainly not least, we have a really fun new game that counts for Phonics and PE. I was having difficulty helping Little G grasp the concept of syllables. He reads well and has mastered spelling and grammar surprisingly well for his age, but syllables were just not getting through because of his speech issues. I never even considered that, but it makes sense. His words are sometimes broken up into extra syllables that don't exist. Another homeschooling parent on one of the groups I belong to suggested that boys sometimes like more full body movements, and so jumping might be better than clapping. What a wonderful suggestion this turned out to be! Little G loves to jump (it was one of his first words, actually), so we tried it. It was magic, let me tell you! Within about 10 jumps, he knew exactly what syllables meant. Clapping did nothing of the sort for him. We did our new jumping game for about 20 minutes and he loved every single smiling jump.

On Monday, I am going to add continents in. We can toss our inflatable globe to each other while saying the continents as we jump and figuring out how many syllables are in each one. Phonics, PE, and History all in one!

Our First Day of Homeschool

This morning started off with a quote from Little G that left me giggling for hours afterward. Don't ask me why, it just did. R said "wowzers" about something, to which Little G responded very matter of factly with, "Wowzers. More than one wowzer."

To get things rolling, I decided to start R's first day of homeschool with a simple, fun assignment where she would write five sentences about herself or what she did over the summer. I wasn't sure what to expect, since she didn't do much writing over the summer, but she didn't miss a beat! She did a great job.

Little G was eager to get started on Math, and since part of his lesson involved the use of scissors (which I quickly learned he did not even know how to hold properly), I figured it would be a good idea to give him a head start so he could have some practice time cutting paper. He remained a bit awkward handling the scissors, but he caught on very quickly. There was a mild meltdown because his shapes did not meet his own personal criteria for perfection, but I reminded him that it is practice which makes us good at things. "Everything you know, you've learned," I explained to him. That helped. And so did the fun activity I had planned to go along with R's grade 2 Math lesson - counting to 100 using objects. We used fruity Cheerios!

I did a little more cabinet organizing while R and G enjoyed eating that particular portion of their Math lesson. We have all kinds of cool stuff in there now, from paints and clay and bubble wands to seeds and a mineral kit and goggles to math manipulatives, music DVDs, a tambourine and a slide whistle. And it is sure to keep growing.

After snack time, we continued Math with our workbooks. We've been using workbooks for learning since they were old enough to circle pictures and identify numbers and letters, so these are a lot of fun for them and they both loved this portion of the lesson...dare I say almost as much as the Cheerios?


We also did some Language Arts, during which Little G enjoyed a poem about roller skating and part of Cinderella (we read the remainder next lesson). R started reading Clara and the Bookwagon, which she is really enjoying so far. Little G enjoyed it also, when his sister read aloud for us, just as she enjoyed as G and I took turns reading Cinderella. Their only disappointment was that they both wanted to finish their stories. This seems like more of an asset than a detriment, though, since it gives them something specific to look forward to next lesson.

And finally, Art! R looked at a few different types of art and had an opportunity to create some art of her own. The options for what to create were completely open, which is a lot of fun when you have a creative little spirit like she has, and she chose an underwater theme. Can you see the school of fish, the hammerhead shark, the frog, the fish on the hook, and the fishermen (and fisherwomen, as R insisted) in the boats at the top of the water? (I mistakenly cropped the other boats out of the photo due to the angle at which I took the photo.)

She has an amazing creative ability that I lack, so I really admire her talent. Also, see how the water is three shades of blue? She explained that this is because of "different lighting causing the water to appear different shades of blue depending on where you are looking from". Seriously? She rocks. And this is the stuff I am so thrilled to be a part of. I was missing out on all of this when she was in a bricks and mortar school.

Staying organized, avoiding meltdowns due to G's self-imposed perfectionism, keeping it fun, sticking to the lesson plan, thinking of how to change the lesson plan into a more convenient block schedule, allowing more time due to the fact that G likes to learn everything his sister is learning in addition to his own lessons, reading, drawing, printing papers, checking e-mail, fixing meals and snacks, and pretty much neglecting all actual household chores for the day has left me more than a little tired. But I also feel good, with a definite sense of accomplishment. We even made time for PE activity today (we listened to music and danced, jumped, clapped, and spun in circles to the various beats). My two little students kept me busy, but happily so. Though I will say this; I think teachers are underpaid.

The icing on the cake of our first day of homeschool was my husband coming home with a bamboo plant for me. I thought it so very fitting, lucky bamboo today. And I love bamboo! Such a sweet and thoughtful surprise.

And yes, that is our furry homeschool companion there in the background, perched atop the couch cushions my children have stacked in a fort-like configuration. That's Sticky the cat. But she's not sticky at all, I promise. Well, at least not on days when we don't count fruity Cheerios for math.

Tomorrow is the day school starts for our local public schools. I fully anticipate the bus stopping and beeping here at 8AM, wondering why we're not all out there waiting for it. I'll be waving it along and calling the transportation department to let them know we will not be there this year. R will just be rolling out of bed and asking for me to do her hair instead of leaving the house for 8 hours for day 1 of 180, and tomorrow we might just take some of our lessons outside to enjoy this amazing August weather. Together.

Wherever your little ones are learning this year, I wish you a happy school year!

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!

Learning About Gardening

My children love to learn, but learning goes way beyond the classroom. One thing we enjoyed learning about this year was how seeds transform into a garden that we can enjoy for the whole summer!

We have enjoyed tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, our combined weight in zucchini (seriously, I don't think I have seen as much zucchini in my life to date as came from our garden this year), onions, hot peppers, orange bell peppers, green bell peppers, and probably a few things I am forgetting. It was wonderful!

The marigolds planted around the garden are pretty, but their purpose is to discourage greedy garden visitors who like to take more than a fair share. I can't decide whether it helped or not.

Next year, we plan to have the children much more involved in the process of cultivating our yummy organic foods. This year, they mostly enjoyed the end result on the dinner table. It's a lot of fun eating food grown in our very own garden!

We Are All Teachers

When I began familiarizing myself with the Kindergarten curriculum, I actually found it somewhat funny that index cards for sight words are recommended. Sight words? For real? My son and I would spend hours each week on the local school district's 500 sight words page, mostly for the purpose of helping him with his speech. He could already read the words easily at age (early) 4, but the added benefit was that he learned to correctly spell them all and now writes very detailed lists, requests, and descriptions of his feelings (when his emotions overwhelm him too much to speak, a common difficulty with his speech disorder).

Many people are surprised when I tell them how early my children were reading, but I truly believe that almost all children are capable of much more than we give them credit for. For example, when my son was diagnosed with autism and an expressive-receptive speech disorder at age 2, crying and meltdowns were the norm. I didn't throw him in ABA therapy hoping someone could train him to handle his outbursts better; I examined why he was so tantrum-prone. I realized that he knew exactly what he wanted, but the words were not making it from his brain to his mouth. Words were flipped around, mixed up, and incomplete. He was frustrated, and understandably so!

Unfortunately - or perhaps fortunately, as it turned out - our county was minus a speech therapist at the time through Early Intervention. Through the University of Google (ha!) I did some research about my son's speech disorder and found that sign language could be helpful. I went to the local library and started requesting all the Signing Time DVDs I could get my hands on, and bought a few that were not available through the inter-library lending program. And, as a family, we learned sign language. I was amazed at my children's capacity to pick up and retain this new language. Even more profound was the marked absence of the daily meltdown marathon; it turns out my son has a great capacity for language, just not the spoken form. With the tools to communicate, he was so happy and could then focus on other things.

It occurred to me that they could probably learn just about anything, and well. I also realized something else; parents are their children's first teachers. We doubt ourselves. We believe that schools will teach them all they need to know, and that our duties pretty much end when they walk into the school building for their first day of Kindergarten. Even those who don't think they believe that still sort of do. Because I didn't think I believed it, but I did. Confused yet?

The realization came to me when I was contemplating the necessity of backpacks for homeschooled children and the study space we would use. I had a very 'inside the box' concept of education. I would turn the kitchen table into a desk for the academic portion of our day, and backpacks would not be necessary. Or, would they? We could take our books to the park and read for a change of pace. And for that matter, why does the kitchen table have to double as a desk? Wouldn't it be much more comfortable to relax on the couch with Why Frogs Are Wet? Ah, yes. I had great ideas, but still very conventional ideas about learning. That is evolving, now.

It isn't amazing that my children were reading books at early 4. They are bright children, yes, but I think somewhere along the line parents stopped believing they were a part of their children's learning experience. Sure, we know we are the ones who teach values and the importance of chores and making good choices in life, but we are so much more! Much more than many of us give ourselves credit for. We should all challenge our traditional views of how children learn, and our role in their education.