A typical day...

New homeschoolers sometimes ask me to describe 'a typical day' of homeschooling. The most honest answer, that there is no such thing as a typical day for us, is unhelpful and perhaps a little bit rude, so I usually offer a vague response like "well, sometimes we do some formal schoolwork but most days we just read and play or do projects and sometimes we take classes or go on trips." Recently, I met Lynn, mother of a 6 yr. old and an 8 yr. old, both of whom are unhappy at their school. She was interested enough in homeschooling to press for a more complete answer, so we sat down together and talked about all the things the kids and I do over the course of a days, weeks, and months that constitute our homeschooling program, such as it is.

We almost always begin our morning with math. Math is the only subject we pursue so diligently -- about an hour most days -- and we use several different approaches. We use lots of manipulatives, and Wren is working through the Singapore Math program, as well as some supplementary books on algebra, calculus, and primary-grade 'Challenge Math'. I do a lot of Montessori with Robin, as I did with Wren at the same age, as well as the Singapore Kindergarten program. Many days, our formal schooling ends with our math hour. The kids play freely or read books the rest of the day. Yesterday, they built an elaborate circus out of legos and other toys.

A few days a week we also 'do language'. I try to have Wren do 15 minutes of handwriting practice several times a week, but this falls to the wayside more often than I'd like. She usually memorizes a poem once every week or so, and I try to select poems that relate to what she's studying in history or science, or to any project we're in the midst of creating. Every other week we do a lesson from Writing Strands, and I encourage her to write in her journal each day. We study a new Greek or Latin root about every other week, and Wren is working through a primary-grade Latin workbook and dvd. I'm slowly teaching Robin his letter sounds, and several days a week we work on a page of his alphabet book. I read aloud to them each day, a chapter book in the afternoon (our current selection is The Wind In The Willows) and picture books at bedtime.

Roughly 3 times a week, but often not for several weeks at a time, Wren also works on history, science, and/or. We tend to do history and Latin more frequently than science and geography, but never more than two of these subjects in one day. Last year, Wren studied the ancients, and this year she is studying the medieval to early Renaissance. We read nonfiction to establish a few 'pegs' of important people and events and then delve into lots of historical fiction. We do a project or two each month -- this month Wren is designing her own coat of arms according to medieval heraldry. For geography, we are studying land and water forms, and making crayon-relief illustrations of some of the basics, as well as labelling blank maps with actual examples (of lakes, archipelagos, bays, etc). Science is catch as catch can -- lots of kitchen table experiments and plenty of non-fiction reading. Both kids are in the midst of Junior Rangers/Park Pals, and Justin, our resident physicist, engages the children in socratic conversations about how things work at the dinner table and in the car.

We never do more than 3 hrs of formal work each day, and we frequently go several days or even weeks without doing anything at all except for math. When I listen to my kids' playing, I'm confident they are learning, exploring, and growing, without any input from me. Wren reads a great deal, and learns much through books, and we also spend lots of time at the library and the Maryland Science Center. Both children are avid weavers, sculptors, painters, and all-around crafters, and both enjoy cooking. A typical day for us could include between 0 and 3 hours of schooling, and many hours of playing, reading, and making stuff. Another typical day might include a trip to the Maryland Science Center, the Walters, Cylburn Arboretum, or some other interesting destination. Or, we might just spend our day reading, painting, baking and playing. For us, the best thing about homeschooling is that we have the freedom to follow our leadings rather than a mandated curriculum.

felting fun

We've been involved in a few too many homeschool classes and clubs this year, and haven't had enough time for 'projects'. I decided to squeeze a few crafts in and to do more baking with them before Finch's arrival this May (he's due the 26th, but if he follows his siblings' example, he'll be here by the 5th). Today, we made some felted wool beads using dyed wool roving from Leighton Farms (very highly recommended!!)



I adapted our method from a felted ball kit I received several years ago, and my method is pretty much the same as many others I easily found on the web. Basics:

1. Pull off a small amount of wool and form it into a loose ball. (We used enough to form a 3/4" ball that felted into a 1/2" bead -- larger beads were trickier to form and didn't turn out as well for us.)
2. Plunge your ball into hot sudsy water, squeeze gently, then roll it around in your hands, shaping it into a round or oblong bead for a minute or so. Use a fair amount of pressure as you're shaping to help the fibers compact.
3. Plunge your ball into cold water, squeeze, and continue squeezing and shaping for another minute.
4. Continue plunging the bead into hot and then cold water, shaping and squeezing after each plunge, until it's done -- it should hold it's shape and feel fairly tight. Give it a final rinse and squeeze and set it aside.
5. When you've made as many as you want, put them in a laundry bag or old stocking or sock, and tumble dry. As with any felted project, check periodically and take it out when it looks and feels 'done' to you.

Beads can be used for lots of crafts and games -- we're planning to string them for bracelets and to sew some onto a knitted hat 'for decoration'.

Two more reasons to homeschool

(Republished from Feb 3rd due to blogger issues)

The children and I had leftover Victoria Sponge for breakfast this morning. A Victoria Sponge is simply a sponge cake with jam and whipped cream between the layers, and sprinkled with powdered sugar --- sort of what a Twinkie aspires, and sadly fails, to be. We'd had it for dessert last night, and it was a treat, but eating it cold from the fridge for breakfast elevated it to heavenly bliss. I am not exaggerating -- it really was that good! If the children weren't homeschooled, I'd never have been able to serve them cake for breakfast, because that would turn out to be the day the teacher had them draw a picture or write about their breakfast for a lesson on nutrition. I'd be marked, in the teacher's mind, as one of the problem parents. Except I would probably already have been. As a student, and even up into my mid 20's, I used to fantasize about being the difficult parent. I imagined whole conversations with teachers in which I exposed their meaness and injustice with cutting wit, leaving them gibbering like the fools I knew they would be. I guess I was a little bitter. Anyway, we had cake for breakfast, followed by an hour of math before I realized that the sun was shining. I cancelled the rest of our work and sent the children outside. It is, after all, February -- the weather could turn nasty at any moment. Two more reasons to homeschool: cake for breakfast and sunny warm days in February.