HOME SCHOOL ADVENTURES 3

"We don't have to worry so much about educating children; a normal child would have to be locked up and away from life itself to keep from learning."  ~Education Reformer, John Taylor Gatto

My children are now 27-36.  We home schooled from the beginning to accommodate my sons characteristics which may have made conventional school a disaster for him.  It did not deter me from living life more relaxed and in a joyful manner.  It was the best way at the time to make life work for our family.

We concentrated on a lot of reading and letting the kids follow their interest as best as can be.  This was backed up by a husband who basically did not enjoy school growing up but had an adventurous spirit.  His mother happened to be an elementary school teacher.
 You pray a lot and trust God to give you answers as you need them and then chill out.

Future Scientists or chefs

Baseball

I tried to help my children focus on skill development and encouraged them to make spiritual life important.  I wanted to foster the idea that learning is fun and enjoyable.  I wanted them to love learning and that there need to learn. what ever they need to learn,, when it becomes important in their lives.

First Ride in airplane out to Ventura

Advice:  LIVE AN INTERESTING LIFE!  Some years we joined ISP programs and other years did it independently.  We took advantage of the free tuition at the local college during junior and senior high.
We seldom followed a rigid school schedule.  We stayed up late and slept in late, more out of convenience than anything.  I found that each child woke up at various stages of the morning.

Tea Parties and dress-up

Mother's helpers

Oh, yes, the teacher part of me was tempted to create color-coded charts and yes I did at various times in my enthusiasm.What was I thinking?  I could create structure on a piece of paper?
When you are in the throes of morning sickness with a third or fourth, the first thing you want is to forget those color-coded schedules.  When you have a baby or a toddler there is poop when there should by vocabulary, math, or science.
For the most part we used an a-la-cart, hodge -podge of curriculum, Abeka,Bob Jones, Alpha Omega, Saxon Math and educational curriculum available at the time.

My daily goals, weekly goals, monthly goals turned into yearly goals.  We schooled year around and tried to keep it at 180 days each yr.  We did a lot of logging and journaling.  Made lists of all the books read and what was studied.

Barbie Sofas

Some days I was pleased with what we accomplished and other days we decided that building elaborate cardboard houses  and furniture for Barbie, Ken, and company or Lego architecture would dominate the day, Imagination at full throttle.

Keeping the Barbie Doll in the latest fashions

Micro mini town

Barbie and company were the best dressed dolls in the neighborhood, my oldest daughter designing and sewing their tiny little outfits.  We obtained cloth from our "missionary barrell" or El Ba-rr-ll.  For those of you not familiar it was kind of a mini thrift store but we did not have to pay for anything we took, a fun place where you never knew what kind of treasures you would find, dress-up clothes abounded.

Micro Mini vehicles in a rock quarry

 God knew the struggles and blessings that I needed to forge on.
  My children were very creative.  I tried to supply the children with "open-ended" toys or projects to spark creative moments.  I attempted to capitalize on every teaching moment.  Learning was happening all the time.  Financially lean years necessitated creative ways for obtaining our school supplies.

THE VOCABULARY WARS -We made army battlefields with the army men and jeeps and made vocabulary ammunition

ALPHA BET AMMUNITION READY FOR A VOCAB BATTLE

LOOK WHAT THE STORM DID? A fort in the middle of the street for a few days

Our first child, Baron Von Schoof, a Keeshond

AWANA BIKE RACES

AWANA BIKE RACES IN THE PARKING LOT

AWANA BIKE RACES IN THE PARKING LOT AT GCC

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."
 3 John 1:4
 
HOME SCHOOLING-OUR JOURNEY 2 CLICK HERE


HOME SCHOOL ADVENTURE 1  CLICK HERE