How Do YOU Homeschool?
Recently, I had the opportunity to answer a question that a fellow homeschooling mama asked in a group of which I am a part. She wanted to know what a ‘typical’ day looks like for our 4-5 year olds. Below is the response I gave:
“Currently, we are not officially homeschooling our 4-year-old. She spends her days playing, watching phonics or favorite shows on tv, or playing with siblings. She helps me cook and does a couple of chores like replenishing toilet paper and the hand towels in our guest bath. She has just begun asking to learn to write her name, so we practiced writing ‘E’ last week. We read books together, play matching games, outside, play-doh. All very organic.”
Many of you may look at this and think that we are not doing nearly enough ‘schooling.’ Some of you who lean further toward the unschooling side will read my comment and you may feel it is too schoolish. However, I read it and I think it is exactly the comment I wanted to make. It is exactly what happens in our home each day. It is exactly how I want my daughter and her siblings to learn. Organically.
Over the years, I have read a lot of books about homeschooling. I have talked to many different people, been a part of several online and in-real-life homeschool groups, and I have observed how my children learn best. One thing I know now that I did not know in the beginning? It is not when I stand over them lecturing on a topic.
Their best learning happens in the every day.
- When there is an unprecedented filibuster in the senate, like the one that happened so recently, my 15-year-old son all of the sudden learns about the words filibuster and drones (see definition #2). We discussed handouts and hard workers and what that has to do with government. We discussed how God has been taken out of our schools and the benefits of homeschooling in that regard. We both learned a lot about government and about one another in those few moments.
- When my daughter is asking to learn how to write her name, that is an organic teaching moment. It took me all of 2 minutes to show her. When the ‘m’ was too hard, I encouraged her to just keep practicing her E’s, and she did. And she wrote some beautiful E’s!
- After re-reading many of our Dr. Seuss books, my younger son was inspired to write a book himself. Using printer paper, crayons, and a pencil, he wrote and illustrated a Dr. Seuss-like book for his two younger sisters. That is learning that he will remember, and so will they!
- My youngest daughter is learning to share, to wait her turn, and to giggle with her next older sister while they are in their beds at night. She is watching her favorite phonics videos and learning her letters, numbers, colors, and more because she loves them, not because I am forcing her to learn them. I happened to pick them up at our library. When I discovered how mesmerized she was, I purchased our own copies!
- My two oldest children have taught themselves how to draw, simply because they have had the time with homeschooling. The how-to-draw books at the library were all they needed. They are just now taking some classes to learn about different mediums.
- My 15-year-old son is also learning how to play the electric guitar using an online tutorial, and my 13-year-old daughter is learning how to create a hybrid flower through Internet research.
Today, we still use some textbooks, many apps and living books, and lots of art supplies. We are in the midst of figuring out just exactly how to navigate the homeschool waters with a toddler, a preschooler, and a child in each level of elementary, middle school, and high school. It’s tricky! I am not ‘there’ yet. I have much de-schooling left to do.
There is one thing I can say with confidence. Children learn what they are most interested in learning about. Take that and fly with it. Your homeschool will be a much more living and active place if you do!
Wendy is a homeschooling mama to five who loves to encourage others along the homeschooling journey. She also considers herself a ‘foodie’ and is always ready to try a new recipe in the kitchen. You will find Wendy writing about homeschooling, food, and other life events on her blog, Following in His Footsteps. She has also recently begun a new venture with Southern Test Kitchen. Be sure to visit and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter, too!
I have only been homeschooling for 2 years now, but I think that I have found each of my child’s ‘groove’ so to speak, and they enjoy their days and I have never once regretted my decision to keep them at home. My 1st grader like a lot of structure. So many people have told me that 5 year olds don’t need that and should only have an hour or two of school a day, but he seriously got upset when I didn’t have enough work for him to do, so I bought the nice curriculum with 5 subjects, and tests, and structure, and he LOVES it!
My 3 year olds schooling is much more relaxed. There is no way she would sit down like her brother and do the things he does, and there is no way I would expect her to. I put together sensory bins, I’ve made a flannel board with lots of little pieces, we sing songs, she watches Preschool Prep DVDs, she watches her brother do school, and she plays. We might sit down and trace letters on fun colorful paper if she feels up to it. I think each home and each child have their own special little ways of learning. As long as we nourish those ways and encourage them to try new and challenging things every now and then, they’ll turn out just fine.
Thanks for sharing your day with us! I always enjoy reading about other people’s homeschool. 🙂
Thanks so much for reading! I agree, one huge benefit to homeschooling is that we can do what works for each of our children, following their bents and God’s leading. I have some that use textbooks and packaged curricula, and others that cannot it still for very long at all. 🙂 So glad to enjoy the flexibility we need each day through homeschooling!
absolutely perfect! the truth is that most children under 6 do a better time learning through play/play learning. I think you’re doing amazing! I have been so greatly inspired and influenced to do more homeschooling on my 4 year olds days off with tips and shares from fantastic educational sources such as this site & my friends on WordPress ( angelicscalliwags & more ) Each child learns in a different unique way, we all do. just have to do whats right for THEM–they’ll learn! I had no hope for teaching my 4 year old at home, due to her developmental issues, until I was inspired by all of you here! You are ALL GIFTED TEACHERS and I couldnt possibly express the true amount of gratitude for your shares. Whether it ‘looks’ like learning to others, my child can now spell her own name…thats learning through play, music, song!! J9;)
MANY THANKS again
Jeanine, thanks for your sweet words. 🙂 Over the [almost] 7 years that we have been homeschooling, I have learned more each year about how children DO learn so much just through living life! And each child IS unique, as God made them to be. I’m so thankful that I get to be here to watch it happen!
It is always appealing to hear how moms with lots of kids manage their day. I am currently re-evaluating how we do things because with each new addition to the family I am left mystified. Have you been homeschooling your older children from the beginning?
Mindy, no we did not homeschool at the beginning. That’s a whole God-story in itself! Let’s just say I always wanted to be a teacher, I just never knew it would look like this. 😉 We started homeschooling 7 years ago, when my two oldest were going into 3rd and 1st grades. My 3rd child spent a short time in daycare when I was still working outside the home, but otherwise my younger children have never attended public or private schools. And it is a constant re-evaluation here, too! We have added 2 babies and moved about 6 times in the last seven years, so I know what you mean when you say you are mystified. Thankfully, my children still kept on learning because knowledge and education do not come *only* from a classroom or from mom lecturing. 🙂 Thanks for commenting.
I enjoyed reading this blog and others from you. Inspiring to say the least. I have been homeschooling my 5 year old grandson since Nov 2012 and it is difficult at best and frustrating, intolerable and all those things at worst. He is gifted which makes it more difficult and he is ADHD which compounds the issues. We are struggling but I am learning and now in the process of deschooling myself. I have started just this week my own blog about homeschooling and stuff. Hope it helps
Pam, thanks so much for reading! And congrats on the new blog! It DOES help. I have had my own blog for over 5 years and just this year started a new food blog. 🙂 It’s fun and meeting some of the other bloggers (if only virtually) has been a wonderful experience, too. I find that I am constantly deschooling. Even when I have an area that I think I have conquered certain ideas about, something else will crop up! Continue reading, talking to other homeschoolers, and learning with your grandson. You will find a groove that fits the two of you!