I am a home school mom. My children are small, which means that I am not a veteran, I am a soldier in the midst of a war, a battle. This makes it sound so bad, so unappealing, which is not what I am trying to do. Let me clarify before you think I am crazy and stop reading.
As a mom who stays home with her kids 24 hours a day, who is responsible for feeding, training, loving and schooling her kids, it can get a bit overwhelming. I hear the phrase, "how do you do it?" or "I couldn't do that!", from mom's who think that being with their kids all day would be torture. It is true that it is difficult, at times. There are times when I am unsure what to do next with my kids when they are bickering or when they are displaying some ugly, sinful behavior, or when I simply would rather be doing something else. But I stick with it. That is why I say it is a war. Home schooling can be an arduous task, thankfully there are those who have gone on before me! Those amazing people who have done excellently in training and schooling their children. Oh how they give me hope! I will call me the soldier and them the veterans.
I have needed advise and none could be found. I have been given advise I simply ignored or forgot. In spite of this I believe that the input I have received from the veterans should be respected and heeded. We each school our children differently but there are times when the advise seems to resound, to be repeated from different corners of the community. Would it be foolish to disregard it and blaze a new and difficult trail? Maybe. Probably.
As a personal example, Mr. Robinson of Robinsoncurriculum.com says that we should teach the math facts to our young ones, and then start book work later, after they have the facts down. As a new home school mom, one with no college experience I had to go so far as to define "math facts". What are those exactly? Embarrassingly enough, I really didn't now that. Now I know and I know that I should have listened to this wise home school veteran! The good news is that it is never too late to change my ways and humbly take the advise.
I started Saxon math in Kindergarden, I was intimidated because I simply didn't think I had the discipline to sit and do it every day. I didn't know if the scripted format would work for me. Turns out it did work and it eased my mind so that I didn't feel like I was missing anything or that my kids wouldn't be at the "level". Two years of this and it began to feel a little slow. I trust and respect Saxon and am not going to stop using it, I am simply going to put it away and take the advise of an older man who might have just known something I didn't. I spent money on curriculum that I really didn't NEED. Sure it made me feel better for awhile, sure it worked and my kids learned, but I could have done what I have done so far with a cup of pennies or cheerios, a calendar, and a pencil and paper.
This year I am choosing to abandon my text books and teach my kids the math facts, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division using our abacus, pencil, paper, and math-drills.com. I love Saxon and will go back to it soon. I will take the advise of Mr. Robinson and will pick it up again at Saxon 4/5. I am comforted knowing that the advise of the veterans is proven and abundant. If you aren't sure or confident in teaching your kids, I strongly advise you to check out the robinsoncurriculum.com site and reading the sections, The Independent Learner, Ann's Corner and the Robinson Story. Read, read, read and find comfort and strength in the advise of a proven home school veteran.
Do you have any examples of learning the hard way with your home school? Any examples of how you actually took the advise and were glad that you did? Please feel free to respond to this post, I would love to hear from you.
No comments:
Post a Comment