Recently, we got a note from a reader named Sasha. It went a little something like this:
…I loved your post last week on the homeschool space update. The room alone is enough to get my wheels turning. We are thinking of making the transition in the fall with our children and was wondering how it is going with you guys? …I’d really love to hear an update – and some of your favorite things for working with your kids. I need any advice I can get. Since I love everything you guys do, I was hoping you would please share a little? Thank you!…
So we thought maybe it was time for a little update of sorts around here… more than just the visual, anyway.
If y’all have been reading for a while, then you know we made the leap this fall.
It was never something I saw myself doing. But ironically enough, it’s my very favorite thing to do. People tell me all the time that “they could never do that”. I’m never quite sure how to respond to this, because it’s different for everyone. It’s a lot of dedication and work and requires time and everyone’s situation is different. I get it. But if you’re a mom, (as one reader aptly put) you’re doing it already.
Every day is a little different. But every day, even with those bad ones (and we have the bad ones, trust me) we’re learning so much together.
I don’t regret it at all, and I have no doubt that we made the best change and decision for our family, right now. In the beginning, it was hard and it was scary. But looking back, it was right and it was worth it. It has refreshed and transformed us. Our children are flourishing, and it’s making us grow in ways I never thought possible as a family.
I’m learning so much. Homeschooling is as much for the parent to gain in knowledge, as it is for the child. And there’s a huge learning curve and (thankfully) a gigantic opportunity for grace when I mess up. Because I do that. I screw up a lot.
You know those pivotal moments, when you read something or someone tells you something that you just hold on to? You cling to it, because it helps? Here’s a few things I thought I’d start with:
I may have written this before, but when I started, one of my good friends who has taught for years told me this,”You can’t open their minds and stuff things in. But help cultivate an environment that enables their desire.”
And just a little reminder about letting them be little:
And this quote: {Another fave} “The question is not, — how much does the youth know? when he has finished his education — but how much does he care? …” – Charlotte Mason
And something else I always remember:
These are just a few little things I keep in mind when we do this, because honestly, it can be hard to be in the ‘minority’. As a parent, it can be easy to get caught up in the what-everyone-else-on-facebook-is-doing-moments, and I have to remind myself. And then I remember that there are pros and cons to everything, children were schooled at home for centuries before now, and I get to relax a little on the inside when people start complaining about their own schools. Because no solution is perfect. We’re all on our own paths.
My greatest struggle has been freeing the perfectionist inside. I’m slowly learning to let go of the lists – things that were hardwired in me from the beginning – and stop obsessing over what we’ve accomplished. In the beginning, it was especially hard. I wondered what I had gotten myself into and stressed out over everything. But I honestly also had no idea how passionate about it I would be.
I’m learning to cherish the process. It’s a gift to sit on the sofa and snuggle while we read. A gift to hear them bring up something we’ve already covered or ask a question so we can talk about it. A delight to watch their faces light up when they’ve discovered something new and I’m there to see it. An absolute thrill to see them grow and learn right in front of my very eyes. It’s a precious experience, and for now, it’s just right for us. It’s been an unexpected blessing and I couldn’t be more thankful. Or humbled or overwhelmed or filled to the brim.
And I’ll go back and read this post again, the next time someone has a fall out over math and the world is over for all of us. Because that’s how we roll.
Little counters, for counting anything and everything. But it works especially well for little boys who are obsessed with dinosaurs.
On the flip side, back to the learning curve: Every child is different. But today I thought I’d share a few of our very favorite things that have been great to mix it up and supplement in the curriculum arena. A lot of them are basic, and I kept them that way on purpose. Though we only hope to keep growing our own resources over here (See: Full blown library = my dream)… Today I thought I’d keep it to the things I wish I’d known about, or was so grateful for in this journey in the beginning. So if you’re thinking about trying this, these are great, affordable places to start.
Little things make for major game changers. And happy students. So without further ado…
This may seem so basic. But they get so excited over these. Spelling words with the trad little alphabet magnets on a fridge or metal pan = a good bit of learning while having fun. The other afternoon I found Emerson making up her own words on the fridge (basic sight words) and when she was finished, she could read them all back to me. She had no idea she just completed an activity. We try switching them out with stamps, too.
Winning.
The Crayola Dry Erase Board Activity Center. It’s a great switch-up for when they’re tired of the pencil and paper method. Perfect for practicing writing anything. It seems so basic but it’s such a big deal to them.
The Pop for Sight Words Game. I purchased this one from Amazon, and when it arrived the kids told me their teachers had this in their rooms. I was excited because it must mean I’m doing something right. Right?
My point is, any time you can make it a game and mix it up and have fun, it’s a successful thing. Our kids love structure, they also love variety in their structure. Aiden of course, knows all these words, but he plays with his little siblings. We’re about to nab an older one for him. Lots of fun!
One of my fave little devotional books for kids + The Beginner’s Bible – It came with Sonlight – and it’s just a great overview of the Bible. The kids have loved the easy-to-remember format. We do our best as a family to encourage spiritual topics and Bible stories with our kids on a regular basis, and if you want to do the same, here’s a great place to start.
Word Ladder. If you have a little reader on your hands, who prefers activities, order this yesterday. She loves this thing and it’s perfect. We scored ours on sale, but it’s so much fun for her. It’s a chart that helps kids spell and read using phonics. Yes. Please.
And a few web resources: {Apart from the obvious like pinterest – ps I could look at the homeschooling stuff on there for HOURS and HOURS – people have the best ideas!}
• Quixey.com : A search engine for apps. I have independent learning time every day, and it’s with their apps and books. This resource (recommended by same wise teacher friend) has been invaluable for getting some reliable teaching tools right at their finger tips.
Some of our favorite apps:
Math Evolve + Math Zombies {Aiden} Read Me Stories, Spellosaur 400, Learn Sight Words, Word Bingo, Traceable Letters, Endless ABC, Endless Reader (originator – we love all their games – it helps to be cute + well designed)
• National Geographic Kids : It may seem like a no-brainer, but I feel like this is a great safe place to look for videos to illustrate lessons, and you don’t have to worry about weird things popping up. We spent all last week watching this series {not kids, but safe} because of the earth quakes and mud slides that have happened recently it was a great place to educate them. They learned so much just from watching.
• 1 + 1 + 1 = 1 : I’ve linked it up already but just a little reminder to check her out. She’s inspiring and has so many resources.
• For you: Anything with Sir Ken Robinson I have found to be extremely inspiring and beneficial. Check him out here. I just ordered his newest book and could listen to him all day because I love what he has to say on the matter of homeschooling and education and finding your passion. Seriously. And this. I’ve linked it up before, but check it out when you can.
• And this book. Because it’s just a great place to start. Just thought we’d mention it again.
We hope this little list is useful for you, if you’re thinking about diving in… if you have anything to add that you love, we would LOVE to hear. The greatest resource we have is each other. Please chime in-what are some of your fave tools and resources?
Have an inspired day!
I too was inspired by your homeschool room. I am a home school mom – and we have been doing our schooling at the kitchen table – which worked – but as he has gotten older – it just wasn’t working so well.
After seeing your homeschool area we were inspired to “embrace” the fact we are a homeschool family – we are in the process of totally re-doing the living room so I can carve out an area for a desk and “designated homeschool” area. We are ALL loving the process! THANK YOU so much for sharing your homeschool room!
AND thank you for sharing all these great tips. I glean from every homeschool mom I meet – it is all about looking at what they do – and finding the thing they do that will work with what is right in your kiddo’s – it is always a growing/changing process – and to embrace the process is such a large part of it. Thanks for being so open and candid!
So true, Ann! Thank you so much! And now that you’ve embraced it in your spaces, it’s so freeing and fun! LOVE that you’re doing that! ;} I love to glean, as well. Thank you so much!
This post was so informative. Thanks so much!! We have our son in a Christian Private school and for the most part, we like it. But there’s a little pull on my heart to homeschool. Are you part of a homeschool co-op or any other type of group?
Hey Amber! We are not currently part of one, and honestly it’s because when we began, we were in survival mode and that was just easier. But I look forward to joining one especially as they get older if we stay with this. I would love to be a part of one. Homeschooling can be super freeing… and super isolating because it’s not a built in network unless you build it yourself… so I think I’m still in the process of doing that. But a co-op… it’s a must for us. ;} I need to find a good one in our area. ;}
These are great. I am a big Sir Ken Robinson fan as well! TED talks are so amazing to listen to! I am glad you are enjoying it and finding things that work for you!
He’s so inspiring. Yes, loving the TED talks, too. I can’t wait to get my hands on his book. I’m kind of obsessed and if I ever hear he’s anywhere near, I will hop on a plane just so I can stalk him down and say thank you. ;}
Thank you for this post! I intend to look through all the links this evening. My son is only 18 months, but we have been praying already about whether to homeschool or put him in private school. Our public school system is far from satisfactory – both my husband and I went through it and my sister-in-law currently teaches in one of the elementary schools. She says it is increasingly hard to teach when the classrooms are so full and the state requirements continue to dictate what can be taught. Lord willing, we will be able to homeschool. There is a good-sized co-op here. Which further encourages me when looking into homeschooling. Thanks for sharing these things!
I understand… it’s such a tough choice to make! I had angst over it for YEARS before Aiden (our oldest) even began. And then after all of that… the testing and the magnet schools… we still ended up at home! We just wanted to give it a go, first… even though I never considered HS an option for us. Though I regret nothing and consider it all a part of what was best for us at the time, how freeing it would have been to not be so stubborn on my end and been more open minded with homeschooling from the beginning! So props to you for thinking about it early! ;}
I’d love another Sonlight update and to hear your plan for next year. Starting core a in the fall!
Katie- Sonlight is still going great! I just purchase a curriculum for each child and then pull from each one as we go…because if you follow it to a T it will stress you out and you would be doing school all day. ;} But you could easily double up if you have more than one child. I think that’s probably the best advice I can give… look at it as a great resource to pull from but not a must-check-it-all-off-the-list kinda thing. I lean 100% on their math, reading (with my own supplements) and language arts, because to me those are the most important. Then I pull from the Bible, Science, History, etc. You can see a laid out example of how I do it in our free planner download, if that helps. I also make sure they do plenty of independent reading during down times of the day (when they’re ready). I like to vary their activities a bit, (like writing in their journals and keeping up with the months and year and days of the week and reflecting on things they’ve learned, etc.) and supplement a little more (like the things you see above) because each kiddo is different.
Our biggest goal for them is to be independent learners with a love for reading, (Isn’t that the ultimate that every parent wants their child to achieve and care about?) so I tend to be a little heavier on the independent reading part (word ladder is practically doing it for me in the phonics department, with Emerson) but I love how the curriculum for each child lets you choose and offers plenty of options. There are parts we don’t like, so I learned to drop them. There is a no one-size-fits-all-option for everyone, but I think you’ll find most things in this curriculum are pretty great.
There are pros and cons to everything you pick, but I’m nearly 100% sure sure we will be doing it again next year. Every day varies to a degree. I figure we’ll eventually get to it all, as each child moves through and we do it together, so I just love being able to pull from it as I want/need without having to scramble for resources. ;} See: small library at my fingertips. It costs more, but also keeps it manageable with running the website. We also plan to work a little on the main subjects throughout the summer to keep them fresh. Just something small, daily. Malone joins us next year (we do Mondays + small things on the weekend with him now) so Jamin will be helping me in the mornings next year. I told him we would need to tag team this one. ;} Three is almost too much for me, and I think having both parents involved for our kids will be beneficial.
My fantasy is to alphabetize all the books because I’m a nerd and love the idea of having plenty of books for my children. If you are to hoard two things in life, I believe they must be books, and craft supplies ;}. Sonlight will get ya there, and I’m learning to contain my excitement until next year’s curriculum arrives. I love it that much, and I just love having a ton of resources right in front of me for them to choose. ;] I never want them to feel short on options.
As long as you go in with clear expectations and remind yourself not to get overwhelmed with it all (and they even say that!), I think you will truly love Sonlight. I hope that help – and that I didn’t ramble. I just tend to have a lot of thoughts on curriculum, and how we are choosing to use it for our family. It will be different for everyone!
To all of you considering HS or new at it, I think a good piece of advice is…Don’t look at the entire time all the way to grade 12, just say hey we’ll try it for a year and see how it goes. Otherwise, it can really be overwhelming and scary, nobody knows whats better for your children than you and your husband. And I tell people all the time you are your child’s first teacher and teach them all the time even if you don’t realize it. So have a little faith and a little fun and let it play out if it’s the right thing for your family. Some days I almost feel like they are the teachers (my children are all older now) and I am the student, it’s a really amazing thing!! Best Wishes, Toodles, Barbi
Amen, Barbi! Thank you. So very true. It’s helped us to calm down, take a deep breath, and look at this as a year to year thing. Thank you. ;}
Sounds like you are doing a lot of good things. I’m just wondering if you kids ever miss going to school or do they like being at home?
Hey Kathryn! Great question. When we made this choice, it was as a family. We sat down, had a discussion with the kids, and made a prayerful decision as a couple, based on that. I ask them all the time how they’re feeling about it, and what they prefer. I like to try to keep a barometer going on how they’re feeling and what I can do to help their learning experiences. Right now, they love it. That’s not saying in two years, Emerson won’t be begging to go back. When/if she does, we will certainly reevaluate based on their needs. While they’re too young to make well rounded, fully informed choices for themselves, I certainly never want them to feel like we forced anything on them. I probably just completely over explained. My point is, we keep an open dialogue, and right now they are very happy with the situation, love being at home and say that they do not miss their old school. ;}
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you & thank you! I’m also a new homeschool mom and so appreciated this post. There are not a lot of homeschoolers around me and it’s especially foreign to my family. I really appreciate your openness about this part of your life. I count you as one of my homeschool friends.
Thanks again!
Courtney
Well, same here, Courtney! Thank you for dropping a note. So glad you’re on this journey, too! ;}
Absolutely beautiful blog, so inspiring. I have been homeschooling for 16 years now and I want to tell you, you have it right. Honesty about the not so good days and the tremendous joy and fruit it produces. It is a blessed journey and you are definitely on the right path. God be with you and your family. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so very much, Nori! ;} It means a ton hearing from people on the path before us – as you know… it’s not always easy. ;}
Thank you for posting this. I love seeing what other folks are doing. Our two kids are young and we just moved away from our friends and family this past summer so my husband could attend seminary. When we got here we put our oldest into the public preschool. This past month we decided we will be continuing our kids education through homeschool. Our kids don’t know it yet because we want our oldest to finish out the school year strong but since she is in a part time program we’ve been easing ourselves into the homeschool routine with activities in the afternoon while the youngest naps. Beside the prominent issues with public school class size and curriculum the words of older/wiser moms kept coming back to me, “you’ll never get this time back” and while some says can be exhausting I just couldn’t see giving those priceless learning moment to someone else. So in this unique time while my husband is in seminary we will continue to focus inward as a family before we are sent back out. So glad to be joining the homeschool ranks this coming year.
I am so happy I found this. My kids go to a private Christian school, and as this year has gone by, I have felt that something is missing. These are the years man! And I’m spending them rushing kids out the door and trying to get them to do homework while I try to get dinner on the table. Somewhere along the way, we forgot to enjoy this time. And it’s not only me, it’s my boys too. Plus all the stress that comes along with being a 4th/2nd grade boy, and peer politics and hierarchy and I just thought, “None of us are enjoying this!”
I never thought I would homeschool my kids, in fact I never thought I would even consider it. But as these days began to weigh on me, I realized it was a natural fix for what is wrong. And then, shock of all shocks, I even started to get excited about it. Now I can’t wait until next year when we can jump in. I’m so glad I found your blog to add to my reference stack. Thanks!
I feel like you’re me, leaving a comment. ;} I am with you, 100%!!! Hang in there- thinking of you while you make this awesome transition! You can do it!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! After years of teaching school here in Chicago, and a few years as a SAHM…I’m homeschooling this fall. Only 1 of my 2 kids for now. And it’s scary. Scarier than teaching a class of 30 in a gang-ridden neighborhood scary. And I’ve done that too. 🙂
That quote by Charlotte Mason is stuck in my head now…I need to make a printable of that and frame it above our homeschool space.
My favorite resource (other than my own site…obviously) is teachers pay teachers. I spend enormous amounts of time on there. The amount of goodness supercedes pinterest. In fact, it’s the stuff pinterest is made of.
I love your homeschool posts. I hope there will be more coming! 🙂
My best,
Nicolette
Hi Ashley,
First off, I love your site, it is truly inspiring and lots of fun to read. My husband and I decided to homeschool our little boy last year, starting with Kindergarten. Like many other parents we just really wanted to offer him a differant experience, in a positive environment filled with love. For us, it has been a wonderful experience. It’s great reading about your triumphs and sometimes drawbacks in homeschooling because we have those too. My question for you, and I guess I’d just like to get your perspective on it, is the following; Do you ever get fearful or anxiety thinking of the “what if’s”. For me I fear that if one day (I pray not) our son will have to attend a regular school, will he be able to adjust? He’s a super social kid and very friendly, but sometimes I feel guilty that he’s not surrounded by other kids on a regular basis? I also think about the school functions that he could only really experience at school, like his first dance. I know in my heart that we are offering him so much more than just a few moments that he may not even care about, but still as a mom, do you ever think about these things?
Would love to hear your fresh perspective! Thank you for sharing your world with us!
Lisette C.
Hey Lisette! I think that this last week was our hardest in the history of Mills Academy. So we most definitely get the anxiety and the worry. It’s especially hard, because all of their friends… ALL OF THEM go to private school and or the magnet school we left. It LITERALLY feels as though we’re swimming up stream, and if I’m being completely honest, that we’re being judged. They just don’t get it, and I feel like maybe I’m transferring some of my own fears onto them, just THINKING about what they must be thinking of our experience. They make comments, completely oblivious to what they’re saying and I have to bite my tongue. It’s hard, when you’re the only one. It can only amplify the situation. And it further isolates us. We love our friends, but every time they’re together, they’re talking about school. And what’s going on there. Saying things like “why don’t you just enroll them here?” And “I could never stay home with my kids! I just don’t know how people do it!” Followed up by a big WHOOPS once they realize what they’ve even said.
I want to start with, it’s your kids. I should sure hope you would WANT to invest in their future. It’s your responsibility. You can’t just count on someone else to do it. And honestly, we’re very much the odd man out right now. We did this for multiple reasons, it initially being problems with the school our children were enrolled in. Once we settled in, we realized it was just really great for us, right now. For so many reasons. When it comes down to it, we’re really ready for a fresh change of scenery and our own support group. It’s kind of at the top of our list, and we’re just ready. These are our current struggles right now {beyond the individual school ones}. So if you have any of these feelings that I just over shared, know I can relate. There is my anxiety. Most of it anyway.
I always go back to these three things.
A. All kids. ALLLLL of the kids. EVERY child adjusts and grows at a different level. Just like potty training, when other kids were doing it and it put me into an anxiety spiral. So I’ve embraced that even the difficult moments… this too shall pass. It will. It just will. This is what parenthood is all about. Sticking it out through the storms, and doing our best until they grow out of the current struggle, grasp a concept and can move on. Why not take the time to work with them while they learn at their own pace? They will get it. They will. You just have to create an environment for it, and then have lots of patience.
B. It’s a year to year thing. So I don’t worry about dances yet, because that’s just another bridge we will cross when we get to it, and I have enough on my plate right now than worrying about the things that just aren’t important right now. I don’t know how old your son is, but I get it. You may be able to find a homeschool group in your area that does these things, though. I am looking forward to finding one myself. FWIW: They were having dances at Aiden’s elementary school, starting in the first grade… and that was entirely too young, in my book. I feel like that time will come, and we will think about it when we get there.
C. We jump into the “social norms” because this is what it is right now, in our culture, without really weighing the outcome. Sometimes I think we should really question our culture. We forget what the industrial revolution and one size fits all education has done to our children, and right now, I need to focus on all of the pros. Because the pros, by far, outweigh the cons.
SO hang in there. You’re not alone. We’re actually in a rough patch right now, and it’s making it worse when people who don’t understand, throw out questions without really considering what they’re even saying. And it’s because it sounds right in the moment. But maybe it’s not. Maybe you’re going with your instincts here, and you were given those for a reason. ;} Hang in there. I hope this helps. You are so not alone.
I have four children and have done it all…homeschool, private and public education. Different needs at different times dictated what we did. My oldest son just began to study for a Master’s degree and called me on the way home from one of his first classes. “I just wanted to thank you, Mom, because I think I am only one of the few students here who just really love learning. And I think it is because you homeschooled me in those beginning years. It developed a curiosity that nothing else could have.” That was so great–first of all to be thanked by your 26 year old son is amazing, and to know the hard work paid off was pretty awesome, too! I used Sonlight Curriculum and I will always be grateful for the exposure to great books–it has produced well rounded amazing adults! Hang in there and keep your eyes on the prize.
This is super encouraging to us, Bev. We love to hear what people who have gone down this path before us have experienced… and to know we’re not crazy! ;} Thank you so much!
Great post and inspirational, the proof is that people are still commenting months later! Beautiful school room! We have been homeschooling for 8 years, and my daughter entered homeschool high school this year. We have used word ladders (books, not a nifty board like yours), and lots of educational games (Learning Games for Kids has been a long time favorite). My daughter learns well with games and I’m glad to see that you incorporate games and hands-on in your homeschool! Stay inspired and thanks for a great post, happy homeschooling!
Thank you for your post, I’m a homeschool mom and am always looking for new ideas for our homeschooling day! We use Sonlight too, and love it.