In homeschooling there are so many options...
- Classical Homeschooling
- Charlotte Mason Homeschooling
- Unschooling
- Unit Studies
- Montessori
Then you start looking at all the different types of curriculums you can buy...
- Sonlight
- My Father's World
- Saxton
- Abeka
- Online Homeschools and Private Schools
It can become so overwhelming! I went to school for teaching. I completed my associates degree in human services with an emphasis on early childhood education. I taught in all different age classrooms while getting my degree and had my own pre-kindergarten classroom for a year before I became a personal nanny. Then Monkey came along and I never returned to work. If anyone can homeschool especially at this age it should be me! I've taught this age before. The problem is I'm homeschooling because I don't want to send Monkey or Goose off to a traditional school that has class for 7 hours or more a day with homework. I don't want to simply do school at home. That I could do. I want something different for my boys.
So how do I choose? Where do I begin? It's been something that I've been trying to figure out for 6 years now but I think I finally have it figured out (at least for this year)!
We don't have the money towaste spend on a boxed curriculum even if that's what I wanted to do. So instead we are going to spend our time at the library getting all types of books that interest the boys. We are going to do our own mix of unit studies and unschooling.
There is no way that I could be comfortable in my house doing complete unschool. I have been reading about it for months because the idea of doing school different at home is what I have always wanted. I don't want my children to label themselves in a grade. I want them to work hard on learning what is interest to them and have fun doing it. But I can't get on board with not having any structured learning. I can't wrap my mind around them "learning math when they are ready". Or when they need or want to write something they will then learn to write. I think some things just need to be taught sitting down together working through it. But I love that unschooling allows the freedom to choose the topics of interest that they boys want and the learning at whatever level they are ready for.
We are currently studying about the body. They are learning names of bones, what muscles do, and all about the different systems in their body and how they work together. They are really enjoying it! This is where unit studies are going to come in. We choose the body first because Monkey wanted to know why we have hair on our arms. I'm challenging them to find the answers to their questions while they expand their interests into a wide range of information that can follow on simple question.
I think unschooling and unit studies will work great for our homeschool. At least for now. If there is one thing I have learned from reading and talking to other homeschool families is that homeschool changes all the time. Never think you figured something out because then you are just going to have to change it next time.
We don't have the money to
There is no way that I could be comfortable in my house doing complete unschool. I have been reading about it for months because the idea of doing school different at home is what I have always wanted. I don't want my children to label themselves in a grade. I want them to work hard on learning what is interest to them and have fun doing it. But I can't get on board with not having any structured learning. I can't wrap my mind around them "learning math when they are ready". Or when they need or want to write something they will then learn to write. I think some things just need to be taught sitting down together working through it. But I love that unschooling allows the freedom to choose the topics of interest that they boys want and the learning at whatever level they are ready for.
We are currently studying about the body. They are learning names of bones, what muscles do, and all about the different systems in their body and how they work together. They are really enjoying it! This is where unit studies are going to come in. We choose the body first because Monkey wanted to know why we have hair on our arms. I'm challenging them to find the answers to their questions while they expand their interests into a wide range of information that can follow on simple question.
I think unschooling and unit studies will work great for our homeschool. At least for now. If there is one thing I have learned from reading and talking to other homeschool families is that homeschool changes all the time. Never think you figured something out because then you are just going to have to change it next time.
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