I am such a derelict blogger, finding the time is a huge challenge. In any case, we have returned from a wonderful vacation and are settling back into a routine.
As I mentioned, our vacation was part of an international gathering of unschoolers. Now, it is hard to define unschooling, as that is kind of an oxy moron, but the general thrust is that all learning is child-led. There is no set lesson plan for the day, no work that MUST get done. I don't really subscribe to this way of thinking, especially as my children get older. That being said, it does make a lot of sense to me in the abstract. Children are naturally curious, and they want to learn. There are days when we spend hours learning about the spider in the cobwebs I haven't cleaned. Other days we get so caught up in baking or nature walks or drawing, that not much else gets done. Those days, we are unintentionally unschooling. However, the next day I emphasise the traditional book learning that I feel needs to be addressed.
All that being said, I am also curious. I want to know how families have completely unschooled successful, productive children into their adulthood. I know it happens, as I have seen these (now) adults with my own eyes! They have attained college degrees and are now leading happy lives in their chosen field. I fail to grasp how it is possible to unschool algebra or geometry. I can't even get my son to want to tie his shoes, how in the world do you get a math resistant child excited about algebra?
I am off to ponder these complexities, perhaps the 8 loads of laundry I have waiting for me will inspire radical thinking :)
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Vacation
I have scheduled our entire family for a long overdue vacation. While watching the Travel Channel last year we learned about America's 10 Best Water Parks. My son was fascinated by a place called Noah's Ark and decided that was where we HAD to take our next vacation. Through the miracle of Google I began my education into the Wisconsin Dells and a plan was formed. During the heat and sunshine of a Long Island July, I started looking into a January water park adventure. Yes, you read that correctly, a water park, in Wisconsin in January. At that time, the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin was the World's Largest Indoor Water park. Southwest has $39 flights to Chicago Midway and the Dells are only a 90 minute drive from there, we were set!
Then October rolls around and I find the Unschooler Winter Water park Getaway to, guess where? The Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, Ohio; at that time the World's Second Largest Indoor Waterpark. But, don't ya know, Sandusky is undergoing extensive renovations in December, and by the time they reopen they will be the largest. And, since such a large block of rooms is being booked in January, the price was too amazing to pass up.
So, at 4:30 Monday morning the thrice blest family will be heading to Islip to hop a plane to Cleveland for a short drive to Sandusky. By lunchtime my derriere will be circling the lazy river while my children play happily nearby. For 5 warm, water filled days we will relax and play with fellow homeschoolers from all across the nation and a few from Canada and beyond. No one will care that my 6 year old can't read the signs, or marvel that my 4 year old can. Our mostly organic diet will pale in comparison to raw vegans. Other kids will be reading books instead of playing video games and we will have a whole week without hearing "no school today?" And did I mention the Lazy River?!
We are SO ready for this getaway, now if I could just find those goggles....
Then October rolls around and I find the Unschooler Winter Water park Getaway to, guess where? The Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, Ohio; at that time the World's Second Largest Indoor Waterpark. But, don't ya know, Sandusky is undergoing extensive renovations in December, and by the time they reopen they will be the largest. And, since such a large block of rooms is being booked in January, the price was too amazing to pass up.
So, at 4:30 Monday morning the thrice blest family will be heading to Islip to hop a plane to Cleveland for a short drive to Sandusky. By lunchtime my derriere will be circling the lazy river while my children play happily nearby. For 5 warm, water filled days we will relax and play with fellow homeschoolers from all across the nation and a few from Canada and beyond. No one will care that my 6 year old can't read the signs, or marvel that my 4 year old can. Our mostly organic diet will pale in comparison to raw vegans. Other kids will be reading books instead of playing video games and we will have a whole week without hearing "no school today?" And did I mention the Lazy River?!
We are SO ready for this getaway, now if I could just find those goggles....
Thursday, December 20, 2007
East End Homeschoolers
Yes, I am deviating from the plan. I will get back to the Wish List, but we are taking a detour. I warned you there would be a few and you came along for the ride anyway. That, my friends, is the beauty of homeschooling. When you need to explore further, or completely abandon the path and search out a new one, you can!
As Nan mentioned in her comment on Item #4, I am extremely fortunate to runb a group here on the Twin Forks that I named East End Homeschoolers. What is now an actual homeschool group began in early 2004 as just an email list so I didn't have to type in a half dozen email addresses to get information out to my new found homeschooling friends here in Riverhead. Nearly three years later we have 25 families, almost 100 children!! I could never have imagined our little message forum turning into such a huge blessing. We have families from Montauk to Mastic, Christian, Jewish, UU, agnostic...the whole gamut. We share and learn and vent and celebrate all without any major contention. Yes, we CAN all get along :)
As we have been learning, homeschooling is not a individual sport, it is truly a team effort. It really does "take a village" to raise well rounded children, and we are fortunate to have the best village around. The friendships our family has nurtured in these past almost 5 homeschooling years have been our strength, support, sounding board and sometimes even our sanity! When talking to other homeschoolers it is understood that the house is never clean, science experiments grow on the counter and art projects appear on the walls...literally on the walls, not necessarily on paper! Life can stop for a cup of coffe and a friendly chat, the laundry will still be there tomorrow, and wrinkles are just one quick fluff cycle from extinction.
I am thankful for each and every person I have had the honor of meeting since moving here. This is truly, the best place on earth to raise our family.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, many, many blessings to each of your homes, and may your New Year be filled with unexpected gifts.
As Nan mentioned in her comment on Item #4, I am extremely fortunate to runb a group here on the Twin Forks that I named East End Homeschoolers. What is now an actual homeschool group began in early 2004 as just an email list so I didn't have to type in a half dozen email addresses to get information out to my new found homeschooling friends here in Riverhead. Nearly three years later we have 25 families, almost 100 children!! I could never have imagined our little message forum turning into such a huge blessing. We have families from Montauk to Mastic, Christian, Jewish, UU, agnostic...the whole gamut. We share and learn and vent and celebrate all without any major contention. Yes, we CAN all get along :)
As we have been learning, homeschooling is not a individual sport, it is truly a team effort. It really does "take a village" to raise well rounded children, and we are fortunate to have the best village around. The friendships our family has nurtured in these past almost 5 homeschooling years have been our strength, support, sounding board and sometimes even our sanity! When talking to other homeschoolers it is understood that the house is never clean, science experiments grow on the counter and art projects appear on the walls...literally on the walls, not necessarily on paper! Life can stop for a cup of coffe and a friendly chat, the laundry will still be there tomorrow, and wrinkles are just one quick fluff cycle from extinction.
I am thankful for each and every person I have had the honor of meeting since moving here. This is truly, the best place on earth to raise our family.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, many, many blessings to each of your homes, and may your New Year be filled with unexpected gifts.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Wish List Item #4
4. "Don't assume that every homeschooler you meet is homeschooling for the same reasons and in the same way as that one homeschooler you know."
and
5. If that homeschooler you know is actually someone you saw on TV, either on the news or on a "reality" show, the above goes double.
We do not have a child with special needs that can't be met in a public school. We are not over zealous Christians hoping to shield our children from the harsh realities of the world. We are not a military family that moves every few months. We do not have a horror story of abuse and/or maltreatment at the hands of a teacher.
Our choice to homeschool was borne out of a desire to have shared family experiences. You see, our oldest daughter went to school; for Kindergarten, 1st grade and part of second. During those years she went from an only child to an older sister of two siblings. We moved twice, and I went from full time employment to no outside employment. That's a lot of life changes between (then) ages 4 to six. Our daughter would come home from school crestfallen to learn of all the "first's" she missed. Baby's first smile, first laugh, first time rolling over, first steps... her brother and sister were growing up too fast, and she felt as though she were missing most of it.
Our son went to Pre-K several days a week at ages 2 and 3 but did not want to go to Pre-K 4. When it came time for him to decide what he wanted to do about Kindergarten he made his choice with no discussion. The school district registration packet came in the mail one afternoon addressed to him. I told him what it was and left it on the kitchen counter. Dear son picked up that packet and calmly, without a word, put it in the trash. He has never looked back, except to express a slight regret at not riding a school bus!
Now for our last daughter. She is smart as a whip, and much more advanced than the older two were at this age (now 4). This year she is in Pre-school 3 days a week at the same school her siblings attended. While she loves the classes and her teachers, she absolutely despises leaving the house to go to school. We were discussing the idea of Kindergarten while baking cookies yesterday afternoon. Looking up from her chocolate balls and confectioner's sugar she says to me "I'm better off just being homeschooled". Did I mention she's 4?!
Now let me clarify, we do not allow our children to have total say in their school choices. If we sincerely felt a child (such as #3) would be better off in school, they would go. But we do listen to their feelings, and let them know their opinion is valued, then every year we review our choice on a kid by kids basis.
We are very blessed to have a wonderful homeschool network to share field trips and play dates and tips and frustrations and friendships. For us, for right now, this is the absolute best choice for our family.
and
5. If that homeschooler you know is actually someone you saw on TV, either on the news or on a "reality" show, the above goes double.
We do not have a child with special needs that can't be met in a public school. We are not over zealous Christians hoping to shield our children from the harsh realities of the world. We are not a military family that moves every few months. We do not have a horror story of abuse and/or maltreatment at the hands of a teacher.
Our choice to homeschool was borne out of a desire to have shared family experiences. You see, our oldest daughter went to school; for Kindergarten, 1st grade and part of second. During those years she went from an only child to an older sister of two siblings. We moved twice, and I went from full time employment to no outside employment. That's a lot of life changes between (then) ages 4 to six. Our daughter would come home from school crestfallen to learn of all the "first's" she missed. Baby's first smile, first laugh, first time rolling over, first steps... her brother and sister were growing up too fast, and she felt as though she were missing most of it.
Our son went to Pre-K several days a week at ages 2 and 3 but did not want to go to Pre-K 4. When it came time for him to decide what he wanted to do about Kindergarten he made his choice with no discussion. The school district registration packet came in the mail one afternoon addressed to him. I told him what it was and left it on the kitchen counter. Dear son picked up that packet and calmly, without a word, put it in the trash. He has never looked back, except to express a slight regret at not riding a school bus!
Now for our last daughter. She is smart as a whip, and much more advanced than the older two were at this age (now 4). This year she is in Pre-school 3 days a week at the same school her siblings attended. While she loves the classes and her teachers, she absolutely despises leaving the house to go to school. We were discussing the idea of Kindergarten while baking cookies yesterday afternoon. Looking up from her chocolate balls and confectioner's sugar she says to me "I'm better off just being homeschooled". Did I mention she's 4?!
Now let me clarify, we do not allow our children to have total say in their school choices. If we sincerely felt a child (such as #3) would be better off in school, they would go. But we do listen to their feelings, and let them know their opinion is valued, then every year we review our choice on a kid by kids basis.
We are very blessed to have a wonderful homeschool network to share field trips and play dates and tips and frustrations and friendships. For us, for right now, this is the absolute best choice for our family.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Wish List Item #3
3. "Quit interrupting my kid at her dance lesson, scout meeting, choir practice, baseball game, art class, field trip, park day, music class, 4H club, or soccer lesson to ask her if as a homeschooler she ever gets to socialize."
I think I covered most of this in my last post, but let's explore a bit more. My children participate in all of the above activities, at various locations throughout town and our surrounding area. They meet children and adults from many races, religions and socio-economic standings. THEY ARE WELL SOCIALIZED!!!!!!!!
The End.
I think I covered most of this in my last post, but let's explore a bit more. My children participate in all of the above activities, at various locations throughout town and our surrounding area. They meet children and adults from many races, religions and socio-economic standings. THEY ARE WELL SOCIALIZED!!!!!!!!
The End.
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