Homeschooling

This is what homeschooling looks like for us right now:

Sometimes we learn about animals. Pet stores are a great place to take the kids for that, especially if they will let you pet or even hold the animals. Sophie loves the bunnies. And hamsters. And rats. And guinea pigs. 

Picking berries is a good lesson in nature and teaches good work ethic. We want to train our children to be responsible, conscientious adults, so we look for ways to prepare them to be good disciplined workers. 

There is a river beach nearby that is home to tons of frogs. You have to watch where you step! Of course, the kids love to go there. So fun to see the little creatures God has made.

There's also some good river clay along the bank that makes an excellent slide. Brian and I spent many childhood days playing this way. Figuring out the best combination of clay plus water to make the most slippery slide is good hands on learning. Plus it's good for their immune systems. 

We have a field and a local farmer rents it from us and raises the most delicious grass fed beef, from happy, healthy Angus/Jersey steers in it. We get homegrown beef AND a science lesson every year when the steers get butchered. Growing up in a farm, I always loved watching when we got beef cows butchered or when the vet came to perform surgery on cows with twisted stomachs, or the hoof trimmer came to "give all the ladies pedicures," as he liked to joke. I think it's really good for children to know where their food comes from; it teaches them about the cycle of life and respect for life too, including animals.

We all love to go to thrift stores and dig theough the books to find treasures. Sophie and Nathaniel have even started taking their own money along to buy their own books. I love that I have already passed on my love if books to them, as it was passed to me by my parents and grandparents. Valuing books teaches you to value learning and creative too.

We have always enjoyed the 4-H exhibits at the fair, but this year the kids really got into it. They really liked the thought of being able to enter their own projects someday...."like next year maybe?" Sophie has been asking me almost every since if she can enter her pet chicken Jewel in the chicken barn next time. We'll see...

After we come home from the thrift store with an armload of books, the next hour is usually spent quietly looking through them all.

I have so many pictures like this!☺ It makes my heart happy to see them immersed a good book.

We don't have a traditional classroom setting for the most part, but the kids insisted on having show and tell time. I also let them do a "presentation". Sophie chose to read a book to the class (me and Nathaniel), and Nathaniel really wanted to sing but was too shy. Lol 

I had to wait with the kids at the Social Security office the other day; nothing excites a mama more than the thought of sitting in a quiet room full of older people for an indefinite amount of time, am I right?🙄

But they each took along some school work and they did so good! Nathaniel worked on writing and then asked me to write words in cursive. He had me hold his hand and guide him so he coykd write "Darth Vader" in cursive. 

And Sophie and I worked on a crossword puzzle. Good for the mind and vocabulary.

Last night we went to visit Brian's Dad, and I went through his Mom's homeschool supplies. (She used to run a homeschool  bookstore) We came home with several armloads of books to use and look through. I recently took a homeschooling course and have a better idea of what to look for now.  This morning the kids were enjoying using the activity books and puzzles. They were also calling out state names and then finding them on the wall map and throwing pencils at them.😅 

One of the biggest lessons I learned in the homeschooling course was that children want to learn, they gravitate towards learning,  and one of the best things we can do as parents is support that love if learning by patiently answering questions and exploring whatever it is a child might be interested in. Interest in something creates a "super highway" to the brain; they are most receptive to learning something when they are interested in it. Pretty simple. So take advantage of their love animals, or building Legos, and take time to answer all those questions. Focus on building on their strengths,  not just their weak areas. 

And remember that there's more to life than academics. I want to raise well rounded adults with a string foundation and a love for the truth and for learning, and most of all for Jesus. I want them to appreciate God's amazing world and see things from the perspective that livijng beings are fearfully and wonderfully made. And I believe, by God's grace, I can do that. That's why He gave my children to me. And I'm grateful for this opportunity. ❤