Homeschooling, the WHAT of it all

The WHAT of it all is really the most critical decision you will make after deciding to homeschool.  It's intimidating, of course, because you want to make the best choice possible.  Really, I've seen new HS moms sweat it out over which science curriculum is best for their kindergarten and first grader.  Oy vey!  We read a few articles on how bad the education system is and all the sudden we're freaking out over whether or not Junior will get into the college of his choice before the training wheels are even off his bike.  Side note, snarky comment:  Junior should be riding his bike in the first grade instead of sludging through 32 weeks of Botany for little einsteins.  Don't worry, all advice is free of charge.  And please, save yourself the risk of myocardial infarction, and at least pick a style before going to convention.  There are 4 billion curriculum choices and you can do yourself a favor and limit your choices by just deciding on a point of view.  Again, don't worry, you don't have to register your choices with the state which means you can change your mind at any time.

Your schooling style will depend largely on your goals, the personality of each child, your personality, your availability/lifestyle, budget and trial and error.  Inevitably, you will buy curriculum that you never use and you will feel like you wasted money.  I'll say this in sweet, dulcet tones, 'get over it.'  That's what used book sales are for.  You can't start condemning yourself for well intentioned mistakes.  It's only the beginning.  This list is not exhaustive, but it might be a good place to start if you're taking your first crack at homeschooling.

#1  Buy "Curriculum in a Box":  On the upside, it's a one stop shop at the Bob Jones, Abeka or My Father's World booth or website, search for whatever grade Junior's in, and viola, everything you need in a big, relatively high priced box to do 'school at home.'  If you're really techy, you can do the same with Switched on Schoolhouse, which is the same concept, only online/cd as opposed to textbook/workbook form.  Maybe this is comfortable for you.  You like it all handy, all laid out.  Downside?  It's kinda like when you're in public school and you miss a week to go visit an aunt who broke a hip, and the teacher sent home all the school work you have to do on you're own.  They've done all the work for you and determined what your child should learn at what grade, just like in public school.  If you're new, just transitioning from public school, feel under-researched to make other choices or you're an accountant type personality with a high need for order, schedule and structure, this might be the approach for you.  Please note though, you can buy subjects ala carte, so if you like, say, the Bob Jones handwriting workbook, you are able to purchase just that.

#2  The "Classical Education":  This method is based on 'The Trivium'.  Basically, it follows the model of classical education understood to be consistent with Aristotle, Plato, Socrates and the rest of those guys.  It suggests that little bitty brains are great at absorbing gobs and gobs of info through memorization, this is called the grammar stage, roughly K-5th.  So, of course, Latin would be easier to learn in 1st grade than 10th.  Shirley Grammar is a popular language arts curriculum in this approach because it emphasizes repetition of facts and the memorizing of little grammar songs to maximize this window of rote memory acumen.  You'll make and use up to 10,000 flash cards a semester.  You may like that.  From 6th-8th (ish) you move your kids through the logic stage where begin to order the information they have memorized and to form cogent arguments based on what they've memorized.  Then in high school, the students are ready for the rhetoric stage where they practice the art of articulating, apologizing and arguing their point of view, you know, captain of the debate team stuff.  Jessie Wise and her daughter Susan Wise Bauer are the reigning homeschool gurus for this approach and together have written the classical education handbook "The Well Trained Mind" as well as a line of language arts (Language Lessons) and history curriculum (The Story of the World) based on this approach for your shopping pleasure.  Additionally, there are co-ops and  support groups online or possibly in your community to help and encourage you.  The upside?  Using this approach has the opportunity to expose your kids to a great deal of really great information and arts and children who thrive with this model will likely have the best SAT scores and best chance of winning JEOPARDY Teenweek.  Added perk?  Violin lessons are required, I think.  But you might need to enroll your boys in some type of self defense, martial arts program just to be safe.  If you schedule it back to back with the chess club meeting, you only have to make one trip.  I hope you understand that this is a tongue-in-cheek caricature, and not intended to be a slight to students who may resemble this description.  Really, these may be the greatest thinking, philosophical and art appreciative adults of our time.  But please be on guard for the potential downsides of this approach even if executed well (despite being well intentioned as a parent)  The fact that your 7 year old is able to dazzle your in-laws with a poem in Latin may feel like a big 'told you, I can too homeschool' and feed your pride that you're the best homeschool mom on the planet.  All the while, junior may absolutely hate school by the 1st grade and you've now set yourself up for a battle every single day of your life between your goal of your kids being the most brilliant with a full scholarship to MIT and his goal of 'hey mom, I'm 7 and kids are riding their bikes around the neighborhood while I'm learning violin via the Suzuki method.'  If not managed carefully and in moderation, the potential exists to either crush them into submission or drive them into rebellion that will make your house feel like the battle of Armageddon.  There ARE families that thrive in this method, I'm just trying to point our the potential caveats.  Let this be your guide:  Education=Good, Education as an idol=Bad.

#3 "Charlotte Mason Approach":  Charlotte Mason was a British educator in the later 1800's and early 1900's.  Her approach to education was to focus on the development of children's character and the intentional and meticulous cultivation of habits (habits of decency, mental habits, moral habits, physical habits and religious habits).  In this approach, lessons with the very young are kept short.  During the lesson the student is required to exercise self control, focus, attention to detail and be fully engaged, and then they are released to wiggle, wrestle, explore, etc.  As they mature, the length of time devoted to lessons is increased.  The idea is that the lessons are pleasant, enjoyable and edifying and that they end before becoming repetitive and dull, creating a positive experience with learning.  Because of this positive experience, theoretically, they will naturally develop the habit of loving to learn. Common with this method are nature walks with the exercise of journaling.  Casually pointing out details thus creating the habits of attentiveness, attention to detail, being observant and engaging in natural discussion that models excellent communication skills such as articulation, proper word usage, respect and social graces are the goal.  Also integral to this method is the  reading of classical literature aloud and narration exercises (having the child retell what was just read in their own words.)  Karen Andreola is the recognized homeschool guru on Charlotte Mason, and her website, SimplyCharlotteMason.com, is a wonderful source of information and materials.  As an aside, my parenting book library weighs in at about 900 pounds, and if I had to sell them all, one of the last I would let go is "Laying Down the Rails" which is a brilliant compilation of Charlotte Mason's wisdom on the cultivation of character habits.  The Charlotte Mason method is a schooling philosophy more than a curriculum.  It does focus on 'living' books which is a reference to good literature with meter, excellent language usage, rich adjectives and verbs to help the child practice imagination, good plot and character development all followed up be imaginative play and/or rich discussion.  She rejects books lacking these elements, books which she calls twaddle.  She would say that June B. Jones and Captain Underpants books are an insult to a child's intelligence.  Copywork in emphasized as opposed to 'grammar curriculum', the idea being that a child trained in the art of paying attention will notice, with the teacher's help, that the first letter of the sentence is capitalized and that the sentence ends in a period.  Copywork may be discussed and repeated until all rules and proper formation of the letters and structure of the sentence are mastered.  As with the lessons of character, the parent is the student first, and the children catch it in the same way they would strep throat.  As an additional manual, Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning, by Oliver and Rachel DeMille, is an excellent book outlining an overall blueprint of a child's educational career from infancy though young adulthood, with the expectation that they will be influential leaders of character and distinction.  I warn in advance that the DeMilles are mormon, however, I was unable to discern anything specifically  contradictory about the content of their book with regard to my Christian faith.  You will find this and other DeMille books recommended by Andrew Pudewa under the heading of Freedomship Education on the IEW website.


#4 "Unschooling"  Not much, if any formal structure, allowing the child's interest to direct their own education.  Practical application is emphasized, such as kitchen math, you know, learning fractions by cutting a cantaloupe in 1/2, then 1/4, etc.  That's cool.  But a die hard unschooling parent would say that it's ok for a child to not progress past kitchen math or check book balancing math unless he was interested in math.  And on the one hand I say, yes, I never used calculus past 12th grade.  True.  However, in my freshman year of college, I was at least equipped with the option of pursuing an engineering degree if I found that to be my interest at the time.  In other words, I don't think an 8 year old who doesn't know what he wants to do with his life needs to determine the path of his education, particularly when a lack of  knowledge in the  core subjects will limit his future options.  However, presenting Junior with the choice of botany or astronomy in the 5th grade may be a perfectly edifying and appropriate way for Junior to help direct his education. 

#5 "Unit Studies":  Pick a unit, say Africa, then build your subject lessons around that unit.  Study the animals of Africa, the geography, plants, cultures, language, heritage, weather patterns, history, bible study of Joseph through the Exodus of God's people from Egypt (in Africa, upright right hand corner), map skills, etc. The kids can practice handwriting by writing about Africa.  You can do multiple grades at the same time very easily.  Read African folk tales to the little ones, older ones can write a folk tale.  You know what I mean?  You can lap book (google lapbooking.)  It can take a little while to plan, but you can buy some starter unit studies and grant yourself permission to use as much or as few of the suggestions as you'd like, supplementing with the internet, library, museums, aquariums, Netflix, etc. which of course you may do with other approaches as well.  KONOS is the grandfather of all unit studies, google it if this approach turns you on.  You can usually find free units on the web on various animals, Olympics, elections, seasons, etc. all for the price of ink and paper.  Google Amanda Bennett.  Sometimes, some crazy homeschool mom with more time on her hands than most of us (or is perimenepausal and can't sleep) will make available on the web a unit study on the most recent kid movie to come out...like, say, Dolphin Tale.  It's out there, google it. 

#6 "Eclectic Approach":  Basically, you're not married to any one approach, but you allow yourself to ala carte.  Carpe diem, go forth in freedom.

This is not all inclusive, but it's a start.  And clearly, I did not put alot of energy into hiding my personal opinions or preferences.  Buyer beware.  I've not used every curriculum but I have used some, and if you're interested, here's a quick blurb on how what I think: 

Singapore Math:  Great for kids who do not need alot of repetition and practice.  If they do, I hear Saxon is better.  Sing only goes up to 6th grade max.  I loved it early elementary, but didn't care for it after 4th...it got confusing and weird.

Teaching Textbooks:  LOVE!!!  I can't teach 7 different subjects to 3 different students at 3 different grade levels!  Teaching Textbooks starts at 3rd (or really advanced 2nd) and my kids LOVE IT!  Math is fun, or at least not as painful.  I've only used through pre-algebra, and the reviews are mostly positive, although mixed above Algebra II.

Saxon Grammar:  It's a drudge!  We use it as a resource.  Busy, busy, ugh!

Institute for Excellence in Writing:  You have to find a class or spend time as a parent up front learning the whole technique.  It appears WAY more overwhelming than it really is.  Take the plunge.  It is phenomenal as is Mr. Pudewa.  Attend every lecture at convention.  Pudewa and Mark Hamby with Lamplighter Books.  It's a bit of an investment, but you will use it with all your kids.

Mystery of History:  Written by a mom like she's sitting in the room talking with you.  Well done for elementary and middle school, including the crafts and map work.  Unapologetically biblical.

Apologia:  Do it all!  Science, brilliant and biblical.  The apologetics series, outstanding for the whole family  Jump In writing, outstanding.  And they have classes online for the upper middle school and high school.

David Quine's Cornerstone Curriculum:  Outstanding for above average middle and high school students.  Very rigorous Worldview literature/bible studies.

Discover 4 Yourself bible studies from Precept Ministries:  Excellent instruction for exegetical bible study techniques for kids who are fairly decent readers.  Added perk, it also reinforces some language art skills.

Total Language Plus/Progeny Press:  Good for some 3rd graders and above.  Inexpensive and thorough.  Can be too slow moving for some kids.  Literature choices are delightful and biblical.

Lamplighter Books:  Books and audio dramas that are classic and character building.  Necessary!

Go to convention, listen to the lecture 'experts', talk to the people at the curriculum booths, then go hang out in the bathroom.  Yes, the bathroom.  That's where you get the real down and dirty on the curriculum.  Mom's speak freely in there.
Curriculum can be a great tool.  But being a parent who loves the Lord, submits to Him as Lord, is intentional about maturing in Christ, vigilant after sin and character flaws, models being bathed daily in God's grace, practices gratitude and other similar pursuits are of far greater importance.  Do not be so busy with lesson plans and completing curriculum that you miss teachable moments, opportunities for service, cultivating relationships, mentoring, snuggling and for goodness sake, laughing. 

For more on the eclectice/CM approach, head on over to http://homeschoolingnhighheels.blogspot.com/2012/06/homeschooling-where-of-it-all.html
Homeschooling-the WHERE of it all.