After people ask me the "WHY" question, they next wonder "HOW". Many feel uncomfortable and incapable about the "HOW". HOW do you know WHAT to teach? HOW do you know WHEN to teach it? Can I find something to tell me HOW? These questions inhibit many from taking the "LEAP" to educating their own children.
Children though develop and grasp concepts at different paces. The public school system attempts to create equality by helping all children to learn concepts at the same time. What about the child who need extra help on multiplication but excels at grammar years beyond grade level? Or what about the child who needs to physically move while learning? A parent knows their child far better than a teacher with a classroom of forty pupils and struggles ensure that no one gets "left behind". But, you still flounder amongst the vast sea of information and desire direction. Thankfully, many have already taken this "LEAP" and new homeschooling families can benefit from their experiences and previous research. Resources abound exist to help with the "HOW". First step? In the homeschooling "lingo" it is called "deschooling". During this time, you may (more lingo) "unschool". It is time to start thinking out of the four walls which ensnare the public school system. Take a specified time, designated by you, to explore learning without worksheets and busy work. For example, plant a garden, learn about the chemistry of the soil, dissect plants, practice math while cooking recipes, discover medicinal or practical uses of different parts of the plant, and institute a healthy ecosystem for garden inhabitants. This may not interest you and your family. Just take this time and rediscover the passion for learning. You may want try something else. As the educator, rekindle that excitement for discovery that fizzled or stoke the fire that still exists. This passion will contagiously instill the same passion into your child. This may seem awkward if you are moving into the homeschooling world from the public school system. THIS PROCESS IS ESSENTIAL! It may take a week, it may take a month, it may take longer. As a parent, you can make that decision. Also, this gives the educator time to begin planning the "HOW". Second step? During the "deschooling" time, create an environment for learning and beginning planning the "HOW" to begin the journey. In creating a learning environment, surround the child in learning opportunities. THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE FINANCIALLY EXPENSIVE! Designate a small section of the home, a bookshelf or a room, for school. Make library trips, create a home library, gather craft supplies from garage sales or thrift stores, or start buying curriculum. During this "unschooling" and planning period, take out noneducational television programming, video or computer games, and encourage creativity. Although the child may go through withdrawal, this is necessary to foster an environment conducive for immersing the family into discovery. Every family has their "way" of helping tailor education to their child. For my family, we school all year. During our school year, we are structured and "go by the planner" for three months. Then, we take two weeks to a month for "unschooling". At first, the children go through withdrawal and flounder in this unstructured period. But then, a transformation begins. Then, on their own accord, they begin to pen books, create art, learn a new hobby, research animals, and perform science experiments. They have grown to love this period. They can experience it due to a LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. During this time, the educator has time to develop a beginning "HOW" and can now take the "LEAP". At this point, you state, "I need to have someone tell me HOW and I still don't know HOW!!!". Charlotte Mason, a British educator who lived in the late 1800s and early 1900s, believed that education consists of an Atmosphere, a Discipline, and a Life. Guided by that philosophy, a child WILL learn. Whether they have learning difficulties or not, they WILL reach their full potential. So, just relax and enjoy your family. That being said, many people want direction in "HOW". Many options exist. Create your own curriculum, pick and choose from resources, buy boxed curriculum, use the internet for curriculum, and choose. Now, this path is NOT set in stone. You may decide that what you chose is not the right fit, that is OKAY. Don't be afraid to change and use something else. To know WHAT to teach and WHEN, use may guidelines. Use such guidelines for sequences and topics, but use these only as a guide to gain confidence and chart a journey. Read Charlotte Mason's Homeschooling Series online for FREE at Ambleside Onlinehttp://www.amblesideonline.org/CM/toc.html Read The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home. You can check it out at your local library or buy it online. http://www.welltrainedmind.com/ Use FREE online Sequences: FREE Core Knowledge Sequences: http://books.coreknowledge.org/home.php?cat=314 You can also get the "What your _____th Grader Need to Know." FREE Charlotte Mason Guide http://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/scmguide/ FREE ABEKA Sequences http://www.abeka.com/resources/pdfs/scopeandsequence.pdf FREE Rod and Staff Sequences http://www.rodandstaffbooks.com/item/1-19118/ What about public school standards? "That is great, but I want to know how they compare to their counterparts in public school".These standards for South Carolina follow the Core Curriculum for the most part. These are the 2006 standards for K-12 before they lowered the standards in 2009.Standards http://www.eoc.sc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/35855B27-77B8-4A64-843A-77B23E8879F7/0/0607ParentStandards.pdfNews http://beauforttribune.com/archives/17963 Many states also offer their practice tests online for their previous standardized tests. For example, here are ones for Texas. http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index3.aspx?id=3839&menu_id=793 Also, sites offer FREE Curriculum FREE Curriculum http://www.amblesideonline.org/Look at their brochure for a synopsis http://www.amblesideonline.org/files/Ambleside%20Online%20brochure%202008%20double-sided%20tri-fold.pdf FREE List of World History through Literature...did you know that this is how the colleges instruct? http://www.welltrainedmind.com/the-great-books-history-as-literature/ There are many more resources listed on my resources page. Use books picked up at garage sales, thrift stores, or your local library. Or, buy paid boxed curriculum for many courses or pick and choose from paid curriculum providers for each course. Use these as your family has allowable finances, but do NOT feel that homeschooling has to be expensive. Abeka http://www.abekaacademy.org/ Alpha Omega http://www.aop.com/ Apologia http://www.apologia.com/ Bob Jones http://www.bjupress.com/page/Home Calvert http://www.calvertschool.org/ EPS http://eps.schoolspecialty.com/ Easy Grammar http://www.easygrammar.com/ Five in a Row http://fiarhq.com/fiveinarow.info/index.html Geography Matters http://www.geomatters.com/ Green Leaf Press http://www.greenleafpress.com/ Homeschool Journey http://www.homeschooljourney.com/ Living Books http://www.livingbookscurriculum.com/ There are other options such as accredited distance learning private schools or public schools. For example, Texas has Connections Academy http://www.connectionsacademy.com/home.aspx and TXVA http://www.k12.com/txva/ Do understand that these schools are still PUBLIC SCHOOLS! These means standardized testing, no choice in curriculum and loss of certain freedoms. I will approach this topic another time. I hope this post helps to put minds at ease about the big "HOW" question. 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