Catalog season is upon us! That means spring is nearly here! I had great hopes the weather would continue to agree with that, but with the snow and blowing yesterday it looked more like December!
However, I have my Sonlight catalog in hand, which tells me milder days are right around the corner. If you don't have your catalog yet, you soon will.
I think I'd mentioned telling my "catalog story". Every year I am impatient and eager for the Sonlight catalog. I love to read it cover to cover and see all the new books and changes and updates to the Instructor's Guides.
Some years ago, my family thought they'd play a hilarious trick on me. Hilarious to them, that is! When the long-awaited catalog arrived, my husband, enlisting the children in on the secret, hid the catalog under my pillow. He thought I'd be delighted to find it as I went to bed.
That evening he was working on taxes (yes, it's that time of year too). He wanted me to be around in case of questions, finding any documentation, etc. I had a book going I wasn't really all that interested in, and was restless and bored for the couple of hours he was doing taxes.
When I finally went to bed, a tad irritable anyway, what did I find... my catalog. I was furious.
"You HID my Sonlight catalog!? WHY?? What were you thinking? I could have been reading THIS for the last 2 hours! AGH!"
LOL. Needless to say, ever since, when my catalog arrives, it is carefully and immediately delivered safely into my hand. For the rest of the day, they know it's not much use to ask Mom anything, she's busy reading the catalog!
I hope you enjoy yours as well. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Homeschool? What’s that? (And who would want to?)
A basic definition might be: Homeschooling is when parents teach their children in educational subjects, such as English, Math, etc.
Reasons for homeschooling range from; seeking academic excellence, my child is gifted, my child has special needs, I want to share my beliefs with my child, I want to provide a safe environment for my child to learn at his own pace, better interpersonal relationships, positive socialization, time to pursue special interests, and more.
If you have decided to teach your own children, the good news is; normal people really do this! There are a variety of reasons to do it, and a variety of styles used to get it done, but “real” people are successfully educating at home, and you can too!
Wait! Before you start buying books…
There are endless numbers of books and materials out there to choose from. You will want to think about your reasons for this decision. Write out your goals to help you prioritize what you purchase.
Think about the style of education you and your child will be comfortable with using. Traditional textbooks, unit studies, and literature-based curriculum are all among the readily available options. Any of your goals can be accomplished by any of these curriculum choices, but you may find some easier than others. Your school does not have to look like what we were used to when we were in school.
Remember you don’t have to do it all right away. This is a learning process for you and your child. There will be an adjustment period, as there is with anything that is new and different for your family.
Once you have determined your priorities and decided what you would like learning to look like at your homeschool, you are ready to research specific curriculum options.
Reasons for homeschooling range from; seeking academic excellence, my child is gifted, my child has special needs, I want to share my beliefs with my child, I want to provide a safe environment for my child to learn at his own pace, better interpersonal relationships, positive socialization, time to pursue special interests, and more.
If you have decided to teach your own children, the good news is; normal people really do this! There are a variety of reasons to do it, and a variety of styles used to get it done, but “real” people are successfully educating at home, and you can too!
Wait! Before you start buying books…
There are endless numbers of books and materials out there to choose from. You will want to think about your reasons for this decision. Write out your goals to help you prioritize what you purchase.
Think about the style of education you and your child will be comfortable with using. Traditional textbooks, unit studies, and literature-based curriculum are all among the readily available options. Any of your goals can be accomplished by any of these curriculum choices, but you may find some easier than others. Your school does not have to look like what we were used to when we were in school.
Remember you don’t have to do it all right away. This is a learning process for you and your child. There will be an adjustment period, as there is with anything that is new and different for your family.
Once you have determined your priorities and decided what you would like learning to look like at your homeschool, you are ready to research specific curriculum options.
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