I recently read an article from the Virginia Home Educator Magazine by Reb Bradley, entitled Homeschool Blindspots, and found it very thought provoking. Many times we go down a chosen path in life thinking that we are doing right only to get further down the path and see the error in our ways. Choosing to homeschool is a major commitment and one in which we should regularly examine our motives. If it is true that “an unexamined life is a life not worth living” then unexamined homeschooling is a homeschooling not worth doing. This article is excellent for any parent, not just homeschoole
The lazy days of summer are over. We are back to the school-week routine. (Well, we are trying to adjust to it.) We started school on Labor Day, because it seemed appropriate and because we could.
Last week we did our first Picture Study. Our approach to the study of art comes from the ideas of Charlotte Mason:
As in a worthy book we leave the author to tell his own tale, so do we trust a picture to tell its tale through the medium the artist gave it. In the region of art as else-where we shut out the middleman.
- Charlotte Mason, Towards a Philosphy of Education, Homeschooling Series Vol. 6
To really master an area of study a child must understand “Why?”. It has become popular in both homeschooling and some schools to educate children with rote learning. But, rote learning does not ask the children “Why?”. Why is this a verb? Why do we need a coordinating conjunction? Why is the ozone layer important? Why is 8 X 5 equal to 40? Why must we keep our brush relatively dry to paint accurate details? Why should letters always sit on the baseline? For example, if a child cannot explain in his own words why a particular word is a verb, how it is different from the othe
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
The other day I was talking with a friend at church and mentioned how excited I was that we were going camping. My friend said with disbelief, “YOU camp?” “Yes, we enjoy it very much.” I replied. My preteen daughter then smiled her sweet metal braces with color-banded smile and said she was looking forward to hot dogs and S’mores. My friend then said with even more disbelief, “YOU eat hot dogs …and S’mores? I can’t believe it!” I just smiled, laughed and said, “Okay, the hot dogs are organic and the chocolate is Ghiradelli, but yes we are real campers.”
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