Home Education

We had a wonderful first day of year five in home educating today. I've decided to, as much as possible, drop the term "home school" and use "home educating" instead. Because we are not "schooling". There's nothing "schoolish" about what we do. We don't stand in lines, call roll, have any security checks, study towards any standardized testing (although we DO have an ACT prep book on our shelf that will get used), or have any nice work stations for each student. There is, however, MUCH that is educational.

We start our day with prayers, of course, followed by Scripture reading, discussion and then lives of saints from the Online Prologue of Ohrid. Next comes History read aloud while the kids take notes, ask questions as needed, etc. Following this, I give a German lesson, much in the same format. I teach, and the kids take notes, and get their vocabulary lists. We work on pronunciation together. I follow this with another read aloud, just for fun, from Grimm's Fairy Tales. Following this, we watch the video lecture from One Year Adventure Novel Together. Well, most of us. My 12 year old goes off and does a writing work book she's working on, motivated by the fact that when the lesson comes where she has to write a restaurant review, I'll take her out to eat and she has her eye on a place called Maggies Pie Kitchen that sells ridiculously huge brownies.

Now it is lunch time and while I cook, various ones practice music, and then we eat. After lunch, the kids are on their own for Math, Science, and working on their writing assignments, literature reading and journaling and dleving a bit more into History. For my older students, this will include a research paper or two this year. The youngers will write reports.

So yes, education in happening in spades. I think my favorite time of day is when I am doing the morning reading time with the kids. We are all together and we can learn and discuss. I'd say the kids are busy from about 8 am until around 4 pm with their learning activities. I hope to be an educator in the morning and seamstress in the afternoon. When WILL I do the grocery shopping???????

Comments

elizabeth said…
groceries; always the question! sounds like a pretty good routine though! :)
Elena said…
Yes, I know, I am a single mom to two beautiful girls, aged 3 and 5, and I don't have time to do groceries.....
Has said…
Thanks Alana, I'm always very glad to hear about your home education. Such posts are always joyfully received here in Australia. I'm new to home ed so I learn lots from you, 'specially since you're always so real about it.
love
Selena