Homeschooling
by GrowingFlowers
Here we are again. We are beginning our new curriculum – (Oak Meadow of course!) Oh we have a lot to do. Tons. I wonder how it is in other households. Are there others out there that homeschool their teens? I am so curious. What is it like over here? What have we been up to? This will be one of my homeschool update blog entries. I like to keep track here of what we have been doing for future reference. Both girls finished their curriculum from last year in its entirety. Done. They did really well and learned a ton. I did too. I love reading and learning about the subjects they are reading and learning. We do lots of enhancement exercises as well. For example – Kaya studied Ancient Civilizations. This means she had lots of lessons on different world religions. We watched The Buddha and The Story of India (The entire 6 hours!) to go along with it. Documentaries are fun to use, but hard to find the time.
So what have we been up to?
- math, math and more math with Kaya
- Treska finished up her curriculum by doing her Physics. Wow. Hard stuff and good stuff.
- Attended a Seed Savers Workshop in Dixon with guest speakers from Guatemala
- As usual, incredible amounts of reading!
- saving seeds from our own garden
- ballet class 2-3 times a week
- beginning piano again – practicing almost every day (Kaya)
- Kaya has begun writing a book. A fantastic one at that!
- Treska learned how to make pasta and has made some incredible dinners and lunches
- Photography art opening of a friend
- Kaya is taking a youth acting workshop once a week for 2 hours!
- Kaya started an internship/volunteer opportunity for 2 hours each week at a Pet grooming and training center. (This entailed phone calls, writing a resume, follow-up for an interview and an interview! All done completely on her own!
- Sewing class (for Kaya) once a week
- along with their assigned curriculum each week they are both reading German books as well.
- Math games on the computer
- Treska does Yoga at least 2 times a week with me
- Attended San Geronimo day at the Pueblo – Kaya researched it and wrote a paragraph about it. She then presented it to the apprentices as we drove there.
- Farmer’s Market every Saturday
Oh and I’m sure there has been so much more. I’m sure. Each time we start a new year of the curriculum I vow to be incredibly organized. I’ve figured out some great systems. We write our assignments on the white board in the kitchen. This not only reminds them of their curriculum/homeschooling responsibilities it reminds me. Kaya loves it that way – she’s a methodical worker and loves lists. Treska uses her own system and keeps track with her notebooks, so her list on the white board is really best for me to remember exactly where she is. I’m a bit compulsive and so while many people never finish their curriculum work and pick and choose what they feel to be most important, I feel like we absolutely have to do it all. I know that the school systems never finish each year. But we do. The kids are really learning a lot of things that they wouldn’t normally come across in their daily life. One thing I really love is how much the girls already know.
It’s hard to find a book that Kaya hasn’t read. This means all (yes ALL) of the assigned books have already been read by Kaya. Another example: This week Kaya has to memorize one of Shakespeare’s sonnets. She already has memorized one – so now she will memorize two. I’m not writing this here to brag about the girls – or try to convince you that we are academically superior – not at ALL. I just love reading these posts later when I wonder how we are doing (feeling a little desperate and maybe behind) and remembering and seeing what we have accomplished and why I LOVE homeschooling my girls. We have so many opportunities and I feel like their lives are full of real interactions with real people in real situations. My girls have many friends their own age and many, many friends in their twenties, thirties, forties, fifties and one really good friend in her 60s! This enables them to interact on so many different levels. They strive to emulate the people they see and admire. These aren’t usually their peers. They have more time to be in the world – yet they are still doing much book learning and spending time doing things their friends are doing. Treska even went to a homecoming football game!
And now the question of college begins. Treska has been researching different colleges and locations that she would like to attend and my job (hers too) is to determine what the requirements are in place for homeschoolers. Many of the universities that she is interested in are in Europe. (She is passionate about learning languages!) We need to figure out exactly what the reciprocity of different diplomas are. What is possible and what needs to be done to comply. I love being so intimately involved in the girls’ education. I know what they know and what they don’t. I know what needs to get done and where they are strong and what their weaknesses are.
Anyhow! It’s a bit of a ramble – probably due to my quiet day at home. Usually I talk all day and have no desire to expound in the evening. Today, after spending the night at the Birth Center, being spoiled by Kaya, taking a long epsom salt bath with yummy essential oil, organizing the new curriculum, giving assignments, overseeing math work, listening and talking with my extremely chatty 15 year old (I love how she tells me everything! Feel honored too!) and cleaning my house – laundry and all, I feel ready to chat! Our wood stove is burning – the first time this year, my girls are at ballet and I get to relax!
I love to read your blog! We have just started homeschooling our 6th grade son this year and are using Ancient Civilizations by Oak Meadow for History (actually, we are using their whole curriculum, as well as being enrolled in their school–we might need grades to bring back to Italy with us). I am really thinking this curriculum is great, but the pace is quite energetic. My son really wants us to finish by mid-June (when his friends will finish school) but he wants his days off too, so I don’t see it happening. Lots of good stuff, and if you do the supplemental things… oh my, I could see it lasting two years!
Right now we are in the transition phase and some days are good, some frustrating (he needs a lot of direction, isn’t an independent learner, I lose my patience, etc.) but there are certainly many positives in the process. (He also did all of elementary in an Italian public school, so his writing in English is all phonetic–which doesn’t work!)
Any hints for Ancient Civilization curriculum? We’re only on Lesson 5…but it’s been fantastic! Science a little less so, as I’m clueless with astronomy and I’m house swapping and don’t have even binoculars here (no scales for the measurement unit either), so we head off to the University “sky night” on Friday and think that will be helpful.
Ciao,
Diane
Your homeschooling project sounds just great. I always wonder how you can manage to have the time while working in the birth center and doing your own farming. But as I know the girls (from 10 years ago) they are definitely able to do lots of things on their own.
I would never manage to teach my own kids after working 6 lessons in school – but okay, it’s just different. And you are right: We never manage to do the whole curriculum.
Have lots of fun learning – all of you!
Hi Diane – I’ve been enjoying browsing through your blog as well! Thanks! I’ll have to talk to Kaya about Ancient Civilizations – she loved that one. I’ll let you know!
Sandra! Thank you! I wonder how I have the time – I did stop farming this year though. Treska continued and had a HUGE garden, but I stepped out of the farm that we all began last year, because it was too much to do. Looking forward to seeing you soon!