As the academic year begins, I have been faced with the school question. Instead of preschool, we opted for ballet lessons and Catechesis of the Good Shepard for our oldest. I'm sure she would have done well had I enrolled her in a preschool program, but I felt that she might enjoy ballet more, even though her class is only once a week. I had been comfortable pushing aside the school question, but I'm starting to face the reality that decision time will be here before we know it. She will turn five in April, and though I do feel that I could hold her off another year, I do believe she will be ready for Kindergarten. With that, I decided to try a little homeschooling program to see how we do with it. I hope that this will give us greater peace as we make a decision for her. We are trying to approach the decision taking a great number of things into consideration. Though I'd like to homeschool, I do have some reservations. So, I thought this would give us a little "trial run". I will be using the Little Saints Preschool Curriculum. I've also looked into Five in a Row and Catholic Heritage. I'd love to hear any feedback from anyone with any homeschooling experiences. I'm wondering how you go about choosing the right curriculum for your family. I'd also like to have a realistic idea about the challenges of homeschooling.
2 comments:
Brett & I were both homeschooled by the time we were in 4th grade. And I can tell you with 100% certainty that you are capable of doing it! Whether or not you feel called to is another matter altogether :o), but academically speaking, don't worry about being inadequate. It's more about the time and energy you put into it, than it is about finding the "perfect" program. Especially with young ones. And you have a teaching background as an asset (Brett's parents didn't go to college). Besides, trial and error is the beauty of homeschooling. You can always tailor the curriculum to your needs and suppliment it. My mother-in-law always prayed that her kid's guardian angels would teach what she didn't teach and correct what she taught wrongly :o).
Some things that my parents did:
1. Joined homeschooling groups or co-ops. You can sign up for as few or as many subjects as you need/want. This is not really necessary for younger kids (they just get a kick out of "doing school" at home), but eventually can be a good way to connect with people. Also a good place to find specialized subjects like music and art.
2. Had us take a standardized test at the end of every year or two to see that we were on track (I recall taking the Iowa Basic?)
3. Combined as many methods of teaching/learning as possible - books and videos and audio, field trips (plays, museums) and hands-on activities.
I remember, especially when I was younger, my mom started every morning reading to us (usually the bible in some adapted form so that it was more like a story and a classic like Tom Sawyer.). That was always my favorite part of the day! Though, my mom didn't have any babies in the house by the time we started homeschooling :o).
Anyway, I do know some younger moms that are homeschooling, so I can find out more info about curriculum if you want. ~Liz
Thanks Liz! I appreciate your input. This is a harder decision than I thought it would be. I think I'm going to make a list of reasons why I would like to homeschool and reasons that I'm apprehensive about it.
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