>More About That Homeschooling Idea

>Remember when, a month ago, I said I was considering homeschooling Bear next year?  And then you know how I haven’t said another word about it here since?  That idea wasn’t one of those fleeting, “Oh, that sounds like something cool I want to try!” ideas.  I’ve spent time each and every day since then reading, and researching, and planning how to actually make that happen.

I’ve spent much of my reading time lately focusing on homeschooling materials.  When I first began looking into the concept of it, I was absolutely, positively convinced that there was no way I would be able to piece together a curriculum of my own making; that because I have no experience in teaching a first grader I was in not at all qualified to make those kinds of decisions and should most definitely go with an already put-together accredited curriculum.

I mentioned a couple weeks ago on my personal blog that I first considered enrolling Bear in the local k12 program, and after more research had decided to go with an accredited correspondence school that – for a significant fee – would provide a fully-articulated curriculum most like the one I would put together were I competent to do so.

But then I borrowed a book from the library (that I’ll soon be purchasing to add to my permanent collection) that eliminated most of that fear and self-doubt.  This book* outlined the basic tenants of a classical education, and laid out in a step-by-step fashion what the authors felt was the best way to go about teaching it.  They had explicit recommendations for teaching books and supplementary materials, not just for the elementary years but all the way through the end of high school.  More than just saying, “We used this program and it worked for us“, though, the authors explained that they’d examined many various programs and books and determined these particular ones to be those they felt were most parent-friendly, or child-friendly, or cost-effective, or highest in quality.

It wasn’t just that an entire program was presented to me in a manner that resonated with my need for lists and organization.  It was that the entire philosophy of a classical education is exactly what I was wanting to provide for my children.  It’s not a child-led, “teach them what they’re most interested in” curriculum.  It’s parent-chosen and driven and enforced.  It’s based on the premise that a thorough understanding of the English language and how to communicate in it – both written and verbally – is essential in order to learn how to learn, so that learning can and will continue far into their adult lives.  Once a child has a firm grasp of the English language, an entire world of learning is opened.  Only once a child can read and comprehend the texts in front of them will they really understand scientific concepts or historical documents.  Even the learning of math is enhanced and furthered by knowing how to read well, though math is studied just as diligently from day one.

In its pages are even guidelines as to how long to spend teaching each subject each day or week, and while I initially feared that The Critters and I would be cooped up in the house for eight hours a day, five days a week, I’ve come to realize that because we won’t be dealing with the distractions of twenty other students (just our one Bug), and spending extra time on particular subjects because the majority of the class just doesn’t get it, we’ll begin by spending three hours a day on schoolwork.

And so now I’m starting to outline my goals for Bear next year in terms of reading, writing, spelling, history, math, science, art, and music.  I’m beginning to etch out initial schedules for our days, working around Bug’s preschool sessions.  I’m researching games to play on any given day that will help reinforce the concepts we’ve been working on in a manner that presents them as “Hey, Mommy’s fun!” rather than “Ugh, Mommy’s making me do more work“. 

I’ve slowly moved from the “I don’t think I’ll be able to teach my kids effectively” fear to “I know what it is they need to learn, and I have the ability to help them learn it”.  I’ve moved past the “One year at a time” thinking to more long-term goals.  Even Tony, who in the beginning said that we’d only consider homeschooling them through fifth grade but not past has mentioned that by the time they’re learning high school level physics and math, he’ll be able to tutor them in those subjects, given that the career field he’s moving into is heavily dependent on those skills.  In short, it’s no longer a terrifying prospect but an exciting one.  That I’ve managed to quietly obsess about it without bombarding you every time I learn something new is pretty impressive, if I say so myself.

Of course next fall, when I officially change my relationship with my daughter from that of mommy to teacher, I’m sure most of those doubts will come hurtling back into focus.  It’s my hope that I’ll be prepared enough by that time to push past it in order to give her the education I want her to have, and which I now have more confidence in being able to provide for her.

{*You can read my review of this book HERE, on my book review blog}

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