In my previous post I listed what we -do not- do in our homeschool, so I felt it was necessary to follow-up with a list of what we -do- in our homeschool.
Here is a list of what we -do- in our homeschool:
Bible Time
We always start our homeschool day with Bible time, the most important time of our day. We read devotionals and stories, watch videos, speak affirmations, and my oldest reads aloud from his Bible Reader. We discuss and reflect each day on how the message spoke to us and how we are going to implement it into our daily lives. This sets the tone for our day and provides the chance to instill Biblical values in our children’s lives.
Read Alouds
We love cuddling up and reading a good book! Reading aloud to your children is one of the most important things you as a parent can do. We prioritize our read-aloud sessions because it not only is time spent together as a family but, it has so many benefits! Reading aloud to your children builds foundational skills such as building vocabulary, improving comprehension, as well as building active listening skills. This also sets the foundation that reading is for pleasure and isn’t a daunting or mundane task. I always offer quiet activities or something to keep their little hands busy during this time, but more often than not they end up surrounding me with excitement and begging for just one more chapter. There really is something special about getting lost in a good book!
Unit Studies
At the beginning of our homeschool journey I vividly remember frantically researching all the curriculums that are available, soaking in every single piece of information I could get my hands on. Asking myself question after question, being a first-time homeschool mom – it was A LOT! I came across the idea of unit studies, and I will never forget the comparison I once read – it was explaining an ideal that the children would gather around the table as a family and learn together – it all clicked and hit home. This is what I was envisioning our homeschool experience to look like. Just like a mother hen with all of her little chicks gathered around her. This was it. We love unit studies, we love learning together, we love the flexibility that comes with them. This gives us the ability to study what we are interested in, go down those rabbit holes (if we want to), and build on other subjects we have learned. Unit Studies provide the portal to encourage your child to see the big picture, connect the dots, and learn from real-life experiences.
Literature-Based Curriculum
Our “main” curriculum is an all-subject, literature-based curriculum. We use BookShark and I don’t have one complaint. It is designed to be a 4-day school week and the teacher guide includes exactly what is to be covered each day. It covers all the core subjects – history, language arts, science, and math – as well as electives such as handwriting, hands on projects for history, science experiments, art lessons, music lessons, and so much more. I honestly feel it is a solid curriculum and one we will continue to use throughout our homeschool years. We don’t waste time doing worksheets or book work. This curriculum works for us, stemming back to our love for reading aloud, my children learn best through reading. This allows them to become engaged in a story about the specific topic they are learning and understand a wide variety of topics from a more intimate perspective.
Art & Music
My children are very artistic, I’m not sure where they developed this skill, but my son especially, is one talented little artist. I do believe that including fine arts and theory into your homeschool is some-what optional – but this is an area in my children’s education that brings them pure joy. We use several supplements to cover these subjects, but we do use a well-rounded art curriculum. The lessons are short, but they learn different techniques and are exposed to works of Art and the theory behind them. My children use YouTube and the “learn how to draw” videos daily, this is probably one of the few things that YouTube is good for, but they have so much fun and do this during their own “free” time. We also use a Piano curriculum that teaches them how to play the piano, music theory, and they can play games to build their skills. This particular piano curriculum came with a MIDI keyboard that connects to our computer to complete the lessons. I played Piano during my childhood to young adult years, but I haven’t played for years, I thought maybe I could teach them myself but, turns out I am rustier than I thought. We recently were gifted a piano and I am currently looking into getting them started with formal lessons. The most important takeaway is, they enjoy these topics and want to learn them, these aren’t mandatory.
Unstructured Play
I firmly believe that we need to reclaim childhood, let kids be kids, and just slow down. Unstructured play allows the freedom to do just that. It promotes imagination, the freedom to explore, the ability to socialize and bond, building social and emotional development, discover new things, make mistakes and learn from them without being judged, develop creativity, and allows children to think for themselves and inevitably learn. Watching my children from afar, listening to their dialogue, and catching glimpses of their imaginations run wild – this my friends, is a magical experience. Make childhood a priority not a tiny lapse in time.
Attend a Homeschool Group
This is not something I originally thought we would be a part of, but I am so glad this opportunity came to life in our area. I was surprised at the number of homeschool families that were actually in our area and it is so nice to spend time with like-minded families. Our homeschool group gets together once a week and we do different types of activities. Some days its educational others are more of a playdate. We have done several different types of activities together from exploring new parks, walking trails, playing indoors at a gymnastics center, visiting a splash pad, arts & crafts sessions, visiting a local pumpkin patch. This week we are watching a movie at the local theater (perks of small-town living- we were able to reserve the theater for ourselves), next week we are doing a cookie swap, and next month we are attending an Art class hosted by the local Art Center. Watching all the children of different ages build friendships and explore together is pretty amazing. Immediately I noticed that homeschool kids don’t care about ages – the 5-year-olds play just fine with the 9-year-olds, the older kids have patience with those younger kids, they don’t break off into boys vs. girls, they are a unit, a team, a group of free-thinkers, and it all happens naturally. It’s a beautiful thing.
Individualized Education
I have many reasons I chose to homeschool, but one of the most important reasons is that I can cultivate an individualized education for my children. This is a big one for me, if you want more details feel free to check out Our Story. By creating an individualized education, they won’t get lost in the broken education system. They won’t be labelled with nonsense. They won’t be judged or stereotyped. They won’t be held to the minimum so called standards. They won’t be exposed to inappropriate behaviors. What they will do is thrive. They will learn by utilizing their own unique learning style. They will set their own standards. They will build relationships and cultivate a life-long love of learning. After all, that’s the ultimate goal.
Farm School
I help my dad around the Farm as much as I possibly can. I suppose you could say I am a third generational farmer, although I would probably feel more comfortable with the title of Farm Hand. As a little girl I had the love for the farm life. I was always out there “working” the cows, spending time with the pigs, riding the tractors, checking the fences, walking the fields, and always at my grandpa’s heels. We have many fond memories of spending time together carrying on conversations I can’t remember- but what I do remember is the time spent together. Now, my dad has taken over that same farm. I am actually “needed” now, and my help consists of far more labor than I contributed to during those earlier years. Working the fields, planting, harvesting, it’s a lot of work but, it makes you appreciate the land on a whole different level. My goals have changed – I now want to take over that very farm someday, I want to pass it on to my children. I want to teach them just like my dad is teaching me now. So, during the busy times of the seasons, I work the farm with my dad, and I encourage my children to watch and learn as much as they can. They helped with harvest this year, like me, many years ago, they rode in the tractor with grandpa, soaking it all in. They learn the process from start to finish and all the (many) hiccups in between. They see the hard work that is put into the land, they see wildlife, they see nature take its course, they walk the fields, they ask those very questions I asked as a little girl, and they have developed a love for the farm just as I imagined they would. Hopefully one day, the legacy is theirs.
Field Trips
Field trips is another one that tops the list. You can go just about anywhere, and it will become a learning experience. Fields trips can be what you want them to be, you can keep it simple and take a trip to your local library or museum, you can travel hours away to spend a few days at the zoo. Field trips are what you make them. I try and tie in a field trip or learning experience in with our Unit Studies. Last year we finished up a Unit Studies on the Jungle and we decided to visit a zoo (again we are in the rural Midwest, so it was a 4-hour drive) we spent 3 days at the zoo, and it was such a learning experience. The kids rambled off facts about all the animals they saw, their eyes lit up when they saw animals we learned about in our studies, they spent hours upon hours with the sting rays, listened attentively to the zookeepers, they walked away from that as a true learning experience – the time spent together, and the memories are an added bonus. The point is, you make field trips what you want and what is within your means. Even if it’s just a trip to the local grocery store. It all counts.
Extra-Curricular Activities
I’d like to say extra-curricular activities are a non-negotiable for us. With that being said, if there was a time when my children decided something was no longer for them, I would not force them to participate. I do however explain the importance of not giving up and hold them accountable. If you sign up for an activity you see it through to the end. You build teamwork, you support your team, you put in the work, and you show up. My children tried every single activity that was available to them at their age-range for the first few years and have finally narrowed it down to Baseball and Jiu Jitsu. I hope they stick with these because they are another important aspect to curating well-rounded individuals.
Prioritize Family Time
Like many, family time is a priority not only in our homeschool, but life in general. Watching my children grow and realizing how fast time really does pass us by, I don’t want to miss a single moment. Just thinking that we only get 18 short years with them and then they theoretically will be ready to spread their wings and fly just makes me sad. Cherish every single moment you can. Slow down. Soak it all in. Spend time together as a family, play the games, read the books, go on the trips, encourage the sibling bond, create that family-centered lifestyle. You won’t be disappointed.
Life Skills
There will come a day when our children leave the nest and head off on their own. (I’d like to think my children will live with me forever, but I know that’s my own selfish feelings. I’ll deal with those emotions when the time comes.) Everyone needs life skills to function. Teaching these skills now gives our children a head start for the foundational life skills they will need as thriving adults. These are simply skills that they can learn by contributing to the household. Working alongside us as we manage our homes, from meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking to housework and laundry. Teach them how to maintain a vehicle, do yardwork, and work on the farm. Teach them handiwork such as sewing so they can mend their own clothes or toys. Expose them to current events and have those hard conversations. Teach them safety measures that need to be in place at all times. Teach them how to be responsible with money and the importance of saving. Set them up for success.
Take Breaks
This is an important one, one that took me a while to accept, but now one I wholeheartedly agree with. Life happens. Burnout happens. It is okay with taking a day or even a week off. Truth be told, we even took a 3-month break last year. We needed it. My husband was traveling for work, and he was rarely home with us, my son started experiencing panic attacks and migraines, it was a difficult time for us all. Our lessons weren’t benefiting us at the time. I finally waved the flag and called it. My son was just learning to read, and I felt it wasn’t a very good time for an unplanned break, this was a crucial time in his education but, the events that took place during those 3-months was truly eye-opening. We spent a lot of time on the farm, we explored the land, we focused on time spent together. When we resumed after that break my son could read. I mean, really read. I was amazed, beside myself. Where did he learn this? In complete shock, I asked him how did you learn how to read? His answer was always the same, “you taught me, mom.” We don’t always need formal lessons, learning is inevitable. It will happen naturally. Always remember, there is no such thing as behind. Take your time. Regroup. It will all fall into place.
Have Fun and Cherish Time Together
Lastly, have fun. Cherish this time together. You will never regret it. I promise.
What are things you include in your homeschool? I’d love to hear! Let me know in the comments!
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