Worries and Questions about Home Schooling

This comment recently showed up on my blog... "Imagine my…suprise. I am currently studying different home schooling technique and came upon something called Sabrina School, clicked on it and here you all are! How neat that you have decided to do this for your kids. Now tell me do you know much about the Thomas Jefferson method, if so, what are the pros and cons to that as opposed to this Charlotte Mason method? I have a lot of questions, but if you do not have time to reply to all of them, no worries. I am really impressed with Sabrina’s cheerful outlook on all of this, I can’t help but worry about being you know…up to the task of really teaching, thus all the research. Also my husband works way to much for me to be able to count on him for any major co-teaching. Though strong in character, he’s not always up to that task. O.k. so thanks for any feedback and I’ll look forward to hearing from either one of you. Jamie"

Here is my response...

Jamie. I really enjoyed reading your comment. I feel that I am a very good example of "If I can do it, anyone can." Right before I started, I had so many worries, concerns and questions. "I never did that well in school myself, how can I teach my children? What method or curriculum do I use? My kids aren't going to listen to me! How will I teach them everything they need to know? Will I end up strangling my kids if I am with them all day long!"

I really have no idea about the Thomas Jefferson method and would like to know more myself (so if anyone has any basic info or references to any books about that method, let us know). What I DO know is that to teach your children, YOUR method is the best. You are the one that knows best what your children enjoy doing, or what they struggle at. But yes, it is good to read up and get ideas from the pros and take what you like.

About husbands, my husband does help me which I am very grateful to him for, but I TRULY find that the best support my husband gives me is his emotional support. So if your husband is excited and encouraging about you teaching your children, that is all you need.

In conclusion, IF I CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT...seriously.

No one can teach your children as well as you can.

Love,

Sabrina

Break's Over

Today we started school again. That's right, the day after New Year's. I'm a cruel task master. Since it is the beginning of a new month, I made our calendar (poster board, marker and a yard stick for strait lines is all you need) and let them color and draw on it. They then wrote birthday cards for all the people in our families who have birthdays in January. I have Isabel making a book for Sylvia. She is coloring pictures that she chooses from coloring books (we have too many). She cuts the pictures out, glues them onto paper and puts them in a sheet protector and into a folder. Kind of busy work, but she loves it and it is fun for her to think that she is making it for her sister.

Next they wrote in their journals. For Luke I sometimes write the first sentence of a story or a question and let him finish it or answer it, but most of the time he already has his own story in mind that he wants to write about. In Isabel's journal I write the ending of a word, then she lists all of the words she can think of that end in, for example, "ink" or "ad."

They had Spelling (unscrambling words) and finished their Math worksheets, we then watched a Bill Nye the Science Guy about Spiders. Did you know that a Daddy Long Leg Spider is not really a spider? I am Googling it right now but can't quite figure out what they are if they are not spiders.

So after we had lunch at a friend's house, we came back to have reading time. Isabel reads Bob Books to me and is doing so well! Can I just say that I LOVE Bob Books. Forget Dick and Jane. Bob Books make more sense by working on a consistent vowel sound in each book, while Dick and Jane just say "Oh, oh look" too much.  Luke read his Ranger Rick magazine because he has finished his books from the library. Today I looked up books for boys and found this website. So on our library's website I requested some of the books from the list. Something else that is great for boys (girls too, I guess I used to read them) are Choose Your Own Adventure books. Last Saturday at the library we discovered a whole section of them.  Luke loved to read and re-read them making different choices.

Circus School

Driving on the main road around where we live there are signs that say Sandou Circus School and then a phone number. I used to laugh and make a comment to Joey that we are going to send our kids off to circus school. Very sarcastic because carnies = creepy...right? Last week I was able to experience the "O" Cirque du Soleil show and "Love" which is a Cirque du Soleil show as well. WOW. I am sending my kids to circus school. Not anytime soon because we can't afford anything right now especially not something as frivolous sounding as circus school, but they have summer camps that are a few hours a day for a week or two that I am going to start saving up for. Am I turning into one of those mothers that make their children live out their dreams for them? Yikes. But seriously, they might think it's fun and if they don't then they only have to spend a week or two trying it for their issue ridden mother.