I recently read an essay by someone who temporarily homeschooled her kids. It didn’t work for her. While the author and I differ on our experiences with homeschooling, I do relate to her list of things that she wants for her kids. In her mind, homeschooling was an obstacle to those ends. In my experience,… Read More Perceived homeschooling pitfalls, and how to avoid them
“Jane,” The new documentary about Jane Goodall, is a beautiful film. The making of the movie was catalyzed by hours of gorgeous, compelling footage heretofore buried in the archives of National Geographic. In it, we see Goodall exploring the wilds of Gombe with instincts as razor sharp as those of a child allowed to roam… Read More Jane Goodall, the unschooled scientist
The other day I heard about a bill to mandate recess in my state. The proposed law would require elementary school students to have at least 20 minutes a day of “supervised, safe and unstructured free-play recess.” 20 minutes? That floored me. Elementary school kids are approximately 6-11 years old. When my kids were that age, their… Read More I homeschooled my kids and recess was our curriculum
As a mom who homeschooled four children to adulthood, I’m accustomed to naysayers who focus on socialization. Sadly, it’s been decades and the ridiculousness just keeps coming. This week in particular, I read more than one article on the subject, so I decided to make a listicle on some of the tools and techniques that… Read More What homeschooling gets right about socialization
Not to beat a dead horse, but last week I went to see the movie “Captain Fantastic” again. Readers of this blog know how I felt about it the first time. So why would I see it again? The movie was being shown in my community as part of a film and discussion series on issues… Read More Captain Fantastic’s kids don’t need school, and neither do yours
My husband is the gardener in our house. He gets assists from the kids, but mostly the garden is his baby. My involvement is limited to picking and using what he grows. Every year is different. I still remember fondly the year of arugula, when we were swimming in the bold, spicy green (arugula pesto,… Read More Pass the zucchini, please
Yesterday I read a nice essay about a homeschooling mom’s experience testing her kid. In her state, annual testing is required for homeschoolers. Since they’d taken an unschooling approach with their son, where he’d land was anyone’s guess. My guess would have been that he’d do just fine, and that’s exactly what happened. Even while… Read More Testing, testing, testing
Recently a friend told me about a conversation she had with a great musician, a person she hoped to study with. The musician, my friend told me, advised her to spend time listening to artists she admires. My son did that when, as a teenager, he spent hours absorbing videos and recordings by his mandolin… Read More What is an autodidact?
Originally posted on A Potluck Life:
It’s the middle of August, and summer is winding down. September looms, and with it the beginning of the school year. Just what does “back to school” mean for homeschoolers? There isn’t one answer to that question. All homeschooling families are different. And one of the great benefits of…
Recently I read an advice piece for homeschoolers. Sign your child up to attend a learning center or free school for a few days a week, it said, so as to provide a “home base” for your child’s homeschooling experience. I admit I was taken aback. For me and most of the homeschooling families I… Read More Put the ‘home’ back in ‘homeschooling’
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