Home Schooling Book Part 2

I will continue my reflections of Home Schooling A Family's Journey.


I also find it interesting that our homeschool currently has all boys. It would be a very different environment if both sexes were represented like in the Millman family. Lamb 1 has a high need for me to approve and see that he has done his math work-he often won't start until I am done teaching Lamb 2 and 3 even though he could easily do it by himself. He just "needs" me to sit next to him and give him the attention that I see he is working. I can see that he is goal-oriented-he needs me to "see" he does his work. I don't believe if Lamb 1 was a girl that he would have this high of a need. Lamb 1 also only talks when necessary-I believe our homeschool would be very different if he was a girl. Lamb 1 knows how to read but he won't sit down and read a book to himself-he wants to read to his brothers or to Ram or Ewe. So far I see it as an advantage that we have an all boys school.
The book talks about one of their college daughters noticing a mushroom growing near her dorm. When she spoke to her friends about it none of them had noticed it. She couldn't believe this because it was right near the entrance to their dorm. I believe we are teaching our Lambs in a similar way-they are so observant of nature. Much of their play time outside is looking for toads and caterpillars and Lamb 1 often runs to get a book to try to identify them.
The book has a whole chapter about travel as part of a homeschool education. My family traveled much like the Millman family. We went to museums and historical sites on our vacations and with the exception of Disney World once not to amusement parks. I don't know if I would take my kids to Italy like they do, but I do hope to travel a lot as part of homeschool.
The next chapter talked about The Family Dinner as Homeschooling. We do eat a variety of foods and sit down and enjoy dinner together. We do devotions together as part of lunch or dinner. We often will make or buy a food that they have not heard about when we read about it.
Where we live there are not the options for field trips and enrichment classes that the Millman family has in NJ. But we have taken what was offered in this rural area and added to it when we visit family out of state. Our early childhood group does many field trips and learning activities that we participate in. The Lambs took swimming lessons and soccer this past summer. Lamb 1 is starting piano lessons now. We took the time to see the Betsy Tacy houses and DeSmet, SD. Some of our homeschool is every day activities in the area-running errands or taking time to walk around a park. The fact that last month was the first time that Ram and I left the Lambs shows that they are often going places with us.
The chapter about college admission would be helpful to reread when the Lambs are closer to college age.
So those are my thoughts after reading this book. I would highly recommend reading this book if you are new to homeschooling or considering homeschooling. If you've been homeschooling for awhile and you are happy with how it is going in your family then I don't see this book being as useful. But if you are stuck and not happy with how homeschooling is going but want to continue, this book is very motivating.