As we rush hurling towards fall it is time to talk curriculum. While I love looking through curriculum, I don’t like the word. It makes it sound like some stuffy, binding time keeper instead of the liberating, educating tools that open a world. But none the less, onto what we are using this year;).

Math: Over all we are sticking with Singapore Math. For the Nerdster we are starting with a throw away workbook to help him actually write readable numbers. Then we will start him in Singapore’s 1st grade workbooks. NerdBug and NerdPie will continue on their Singapore path with probably 3 workbooks each. NerdBug is just about done with the 4th grade books (about a week left) and NerdPie is almost done with the 1st book of 3rd grade (2 weeks or so left).

Grammar and Spelling: We are doing a grammar 5 a day with the older 2. Then spelling is just going to be home made. I am making lists of words they either need to learn or are having problems with.

History: We are going back to Ancient History this year! We will be doing Susan Wise Bauer’s The Story of the World. I am also going to be using the Activity Guide quite a bit!

Latin: We are going to voyage into Latin this year! I will be using Prima Latina.

Bible: Our book study is going to be Memoria Press’s Christian Studies Book 1 . All 4 are also going to be participating in Awana too.

The older 3 are doing Choir and Celtic Dancing. And then just the older 2 will be doing a science class that is focusing on biology.

Other than that life will be our teacher! If you homeschool, what are you using this year to educate your kids?

A couple of things that I think that everyone knows but I just want to make sure before I get to deep in this. First off, I homeschool and love it! Secondly, I just got back this last week from a wonderful blogging conference. That said, I am one of you and I want to make sure that we are representing ourselves well.

When my kids and I go out to shop I remind them that they are an example. We have heard many people say that they couldn’t shop with their kids or homeschool their kids. My kids have an opportunity to show themselves as well behaved, well mannered children so that people could imagine shopping with a kid much less being around them all day with homeschooling;). Us being adults, I shouldn’t have to remind you that we are a representative example also. So where am I going with this?

When I was at my conference I met a just delightful woman (well, many but this is about one;). We had a conversation about my homeschooling and I was quite blunt. I laid out my basic reasons for homeschooling. That I can most directly influence my children morally and I can tailor their education to them. Then I stated that homeschooling isn’t for everyone. That while I think that there is an inherent issue with the design of public school that homeschooling can counteract, I know many good teachers, good parents and good students in the public school system. I mean heck, I am a product of the public schools and I am not too messed. I stand upright and feed myself;). But I also said that I can never imagine myself sending my kids to public school if for no other reason than I am not organized enough to have to get everyone where they would have to be with all their requisite homework and activities done;).

I was gob-smacked when later she says that I am one of only homeschoolers she likes. I am blunt and abrasive and pretty up in your face. I thought of all the gentle, quiet spirits I know who homeschool (Denise, Kim) and I was puzzled. When I asked her why, my heart broke. It was that I didn’t pass judgement on her. Some homeschoolers seem to have the judgement that she must not be a good mom if she puts her kids into public school. She appreciated that I said that there are good teachers, parents and students in the public schools. This is a great woman! She is fun and caring and just a hoot! I can’t imagine anyone passing that kind of judgement on her.

No, I didn’t write about this to yell at the people who have been mean to my new friend. But as an illustration.  I understand that we are all passionate about homeschooling. If I wasn’t, I would have alone time during the day;). But just as much as we hate everyone judging us, they don’t really appreciate being judged either. Now as passionate as you may be about homeschooling you might want to employ a Christian philosophy that is best termed by “love the sinner, hate the sin”. Now stop, everyone get your panties out of a bunch. I am NOT saying that putting your kids in public school is a sin. It is more an example that as much as YOU may not like public school, YOU can still like, love and respect the person that uses it. To accept the person isn’t saying that you accept the public school as a needed fixture in your life. Just like a person who puts their kid in school isn’t going to just start homeschooling because they respect me as a person.

Of course, we all have snarky comebacks we have (or just wanted) used when someone passes judgement on us and says mean things about our abilities. (That will be another post soon;) But remember, just like we all tell our kids, you are an example of homeschooling. You may be the only homeschooler someone ever meets. Do you want their view of us to be of us being cold, hard, and judgmental? Of course not! The last thing I would want anyone to think after meeting me is they would never want to be a homeschooling parent because they don’t to be that big a jerk. I am not saying to just tell them what you think they want to hear. Be honest! But just let love be your guide and respond to them with the same grace you would like to receive from them.

Rant over. Back to school!

Addendum: I criticize the public school system all the time! Just not the people who put their kids in. I do not join in when parents complain about what homework their kids have to do because that is the deal. Don’t yell about it, if you don’t like it just pull your kids out;). Otherwise that is the contract you entered;).

I found myself talking to a few different people lately about what we do for homeschooling here in the NerdFamily house. They often are trying to figure out what the perfect curriculum is or frankly, how to make their kids just love to learn. As I recount the few things we do, I often start to feel like a slacker. We only really do school a few days a week and not that many subjects. We always do math (Singapore) but then only focus on things like Bible, music, and handwriting. I do a little history now and then but nothing real firm.  But then I look at my kids and they are pretty bright. They seem to have a decent grasp of logic and a knowledge of quite a few things. Then it always hits me. That the key to my “curriculum” is the fact  we don’t do a lot of “school” but we do a lot of reading! Now this isn’t assigned reading that has assignments with it but just kicking back in bed reading. We often ask them what they read and if they learned anything but rarely does it go much beyond that.

NerdDad and I have always been considered repositories of crazy trivia, history, science and math (him more than me;). We both have realized that a lot of what we learned we didn’t learn in school as part of the homework but as part of our free reading. We would wonder about something and get a book. That is how we have chosen to enrich our children. We love books and value knowledge, that has been passed on to our kids.

There is a study out that says that kids who have home libraries do much better in school and that also means that they are more likely to complete college. Kids whose homes have 500  books in China will have 6.6 years of education and in the US they will have 2.4 years more. As the article pointed out, that is difference between an Associates degree and a Bachelors. Remember this wasn’t aimed at homeschoolers but kids in traditional school. That is just based on parents having the books. As homeschoolers, we get to make sure they actually read them. So just imagine how much greater the impact is!

The key to remember in this is that it isn’t knowledge you need but a love and respect of books and knowledge. That is how you get a child to love it too. Too many times I have had people say that my kids love to read only because they were born that way to nerdy parents. Well, over at Why Homeschool they have disproved that it is all about birth. They have created a little reader in Baby Bop, who had no interest in it when he first came to live with them.

Remember, it isn’t about the parents having all the knowledge but of respecting books and learning. So I think that is something we all can do, regardless of our own education.

Are books the center of your curriculum? Do you foster a love for reading just to learn and enjoy?

Hey guys! Welcome back to my house! I feel like it has been so long  since I have seen you all. Come on in and relax for a while!

Some of the kids are over in the playroom looking at Texas  Homesteader’s pictures from A Photographic Nature Walk. It looks  like so much fun! The Thinking Mother is discussing Prepping for  Compute This Event This Week. I loved Science Olympiad! My kids  are playing with the post-Easter Peeps over at Frugal  Homeschooler: It’s a Peep’s World. Our Curious Home is sharing all  about Wonderful Water Treatment Tour. Who says homeschooling  only happens at home?

Over at the kitchen table there is a group talking about educational helps and methods. Homeschool Online has a great post that gives both encouragement and tools for those who have highschoolers called Homeschooling Through Highschool? Is That You? Why Homeschool shares some great Free Online Course Materials that I am not only going to use for the kids but also for me! Let’s Play Math has finally heard What a Teacher Wants to Hear! Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers talk about Adding Spark to Your Homeschool Through Hands On Learning: History. Home is Where You Start has a very helpful post in Homeschool Scheduling: A Chalkboard Approach!

This group over by the piano is talking about parenting advice. As a homeschooling parent I think parenting seems to have more of an effect on their education than the actual schooling. Janice Campbell reminds us when teaching to Give Our Children the Benefit of the Doubt. Parent at the Helm gives us an excerpt from a book by Linda Dobson in One of Homeschooling’s Benefits for Parents: You Can See Clearly Now.  Barbara Frank reminds us of The Future, If We Don’t Chase Our Kids Outside to Play.  High on Homeschool talks about Slow Parenting. I have never heard the term before but I like it!

Over by the book shelves they are having some deep conversations. Consent of the Governed is talking about some educators in the school system and how They Want Babies.  Alasandra’s Homeschool Blog is discussing that Secular Homeschoolers Don’t Owe the Fundies Anything.

See that group over on the couch who is eating chocolate? They are talking about their experiences. It is always nice to know that we aren’t alone in this crazy adventure that we call homeschooling! Boarding in Bedlam gets us started by asking, “Was Your Day This Bad?” I must say it is hilarious! Mama Squirrel over at Dewey’s Treehouse answers the Review Crews Cruise question on avoiding burnout. The Common Room recounts Multi-Tasking for Lunch. It is a recent lunch time episode of multi-tasking demonstrates how a parent can teach a wide range of ages (3, 6, 11, 14, and special needs) and still get lunch on the table.=)

Renae at Heart of the Matter reminds us that it isn’t just us but Homeschooling is Messy! Home Spun Juggling compares homeschooling to the feeling of sitting in the front row with I’ll be in the Back. And can’t we all relate to that feeling? Pamela at the Blah, Blah, Blah Blog talks about the Blasted Nutrition Class that she took and the “wonderful” feelings it left;).

Thank you so much for coming to hang out with me! I hope you drop back by soon! But in the meantime, send in your favorite homeschooling post for next week’s Carnival of Homeschooling. It will be hosted over at Our Curious Home. Make sure that you go read all these fabulous entries and comment so they know what you think!