A Homeschool Journey, Part 7: Getting the Hang of It

Our first year of homeschooling was easy. In my previous post in this series, A Homeschool Journey, Part 6: Starting School, I described our kindergarten curriculum and left off with the statement that it only took us 90 minutes a day. This is surprising to some. But with one-on-one instruction, there is no need for standing in line, raising hands to ask questions, or other classroom management procedures. And there is no need for endless busy work intended to keep children occupied and out of trouble.

Lest anyone think that learning only took place during that 90 minutes, let me clarify. Children can learn a great deal through real life; one doesn't need worksheets to teach about the value of money, for example. We used a simple "chore chart" to teach a basic morning routine -- brush teeth, wash face, make bed, etc. Little pictures represented each item until our daughter was able to read. For each "chore" she did, she earned a penny. Once she accumulated a handful of pennies, she could trade them in for nickels, dimes, quarters, and eventually dollars. It was a natural way to learn, and it accomplished two things at once.

Serious learning time was done while the baby was napping or otherwise preoccupied, in order to avoid distraction. But whenever possible, he was included in our activities. There was plenty of time for play and rest, and we read lots of stories together -- fun stories, silly stories, and stories filled with adventure. Before long, we had established a routine that included school as a perfectly normal part of our day. We were getting the hang of it!

After our first week of this new undertaking, Saturday came. Since we didn't have school that day, our little student decided to be a teacher. She gathered her stuffed animals around the table and taught them the "2 o'clock letters" a, c, d, f, g, o, s, and qu -- those letters that begin at two on the clock face and go up and around. I smiled as I watched her review what she had learned that week and knew that this was going to work!

Be sure to check back again for the next part of A Homeschool Journey!