I used to be a bit intimidated by the idea of homeschooling. I thought I'd have to have a strict schedule with outrageous details and be super disciplined. In fact, I'm sure that's why more people don't do it. But as Mayah and I get settled into our new routine, I've learned a few things that have helped me:
1. She gets stuff way more quickly! Yeah, I've taught and volunteered in enough classrooms to know that half of the time is spent keeping distractions down and kids in their seats. With one-on-one attention, I'm finding that Mayah has far fewer distractions and can therefore "get it" way quicker. This is cool because school is so much shorter and we have lots of time to do fun stuff, chores or other ideas that we come up with (like look up the recipe for "Hasty Pudding" from The Little House in the Big Woods that we're reading together. We're going to make it tomorrow!).
2. Homeschool does not have to look like traditional school. The clock is not the boss. If Mayah doesn't get something, we can stop, take a break and go back to it. Or we can spend a little extra time on it if we need to. If she really likes something, we don't have to stop to keep a schedule. We can embrace it and ride out her energy. I just love that her learning style is the boss - no pressure.
3. Learning is taking place all the time. Fractions while cooking. Temperature while dressing. Division while sharing. I don't have to restrict Mayah's learning to a lesson plan. I'm so intimately involved with her learning that I can expand it to almost anything we are doing. And I love that!
Well, that's all for now. I'm attaching a writing piece that Mayah completed on her favorite toy. I'm a proud mama!
