Monday, March 8, 2010

Home Schooling Information Overload

So now the cat is out of the bag. Most of you know already. We have decided to begin Home Schooling in the fall. Maybe sooner. This decision was not made lightly. We have thought it through and through and it is not up for debate. We feel a real sense of peace about having made this decision. A decision we believe is the right one.

Now...
Oh my goodness. I think I have read/perused/scanned/studied every home schooling book our library has to offer but I have to make some decisions as to what method we will use.

I am no stranger to home education as I had my older girls home for several years. The first year was a horrendous mistake. As a new home schooler I used a workbook/Q and A type curriculum. It was not good and worse, it was very very boring. We went on to do unit studies in future years and that was much better. However, my philosophy of education has changed since then and Athena will only be at the first grade level.

I like a lot of things about the Waldorf Method and Charlotte Mason and Classical Education as well. Oh, and Montessori. I cannot forget Montessori. My daughter sent me some links which all look appealing. Enki Education. Christopherus Homeschooling, Oak Meadow. And the list goes on.
I know that I can integrate parts of all of the things I like and that would be suitable for Athena but I still need to have a definite plan.

The Prairie Spirit School Division that we are a part of requires that I submit an educational plan, complete with the resources and curriculum that we will be using. And, it has to be in by the end of May. So, now that we have decided to home educate, I have all the logistics to take care of.

I really like the unschooling approach as well, but I must say that it does scare me a bit. Okay, a lot. I am a methodical person and that part of me needs some plans. So if you have anything to say about this, any wisdom or any advice, please feel free to leave a comment or email me if you like.

I would really appreciate some feedback from any home schoolers, past or present. Thank you.

1 comment:

dawn klinge said...

I'm so excited for you! I'm kind of a big nerd when it comes to how happy I get about the planning stages of homeschooling. This time of year was always my favorite, since I was busily immersed in reviewing books and doing the type of planning that I'm sure you're busy with at the moment. I wish you all the best as you prepare for homeschooling with Athena.