How do we homeschool?

I am a very eclectic homeschooler.  We get the bulk of our materials from Christian Book.  I use pieces and parts of different curriculums to best match their learning styles.  When I find they need more practice in an area I use Ed Helper and customize and print out worksheets on any subject I need.   We also do a lot of field trips.  When the children are learning about, say, the Civil War we take a trip to Kennesaw Mtn. Battlefield Park and see where the battles happened.  We can see the uniforms, the canons and so much more.  Field trips to State Parks, Museums, farms and such are fantastic for helping them to really put the concept into action. 

I also use some tv programs (very few), VHS tapes and DVD’s when we want to explore a subject more. 

Our children are a part of a local homeschool co-op.  It is not a drop-your-kid-off kind of place.  All of the parents stay to help teach, guide and watch the little ones.  It is once a week, for about 3 1/2 hours.  The kids have friends there and we get to pool our resources to give our kids the best.  Some of the classes being taught are economics, Spanish, GA history and several more.   We also go on field trips together.  We get the group rate and we have a blast!

This year I have a 5th grader, a 3rd grader, a 2nd grader, a Kindergartener, a 2 year old and a 5 month old so I have created a weekly schedule to help keep our days on track.  I have designated certain days for certain subjects as well as field trips and experiments.   Our day is split up into blocks of time to do schooling ,cleaning, reading, playing and etc.   I am not at all rigid about the “schedule” but it does help us to make the most of our days.  I guess it is more of a routine that I am getting us all in to.

We basically homeschool year round with a 3 week break for summer.  During July we school 3 days a week and a library day.  Come August we go back to 5 days a week.  About every 5-6 weeks we take a few days off to recharge and play.  If someone is sick we do not school that day.  I love turning everyday errands into pop quizes and a chance to learn something new.

I guess that is about it unless anyone has a question.  I would be glad to answer!

All for His glory, ~Rhen