Pondering and Plugging Away!

I have been doing some thinking (watch out) about my philosophy of homeschool, and I have come to some important conclusions. First off, (and this may sound strange as an intro.) there is a lot about traditional school that I like.  Take structure, for instance.  I'm a fan.  I have been experimenting a little bit with a less structured approach in previous weeks (running off for spontaneous park trips or experiential learning opportunities), and I find that it has left me SPINNING, and dare I say it has left the children spinning as well.  There is a strong tide in homeschooling circles that pulls toward the "unschooling/ John Holt" side of the spectrum.  Unschooling delights in child-directed learning, which may not sound so bad, but at its core promotes a rather egocentric and undisciplined approach to learning.  Rather, I appreciate the discipline that traditional models encourage.  There is something to the fact that traditional school models require children to evolve from their self-centered stage of existence and learn to adhere to a larger existence--one that requires conformity to particular standards of behavior.  While "conformity" may sound like a dirty word, I suggest that it has its place in our learning environment here at home.  As parents, we all know that discipline, while a difficult "sell" to our youngsters, is the very thing that gives them security.  Now, coming back to my initial premise, I have come to the conclusion that even though I have chosen to homeschool rather than put my kids in a "traditional" learning environment, the reasons are not because I want a model completely unlike traditional school.  What I don't want are class sizes that reduce my child to a number, or lapses of wasted time due to lengthy transitions...or state dictates that prohibit our integration of faith.  Neither do I care to put my active boys through two or more hours of tedious homework during the evening hours, or have them spend an inordinate amount of time waiting for the rest of the class to "catch up," to the detriment of their potentials.  What I want is to promote a love for learning, a love for one another, and an appreciation for the fruits born of discipline.  I want to encourage curiosity because it is the foundation of self-motivated learning, and I hope to do this in a manner that respects their uniqueness as individuals.  But, I can do these things within the constraints of structure.  This being said, I do believe that my style is a mix of quite a few homeschool philosophies, putting me more in the "eclectic" brand of homeschool.  But, at the core of this approach will be a structured existence, and I have a strong hunch that it will actually provide an even greater amount of time to engage in creativity.  After all--routines promote greater efficiency, given time.  I realize that I have only scratched the surface of this subject and hardly done justice to the nuances that exist, but at this stage of the weekend, I only only capable of surface-level depth.  Is that an oxymoron?  

Enough already with the pondering--onto the good stuff.  We were the fortunate recipients of a gracious gift by one of Matt's colleagues.  Behold, the Smart Globe.  This baby could teach my geography class, it's so stocked with fun facts, songs, and quizzes about our world.  The boys get a Smart Globe session in the a.m., only after they have gotten dressed and made their beds in preparation for breakfast.  THANK YOU, KELLY!  We are loving it.

Smarty Pants with Smart Globe

We were ALSO fortunate to have a visit from Gramma Shirley last weekend.  The boys are still basking in the glow of their time together.  Aerobed snuggling, "Leprechaun" gaming (a creation of Gramma & the boys), soccer kicking, and all-around good-timing were a few of the many memories from the visit.  She was able to stay through most of Monday, and I must say that I could get used to having an extra body in the house during homeschool!  Gramma ran the enrichment program that morning with Joshua and Samuel.  I must say that mine pales in comparison.  Now, to work out a commute from Chico every day.  What do you say, Gramma?  Thank you for your blessed presence.

Snuggle Time

Gramma's Got Game

Gramma & a Laundry Lesson

Capping off this entry, a few pictures from weeks previous:

Joshua Turns FOUR! (Rocket Cake)

Joshua Scrambling His First Eggs (a 4 year-old rite of passage, according to Joshua)

Sorting Socks...and Getting a Little Distracted

Geoboard Shapes

Geoboard MESS

Brotherly Love
(Samuel will do this occasionally of his own accord)

"Juggling" Lesson: Balance

Juggling: Catching Scarves

Pre-Breakfast Mental "Workouts"

Miss Alyssa & Monday Lessons

Sea Salt After Evaporation
(We didn't expect it to crystalize into such large chunks!)

Cuteness
(He's making up for the torture he inflicts on a daily basis)

First Fire of the Season
(and let me clarify that these are a luxury, not a necessity...so they have become a Saturday winter tradition...because they LOVE it)