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Homeschooling Journal

Justice, Haifa, and Verity listening to Mama read
from Usborne Book of World History.
June 21, 2007.

Justice's Homeschooling Journal

I have been homeschooling Justice since he was 14 months old. It was then that we first tried to teach him how to read. The early years were mostly experimentation. I've learned a lot about what resources are available, how I like to teach, and how Justice likes to learn. We have tried many different methods. It seems that almost weekly I would be making new teaching aids, games, or books to help me teach Justice how to behave well, read, write, count, and add. It has been a fun, tiring, frustrating, rewarding, and learning experience. As the years go by, I become more confident about this decision and my ability to provide a good education for our children. We have become more settled into our curriclum choices, which are: a bit of Montessori for the preschool years (but very informal and relaxed), and a mix of "The Well-Trained Mind" and Sonlight for the school years. Here is the story of our journey so far.

The How to Teach Your Baby to Read Experiment

Homeschooling Practice Run

Kindergarten: Starting a Classical Education

Grade 1: Picking Up the Pace of a Classical Education

Overcoming My Insecurities:
Homeschooling for the Right Reasons

Grade 1: Our Way

Grade 2

Roger White Academy

Grade 3

Haifa's Homeschooling Journal

Haifa is my second child, with that comes advantages and disadvantages. The advantages have been: I've already learned lessons from homeschooling Justice, so she's getting a more experienced teacher and methods that are tried and true; I'm more organized and more confident as a homeschooler; and her older brother is another teacher available to her everyday. The disadvantages have been that I'm so busy trying to figure out the new stuff with Justice and very excited about the new things Justice can understand and learn, that Haifa often gets neglected. Teaching colours and shapes - I've been there all ready with Justice, it doesn't seem as exciting the second time around - Haifa gets less of my enthusiasm and excitement. Having said that, I think that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Haifa has been homeschooled since she was 2 1/2 months old. Yes... that's right, months old not years old. Haifa's homeschooling adventures have consisted of lots of experimentation and has not yet become regular or formal (well, she's not even two years old). But I feel that her schooling has been more organized, consistent, and of better quality than when I first started with Justice. Hmmm... I wonder how many more kids I'll need to have before I feel like I've developed a really good, high quality, well-organized homeschool program? Here's the story of Haifa's journey so far.

Teaching Our Baby to Read and Do Math

Montessori Preschool

Kindergarten

Grade 1

Roger White Academy

Grade 1 (completed)

Here I am working at my computer with a stack of
science books working out a curriculum for the kids.
Verity is in the background looking at a workbook
about shapes (her upcoming schoolwork) with her
Montessori cylinder blocks next to her.
January 2007.

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