Unschooling Books

Unschooled by Kerry McDonald is an amazing read on the history of education and development of unschooling movement as well as where it is headed.  I heard Kerry speak on a few podcast and could not resist reading this book.  It is well researched yet easy to understand.  

Two other quick reads on unschooling, An Unschooling Manifesto and Unschooling: The Honest Truth by Marla Taviano.   These two books put as true face on unschooling and the way it is walked out in daily life.  A family living life together, working toward shared and individual goals, and ignoring the segmented ways of school.  

I love finding books on education the challenge and solidify my beliefs on learning, true learning.  

Read Aloud

A couple posts back, I noted that reading aloud was a staple in our day at home.  I know many parents stop reading to kids once they learn to read on their own.  Today, I want to encourage you to continue or return to reading aloud with your tweens and teens.  

Our most recent read aloud was The Scourge by Jennifer A Nielsen.  The discussion on foreshadowing, friendship, plot twists, and cultures were astounding!  The no-pressure environment allowed these talks to happen naturally where everyone's voices were heard, acknowledged, and understood.  You have to read the book to comprehend the significance of the red lines my daughter decided we needed after finishing the book.

A simple search on Pinterest will reveal that reading aloud to kids benefits all ages.  Taking time to read aloud to your teens will enable bonding time that is difficult to come as they get older.  This shared experience in the stories you enjoy allows for discussions that may not otherwise happen.  These talks develop empathy for others and grow knowledge in areas outside of their lives.  Exploration together into interesting novels and books creates time for learning in a relaxed setting.  

My view from my read aloud seat in our game room.  

Thinkers

I love this quote from Julie Bogart at Bravewriter to focus on thinkers not students.

"Think more about developing thinkers (people who engage in ideas) and less about getting your kids through an education (people who can pass classes)."

To me this mean lots of discussion!  I mean lots!  We talk about big ideas from policies to laws to voting to methods of development.  We also talk about feelings, situations, thoughts, creations, and desires.  Events, plans, and goals are always topics circulation through our home, on our drives, and during our walks.  

Beyond discussions, I see these thinkers developing when they encounter a problem and work to solve it on their own before looking for help.  GM will find videos of desserts she wants and then search out hacks for tools or skills she is missing before tackling difficult decorating ideas. After watching video on spring fishing, H wasn't sure on the type of weight the guy described since it could be interpreted two ways in the spoken phrase.  To find out he sent a message the fisherman to find out exactly which way the guy meant using a written language to explain his inquiry.  

Another way, the thinkers we are raising challenge the status quo.  They are not "yes" men and women.  Instead, they are each always asking why and what other method could achieve the desired outcome.  This can be difficult on those days when you would just like to get through your day, but rewarding when you see them not caving to peer pressure.  

So ponder the quote a moment.

Are you focused on raising thinkers or students?

Do you want you kids to engage in ideas or pass classes?  

Homeschool Burnout

Burnout is a thing in just about every area of life.  Work, parenting, exercise, diet, remodeling, caretaking, cooking, cleaning...If done too long with intensity even a good thing can lead to burnout.  So homeschool burnout can be inevitable.  This month, February, is known for the blahs with winter lingering and new-ness of even the most creative homeschool waning.  

So how do you avoid this burnout?  

How do you deal with this burnout when it happens? 


I spoke with a few fellow homeschooling moms and this is some of the suggestions I heard:

*Go to a homeschool mom meeting or get together with like minded moms for coffee/lunch/drinks

*Buy (and read) a new book or 2

*Take a day off

*Go on a field trip or somewhere new

*Sit back and reevaluate your priorities

*Take time for yourself---yoga, walk, bake, movie

*Time with God---prayer, journal, worship music

*Board game/card game day

*New read aloud book or audio book

*Explore a new interest or topic

*Menu and meal prep together

*Take it easy---paper plate, cups, and easy food

*Movie day

*Adventure together

*Ice-cream and a drive (surprise ride is what I use to call these.  
When everyone was in a funk, I would just yell out "surprise ride" and kids would jump in the car to get a treat of some sort and drive somewhere new.)

All of these or one could help turn your burnout around, but keep in mind COMPARISON is the quickest route to burnout!

Friends Who Celebrate Your Kids

I love this quote so much, that I had to share it on the blog!

Think about that for a moment. 

environments where they are celebrated, not tolerated 

Last month, a family friend took both my kids overnight since we were having work done on our house. The wood floors were being refinished so at the end for 24 hours the smell was intense and no one could walk on them.  The best is both may kids love their time with this family because the mom and dad both value kids individually and celebrate each of their spirits.  

Having friends like this is a blessing.  I have not always had people like this my life, so now I strive to be that person to others.   

Staples in our Homeschool

Things we do most days in our home have become staples defining our homeschool are read-alouds, games, and research.

Read alouds have always held a special place in my heart for a time of sharing a literary adventure with both kids.  Pretty much, we always have a book going that we are reading together, usually me aloud.  Although,  as the kids are getting older and busy with outside activities, we have used audio books.  This just means we listen to the same book on our phones and meet to discuss at certain times.  It does mean that sometimes there are spoilers! 

Games!  We love games in our day!  These create a point of connection on full days or even just days when we are tired of the routine.  Having a different game to play each time helps it stay fresh as well.  So our shelves are full of different games, but we can check out games at our library as well.  Games are also an engaging way to learn more about a topic new or old, improve critical thinking and logic concepts, and strengthen executive functioning and interpersonal skills.  

"Let me research that some more," is a phrase repeated over and over by everyone in our home.  From an early age, we have sat next to the kids as they searched for answers to their questions.  This began with finding lego sets or directions and led to ordering high end fishing rods or cake decorating supplies.  They know how to check reviews, consult sizing and durability, and distinguish between marketing to sale an item and truth.  

Looking back over the 9 years that we have homeschooled both kids at this point, these staples were not intentional created but have become crucial in connecting and learning.

Another Day in the Life

Another day in the life of homeschooling/unschooling to show an average Wednesday in January.  Although, any homeschool mom knows there is no such thing as an average day.  

I had not even left the yoga studio before receiving this picture from my daughter, GM, sharing her excitement as she worked in duolingo (Spanish).  

Once I got home and enjoyed a quick breakfast with my husband, my son, H came down ready to work on his laundry. We discussed a plan for his day while he ate and then moved upstairs.  I was surprised to find GM working at her desk to finish writing her play.  H had started working on his technical writing, summarizing information gathered from fishing instructional videos.  

After everyone was finished with their (self-directed) writing project, I read aloud the last few chapters of Whatever Happened to Penny Candy? There was LOTS of discussion on economics and stocks and influences and government and so much more.

They worked on prodigy (math) separately but challenging each other in the app, while I made lunch.  We quickly ate before taking GM to her new drama group.  On the way, H researched duck hunting.  Then had a conversation and shared articles with his dad over text since his dad was flying out of town.  H took the time to edit and publish our podcast (Curious Journey on Spodify), then record, edit, and publish his personal podcast (The Haden Show on Spodify).  We discussed stocks, state identification cards, and bank checking accounts on the way to get GM.  

After picking up GM, we stopped for a quick snack and went to drop H off at his improv class.  Once alone in the car with me, GM opened up about her desire to publish her play and possibly turn it into a book.  At home, she enjoyed watching The Food Network with me explaining techniques and characters.   

H returned home (dropped off by his friend's mom) and shared some improv games with us that were fun to play over dinner.  We decided to relax with a movie night and then read silently yet together very late.  

This was a great day.  I feel much more connected with GM and H on these days when I follow their lead yet can see so much authentic learning happening.  We all enjoyed new experiences at a relaxed pace.  

A Day in the Life

This messy whiteboard of notes, helps us lead our days! Not Pinterest worthy or even blog worthy actually, but this post is about being real about our day.

This is an average Tuesday in January, but let it be noted that we don't actually have average days! 

I returned from yoga that I teach most days at 7:00a.m.  GM was ready for preschool where she serves as a teaching assistant for a friend who runs a private preschool.  She was up early and had already completed prodigy (math) and duolingo (Spanish).  So H and I took her to preschool, then got gas while discussing ideas for our podcast.  Once back at home, H communicated with the clients of his snow shoveling business the need to shovel and left to finish a driveway and collect payments from the others.  Next we recorded our podcast (shameless plug---Curious Journey on Spotify).  I left him to play xbox with a friend, while I picked up GM. 

We had lunch, played a card game (Sleeping Queens), then read aloud and discussed Whatever Happened to Penny Candy?  Each read chapter of First Boy for our book club.  While I took H to his friend's to work on YouTube filming for their channel, GM researched nails.  I returned to having her do my nails with her new method, next she did her own nails.  

GM had planned for an afternoon at the library where she created shirts using the CriCut for herself meanwhile H filmed coke taste tests with his friend.  Once he got home from filming, he worked on prodigy (math) and read greek mythology.  GM read before bed as well.  

Through out the day, both GM and H enjoyed listening to podcasts and/or audiobooks.  

Upon writing this, I realized we did not eat dinner together, but since our wood floors downstairs and through our kitchen were in prep mode for refinishing, it was a on-your-own dinner.  Most days we enjoy eating together and discussing current events or playing games.