Wow.

[AbbeyLehman]

I never thought I'd be the first post ANYWHERE!

We are a homeschooling family and have incorporated gardening into our unschooling-friendly "curriculum." Building raised beds, figuring out composting, deciding on rabbits or chickens or both--it's all great for learning. Plus, DS is learning self-sufficiency as well, which is good no matter what kind of "schooling" he gets.

Garden Girl TV is one of his favorite things on the internet right now--he hasn't seen one yet that he didn't like!

Thank you for all you do,
Abbey

[gardengirl72]

Nice Abbey. Please share your wisdom with us all. Congrats on being the first.

Thank you for what you do too!

Patti

[Ani]

Hi Abbey!

I don't have much to add since my ds is only 4 months, but I'll be homeschooling him when the time comes. How cool that you're unschooling! It is a little early for us to have fully decided on our approach to learning (want to wait and see what his personality is), but we believe strongly in the unschooling philosophy.

Nice to meet you!

[AbbeyLehman]

We don't unschool exclusively--we go through times of strict bookwork, worksheets, etc, too. We're about to start using the Spelling Power course, because it's turning into an obstacle to true creative writing. He's a bit of a perfectionist, like me, so spelling a word wrong is simply unacceptable to him. I try to tell him otherwise, but he won't hear it. He's only 7, so it's a little early for it, but he reads VERY well, and since it's a problem for him, we're going to do it. :D

I LOVE that we aren't tied to someone else's schedule (public school). DS and I are night owls, so this is GREAT!

[gardengirl72]

I use summer for "homeschooling" and send my daughter to school. I am often terrified with the things she comes home saying, and then have to "un school" her back at home.

[AbbeyLehman]

...I am often terrified with the things she comes home saying...

This is exactly one of the reasons we homeschool! We can ALWAYS tell when the public school neighbor boy has been in the backyard with DS. His cousins come over sometimes and remind us of all the things we're SO glad he's not picking up--song lyrics, body language, disrespectful behaviors, attitude--he has *some* of these already, but not nearly to that extent, YKWIM?

[gardengirl72]

My only fear is that they don't get, for a lack of a better word, "socialized". How has that been in your experience?

[Ani]

We don't unschool exclusively--we go through times of strict bookwork, worksheets, etc, too. We're about to start using the Spelling Power course, because it's turning into an obstacle to true creative writing.

That seems like a great way to go about it. What I like so much about unschooling (as far as I understand it) is the belief that your child will learn if you respect their needs and interests, and provide them with the opportunities. I'm very laid back and trusting, and I also love to learn so I think that approach suits me as a teacher. Worksheets and book work can also be fun and in tune with the interests of you child/student -- and even if they're not, I can admit there are some things I'm glad I know, even if I didn't have interest in learning them :p

[AbbeyLehman]

"Socialization"

Ah, the bane of homeschoolers! Remember when you were in school and you tried to talk during class? What did the teacher say? "You're not here to socialize, you're here to learn!" Considering some of the kids that are in public schools these days, do you *really* want your kids to socialize with them? Gun-toting kids, schools where the purchase of a new metal detector is more important than new books, and where the teachers are terrified of the students?? I don't want my son "socializing" with those kinds of kids. He does, however, know how to speak to store clerks, librarians and just about any adult he encounters. He also plays well with any kid he runs into at the park, not just the ones he knows. Not once since I was in school have I been in a room with a bunch of people within a year of my age, all being forced to do the same thing at the same pace. He has taken tap dance lessons, he is taking swimming lessons, will be joining t-ball and basketball as the seasons arrive, and is now old enough to join Cub Scouts. He has PLENTY of opportunities for REAL social encounters--the kind that will help him learn to work with real people of all ages. "Socialization" of the public school variety is one reason why we homeschool!

[AbbeyLehman]

... Worksheets and book work can also be fun and in tune with the interests of you child/student -- and even if they're not, I can admit there are some things I'm glad I know, even if I didn't have interest in learning them :p


I think this is what "allows" worksheets to be a part of unschooling--if it's what DS wants to do and it helps him learn, then it is still considered child-led, even though it's "schoolwork." I don't draw rigid lines around anything--we do a lot of mental/verbal math in the car and on the couch (especially after a commercial mentions "get Y# of these for x$" -- we figure out how many we can get for $10, how much 7 of the thingss cost, etc.), we practiced reading a LOT in the car while he was learning to read by reading all the signs, etc. We learn about science from "How It's Made" and other shows like that and then we go try it ourselves, then we read to find out why it works...."Mythbusters" is good for that, too, as well as "Good Eats"--if you have a kid who likes to cook, Alton Brown can teach a lot--it's the science behind cooking without being a science show.

Ok, sorry--I got on a roll there :) LOL

Abbey

[gardengirl72]

Abbey, let it roll girl! I think homeschooling is going to be the most important challenge for humanity in a post peak world and wisdom on how best to incorporate it into mainstream society is very important for the future.

Do you enroll your kids in sports and things like that?

Cleveland Rocks

[Ani]

I think this is what "allows" worksheets to be a part of unschooling--if it's what DS wants to do and it helps him learn, then it is still considered child-led, even though it's "schoolwork." I don't draw rigid lines around anything--we do a lot of mental/verbal math in the car and on the couch (especially after a commercial mentions "get Y# of these for x$" -- we figure out how many we can get for $10, how much 7 of the thingss cost, etc.), we practiced reading a LOT in the car while he was learning to read by reading all the signs, etc. We learn about science from "How It's Made" and other shows like that and then we go try it ourselves, then we read to find out why it works...."Mythbusters" is good for that, too, as well as "Good Eats"--if you have a kid who likes to cook, Alton Brown can teach a lot--it's the science behind cooking without being a science show.

Ok, sorry--I got on a roll there :) LOL

Abbey


That's really cool! I love to hear things like this as we prepare for home schooling. I really like that you are able to point out positives that come off the TV as well. So many homeschoolers I know are TV free. We're not and I'm glad to hear it still works and that you gain something from it.

If you don't mind me picking your brain - are there any resources you've found essential for the early years?


Abbey, let it roll girl! I think homeschooling is going to be the most important challenge for humanity in a post peak world and wisdom on how best to incorporate it into mainstream society is very important for the future.


It is interesting to look at your point in comparison to the recent California law prohibiting homeschooling ( unless you're already a teacher, I think?). Scary for such a progressive state.

[AbbeyLehman]

Abbey, let it roll girl! I think homeschooling is going to be the most important challenge for humanity in a post peak world and wisdom on how best to incorporate it into mainstream society is very important for the future.

Do you enroll your kids in sports and things like that?

Cleveland Rocks

Yes, DS did 2 sessions of tap dance (to help with coordination, balance and rhythm), he will be doing 2 sessions of swimming, then basketball and T-ball. We do the activities through a community recreation department and each session is different lengths, depending on the activity. Tap was 10 weeks plus a recital, swimming is 2x per week, for 4 weeks. Basketball and T-ball aren't available until later, but it will be appropriate for the ages involved. He also plays HARD outside on the backyard, every day (even when it rains, some days!). I am also getting him into Cub Scouts, too--he just turned 7 and became eligible to join.

[AbbeyLehman]

That's really cool! I love to hear things like this as we prepare for home schooling. I really like that you are able to point out positives that come off the TV as well. So many homeschoolers I know are TV free. We're not and I'm glad to hear it still works and that you gain something from it.

If you don't mind me picking your brain - are there any resources you've found essential for the early years?

To be honest, I would like to cut way back on the TV in our household, but at this time, I can't. MIL is disabled and her only outlet right now is TV and I cannot take that from her. Unfortunately that means the DS watches a lot of TV, since MIL sits in the living room all day. I do manage to keep DS from it quite a bit, but he stills gets more than I like. I make sure that he does see shows from which he can get something as a compromise--makes me feel better :)

We did a couple things that, looking back, made a difference early on. We would pick a few simple words that he liked--baby, car, truck, his name--and write them out letter by letter and have him repeat each letter as we said it then say the whole word--spelling bee style. It was all in fun and it was mostly part of coloring with him--gave me a reason to use his pretty new crayons :) LOL I think that the thing we did that has had the BIGGEST impact by FAR up to now was that we let DS see us read ALL the time. At times, we would even read INSTEAD of playing with him--sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. He began to see that "Hey! There must be something to this reading thing if Mommy and Daddy would rather to it than play with ME!!" He started picking up so fast it was incredible! What we *didn't* do was push him at all. I haven't pushed him about math, etc, but he already understands the concepts behind multiplying, dividing, squaring and square roots. He doesn't know his "tables" but he can figure it out--in his head, no less! He has really resisted writing much of anything, but he can do it all in his head (which I think is more important right now--he has time to work on his handwriting his whole life).


It is interesting to look at your point in comparison to the recent California law prohibiting homeschooling ( unless you're already a teacher, I think?). Scary for such a progressive state.

Are you speaking to Patti or me? I am not a certified teacher and I don't think that Patti is, either. I haven't followed California's homeschool front, but after a quick search, it looks like you can still homeschool but they make you jump through a thousand hoops. Crazy!

[Ani]

Are you speaking to Patti or me? I am not a certified teacher and I don't think that Patti is, either. I haven't followed California's homeschool front, but after a quick search, it looks like you can still homeschool but they make you jump through a thousand hoops. Crazy!

Sorry if that was confusing! When I first heard the story about California's new rules regarding homeschooling, I had heard that no parent could homeschool unless that parent was also a certified teacher. I'm clear across the country so I never looked up the details. That was the teacher reference though.

[WendyB]

I think homeschooling is going to be the most important challenge for humanity in a post peak world ....

I think in a post-peak oil world home education is going to be the way most kids learn.

Our schools are taking a serious hit in the pocket book right now, and many schools are finding it very hard to provide even the basic amenities, like school buses, school lunches and heat for those enormous, sprawling buildings. A lot of things that parents, students and teachers have taken for granted are being cut, because of lack of funds and anticipated cost increases.

I homeschool my children, but I'm also the local School Board secretary, and so I got to listen to all of the talk about the budget and all of the problems they predict with regard to the rising cost of things like heating oil.

I think the best thing we can do, right now, whether we homeschool or not, is to start accumulating a library :).

[AbbeyLehman]

our schools are taking a serious hit in the pocket book right now, and i think the best thing we can do, right now, whether we homeschool or not, is to start accumulating a library :).

I NEED NEED NEED bookshelves.....LOTS of bookshelves....

:D :D :D

[Ani]

I see the solution for a post-peak world as being community oriented. We're going to need to do a lot more for ourselves, but there will also be a lot of teaching/learning that needs to happen within each community.

Our current model of in-school education is flawed. It's wasteful, not only of documentable capital resources like money, land and poorly utilized computer labs, but also of teachers' expertise and creativity. It equally wastes the students' time and enthusiasm.

Community by community we're going to need to take back over our education systems. Not all parents are capable of homeschooling, and many will have different jobs to do. So collection books is good if they're rare or valuable resources for each community to have, but more than that I believe we need to get involved in our schools and city government so that we're in a position to begin the change, and make the most impact when the time comes.

[gardengirl72]

I love that Wendy works for the school board and homeschools. That says something. A big library is everything. I have scour yard sales and used bookstores all the time.

I also buy a lot of books on Amazon as well. I think it is a shame about the California laws. If I didn't run two businesses I would homeschool my daughter for sure.

I wonder what prompted that law in California? Teachers Unions? Who benefits from that law?

[AbbeyLehman]

I see the solution for a post-peak world as being community oriented. We're going to need to do a lot more for ourselves, but there will also be a lot of teaching/learning that needs to happen within each community.

Our current model of in-school education is flawed. It's wasteful, not only of documentable capital resources like money, land and poorly utilized computer labs, but also of teachers' expertise and creativity. It equally wastes the students' time and enthusiasm.

Community by community we're going to need to take back over our education systems. Not all parents are capable of homeschooling, and many will have different jobs to do. So collection books is good if they're rare or valuable resources for each community to have, but more than that I believe we need to get involved in our schools and city government so that we're in a position to begin the change, and make the most impact when the time comes.


I agree that PS is flawed and that post-peak will be community-based. I don't think collecting books (even if relatively common) is bad, though. If it comes to a point where we will all be homeschooling, even if that includes 3 of your neighbors' kids, too, we may need the extra copies. Peak Oil isn't just about cars & plastic--we won't be able to just go to Kinko's and make a copy or log on to Amazon and easily receive another copy. Plus, I like the bookworm decorating scheme :)

[Ani]

I agree that PS is flawed and that post-peak will be community-based. I don't think collecting books (even if relatively common) is bad, though. If it comes to a point where we will all be homeschooling, even if that includes 3 of your neighbors' kids, too, we may need the extra copies. Peak Oil isn't just about cars & plastic--we won't be able to just go to Kinko's and make a copy or log on to Amazon and easily receive another copy. Plus, I like the bookworm decorating scheme :)

I do very much understand and respect that opinion. Even if we are both thinking in terms of the Long Emergency, it is hard to know what will be available to you and what will not. It is sort of a moot point for me anyway, as I have no room for more books in my 500sf.

[AbbeyLehman]

I do very much understand and respect that opinion. Even if we are both thinking in terms of the Long Emergency, it is hard to know what will be available to you and what will not. It is sort of a moot point for me anyway, as I have no room for more books in my 500sf.

Wow, only 500sf?? How do you do it??

[Ani]

Wow, only 500sf?? How do you do it??

Very carefully? lol I have a little over 500 to be fair.. 560 maybe?

You get really good at not buying things. I also spend a lot of time figuring out how I can use community resources rather than having my own. Library and community compost are my biggies.

Not to be totally off topic, but we are hoping to build up a floor in a couple years. We have a deeded roof and would about double our area + add 400sf of garden space on top of that. Even if we can't though, we're so used to city life.

[AbbeyLehman]

I'm confused? Real estate must work different there....

[Ani]

Sorry, how was that confusing?

[AbbeyLehman]

...Not to be totally off topic, but we are hoping to build up a floor in a couple years. We have a deeded roof and would about double our area + add 400sf of garden space on top of that. Even if we can't though, we're so used to city life.

Do you own an apartment on the top floor or something? I guess I'm confused because that's what it sounds like, and everywhere I've ever lived, apartments are for *renting* and *houses* are for owning.

And "deeded roof"?

I'm probably just ignorant to the ways of the *real* big city :)

[Ani]

Ah. We say apartments are for renting and condos are for owning, and house refers to a non-specific abode, or some place out in the 'burbs. I own the top floor of a building, plan to add an additional floor with a green roof for gardening, so I'll fully double and the sorta triple(if you're counting out door space) my # of square feet

[AbbeyLehman]

That explains it, then! Amazing what you can learn on the homeschooling forum of a gardening messageboard on an urban sustainable living website! LOL

[Yomolove]

Please explain to me more about homeschooling... It will make our lives a bit more interesting. and I myself disagree with getting up so early in the morning to send them to school. Id rather get up early and garden.

[AbbeyLehman]

Wow, there's so much--what do you want to know????

[Yomolove]

Abby, Id like to know how do you get started. do you need to test? what are the requirements for you as a parent to do so? and the like.

[AbbeyLehman]

Well, every state is different. In Ohio, we send a notification letter to the local superintendent to get started the first year of homeschooling. It must include several statements, including that the parent(s) who will be teaching have a high school diploma OR equivalent (GED, homeschool, etc.) OR work under someone who has a bachelor's degree. Each subsequent year, we send another letter PLUS either a composite standardized test score OR a signed statement from a licensed Ohio teacher that the child has worked according to his/her abilities. That's it! Here is a link to HSLDA's list of each state's regulations: http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp

[HSLDA is controversial is some homeschool circles, so be careful to do your own research before you decide to join them, just FYI.]

I would suggest finding and joining some Yahoo homeschool groups for your area. If you can't find any for your area (unlikely-they're everywhere!) try to at least join a national group so you have somewhere to turn with more specific questions about curriculums, etc.....Here is a good spot, too!

In a more specific answer to your question, it looks like in MA that testing is considered the preferred choice, but if you & the super agree, you CAN use something else, such as portfolio review (a more unschool-friendly approach, IMO, and what we choose).

Ask away!!