A New Year of Learning

Today is the official beginning of a new learning at home school year. I refuse to say good-bye to summer just yet, but we are saying hello to more structured days.

My goals for this year are much like they have been for many years now:

* Read lots of good books.
This is easy because we own a lot of good books, and we frequent the library weekly.

* Stay home as much as possible.
This is really key for us. I have found that my children are most creative when they have some free time on their hands to pursue their interests. We do have outside the home activities, but they are not daily.

* Be on the look out and encourage signs of new interests.
I have spotted three new interests for Anna in the past week or two: drawing, piano (she taught herself to play Oh Sacred Head by ear and we had no idea she could do that) and sea life after a visit to the aquarium. Trey is starting a Herp Club with a friend at co-op.

* Keep computer time to a minimum.
After many years of limited television this is not a temptation, but the computer is a different story. There are good things involved with the computer. Three of my children love to write and have stories and books they have written stored in Word docs. Computer gaming is a once week event for my 11 and 12 year old. I am so glad they missed out on computer games as little children! I think that even the educational stuff isn't good for a developing brain. They think I am horribly out of touch on this one. So be it.

* Focus on heart issues as they arise.
I am speaking of our various weaknesses that we are already aware of that require continual attention, and also those subtle things that require discernment to recognize. This is the nitty-gritty of homeschooling (and parenting). These things are often easiest to see when we are in each others company for the majority of the day. Lots of prayer, patience and guidance required.....and I usually have to start with ME. And if I am honest, I face the temptation of not dealing with these things the way I should because it is hard work.

I am sure I could add a lot more to this, too, but really these are the things that are most important to me this year.

Here is our school books in pictures:

Books for Sara's 10th Grade Year

She will also be taking Math-U-See Geometry, Apologia Chemistry and Spanish in a co-op situation. After a summer spent teaching Bible clubs with many Spanish speaking children in attendance she is enthusiastic about taking Spanish.

6th grade books for Trey & Anna

A liberal education is, like justice, religion, liberty, fresh air, the natural birthright of every child.~ Charlotte Mason

What children need is not new and better curricula but access to more and more of the real world; plenty of time and space to think over their experiences,and to use fantasy and play to make meaning out of them; and advice, road maps, guidebooks, to make it easier for them to get where they want to go (not where we think they ought to go), and to find out what they want to find out. ~John Holt