Another Year of Homeschooling

Let me make a disclaimer. While the above photo is in the public domain (you can publish it, print it, whatever, royalty-free), it is definitely NOT my desk. Or the desk of one of my children or my husband. It's too pretty, too new looking, too expensive looking to be ours.

Now that you understand our poverty, you will understand some of our homeschooling choices a little better. We have five children, all of whom have been homeschooled since the very first years. In other words, from birth. Yeah, I said from birth. Didn't you know that kids learn from the moment they come out of the womb? Our homeschool has never been all that traditional, in the public or private school sense of the word. We have taught manners and respect from early on. With that came tons of Christian learning and training, using the Bible and our local church for tools. Add good, Christian literature and media to the mix and you need nothing else. Math was learned in the toddler years as we began counting buttons on their shirts, measured the ingredients to make cookies together, or counted to three before coming after the naughty boys or girl. As in boys plural and girl singular.

As the children grew older and learned more, we added many textbooks, workbooks, games, field trips, you name it to the curriculum list. Did they learn much? YES. We proudly boast of our three graduates. One is now a police officer while the other two have done extremely well in their college classes. President's List and Dean's List sort of kids. Ah, the great benefits of homeschooling.

This year we still have two in our homeschool. Ryan is entering the 9th grade and Amanda is going into the 6th. While I was homeschooling Josh, Jonathon and Evan as well as the younger two, I was a stay-at-home mom. Now I work a part-time job as the local public librarian. While it's only for four hours a day, it's enough to throw a wrench into our homeschool plans.

I have decided to use the Monarch curriculum (Alpha Omega) with Ryan this year. He can bring a lap top with him to the library; I can supervise him while he works independently. He did some placement tests a month ago through the Monarch system and now knows how it's going to work. It'll be fine. I think.

Amanda will also come to the library to do her school work. She is going to use Saxon Math 7/6, Learning Language Arts through Literature tan book, Mystery of History volume 3, A Beka Science grade 6, Lingua Angelica I, Rod & Staff Bible grade six, and various handwriting practice books. We'll read good literature throughout the year. It will be fine. I think.

As I've always said, it doesn't take a genius (or a licensed teacher) to homeschool. It simply takes prayer and dedication. You have to commit to it. I've committed and have promised to stay the course. I wouldn't do it another way.