I can so easily get wrapped up in choosing whether to use washable or non-washable markers; glue sticks or glue bottles; reserving library books; stocking up on 15¢ notebooks; scheduling fieldtrips; scope and sequences; daily, weekly and yearly schedules; organizing materials in cubbies and a myriad of other things. All of these things play a role in our schooling but if they become so time and energy consuming then I have missed the entire point.
Here’s a glimpse into a typical day for us:
7:00ish Wake Up---We are late risers compared to most but that is one of the many privileges of homeschooling. There’s no bus to catch and no lunches to pack, so we can have a leisurely morning.
8:00ish Breakfast---I usually make up some eggs and turkey bacon or oatmeal. If the price is right we’ll have some cereal, but it’s ridiculously expensive to get the non-GMO stuff right now.
9:00ish Morning Devotions and Catechism--- To try and keep God as our central focus, we begin our day around the school table where I lead our Bible study. Right now we’re working on the Ten Commandments and I have some coloring sheets, a song to sing and some stories to teach with. We also take this time to work through our catechism using the Truth and Grace Memory Books. We used to do this in our evening family worship time but found that it was getting too lengthy. We close with a prayer that God would bless and multiply our efforts throughout the day.
10:00ish School--- Here’s the time when we work through our individual Bible study, reading, writing, spelling, math, geography, science and history. This current school year I have done some juggling with separate curriculums for Jonathan and Zachary, but as Jonathan develops into a strong reader we will be combining all of the subject material while making adjustments for their varying levels.
I’m going to take a minute here to share one area that I was struggling with earlier this year in case anyone finds themselves in the same position. As moms we watch our children grow and mature throughout the years and with homeschooling we begin their schooling with a strong role for ourselves. We are the ones doing all of the reading and pointing to the workbook pages, leading the experiments and so on. Trying to do this “Mama-driven” schooling with an 8, 6, and 3-year-old was a real challenge. I went to a dear friend that has had more experience in schooling multiple children (in fact she has 7) and her words were so helpful to me. She recognized that I was not letting Zachary take on responsibility in his schooling. I changed things the following day and my life is sooooo much more manageable. Zachary is pleased with the independence and opportunity to show his maturity while Jonathan and Madison appreciate my attention without long interruptions. Every day I provide a written checklist/ schedule for Zachary that outlines his assignments for the day. Because I am not sitting beside him and hearing him read through each of his texts I now have him write me a short letter at the end of his school day where he shares what he has learned. I check over his work and we work together if he is struggling in an area. I still sit with Jonathan for his reading and writing time to ensure that he is developing into a more solid reader, but there are many times that I can get him started on his math and leave him to work independently while I spend some time with Madison. Because Madison is younger, her schooling is less formal. I have some packets that I made up years ago for preschoolers and I use these with her to develop her fine motor skills and phonemic awareness. We use scissors, trace pictures, make little booklets, read and sing songs. I have trained Madison to work quietly on an activity close by me while it is school time and it has been a blessing.
12:30ish Lunch---We are usually finished with our schooling at this point but there are times when we have been a bit sluggish and we have to carry on with school following lunch. We’ll enjoy our lunch together (Daddy usually joins us) and then move onto the remainder of the day. The rest of the day is far more flexible with a possible trip to the library, run to the grocery store, meeting with friends, cleaning the house, working outside in the yard, playing with our puppy, reading books individually or together, or resting while listening to the Bible on CD.
5:00ish Dinner---It is important to us that we eat dinner together every night as a family. We’ve chosen not to participate in team sports or other activities for a variety of reasons and one of these is that a family with multiple children can be pulled apart almost every night of the week. In addition to our normal routine we also like to engage in Biblical hospitality. The Bible commands believers to engage in hospitality and it talks about how the early church went house to house during the week. We apply these principles by hosting other families in our home for dinner, fellowship, and worship at least once or twice a week. It is such a delight to invite other families over to develop relationships, strengthen the body of Christ, and worship God.
6:00ish Take a walk or spend some time outdoors. Even with the hot weather, we find ourselves drifting outside around this time of day. The grass seems to be calling the children to run, the trees are asking to be climbed, and the trampoline wants to be jumped on. This is a restful time of the evening being surrounded by God’s handiwork.
My husband loves history and he sometimes reads a book to the family on various topics from Christopher Columbus and Lewis and Clark to Heroes of the Faith. He’ll find other books at the library to supplement the reading with pictures and he’ll even follow the progress of the people in the story with a wet erase marker on a laminated map or by opening an atlas. The boys really enjoy when Daddy does this.
7:00ish Family Worship--- This is led by Daddy. There are times when we’ll all surround the patio table outside and sing songs, read the Bible, apply the passage to our lives, and pray together as a family. Other times we’ll move inside and sit on the couches in the family room. Regardless, this is a very important time in our day to regroup as a family and set our hearts on the Lord, which is why we do it every evening except for Sunday.
8:00ish Prepare for bed.
I mentioned at the beginning of this schedule that this was a typical day but as I reflect there are often days that don’t measure up to this timeline. It isn’t rare for our time with friends to last until 10 or 11 at night, so we might find ourselves sleeping in the following morning. Regardless of the circumstances all of the events take place daily. We do take breaks throughout the year as needed and have decided to work through the summer months since moving to Buckeye. Who really wants to be outside in this heat??? A fabulous perk to homeschooling is that we are not bound by a schedule that someone else created- we can choose to take a vacation day or week anytime we choose to. This also helps in getting cheaper off-season rates!
My thoughts about Homeschooling
So, how do I feel about homeschooling? Really feel? I really count it a privilege to be called by God to instruct my children during the day. Many women wonder if it is a burden and think that I would need a break from it all. It’s not like a typical job where you are craving for the clock to strike 5:00 or for your vacation days to set in. These are my own children and there is such an investment that I don’t feel a need to quit. There are so many rewards in being able to see concepts “click” and watching as they develop their walk with the Lord. There is nothing sweeter than watching a child read his Bible independently and spend time in prayer.
Are there times when I feel like I want to pull my hair out? Sure. We all have those moments. Most of the time when I feel like this it is when I have forgotten that I have two boys. Boys are different from girls. Period.
Homeschooling boys
Boys need to move around. Asking one of my sons to sit in the same chair for thirty minutes without fidgeting would be torture. I have come to recognize that a mini trampoline and big exercise ball are wonderful tools in a homeschool. When my son gets antsy and the learning seems to be coming to a screeching halt, I have him go to the trampoline and jump one hundred times. He comes back ready to learn again. Even sitting on the exercise ball while schooling helps as he is able to use his lower body muscles to stabilize the ball while working with his upper body on the assignment I have given him. We also change the scenery. I like to give my children ownership of their schooling in areas that are not critical. Having the choice to do reading on the couch, bed, table or even under a table seems like a big deal to my sons. If that’s all it takes to provide motivation, I’ll keep doing it.
Fieldtrips
What are some of my favorite non-essentials of our schooling? Fieldtrips. I love fieldtrips. We’ve had opportunities to tour a fire station, visit the zoo, visit the Botanical Gardens, go for hikes, see a printing press, tour a city sanitation/ recycling department, play at area parks with friends. I have a long list of fieldtrips which I hope to get scheduled soon. Some things we do with our own family and others we invite friends to join us. We are hoping to start more mission-minded fieldtrips such as serving in the local foodbank to fill food boxes or to help out at a women’s shelter sorting clothing. Some of the other families in our church also take their older children out evangelizing once a month. These opportunities to be in the world as a family are priceless. We can share our faith together and hold one another up.
So, what is homeschooling like for us? It is a God-driven adventure that we undertake as a family every day. There is no other application of Deuteronomy 6:4-9 that comes close to fulfilling the requirements as does homeschooling and there is no other form of education that provides such blessings!
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