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Eclectic Homeschooling Works

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Eclectic Homeschooling-The World at Your Fingertips

Our kids are learning wherever they are. Out in the woods, on an airplane, in the State Capital, at a science museum, a senior center or just playing. They create and imagine and question. They are all avid readers now, even though 2 of them did not start to read until they were 7. They even create squidoo lenses about things of interest to them.

The definition of Eclectic-Selecting a mixture of what appear to be best of various doctrines, methods or styles.

We try things and use what works and move on when something does not work for us. Using textbooks for 5 hours a day does not work for us. A rigid schedule does not work for us. Putting housework before a chance to explore does not work for us.

Academics PLUS real life

Yes the kids study academic subjects, but they also do a lot of hands on learning and just plain playing with friends and each other. They attend science classes at a local Nature Park. We did some traveling last year and that was very exciting. They got to see Sarah Palin she came to our city.
Important!

WE ARE ALWAYS LEARNING

Curiosity leads to investigation and discovery. I believe in giving my kids opportunities that will pique their curiosity and cause them to ask questions and explore.
Turn off the TV and let them see and touch real things.

Travel as Education

Last year we traveled to Rochester, NY and Niagra Falls. While exploring the falls in Rochester, we stumbled upon this sign explaining this was a last stop on the Underground Railroad! Just one boat ride across the river and the former slaves would finally be safe in Canada.

Learning to follow schematics. A Fischertechnic tower they built. 

Letterboxing

We started Letterboxing last Spring. Clues to hidden boxes are posted on the internet and solving clues and reading a compass brings you to the letterbox. The kids love finding a box. It is not the same as Geocaching. Letterboxing uses a compass, not a GPS and you do not exchange trinkets. Each letterbox contains a stamp. You collect stamp images in your log book and place your signature stamp in the log book that is in the letterbox. We have discovered some really beautiful places while letterboxing.
We were led to this beautiful old oak, The Lichgate Oak, while searching for a letterbox. This is a picture with their grandparents.

Meeting a Sculptor

We were at the Florida Capitol Building while Bekah was a Page for the State Legislature.There is an art gallery on the top floor of the Capitol Building. We spent a long time examining the bronze cast sculptures. Later we saw the actual artist was working in the Rotunda. Joseph and Bizzy were facinated and began to ask him questions. The next thing I knew, he was letting them "help". He gave them some tools and clay to take home. They worked on a sculpture of Joseph's turtle, Noodle. They brought it back to show him at the end of the week. He gave them advice and offered to help them via email in the future. I doubt that would happen at school!

What about Socialization?

Here are some community involvement they had this year.

  • Science Classes at Nature Park
  • Park days with homeschool group
  • Homeschool Co-op Classes
  • Homeschool swim and gym every Tuesday morning at a local rec. center.
  • Bekah is on the Youth Advisory Board for the city Parks & Rec. Dept.
  • Bekah & Bizzy did a week of Holiday Camp- Ropes Course, Swim with Manatees and Horseback Riding
  • Grandma showed off their knitting skills at a senior center knitting group. They were polite and conversed with the seniors!
  • Bekah addressed City Council to speak against allowing alcohol sales in the parks.
  • Bekah was a page for the Florida House of Representatives.
  • Joseph and his friend started a "Treehouse Reading Club". Up to 8 early readers would come over once a week and read together in Joseph's treehouse. They even came up with rules: "help each other with hard words, clap when book is finished, do not laugh if someone gets stuck, help them"
  • A homeschool camp-out with a guided night hike!
  • Bekah and Bizzy were in a local play this Christmas.
  • Joseph & Bizzy were on the City Developmental Swim team.
  • We invited the homeschool communtiy to come over and build hypertufa pots and steppingstones.

What about the 3 R's

Time4Learning
Joseph & Bizzy use Time4Learning for Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies. They are really enjoying it and they do not resist when it is time to "hit the books". It is especially entertaining for Joseph, yet the concepts taught are explained accurately and clearly.
ALEKS -- Automated Tutor, Math
Bizzy and Bekah are using ALEKS for math. It does not have the entertainment of Time4learning. It just gets right down to the work. It is the first math program Bekah has liked since she did Miquon Math in 3rd Grade.
As soon as they can demonstrate mastery of a concept, they are given a new concept. There is no endless repetion here. (Regular review is built in!)
Apologia Science
Bekah is using Exploring Creation With Biology and I am using Exploring Creation With Physical Science with Bizzy & Joseph.

Miquon Math

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Creation Science

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  • Reply
    Janiece Sep 5, 2011 @ 8:30 am | delete
    Came back again today to leave you an angel blessing..
  • Reply
    Janiece Aug 10, 2011 @ 2:21 pm | delete
    Thanks for sharing with us some of your family's homeschooling experiences! Great photos!
  • Reply
    A homeschooling family Feb 3, 2009 @ 7:54 am | delete
    Wow, you keep your kids busy. I love your socialization list. Some people still think homeschool kids are isolated. I think I will make up a socialization list to give the grandparents! Seeing it all at once should calm their concerns.
  • Reply
    Jimmie Jan 18, 2009 @ 7:19 pm | delete
    I love your eclectic, hands-on approach to learning! It's always nice to find fellow homeschooling Squids.
  • Reply
    GregGiordano Jan 17, 2009 @ 10:11 am | delete
    Since these are my kids, and the lens was made by my wife, I am most proud! Great job on showing the many ways in which the kids learn. It's true we've tried many things and take the best of each way and what works for the kids as individuals.
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Frozen Niagra Falls 

Community Garden  

Dinosaur World -Joseph's 7th Birthday 

Good King Wenseslas Play 

Touching a 400-600 year old astrolabe from a shipwreck 

We got to see Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin in our city 

Noodle the Turtle and (the late) Bitsy the Snail 

BAD experience with Connections Academy

I noticed that Connections Academy is sometimes advertised on this lens. I in no way can recommend Connections Academy. I have actually been considering making a lens describing our experiences with them.
My kids were enrolled in Florida Connections Academy for six months. No matter what they claim, they were not flexible with us. One example is they insisted my son complete all subjects in the first grade curriculum before they would advance him to 2nd grade math, even though he could pass each math chapter test with 100% in 5-10 minutes without doing any work in the chapter. He got a 98 on the pretest for 1st grade math.

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ngio64

Homeschool wife and mother. Our entire family are Lensmaster. Browse their lenses. Greg -our Papa squid, Bekah -our adult squid, Bizzy -our 14
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