Homeschooling

Bordering on Unschooling

9.15.06

When people ask me what my homeschooling philosophy is, I answer that our style is eclectic and we tend toward unschooling. But I never call myself an unschooler. Since many people unfamiliar with homeschooling read my blog, I will explain that unschooling is allowing your children to learn what they want, when they want, and [...]

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The 31st Carnival of Homeschooling

7.31.06

When Melissa at The Lilting House ended last week’s Schoolhouse Rock-inspired Carnival of Homeschooling, she proclaimed, “Interplanet Janet Shannon – she’s a galaxy girl.” Turns out, she’s right (I wonder if she knows how much I love SciFi?) and the theme for this week’s Carnival was born. Welcome to the 31st Carnival of Homeschooling: Galactic [...]

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We're Not Homeschoolers, We're Worldlearners

5.29.06

Last winter I was skiing with my son and a nice couple rode the lift with us. We chatted and, looking at Luke, they asked if he had the day off of school. When I explained that we homeschool, you could feel the conversation grind to a halt. I don’t think they were being rude, [...]

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Coming Out of the Closet

5.27.06

It’s not what you think, but I got your attention, didn’t I? Over the past year, I’ve been slowly making a transformation. People who know me may be surprised – even shocked – when reading some of the things that have been written on this blog lately. Yes, I am changing. For many years, I [...]

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History is Being Rewritten

5.2.06

Over at The Homeschool Cafe, Alasandra wrote about her search for a history book “that actually teaches history and not some sanitized feel good fairy tale.” Such history textbooks are harder and harder to find these days. There are countless examples of religious and ethnic groups demanding that historical accounts be softened and even completely [...]

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The Many Uses of a Play Kitchen

3.16.06

I love to find toys that transcend the age “recommendation” and remain useful for many years. This play kitchen is a perfect example. L got this kitchen as a gift for his 5th birthday. I figured he’d play with it for maybe a year, then it would no longer be of interest. I’ve been expecting [...]

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Finding My Homeschooling Groove

3.6.06

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you might have noticed that the “homeschooling” facet of “Parenting, Homeschooling and Thriving (PHAT)” is a bit lacking in content. I read a lot about homeschooling. I think a lot about homeschooling. I actively participate in homeschooling. But when it comes to writing and discussing homeschooling, I’ve [...]

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Stupid in America

1.14.06

Last night, 20/20 ran a report by John Stossel called “Stupid in America.” Visit their web site now and you’ll find a poll that sums up the theme of the report: Do you think voucher programs and school choice would improve public education? Current results: 80.3% yes 19.6% no Stossel makes a compelling case for [...]

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School Daze

9.12.05

(I know, quite the original title to this post.) As children in the Northeast begin a new school year, I find myself thinking about our homeschooling journey thus far. I haven’t blogged much about homeschooling because every time I start to write, I get off on several tangents and can’t seem to keep my thoughts [...]

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Anti-Socialization

7.29.05

Socialization. It’s the one word that can make any homeschooling parent cringe. I used to defend my position that the socialization children get in school is undesirable, but I found that my comments were often lost on deaf ears. Most people don’t have an open mind when it comes to this topic, perhaps because everyone [...]

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Moving on to "2nd Grade"

4.8.05

We have declared L officially finished with 1st grade. He has taken a great interest in workbooks lately and has whipped through the math, place value, and reading comprehension books, declaring them “too easy.” He noticed that the workbooks say “Grade 1” and he asked me what grades his cousins are in. I told him [...]

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