Homeschool Curriculum

I've done a lot of research on homeschool curriculum and a lot of experimenting on my poor kids with different approaches. Probably a lot more than necessary.
Here are some of my thoughts for anyone who might be interested.
Robinson self-directed curriculum is interesting with its emphasis on math and reading out of print books. Though I didn't order the program, I read about it and was reminded that it's possible to get too complicated and feel like you have to do too much facilitating. At the end of the day strong math, writing, and reading is most essential. If you can read, comprehend, express yourself, follow mathematical organizational patterns, you can absorb other info fairly readily, I think.
Of course, as you can, you'd want to add to these pursuits. For example, learning a second language and some techniques of art and music from an early age is valuable, especially for a kid who has a bent this direction. I think homeschooling can help you be more sensitive to your children's natural proclivities and nurture them.
Classical approaches give kids a more global perspective, teaching world history, and linguistics. The reading, history, and language books put out by Peace Hill Press are great, particularly the phonetic reading primer, but not all kids catch on as quickly and your kid may take a long time to put it all together to read and write and think well. At the same time, Waldorf and other approaches that delay learning too much concern me as well. There is some simple "you must do this," "work is necessary but not always fun," that you just have to learn as part of life. I'm not sure that making kids memorize arbitrary little poems and lists of obscure Egyptian pharoahs is so helpful in achieving these goals of reading writing and thinking well though I do think some memorization is very worthwhile. Learning phonics is truly worthwhile, I think, and grammar. Abeka has a more interactive approach that might work better for some kids but there's something to be said for the Ordinary Parents' Guide's simplicity--just one book. It's possible to either push your kids really hard or let them really slack off depending on how many and how you use these books recommended by The Well-Trained Mind and what you add to them.
Ambleside Online has similarities to the classical approach and Robinson's curriculum though it stresses handiworks, music, and art more. None of these seem that strong on science, particularly for the early grades, if that's a concern, and AO and RC have something of a strangely old-fashioned feel, having kids read so many out of print books, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but might not suit.
Sonlight is sort of a light classical, literature based curriculum that's engaging and fun and not quite as stodgy as Robinson or Ambleside. It does have kids read a lot of award-winning books over the classics of WTM, many of which I doubt would ever reach classic status, to the point that it seems they were chosen simply because they won awards. This program also does not feel very structured.
For those who want a more traditional academic feel, using a standardized curriculum for all subjects, like BJ, AlphaOmega, or Abeka may be a better fit. Abeka has a strong language program but tunnel vision w/ regards to its America-centric (is that a word) and overly christianized perspective on history especially. There may be some seemingly pointless busy work involved but you can adapt it to suit your needs. There's something to be said for the continuity and safety of using a standardized curriculum for all your subjects. An eclectic approach can help you balance out the weakness of different programs but you do lose when you move from that continuity. Still, you may gain a sense of ownership, as you do your own thing, and piece together what works best for you.
Most importantly, with whatever curriculum you choose, making life about learning and enjoying learning can be very rewarding. Check out fun books and videos on valuable academic topics at the library or buy them as opportunity and budget allow. Do research with your kids. Talk to them. Play educational games with them. Read with them. Create, explore. Whether or not you homeschool, if you nurture the idea that learning is fun, you and your kids will set out on a life-long adventure that opens many doors.
Lastly and important too, extra-curricular sports and/or gym memberships or family ACTIVitites are great to push the body as well as the mind.

Homeschooling

All right. I'm coming out. We're homeschooling this year. I've kept it kind of quiet because I've not always been very supportive of homeschoolers and I still think there are some real concerns w/ homeschooling. I'm afraid homeschooled kids sometimes aren't getting as much and as varied academic content and opportunities as they should and that they're not always learning healthy interaction and having a testimony with others. But there are concerns w/ public (potentially poor academics and bad influences)and private schools (sheltered and limited environment) too. This summer I just sensed (and I'm not usually into sensing things either but God can lead in inexplicable ways) I was to homeschool this year. It's been a refuge and an adventure for us. I do at times feel insecure about what I can provide for my kids and how many extraneous programs I should have them in nor do I know if this choice will be the best one for us in the future as well. It is hard to deal w/ the expectations and stereotypes I sense people have about homeschoolers, that they should be mousy, perfectly well-behaved, that their parents are crazy and the kids don't have a chance coping with the real world. Still, again, I'm so glad we're learning at home this year. God has repeatedly confirmed for me that this choice was a good one, that His hand is in it. I want my children to learn to read and write well, to know the language of mathematics, to understand a great deal about the world around them and what has gone on before them. Most of all, I want them to know God at work in their lives. I want them to be conduits of His grace. So intimately seeing them succeed and fail has given me so many opportunities to point them toward the God from whom springs all our abilities and who gifts us w/ trials that work great things in us. So, yes, I'm homeschooling this year. Yes, I'm probably weird. No, my kids are not even close to being angels and I'm an extremely flawed parent. Yes, I believe God is in this. I do not believe homeschooling is mandated by God or that parents who choose to homeschool are more spiritual than those who do not and I think parental involvement is essential, makes the difference, no matter where kids go to school. But if God moves you and gifts you to homeschool, I do believe you will find it a challenge, yes,--and also a very real blessing. I have.

Dead Driver

It's been a while since I posted last! So much has happened, not the least is that God has opened doors to keep us in our ministry for a while longer.
I've been thinking a lot about my favorite verse, Gal. 2:20. This Wed. I talked to the kids about it. I asked them, "Are Christians dead?" Of course, they said no, but after I read this verse, I asked, "What does it mean to be crucified with Christ?"
Lukas said, "Not to do bad things anymore."
I said, "What is it you want to do when someone is mean to you or when you don't get to do something you want to do or Mommy tells you to do something?"
Liam says, "Like when you don't get what you want for Christmas?" They're a bit fixated on Christmas right now. Apparently Liam is worried about it.
"I get mad," says Lukas.
"Is that what God wants us to do?" I ask.
General shaking heads "no."
"So we're to die so that Christ is seen," I said. "Christ lives in us. We want to do what's bad but God can work in us so that we do what pleases Him instead." Then I said something, kind of corny maybe, about letting God drive the car of our life.
The thing is--it's so much easier to say it, to teach it even, than it is to do it.
Frankly, I want certain things from my life, and I'm afraid those wants of mine are about me, not God. It's time for me to die, having died already, or at least, truly stay out from behind the wheel.