If you too are looking for ideas, or you have a Cub Scout (or a Girl Scout), make sure to check out the activities that are available through scouting.
As the search is continuing for resources for homeschooling my brain was getting fried so I stopped for a moment to look at what the Monk needed for Cub Scouts. I'm not sure what led me to this inquiry, but I just needed a break and since he is moving into a Wolf den soon, I figured that I would see what he needed to do in order to get some of his belt loops. Well, talk about an untapped vein of resources!! There are a TON of activities that are available through Cub Scouts that can be incorporated into his education! So many of the requirements that are necessary for him to earn his belt loops and academic pins can be turned into lessons for school. It actually relieved a lot of stress for me because I was able to envision these tasks as being a part of our learning day and I know he'll be more vested because it also accomplishes something for what he loves, which is scouting. It's nice to have just another resource available to help him become homeschool learner.
If you too are looking for ideas, or you have a Cub Scout (or a Girl Scout), make sure to check out the activities that are available through scouting.
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The search for homeschooling curriculum has begun. It is becoming quite the endeavor. First, just trying to find something that is NOT Christian based is really tough. As a Buddhist family, Christian based education is just not the way we want to go. I have noticed that there are publishers out there who do sell curriculum and grade-level curriculum sets, but as we are going from 2 to 1 incomes, their prices are a little out of our budget range. Luckily, as a former teacher, I know of some tricks of the trade to help me access resources. I have several websites and such up my sleeve to help me, at least begin, to gather some of what I want to use in helping my son develop into a more well-rounded learner. But this is where part of the conundrum begins. Where do I let go of some of my teacher self and begin on the homeschooling journey? How do I let go of the state standard driven mindset that I have grown accustomed to in the educational system that was once my career and think more fluidly? I know that I want Monk to be successful and, with my Type A personality, I like the structure and organization that a set curriculum provides. But, I also know that although Monk needs a routine, he also needs to be able to be creative and move. He needs the ability to follow something that he gets stuck on and a chance to use his hands as much as possible. In my research (because I'm a nerd and that's what we do - research), I have noticed that there are two basic trains of thoughts when it comes to homeschooling. There are those who have a structured, set curriculum, and there are those who unschool, or have a more fluid, project-based, learning style. I think that I'm wanting to do a bit of both. So, in planning and talking with my husband, we have decided to have A/B days. On A days (M,W,F), we are going to have a bit of the "traditional" classroom setting with lessons and worksheets and reading, etc. On B days (T,R) we are going to have more of those hands-on experiences with lapbooks, and projects and construction type learning. To help with my OCD tendencies, I'm also going to utilize workboxes to help with organization and helping the Monk to stay on task. I am currently fine tuning our schedule and the bits and pieces of what I would like to teach and have the Monk learn, so we'll have to see how this journey continues. |
How it all started...I was a public school teacher for 6 years in a very urban middle school for both 7th and 8th grade. As the red-tape got thicker and teaching became more of a business rather than a place to prepare young minds to enter into the world, I decided that if I was going to work that hard to give an education to someone, it should be my own son. So, my adventures in homeschooling has begun. Follow us on Instagram!
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