School in the Snow

We are currently snowed in, but there's no reason why the school has to end. While "normal" students might get the day off, we are busy learning here at the homeschool house. Of course, that doesn't mean the children have to know that... They think it's all good fun!

Here are some ideas on snow lessons:

• Learn how snow forms. This link has a lot of good information on this subject.
• Make a snow gauge. Use a large can, bucket, or two liter soda bottle with the top cut off. Attach a ruler to one side and set it in a visible place. If you don't feel like trudging out to check it very often, you can set it near a window as long as there are no overhangs that can interfere with the snowfall. Measure the snow and create a chart from the data you gather.
• Focus on snowy areas in a geography lesson. Point out how these cultures adapt to the snowfall and go outside for a brief lesson on living in the snow.
• Make history interesting. Talk about record snowfalls and what it was like to live through. Dicuss the effects that the snowfall had on the area.
• Go outside and play! When you come back in, teach the children how to properly care for wet clothing.
• Teach them how to safely and successfully start a fire.
• Teach them to plan and serve a warm meal (such as soup).
• Identify animal tracks. We had a lot of little visitors last night, judging by the tracks outside. Find out what is visiting your house. Learn about those animals and how they survive in the snow.
• Discover how much water is inside a certain volume of snow. Fill a cup with snow and bring it inside. After it melts, measure what remains.
• Make snowshoes. Here are some simple instructions.
• Prepare for a power outage. Explain possible causes of power outages and what the family will do in the event of a power outage.

I could go on and on, but I've got four eager kids waiting to go discover the winter wonderland outside. Have a wonderful day! Happy learning!

In Defense of Unschooling

I’ll admit it. I love unschooling. It’s a method I've used with all of my children, especially when they were very young. Unschooling harnesses the child’s natural curiosity and allows the child to direct their own learning. Done properly, unschooling can be very encouraging for children.

I will never forget the day when a friend of mine began posting anti-unschooling comments on Facebook. She described a situation that had been highlighted on the news the night before. The reporter had focused on a family that claimed to be “unschooling” when they were really just letting their son sit in front of the television all day.

That is absolutely not what unschooling is. Unschooling is child-directed learning. It is allowing the child to take charge and learn. My oldest boy chose to learn about trains, but his little brother focused on dinosaurs. They both learned, but they learned differently.

I stand in support of unschooling, but it does not work for everyone. Children who are not motivated or who have lost their natural curiosity may find unschooling very difficult because they do not feel driven to learn. Parents who thrive on structure or schedules may also find the unstructured learning environment of unschooling unnerving.

However, unschooling is a perfect fit for most young children and for certain children who are starting to homeschool after an unsuccessful "real" school experience. Young children are naturally curious but can quickly burn out on structured learning. Similarly, unschooling can give a child who has felt like a failure in a traditional, structured classroom the opportunity to feel successful and happy while learning. A love of learning creates a foundation and a motive for a good education. 

Ultimately, there are no "one size fits all" education solutions. The homeschooling method you use should depend solely on your preferences and the preferences of the child you teach--but that doesn't mean that an alternative method is bad or wrong. Judging a homeschool method by its name is as ignorant as judging a book by its cover. We must learn to do better.

We're Back!

Hello again!

It's been months since I've posted and I am very, very sorry. The end of the year was a busy time for me, but with this New Year comes a new resolution -- keeping up with the blog no matter what it takes!

Moving forward, I hope to have updates for you at least twice a week with ideas on everything from educational games, lesson plans, product reviews, homeschool resources, homeschooling news, homeschool statistics, studies and other homeschool information.