Homeschooling Begins...

I’ve essentially lost track of days and dates, other than when they relate to reservations or travel. Luckily I knew I could count on a slew of “back to school” photos of all my friends’ kids to alert me that it was time for me to start teaching. (By the way, I love seeing all those pictures every year, so keep ‘em coming!)

I told our kids to do their own Back to School pictures, and they sent me mugshots.

It’s a little fuzzy for us, because we’ve done a ton already that I will for sure be counting towards schooling. Hours in science and art museums. Moving around like chess pieces on the globe. Telling time the military/European way. Kilometers?? I mean, the kids (and we) have absorbed so much information just by living this life, that it seems like there should be some sort of honorary degree awarded to us. (Side note: I also think giving birth and getting your children to age 5 should qualify as partial credit towards a nursing degree. You learn so much crazy bodily stuff just trying to keep them alive.)

In our field trip to Museo Picasso, we learned that even one of the world’s best artists couldn’t resist drawing weiners. Art lesson!

See? This is why I can’t throw away my kids’ random scribbles. The museum dedicated to them someday is gonna need them.

But all the life lessons aside, my hope is that the kids will be able to slide back into their respective schools and not be totally lost or behind in their classes. Colorado requires 4 hours a day of whatever we consider “school,” so I’m using that as a guide.

I’ve got Story starting the first week or so with some math review (i.e. I brought along her 4th grade workbook and chose some pages that cover a variety of skills.). Math has always been her least favorite, so I’m trying to a) figure out what she knows and doesn’t know, and b) let her start out with some easier successes. It’s still work for her, but she’s done great so far. The first day, I assigned her two pages. She shocked the hell out of me by doing eight instead! I do not expect that to happen ever again, but I was very proud and impressed.

Sagan’s doing online math, mostly self-guided. I’ll add in some Biology lessons soon. Both kids are doing Spanish in age-appropriate, level-appropriate workbooks plus Duolingo. (They have to complete the monthly challenges that Duolingo sets up. 1000XP per month makes for easy tracking!) I brought along a middle school World History book because it’s right in between their two levels. Sagan will also be reading a book about WWII that’s written in Spanish. I’m all about efficiency in learning. I’m making them both read at bedtime now, too. “Making them” seems so dumb. I love reading at bedtime!

Who says you can’t do school at the beach?

Anyway, you get the idea. They’ll be learning from books and numbers while also learning through doing/going/being. Just like at home but with a lot more umph. I’m not sure how this will translate to academia, but hopefully they’ll be curious, good citizens of the world after this experience.