We've known for a couple of years that we were going to be a homeschooling family, but now it is sort of official, as Silas would have just started kindergarten if he wasn't a free-range kid. This official status hasn't changes our lives very much. For us, learning happens as we live our days. For example, the boys and I recently spent a day weeding and mulching our strawberry garden. We were working hard and having a great time together, but our work stopped abruptly when we found a cute little frog. The frog generated a lot of questions - what kind is it, what does it eat, where does it live? We did some research together and the boys spent a lot of time cuddling the frog (a wood frog, we discovered), then Silas decided he wanted to record this information in his nature journal and that is the way the rest of our afternoon went. We all learned a lot about frogs and had fun doing it together.
What is different now is that Silas is trying out some of the many classes that Portland has to offer homeschooled kids. He is taking a weekly gymnastics class and a monthly Mad Science class offered at a local library. Here he is at his first science class where they talked about matter and polymers:
Silas on the far left.
So far he loves both classes, but he has mentioned that he doesn't really like a lot of talking, he'd rather be doing.
Today Si & I took an owl class at the Maine Wildlife Park, where we listened to a talk about owls, then dissected owl pellets, which are the coughed-up indigestible remains of whatever the owl has recently eaten (basically bones and fur, in this case from mice). It was so interesting!
Because Silas & I were our own "class", we didn't have to share our plate of pellets with a table full of other kids. After the class, while the kids that attended from local public schools had to scurry around filling out worksheets, Silas and I spent two hours leisurely strolling the park, checking out whatever creatures we were interested in - another fantastic day. We love homeschooling!
dude...this is awesome...this is how everyone should learn...I see a future plant or animal scientist
Posted by: alison Shutty | October 09, 2009 at 09:47 PM
Rich and Ellen Maringione of Mad Science live in my neighborhood.. Their kids go to school with Erik. It's great that Silas attended their class..
Posted by: Heidi | October 10, 2009 at 05:11 PM
Michelle! I am happy to see that you documented your first days as official homeschoolers!! It is a remarkable period of time for your family!! You have been feeling like a homeschooler for years and NOW YOU ARE REALLY DOING IT!! Congratulations to all of you!
BTW I LOVE Silas's drawing of the wood frog! You can tell he is a real artist.
Posted by: Deb | October 12, 2009 at 10:19 AM