For God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on
Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
Jun. 6, 2006
Workbooks were created to accomodate mass education
The thing about "homeschool" is that it is not public school. Yet it took me so long to get that out of my head.
I just love my daughter's entry here where she states "just tell them." YES!
Just tell them. She is so "right on" with that. Workbooks were to accomodate mass education. Workbooks begin with the child who had absolutely nothing. The home that is the least educated, as though the child crawled out from under a rock. In theory. The educators assume nothing, in other words. And if your child is in public school, this is where they will begin. At the very lowest point. As homeschoolers who are using materials that copy the public schools, we must realize that these workbooks begin at a point, and overdo, what our children do not need.
I love what my daughter says about teaching her children manners. You don't need the fancy book. You actually can just tell them.
I remember reading on someones blog how they finally carved the time out of their day for workbook time, and how wonderful it was to be getting so much done. I think that's the key -- it makes us feel like we're doing school just like the big brick building. But that big brick building is failing. I just think our children are learning so very much, by reading and having books read to them, and following us around helping us with chores, having lots of conversation about everything.
Workbooks were created for mass education, where the teacher has to keep everyone on the same page, starting at the lowest common denominator.
I believe we need to teach our children to read, and then let them at it. I believe we need to be available for lots of discussion. Busy work is not learning. Especially concerning the youngsters, the lower grades, there is too much to explore to have your head stuck in a workbook. In my opinion.
As homeschoolers we have the option to pull our children around and read to them, or talk as we work. I go to the library and get an armload of books, and lay them out -- my 9 year old doesn't come up for air until he's done. He's learning plenty without the mass education workbooks.
We use 2 workbooks, and I'll throw one of them out of my curriculum next year. One is penmanship. The one I'll likely toss is Rod and Staff spelling. I'll likely go to catching their spelling errors in their writing. Or ask them to spell all the common words, 5 at a time -- and teach the ones they get wrong.
Mostly, I like to look over a subject and refresh myself on it -- like I did on Martin Luther King Jr. Day -- and then sit and talk to the kids about it. Maybe read a book from the library, then talk about it. Conversation with Mom or Dad, or both. Kids love time with their parents, and mine were amazed by the stuff I told them about civl rights. I don't think they would have gotten that from a workbook or a textbook.
One day out of a month, conversation style, teaches more than a whole month full of workbook pages, in my opinion.
That's my soapbox for the day. Homeschool doesn't need to be as time consuming as we make it, and workbooks were created for mass education.
Comments
Jun. 6, 2006 - thank you!
 Posted by Robin
You are so refreshing!
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Jun. 6, 2006 - Dear Patty Cake
Posted by Anonymous
Hello!
I just read your good post!
Your daughter is homeschooling too!
You must have trained her well : )
Maribel
www.APMFormulators.com
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Jun. 8, 2006 - Untitled Comment
 Posted by 8arrows
Amen!! For anyone who wants to read more about non-workbook learning you should check out Barb Shelton's website http://www.homeschooloasis.com. I have learned so much from her!
Karen
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Jun. 8, 2006 - Untitled Comment
 Posted by eyecorn
So true! I confessed on Gena's blog that I would go nuts if we were still doing Monday's worksheets on Thursday when DS was in 1st grade...but, I'm 7 years wiser now....I compulse over other school things! Thank you for sharing these helpful words of wisdom.
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Jun. 13, 2006 - Untitled Comment
Posted by peainapod1
Hmm...Very intresting. I am going to have to think about what you have said for awhile. We use a workbook to do our math work. It seems to work for us and he is learning. I guess that is what is great about homeschooling. You can do what works best in your family.
Very intesting,
Rebecca
P.S. I all ways love coming to your site. Great graphics!
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Jun. 14, 2006 - We are gettting there!
 Posted by LearningGlory
I find myself every so slowing letting go of those workbooks. And guess what, every time we stop one, we accomplish so much more with our discussions!
Blessings from Maine.
-Tammy
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Jun. 15, 2006 - Eclectic Homeschool
 Posted by cyndiegirl72
We are doing Eclectic Homeschool. My 6yo starts an easy reader on Monday and reads the same one until Fri. His spelling words are words from the story. He reads and writes them all week. My 8yo, I make up his spelling words from a list I got off the internet. On level for him with one hard one for a bonus. Each boy has 6 words for summer and 10 in winter. I hate worksheets, except for math, they lack creativity. Who learns in black and white? Children want to learn in color. You can't smell or feel a worksheet, where is the fun in that?
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Jun. 16, 2006 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Andrea
Great post. We are right there with you on this. I've been doing a great deal of studying on homeschooling and we are coming to the same conclusion. This past school year was so much better than previous years. The stress level was almost non-existent!!
Andrea in Ohio - I have posted on your blog before just under another blog.. I no longer have that one.. I started another one on Xanga as it's easier to work.. LOL..
Have a great day!
http://www.xanga.com/Andria35
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Jun. 19, 2006 - Amen!
 Posted by seekingtheoldpaths
This is so right on. Not just because it is good 'ol common sense (that somehow takes us ALL boatloads of time and boatloads of kids to figure out), it is also, and more importantly...Scriptural.
This walking around, going about the routines of our day and *talking* about stuff is exactly the lifestyle and teaching approach described in Deuteronomy 6. It is also the way our Lord Jesus did His teaching. If it worked for the Lord, we can be assured that it can work for us. That at it's core, it is a sound method.
The facts that this method is simpler, and more relational, are bonuses. And what awesome bonuses they are!
Blessings,
Julie
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Jul. 25, 2006 - Thought provoking
 Posted by Hediedforme
I'm new to homeschooling in a way, but we start teaching them things from the start like most folks on this site I suppose. I've got a curriculum but took a quiz (with the help of a friend since our internet filter blocked it) and it said I am an unschooler that doesn't mind a textbook for certain things. I feel nervous about this and concerned since at the Convention we didn't think we sounded like unschoolers at all. It seems hard to measure where your children are, but this might just be my inexperience speaking. My oldest has just turned 5. We are doing phonics even though she can read, mostly just using Sing, Spell, Read and Write's phonics books and CLP's 1st grade phonics to make sure I didn't miss anything important. We are doing math out of a workbook sort of, but I've stopped all the writing and most of it is oral. Today we just used flash cards outside for a while and then I had her write down answers for about 10 problems. We start "school" time when the baby is sleeping but he wakes up in the midst of it. We read a history type book some days and other days we don't. I'm not very worried about most subjects except math and reading. Anyhow, I'm rambling. I just love what you write though and you've got me thinking. I'd love to hear from anyone and would love any advise!!! God bless!
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Jul. 25, 2006 - Thought provoking
Posted by Hediedforme
I'm new to homeschooling in a way, but we start teaching them things from the start like most folks on this site I suppose. I've got a curriculum but took a quiz (with the help of a friend since our internet filter blocked it) and it said I am an unschooler that doesn't mind a textbook for certain things. I feel nervous about this and concerned since at the Convention we didn't think we sounded like unschoolers at all. It seems hard to measure where your children are, but this might just be my inexperience speaking. My oldest has just turned 5. We are doing phonics even though she can read, mostly just using Sing, Spell, Read and Write's phonics books and CLP's 1st grade phonics to make sure I didn't miss anything important. We are doing math out of a workbook sort of, but I've stopped all the writing and most of it is oral. Today we just used flash cards outside for a while and then I had her write down answers for about 10 problems. We start "school" time when the baby is sleeping but he wakes up in the midst of it. We read a history type book some days and other days we don't. I'm not very worried about most subjects except math and reading. Anyhow, I'm rambling. I just love what you write though and you've got me thinking. I'd love to hear from anyone and would love any advice!!! God bless!
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