School at home

My oldest child officially started kindergarten two weeks ago. At home.

For years, I have wondered if I could really do this. It sounded like a great idea, but would it work?

I'm pleased to say that it is working out very well. Even better than I had imagined. I have been teaching him to read and write for a while now. Primarily because he showed an interest at an early age. But now we add science, language arts, math, etc. His favorite subject is science. He is always asking how and why about a variety of things. Now he is able to learn and discover more. I also like that I can work according to his abilities, and I can speed things up or supplement if he seems to be catching on quickly.

One of my biggest concerns was that by being my son's teacher, I wouldn't be available to others. Because I knew many homeschooling moms when I lived in North Carolina, I was quite aware of how busy they were, and I often was concerned that I may have been interrupting them. But now here in Ohio, the few moms I know are not homeschooling, and they also are very busy. So it was a misperception I was attributing to homeschooling moms when, in fact, it applies to all moms. Also, when I realized that a regular school year is about 36 weeks, and that there are 52 weeks in a year, I figured I could get the work done. To avoid getting overwhelmed, I spread the first week of school over two weeks. I even did an activity with him last Saturday, then this past Sunday he was bored and said, "Mommy, you haven't done any school with me today!"

And then there are the funny things he comes up with. My oldest is one who would fit the "think outside the box" personality. Here is a prime example for when I was teaching him about simile:

Me: "Pat is flat like a......."
J: "Cake"
Me: (thinking he was trying to say pancake) "Well, most cakes aren't flat, but what kind of cake is flat?"


(scroll down for his answer...)




J: A ginger cake that has been hit by a baseball bat.

I am so proud of him :-)