Answers...

I know I was supposed to be back on Friday to post my homeschooling answers, however just as Bones was on the mend my little KK woke up SICK.  Between tending to both of my little ones, trying to sanitize toys, and working on some preschool swap bags, I just wasn't able to get on and write this post.

So, here we go, a little Q&A of sorts.

Q: Why did you choose to homeschool?
A:  The Hubs says his #1 reason for wanting to homeschool was so that our kids could have more freedom.

I have a myriad of reasons.

• I want my children to learn to think outside the box.  I want them to figure out the how's and the why's instead of just going along with what some stranger tells them.  Bones already has found an easier way (for him) to figure out some math problems.  This strategy isn't in the books, it's not something I was ever taught and not something I taught him.  He figured it out himself.  
• Children are naturally curious, energetic and excited about the world that surrounds them.  They need to be given the opportunity to soak it all up, explore and learn without the constraints that traditional schooling puts on them.  
• I want my children to learn about what interests them, not what some man on a hill dictates they learn.  Of course I will teach them the basics, from then on I'm just there for guidance. 
• I love being with my kids.  I love watching them learn.  I love the look on Bones' face when something clicks.  I love seeing Cupcake get so incredibly proud of herself when she figures something out.
• Public Schools suck, for a million and one reasons.  The teachers that truly care about the education the students are receiving are few and far between.  Bullies.  Terrible school lunches.  SO much wasted time.  No individuality allowed.  No God allowed.  Bones was actually sent to the principal for praying at lunch.  His teacher told him that he was not allowed to list the Bible as his daily reading because it was unacceptable.  
• I want them to be able to work at their own pace.  If something comes easy for them, we'll review and move on.  I fit is difficult we can spend more time on it without repercussions.  This is another issue that arose during Bones' short time in PS.  He had completed all his work and chose to move on to the next lesson so he wouldn't disrupt his deskmates.  He was reprimanded for working ahead, moved 2 colors down on the behavior chart and had a note sent home to me.  :/
• I want them to learn to do well by their own standards, not some external source like grades.  I want them to decide for themselves when something is good enough for them, not sit around and wait for a teacher to tell them if they're good enough or not.  
• The 'socialization' excuse is crap.  Where in the real world do you interact only with people your own age in the same environment each day?  My kids spend time with people of all ages, babies to senior citizens.  We learn in all sorts of places.  Libraries, parks, museums, lakes, on the couch, at the kitchen table...pretty much anywhere and everywhere.  We do not learn cooped up at a desk for 8 hours a day.

I have many more reasons, but these are the biggest ones.  :)

Q: What curriculums are you using?
A:I have been researching homeschooling options and curriculum for  along while.  I've told y'all before that right now we're using K12 through OHVA.  We are not fond of it.  Obviously it works for some people, because it is very popular...it just isn't working for us.  The drawback to the way we're choosing to go and the curriculum we're choosing to use is that it is NOT cheap.  We are positive it will be worth it in the long run though.  Making our children's futures better is worth sacrificing a few things we want.  Anyhoo, here is the curriculum we're choosing to use...

• Phonics:  Explode the Code  
• For KK we're using Get Ready, Get Set, and Go
• For Bones we're using books 1-8 as well as the Beyond the Code books
• Reading/Literature:  Funnix/Library/Learn as we go
• I downloaded the Funnix program for free earlier this month.  Looks pretty interesting.  We'll also be using regular books from the library and just reading what we want to read.
• Handwriting:  A Reason for Handwriting
• For KK we're purchasing the Kindergarten workbook, but we'll slowly ease into it if and when she's ready.  
• For Bones, we are using book B.
• Spelling:   A Reason for Spelling
• Bones will be using book B.
• English:  Shurley English
• We are purchasing both Level One and Level Two as Shurley English can be kind of confusing if you're just thrown into it.
• Math:  Math-U-See
• KK will be using the Primer and will get her own set of blocks
• Bones will be using Beta and will have his own sets of blocks
• History:  Story of the World
• We'll just be purchasing Volume 1 to make sure it works well for us the first year.  It will allow me to teach History at both levels, use lots of lapbooks/notebooking which both the kids seem to enjoy.
• Science:  God's Design for Science
• We'll be using the 'Life' books for our first year.  They cover Plant Life, Animal Life, and the Human Body.  Again, this curriculum will allow me to teach on two different levels and utilize lapbooking/notebooking.
• Art:  Art With a Purpose
• We'll be using ArtPacs 1-4
• Geography:  Expedition Earth (by Confessions of a Homeschooler)
• This will allow us to learn all about our world and the people and animals that live in it.  The songs they sing, foods they eat and how to say "hello" in each country's language.

Bones wants to take Piano lessons, and chose French as the foreign language he wants to learn.  We're also going to try and get him into Martial Arts and he will be playing sports this summer.
KK will be taking gymnastics and doing her own thing.  She loves to bang on the piano so maybe she'll choose that as her instrument as well.

I know it seems like a lot, but we won't be doing lessons in every subject, every day.  Bones helped a lot in choosing the curriculum, and he is really excited.  Like I said earlier, it is a LOT of money, and I'm sure through the years I will find less expensive/free ways to do things, or find that we don't need to follow a rigid curriculum in certain areas.  We're just getting started and have a long rad stretching out before us.  :)

Feel free to ask me any questions, and I'll do my best to answer them in an upcoming post.  :)

Blessings!!