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Charlotte Mason was mentioned - that caught my eye and a friend told me to look into it for a starting point because she knows how much we like nature/hands on learning activities. Is there a reason you switched to Unschooling? Or was there something in particular that you did not like about the Charlotte Mason curriculum?
We started out using Charlotte Mason. We really liked it, but it just was not a good fit for our son. He was the only "school aged" child we had at the time, and since then we've learned that he has asperger's. The structure was just not conducive to how his brain works. That's why we switched to unschooling. Then, as we began learning more and more about unschooling, we became hooked and decided to use that approach with our daughter as well, although every now and then she'll ask out of the blue to do some work in some of the old math/science workbooks we have.
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When it comes to science, I would like an Old Earth approach. I will honestly say that we are still in summer mode (our commute/work/school year is typically so crazy that we detox over the summer) and life has gotten in the way. Therefore, I am only making baby steps when researching. Does anyone else have favorite curriculums for particular subjects to add to my research list?
This can be a challenge because the YEC mindset had really gained a foothold in Christian homeschool curricula. I did a quick search and found a couple sites that may be promising with regards to an Old Earth approach that's also Christian in nature:
http://www.reasons.org/education/educators-help-desk/curriculum-optionshttp://www.csionline.org/homeDisclaimer: I have not really looked at the links, so you may need to look into them further. Our children use all sorts of sources, Christian and secular, with regards to sciences. The thing I love about unschooling is that we see our kids go down these rabbit trails online, especially with sciences, and we always talk about them as a family. That's where we can really bring some of the focus back to our faith.
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Any particular tips for for art, music, cooking, Spanish, Sign Language? Our list has other interest too, but I'll start with that.
With stuff like art, music and cooking, I'd say just experience it. Take the kids to museums, exhibitions, etc. Find a fun meal and make it together as a family. Cooking is also a good way to teach about fractions and measurements.
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Coops will be a definite must for us. Not necessarily for academics but for friends, field trips etc. Thank you for the B/CS ones. I haven't seriously looked into those either since I don't know if I will need Katy, Brenham/Bellville, West San Antonio etc.
You can find a ton of groups on Facebook. We have been part of several unschooling groups here in Houston. It's mostly for the interaction with other kids, but sometimes they'll have days where all the kids bring laptops and they have a massive minecraft day. Also, I have seen many people downplay video games, but games like minecraft are actually quite useful for homeschoolers.
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Do you know of any families that have ever regretted switching to homeschooling? If yes, why? My friends only say they wish they started sooner.
I don't. I would echo what your friends say. I just wish we had started sooner and not put our son through the misery of public education for a year and a half. It was a nightmare for him, and his 1st grade teacher was constantly recommending medication.
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I guess I've rambled enough for now. As you can tell... there are so many variables in our life right now. I'm hoping it all comes together very soon.
Best of luck to you. I know homeschooling can be daunting, but it is seriously the 2nd best decision we ever made with our children. The first being to practice peaceful parenting with them.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at christianpacifist@hotmail.com