So, are you one of those people who heard me say not even a year ago that I didn't think I could homeschool? Well, God has a sense of humor. He has been constantly reminding me that of course I can't do it on my own. If this is what he wants me to do then He will give me the strength, endurance, and patience. After all, if we could do everything in our own efforts, there would be no reason to rely on Him and ultimately give Him all the glory.
A friend of mine introduced me to a program called Classical Conversations (CC). All I have to say is, this program make sense. It just does. Homeschooling now has a whole new purpose and meaning to me. In fact, I think I'm going to adopt Leigh Bortins' (founder and CEO of CC) words and use Home-Centered Education instead. I figure it doesn't carry a certain stereotype with it.
Here's a visual of Classical Christian Education and what this program is all about.
God is the center of everything and all the subjects have God in them and reflect Him. Not only that, there is integration among the subjects. So I could be teaching something in history and find a mathematical problem in it, or a science experiment that ties in with that time. I could find literature from that time period or do an art project. I truly believe that kids will be able to grasp a concept a lot quicker if he/she sees it in different areas of study. The program equips students with the skills needed to learn. So no matter what situation they are placed in later on in life, they have the skills to teach themselves.
Here are some of the reasons why we have chosen to do this program:
1. My kids are guided to memorize a lot of information while their brains are like sponges, so that when they apply that information in later grades, they already have the 'grammar' quickly accessible.
2. An opportunity for my kids to make new friends and be in a classroom setting
3. I will be learning with them and that is REALLY exciting. I really do enjoy school.
4. Being a big science person, I'm drawn to the fact that the kids do a science experiment each week.
5. Kids from prek-4 get practice with public speaking
6. All I have to really focus on at home is arithmetic, handwriting, and phonics.
7. I really love Leigh's purpose for this program - 'to know God and to make Him known'.
I attended the Parent Practicum a couple weeks ago and I was encouraged by all the other moms there. I was excited to meet some many new moms to the program, as well. It felt good that I wasn't the only one new to this. The two older kids were in Play Camp all day (they actually learned about Africa for three days and they still remember what they learned).
Now that I have the curriculum guide, I can't wait to plan this next school year. I'm thrilled to go on this journey with my kids.
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