Hi friends.
I wanted to chat about our homeschool lifestyle and priorities today. I love reading about other families and their unique lifestyle choices – I think it is so interesting and beautiful, really, how different each and every home is. But at the end of the day, we are all doing what feels the most natural for our family. We are doing what we feel is the very best for our children. If this is something you are interested in, grab a cup of tea or coffee and read on.
I have chatted in the past about our relaxed and eclectic homeschool style and providing an enchanted education. That is still very much the case (and I couldn’t picture it any other way for us!)
If you haven’t read the above post, maybe start there. But today, I wanted to lay out 15 goals that I have made a priority. Having these written down and in the back of my mind helps to keep me on track. If I start to feel like things are getting stale/boring, I remind myself of my vision by checking over this list and making sure I am putting these things at the forefront. Are we taking time to connect and play board/card games? Are we getting outside enough? Maybe we need a lazy nature documentary day instead of lessons when things get tough. You get the picture.
So here is my list of priorities. These are the most important to me because I believe all of this working together is the best balance for us that allows for growth in language arts and math while holding space for interests, connection, and genuine, real life experiences.
1. Reading aloud happens every day – morning, noon, and night. Picture books, chapter books, poetry, early readers, living history books, science topics, fairy tales, fables, seasonal topics… we read it all. I am constantly finding new and diverse titles for us to add to our library holds. I talk more about how I choose books for us, here.
2. We reinforce concepts learned with card and board games. Also known as gameschooling, we have a closet full of games related to language arts, math, strategy, geography, and even history. Sometimes the best way to learn is to put the books away and play a stack of games.
3. We keep our main subjects minimal. Language arts, math, and handwriting. Since my kids are young, language arts means reading/phonics instruction. We spend about 20 min a day on LA, 10-15 on math, and handwriting is woven in naturally (and also use a workbook sometimes). By keeping these subjects minimal for now, we leave plenty of room for interests, play, and reading. This isn’t to say we don’t talk about history topics, geography, social studies, or science. We do! We read books, have conversations, and go on field trips. They just aren’t at the forefront just yet.
4. Nature study is our science in the early years. Speaking of science, we focus on nature study in the early years to build a foundation for future science topics. This is seasonal/interest-led so far. Here’s an example of topics we have covered in a year.
5. Movies and documentaries are vital. We are not a screen-free household because I believe much can be learned through visual media, including history and science. We love watching educational shows and documentaries to reinforce topics we discuss. We also turn to educational YouTube videos! There is nothing cozier than curling up together with a bowl of popcorn and learning something new.
6. Science and history subjects are learned through living books and units. Aside from documentaries, we use living books and unit studies to open up conversation for topics. In the winter when we are stuck inside more, I like to plan more units for us.
7. We get to the library at least once or twice a week. Our library basket is always stacked and that is because we go usually twice a week. It’s one of our favorite places in the world! We also attend a homeschool storytime every so often to meet up with friends. Which brings me to…
8. We spend time with our homeschool friends every week. Some of our best friends homeschool and we have standing playdates each week to play and learn together. We meet friends at the library and/or playground, etc. Seeing friends every week is so important to us (and sanity-saving for all! I couldn’t do this without my fellow homeschool mamas!)
9. Freestyle art is encouraged. I am not big on curated art projects. Sometimes if something seems particularly cool, I will coordinate, but my kids love to create freely. I simply provide the art materials and let them go wild.
10. We get outside every day, as much as possible. No matter the weather, we try to get out at least once a day. Even in the winter months, we bundle up with the right gear and get out even for 10-15 minutes. It makes a difference in our days and is so important for our health. This first week of spring we entered has been lifegiving – we have been outside nonstop!
11. We bake and cook together. Can anyone say life skill, math, and science lesson?
12. Imaginative play is encouraged. Our minimal routine leaves plenty of margin in our days to let my kids play to their heart’s content. They are very into imaginative play.
13. Creative writing is important to us. I do not use an official curriculum for this, but I took a page out of Julie Bogart’s book and write down my children’s thoughts and stories to read back to them. Sometimes they will illustrate. They really get a kick out of this and love to hear their words spoken back to them. These are the building blocks to creative thinkers and writers. It’s not too early to jot down their precious thoughts and ideas.
14. I make time for conversations with my kids. I do my best to spend one-on-one time with my girls to just sit and chat. Having conversations with your kids seems like a no-brainer, but sometimes we can get caught up in getting things done on the to-do list, that we can forget to actually sit, hold eye contact, and listen. This is something I am always working on.
15. Field trips are a regular thing. Museums, zoos, aquariums, farms, and even the market… getting out and exploring the real world is where the real learning and magic happens. That is why we prioritize field trips!
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