Another school year begins...

I guess, being homeschoolers, we could start our school year whenever we wish. Or we could say that our school year doesn’t stop or start at all. And the latter would mostly be true. But when we see the children walking to the school across the street, when stores begin stocking up on cheap pencils and notebooks, when the temperature seems instantly cooler and breezier and the leaves crunchier… well, it seems like the time to proclaim, “Now we are in 4th grade!” This is the time of year that the girls new sports seasons begin, and having grown a year older, they might advance. And this is the time that homeschooling activities like girls scouts and nature exploring begin also. Park days and beach days are ending and camping opportunites become more scarce.

And so… our school year begins like everyone elses.

Though we mostly unschool, our math books have arrived. Our handwriting books are on the way and our grammar lessons will begin.

We don’t do these subjects everyday or very faithfully at all, but after a year, we are pleasantly surprised at what we accomplish.

I guess some unschoolers might say that we don’t unschool at all, but that would be semantics in my opinion. But, having read most of John Holt's philosophy, I don't think he'd be disappointed in our methods.

Our learning is child-led and interesting and communal and joyful and pretty democratic and that is what matters to us.

I am leaning more and and more towards calling ourselves Charlotte Mason learners because that seems to be the direction in which our family has been organically headed in the past year plus.

A new change for this year has been the creation of our book box. Ava decoupaged a shoe box (art!) and I placed several strips of paper in the box with age-appropriate book titles in it. Each week, or more or less often depending on the need, she pulls a strip out and we check out that book from there. The rest of our curriculum (to use the word lightly) is inspired by the chosen book.

She likes the anticipation of not knowing what book is in store for her and doesn’t argue with me about not wanting to read anything, or anything but Harry Potter.

This means that some weeks we will have no science, or no geopgraphy, or no history. But every week we will have a bit of something and over the course of the year, some of everything will have been learned and explored.

Emma follows along as we go, doing science and art and history projects as they come up, but usually without hearing or reading the book Ava has chosen. She is read other books and we continue in our reading lessons using Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. We are going slowly, as we feel like doing it, but she is learning a lot from it and takes a lot of pride in what she knows. Louise likes to sit in on the lessons, too, although I do not encourage her to practice writing her letters.

I will give each book it’s own post so that it will not get lost.

And if you’d like to read Ava’s book reports, follow her on Librarything.