This is how we Unschool...

We do not “do school” – we are students of life and we learn what we want to. We are growing into ourselves as we learn and we love it entirely.  

We employ a combination of methods in our homeschool based firmly on the Bible and based loosely on the teachings and findings of Charlotte Mason, Ruth  Beechick, and John Holt - but at the end of the day – our homeschool is uniquely our own and no one else’s opinions or directions hold as much weight as our very own in conjunction with God’s will for our lives. We seek to know what He would have us do in this life and we seek any and all wisdom that would align with His goals for us.

He gave us our passions and we fully explore them!

We primarily use notebooks/journals in our homeschool to aid us in learning and to teach us proper studying. We have math journals where we record our mathematical observations of the world around us. We have study journals where we fine-tune our reading and writing skills to record the fascinating things we study. We prayerfully study whatever fancies us day to day.  Sometimes we collaborate and study together and sometimes we are on journeys of our own. We also keep nature journals where we express our fondness for creation.  We study God’s Word together as we seek to live our lives according to His will. We also keep prayer/life journals.

 

**When I say “we” above I am including myself. My children have these notebooks/journals (math, study, nature, prayer) and so do I. I have a math journal, and a study journal, and a nature journal. I am still learning. I am still clay in my Potter’s hands and it’s important to me that my children understand that we are NEVER done learning. There is ALWAYS something new to learn. So I keep journals alongside them and it blesses me daily.

Sometimes we use textbooks, most times we don’t. We love our local libraries and we frequent discount bookstores. You can often find us at the local park playing ball or just running around. We love to catch bugs and name them before we release them. We revel with each other when one of us makes a cognitive connection to the world around us in our daily doings. We see things most do not in our daily lives because we are looking. We learn things it takes others ages to learn because we are eager. We own our knowledge and we enjoy sharing what we learn with others.

Everyday is filled with life and love in the Lakeside Schoolhouse – our home sweet home – that is actually not by a lake anymore but we kept the name anyway because… we can! 

Math Mammoth-Blue Series

We love Math Mammoth around here! So much that my son wants a stuffed mammoth for Christmas this year.. So much that he likes to color Mathy the Mammoth pictures all the time. (You can download a picture of Mathy on the Math Mammoth website. :) 

Why I like Math Mammoth - Blue Series: 

I like it because before I found it... I was lost. Math-wise lol. I looked up so, so many lists of standards and math subjects kid should learn and how and when to teach them.. my head was spinning. We tried to "school math" so much with too many curriculums. It was a math nightmare... Math almost did me in for homeschooling... I was ready to quit. Then I found this. Let me add really quickly, that Math Mammoth has grade level curriculums... but we do not use that. We use the blue series because it is by topic and skill level. Which is more important to us than grade level.  Anyway, I love this curriculum because it gives me confidence and a backbone behind my math guidance. ALSO this curriculum is so inexpensive!! It's truly a wonderful tool. At any time I can pull it out for a fresh perspective and I never feel bad when it's time to put it away for a while and do some math unschooling because it's cost does not keep me strapped. 

Why my sons like Math Mammoth - Blue Series: 

With this series of curriculum... my kids are in control of what they learn and when they learn it. If my son wants to learn about clocks today, we grab his clocks folder and go to town. We do some hands on activities with our big play clock and check the real clocks around the house for the time. Stuff like that. Then we do a few problems on whatever worksheet we are on until my son has had enough for the day. He is in control of it and this is how he wants to learn. It gives my older son the ability to compartmentalize his math. He likes that. It's comfortable for him. To him Math Mammoth is not a curriculum and it's not even mandatory. It's a tool for him. And he loves the way the author explains concepts to him while he's working. He has connected so well with this curriculum. I would say that before this curriculum appeared in our homeschool... he had zero math confidence. He spent a lot of Kindergarten in public school and then most of first grade de-schooling from that. So now in second grade, he is finding his learning feet and Math Mammoth has really helped him a lot. 

Math Mammoth - Blue Series

Have you used Math Mammoth in your homeschool? If so, I would love to hear about it! Math Mammoth is not the only math curriculum we use. We also love Life of Fred around these parts. :)

**Although I do sometimes receive incentives for my reviews... this was not one of those circumstances. :) We simply love Math Mammoth and I wanted to share. <3 

 

Let the Nature Journaling Begin!

I got a new library book today!! I am so excited to dig into this book! I have already read the first chapter which inspired me to grab a sheet of paper right away and draw the little guys on my back porch. There are like 3 or 4 Leopard Geckos that live behind the light fixture. <3 I used to keep Leopard Geckos in a cage as a kid and so I love them a lot. Now, having them as neighbors is awesome.

I don't know if I will be drawing a lot in my nature journal... I may just take pictures. I'm not very good at drawing. When I was in 1st or 2nd grade as a kid I loved to color and draw! But I distinctly remember the crushing moment when all the love I had for art was bulldozed over by this teacher of mine. We don't need to get into the details... :) I'm over it and have decided to add art to my list of self education pursuits. :) I definitely have gaps in art appreciation and application that need filled. :)

Anyhow this book is amazing. HIGHLY recommend it!! The series is called the Amateur Science Series and so far I know of three books in the series. The Amateur Naturalist is the one I have now. I have read The Amateur Geologist (Which is also amazing!!) Next on my list to aquire is The Amateur Meteorologist.

The Amateur Geologist book does have an old world/evolution view point. (you know millions and millions of years...) The value in this book supersedes any bending I had to do around that aspect though. I'm not sure about the view point in either the one I am currently reading or the one I haven't read yet ... but so far, these books are amazing and worth it for anyone looking to journal these different genres of nature.

The authors in this series seems to absolutely love their area of expertise and it bleeds through the pages. Their words make you excited and they make you want to literally jump up right away and get started! I did with the geologist book and am finding myself doing it again with this one.

Some of the first exercises in this book include keeping a list of your non human neighbors -even if you don't know their names, so you can find out later, investigating bird feeding preferences (which is next on my to-do list), investigating ant lion diggings, investigating wooly bear caterpillar wanderings and so much more... just in the first chapter!!

See if your library has a copy of this book immediately... :) I promise you this book will pose questions in your heart that you just have to answer.  I would even go so far as to say this book might motivate a reluctant jr high or high school student to get up and love on some nature. :)

Let me know if you read it too! :)

Happy Reading!!

Tree and a Free Kindle Book!

"I think that I shall never see

A poem as lovely as a tree. 

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the Earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray..."

from the poem Tree by Joyce Kilmer

He wrote this poem in 1913 and it was probably his most popular poem. His work is often criticized as being simplistic... and "they" are entitled to their opinion but since I can't write poetry AT ALL and his Poem Tree inspired me to seek out a tree...  and study it... well I'll give the rest of his poetry a shot. :) So far I am enjoying reading it every now and then! Sure glad it was free for Kindle!

His book is free on kindle here!! 

Enjoy!! :)

As for the tree in my photo above... I took that out on the Bayou! I live in Southern Louisiana now and this place is beautiful. Swamps are beautiful. So many birds and trees... ahhhh :) I could sit out there all day and gaze.... if it weren't for the gators I KNOW are waiting for me to stick a toe in the water!! HAHA! 

The tree in my picture is a Cypress tree. And it is beautiful. <3 She is going in my nature notebook. And if I ever muster up the ability to paint her... I will share with you. :)