Methods Blethods

To School or to Unschool,

that is the question?

Or is it?

Do you have to do one or the other?

Can you start out Traditional and change to Charlotte Mason? 

The answer is

You can choose what ever you want, that is the joy and beauty of homeschooling!

When I first started our homeschooling journey 3 years ago with timid disposition I stuck with what I recalled when he attended Good Shepherd. At the time Logan was very schedule orientated so I had every subject, every break and every test written out and scheduled for the week. I used a strict curriculum set and did not deviate from that. I was classified as Traditional.

Fast forward to present day

We are now more like Eclectic Schoolers/Unschoolers 

We use various online curriculum's, books, iPad apps, Kindle material, unit studies, timeline's and science kits. Every day life situations evolve in to a teaching/learning opportunity. My goal is this; I want my son to be knowledgeable of the real world and what it has to offer and for him to react in a moral, respectful and intelligent way. Now if that means I am allowing him to use a calculator for Algebra then so be it. He computes it all in his head anyway ha! 

Do I think that handwriting is top priority?

No, I don't.

We are advancing in technology daily and I want him to be able to be computer literate which he has been for some time, he loves anything tech based. When he goes to college they will be doing everything on a laptop or probably even an iPad not handwriting out 25 page papers.

Some people have *GASPED* at my lackadaisical attitude towards the above mentioned and that's alright. Again, that is the awesomeness of homeschooling.

Of course Logan does do his copywork and other writing assignments however, those are more for occupational therapy purposes then anything. Some days are tearful and others he is humming away happy as can be.

I am very aware that his learning style will continue to change as he gets older. Some aspects are still very scheduled and detail orientated but for the most part he has learned to "go with the flow" which is huge for my quirky kiddo. 

Middle school age is such a sensitive but yet volatile time in a child's life. They are influenced so easily and as parents we need to instill respect and an ethical compass. I see so many children Logan's age that have veered towards a very shaky environment without guidance from their parents or educators. They seek acceptance and approval from their peers; not acknowledging that there are consequences. 

I am so very thankful that Logan will have a different middle school experience than I had. Mine was filled with bad choices with the wrong people, with teachers who read out of a text books day in and day out, students shuffling from one part of the school to the other, girls punching other girls because she looked in the general direction of her boyfriend and boys smoking weed in the bathroom in between classes. 

Is that schooling?

I don't know what to call that.

I don't think you can break down every homeschool family in to a which method are you box. In some ways I think we are all of them mixed into a hodge podge of awesomeness.