well, our year of trying out traditional schooling was quite the adventure. we have made so many great friends and loved many aspects of it. in the end though, we realized it just wasn't right for our family. perhaps not the best timing with a new baby in the house, but we are committing ourselves to homeschooling again!
we won't "officially" start for a few weeks but as we are really unschoolers at heart, learning takes place every day of the year. in anticipation i am slowly trying to clean up the playroom and set it up as more of a multifunctional space where we can do some of our learning. this is a difficult task with baby in tow! i had hoped to paint but i just can't see how this will happen right now. i thought i'd share a few photos as a preview of what i'm working on, with more to come.
one of the challenges is setting up a space that works for both an almost 10 year old and an almost 7 year old... not to mention a growing baby. i ordered a few new books that i thought might be interesting to the kids. we have started reading
the story of the world, which both kids seem to enjoy and i also ordered the work book to go with it for my daughter, as she enjoys more structured learning. really, the age difference isn't the biggest factor but how different their approaches to learning are. i will work to create an environment that appeals to them both and of course that will evolve over time.
we will also find classes, take trips and have help from relatives... like my father-in-law who is a great wood worker and loves doing projects with the kids... like the house my daughter made below.
i will share more with you as the room... and year progresses!
* alphabet cards in the first photo are available for free download
here.
