School 2010/2011

SCIDES for me was a bit of a disappointment. It was basically a brick and mortar school with out the brick. We are registered this year with CHES-estream aka Christian Homelearner's e Stream. I'm very excited the teacher seems lovely, helpful and very open, offering suggestions and she has a good idea about most of the curriculum available.

We decided to use Sonlight, core 1 this year; we are using with Saxon Math, Handwriting Without Tears (HWT)and Explode The Code online. I'm also considering at home violin lessons using The Violin Book. For Bible lessons I'm using Leading Little Ones to God which came with my core 1 package and the Children's ESV Bible

One of the reasons we choose this program is it seemed suited to teaching both children; they will be doing language arts, history, geography, and science together. The only material that they are not sharing is Math and HWT. This past year was difficult having to do to separate programs for kids especially considering they are only 19 months apart and are at the same level in so many areas.

I'm starting this third year of homeschooling with more confidence then I've had in the past but I know this is what God wants for my children and family. I see the fruits of homeschooling daily. One of the sweetest thing is that I have an almost 8 year old son that will still hold his Mom and Dad's hands in public.

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An eternal question about children is, how should we educate them? Politicians and educators consider more school days in a year, more science and math, the use of computers and other technology in the classroom, more exams and tests, more certification for teachers, and less money for art. All of these responses come from the place where we want to make the child into the best adult possible, not in the ancient Greek sense of virtuous and wise, but in the sense of one who is an efficient part of the machinery of society. But on all these counts, soul is neglected. - Thomas Moore