Homeschooling - Year 5

Yesterday, we began our fifth year of homeschooling. After spending the first several years making a year by year commitment, I am finally in it to stay! I already have high school planned out and I am excited about what the girls will be learning.

I feel like an official homeschool family! I suppose now we will have to only wear organic clothing, eat vegan, become socially unacceptable, and have 12 more children. What a life we have ahead of us!

But before I get cracking on that list, I think I'll start with a couple of cute shots of us doing science. This is the first time we have used a science textbook. I know what you are thinking, "See, I knew all you homeschoolers did was go to Disneyland." But that's not true. Well, it's kind of true...

But that is not my point. Everything I have read indicates that science textbook fail at the job of teaching science. They are boring and inacurate. So for four years, we relied on experiment-intesive books to guide us through the basic principles. It's been fun, but as the girls are approacing high school, I felt something a little more formal was in order.

After two days, I have to report that I LOVE our new science textbooks. They are written so conversationally, they are also experiment heavy, the girls are liking them, and the best part, they are written to the child. I am letting them do much of the learning on their own. They even performed these experiments on their own. I'm just there to clear up any questions.

So far so good. You cannot imagine how good it sounds to have your child explain to you what they discovered in experiment they just did - not because you asked, but because they are excited to share. Plus, they look so adorable in the goggles that are apparently required for every project.

It's not all scientific bliss all day long, but I'll take my joy where I can find it!