Shipwrecked On Dingo Island

Marisa loves science and all strange things that are real.  The 'Guinness World Records' book was written for her. She knows that a man in the UK clipped 160 clothespins to his face (no I didn't let her try it) and that there is a lady in New Zealand who holds the record for the fastest 100 meter hurdles while wearing swim fins. If it can be seen under a microscope or grow in the back of our refrigerator on some long forgotten leftover, she's in her glory. 

My daughter struggles to read on grade level, but eats that kind of stuff up.  She'll work hard for the words because she enjoys it.  If however, you ask her to read a fictional story or write anything longer than a sentence long on any topic, she will look through you and begin to speak in tongues.  Go figure.

Well, check this out.  In the reading textbook we are using, we came upon an exercise to write a fictional story about a wild animal using some of the vocabulary words that had been introduced in the lesson.  She tried to barter her way out of the assignment (look mom, I'll clean the bathroom's if you just look the other way and forget that little blurb at the bottom of the page ever existed ok?)  There was frustration and she was almost in tears.  We talked about it.  Turns out she was so afraid of doing it "wrong" that she didn't even want to try.  I then reminded her that it was just the two of us.  She could make mistakes, take her time, that the story was hers to create.  She then proceeded to  (slowly- it took a while), write 181 words.

Okay, so it's not exactly 'War and Peace', but for Marisa, this is huge.

While she was writing it, she commented that it was "the best thing she'd ever written" and "Look, I've covered almost a full page!  Mom, isn't this the best?  Do you want me to read it to you?" It's titled 'Shipwrecked on Dingo Island'

Then she said, "I think this homeschooling thing is really working mom.  I could never have done this in school."

It's a baby step because she still has so very far to go, but it is an important and  incredible step because she knows now she can do it. She was happy and confident, a condition that unfortunately has been far too rare for her when it comes to learning.

So, I'll ask myself again if I think I can do this.

Yeah.  If she can...I can.

I think I can, I think I can. Like the litle red train...choo choo.....

Unplanned Isn't Just For Pregnancy Anymore

Hi there and welcome to the Accidental Homeschooler!

For those of you who don’t know, I am now home schooling my daughter.  The reasons are important, but this isn’t the forum for it. Suffice it to say that our district has an unconventional middle school configuration that Marisa isn’t learning well in, so after reviewing all the options, this was what we decided on as the best course of action.

I will pause now for 30 seconds so anyone who has ever heard my tirades about homeschooling can laugh. Get it out of your system. Done?  Okay.   Back to our regularly scheduled programming.

I thoroughly believe that the universe screws with me just for fun.   I swore I’d never be a Girl Scout Leader…but I did it for a year.  The jury was out on same sex marriage in my book, until of course, my son announced he was gay.  Homeschooler's?  Hell, they are all nuts!  Does any parent really want to spend all that time with their children? What makes them think they can teach better than teachers and heck, how will those kids deal with society when they finally have to?

I'm finding that occasionally I'm wrong.  Yeah, it happens.

We are only into our second week, so a lot remains to be seen, but so far,it's proving to be a great experience.  I did purchase a curriculum because I want to make sure she stays on track, but we are throwing some 'unschooling' in there to mix it up a bit. We have field trips planned. I’m learning a lot.  I had forgotten all about independent clauses and where to put the comma.  I learned what the decimal equivalent of Asia's land mass is to total earthly land mass.  I have an excuse to sit and do calligraphy or draw with my daughter and not feel like I should be doing something else because art is a required course.  Ditto for hanging out and playing a little classical guitar. 

Day two of our homeschool adventure Marisa was reading curled up in a rocking barrel chair next to the wood stove. She was warm, relaxed, unstressed.  She looked up from the book and said "Mom, thank you so much for homeschooling me.  I don't feel like I am going to be rushed and I can think."

Changes are already starting to be seen.  She's less anxious and is actively self correcting some behaviors.  She knows she has some control over what we do in a day, or at least, the order that we do it in.  The tough stuff comes in the morning, but she has the choice...math first?  Social Studies or reading? She loves science- that's the brass ring. 

So, now to the question of the day... Is Holly Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?"

Well, I’m not so sure that I am but so far I’m managing to be one chapter ahead of Marisa. 

As long as I can keep the pace, well, what she doesn't know, won't hurt her!