Don't you just chuckle when presented with the argument against homeschooling: "They don't get enough socialization." ?
Or how about this one: "Children need to go to school for OPPORTUNITIES."
Thankfully, I heard less and less of these tired arguments (and most often I just want to say "Stop Telling Me Why You Can't Homeschool!").
As I look back on our homeschool week, it was full of friends, learning, and opportunities. It was full of so much MORE, too.
My children are blessed with a beautiful Classical homeschool education, a peer group that shares this school journey with them, and abundant music, sports, and church activities.
Their lives are anything but boring, and if you know them you could call them anything BUT unsocialized!
Best of all? Their dad and I get to witness each and every moment and WE are the primary influences in their lives.
After listening to most of the traditional school kids we know complain about school, I am grateful for the opportunity to NOT compartmentalize school into a boring box. We just LIVE our lives and learn along the way.
THAT is the blessing of homeschool.
The Life of a Homeschooled Teen
Ninth grade has truly been magical for Anna (and I can't believe it's almost half over)!
Many prayers I've prayed for her have been answered. Prayers for deep friendships and solid academic opportunities - prayers for her to deepen her relationship with God, and prayers for her to have the courage to stand up to the many evils she will encounter in this world.
Not only is her Challenge I class a super sweet group of kids, but she has also found a niche playing tennis and continues to pursue her music. I feel very confident that the solid Classical foundation we are giving her will serve her well as she starts to think about her future.
Last weekend Anna and some friends went to a homeschool dance. The dance is put on by a local homeschool hybrid school. They invite ALL homeschoolers in our area to their English Country Dances. Anna had the BEST time!
Our week was punctuated by lots of construction noise at home (due to the finishing of our basement), so we escaped and went to our local library. Anna packed her backpack and Chromebook and didn't miss a beat.
This year in Challenge I she has taken full ownership of her schedule. I do very little work with her now. I do grade all of her work and we also have a lot of discussions about the books she is reading (her latest assigned novel is To Kill a Mockingbird). I assist her with editing essays and fine tuning presentations.
This week Anna was struggling with not feeling well. I love that she had the luxury to sack out on the sofa and take the time she needed to rest. One morning we did listen to a FABULOUS talk by Ravi Zacharias about courtship and marriage - while younger brother played LEGOS and gave his input, too.
(You can download the talk for free thanks to CC.)
This was assigned listening for Challenge I. It is designed to stand in contrast to the Shakespeare play they are reading - The Taming of the Shrew - and the modern day view of marriage and relationships in general.
GOOD STUFF.
Add to the week tennis practice, piano lessons, children's chorus rehearsal, youth group, and a mother's helper job one afternoon - It was a boring, unsocialized week!
A Full Homeschool Week in 5th Grade
My son's week was equally as boring. {wink}
He is truly my social butterfly. We affectionately refer to him as "The Mayor".
I have seen so much growth in Grant (academically and physically) in the past few months.
I feel like I'm raising a little Renaissance Man! He loves nature study, diagramming sentences, learning how to use Latin declensions, and playing piano.
He also loves every sport, LEGOS, and being a goofball with his buddies.
HOMESCHOOL ROCKS because my son is 100% free to be who God created him to be every minute of the day.
His obsession with LEGOS is not fading. He and his dad are exploring more programming with the LEGO® Education Mindstorms. He built the Mindstorms crane (108 steps!) and began programming it over the weekend.
It was super fun to see the overlap between what he's learning in coding with his dad and the Mindstorms programming. I love that we can nurture his passion for anything technical.
His class at Classical Conversations is ALL BOYS! God bless his tutor, Miss Dawn. She tells the boys weekly they are becoming leaders through SERVING - using Christ as their example. I have enjoyed witnessing these boys grow and learn this semester.
We took a nature walk with the boys last week and it was just FUN to explore with nine boys. Their conversations, observations, and shenanigans were a joy. Once inside, the boys sketched something of interest they had found.
I LOVE that I don't have to cram my active boy into a classroom all day. I LOVE that he can be wiggly without being labeled with an attention disorder. I LOVE so much about homeschooling boys in particular!
Add to Grant's week going to the movies with a friend, piano lessons, tennis lessons, and a spend the night with another buddy - This boy has a full and happy life!
Tell Me About Your Boring, Unsocialized Homeschoolers! I'd love to know what you've been up to this week!
Collage Friday
Join me each Friday for a wrap up of the week - or just to share pertinent thoughts that have been rambling in your head during the past week.
Be sure to include your photo collages!
Then, visit other bloggers that have linked and leave them a supportive comment. I love the Collage Friday community!
Add your link using the widget below. Additionally, if you'd like to join further, use the hashtag #collagefriday on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.