Phew, first morning of home ed actually quite good and not the disaster I was expecting

[OneLieIn]

Am HEing for the first time, down to circumstance (about to move house, got delayed, no school, don't know where we are going to live (small things like that)) and it has all gone really well this morning. I was expecting a disaster, but it was good. DCs seem keen to learn and keen to get back into it which was good.

Year 1 so doing writing and spelling, thinking about sounds. Year 3, so comprehension and writing. We went to a wildlife park yesterday so did a lot about what we saw there.

If anyone has any top tips, I would really appreciate it.

We've just come back from swimming!

Top tips? Just relax and don't try too hard to replicate school at home. They'll learn loads and loads without doing anything much that's formal - it's such a lovely opportunity for a relaxing time for you all among the stress of moving!

Free range Education edited by Terri Dowty is a really really lovely read about lots of different styles of home educating, and different reasons for doing it long or short term - I'd try to get that from Amazon or the library

OneLieIn
I'm doing Year 1 as well. Let me know if you'd like to swap ideas etc.

Great critter, what are you doing ATM?

DS is Year 1 and he's leaf hunting ATM so we can do a project type thing on Autumn. Its a bit tricky as DD is yr 3 so I have to do sthg that they can both do IYSWIM.

the plan is to go 'out' two or three days a week doing stuff and spend the rest of the time writing about it, drawing pics etc.

Onward - thanks for the recommendation, I will nip down the library and see if they have it.

top tip is enjoy it

We usually spend about 2-3 hours a day for about 4 days a week covering most of the following areas, and then DD spends remainder drawing, making models, or going to the Park. We also go to the seaside, swimming, farms, museums, visiting etc.

She loves spelling tests (I get the paper and pencil waved in my face first thing in the morning when I'm still in bed!)

Maths - Playing with, drawing and counting out money.

Literacy - Writing diaries (usually about where we've visited that day) and short stories.

Reading

History - Fire of London (lots of flame pictures here!)

Geography - Working out where's hot and where's not! Where we live and where we'd like to live.

She also plays all the BBC Education games on our laptop.

We're going to start sewing soon as she's suddenly shown a massive interest in it.

Honeymoon period?

Honeymoon period?

hi

have to ask whats the honeymoon period??

am i missing something

do things get worse or better

thanks bridget

The honeymoon period is when your little darlings still have a full a vivid memory of school and everthing at home is new and exciting. I know kids who have at times (including my own) vitually begged to go back to school.

Homeschooling is hard, hard work. BUT its worth the effort and it will take effort.

My tip is 'when its all going wrong, and everyones crying, including you, throw it in for the day or the week and go to the park'.

Don't be shocked at my terrible typos, its a new laptop. Sorry. Some home-edder. Its always funny when I can't work the change out in a shop, just after my child declares he is home-educated.

There is an interesting article on Deschooling that is well worth a read. It's about giving your child time to get the schooling system out of his head. (and take the time to do the same your self!)

As a society we have been brainwashed into believing that being taught something by someone else in a school room type situation is the only way to learn-instead that is one way and IMHO not the most efficient one.

There is an interesting article comparing formal and informal home education by Alan Thomas.
Alan is not a home educator, but has been researching autonomous home education for a while now-and seems to be very impressed
His latest book How Children Learn at Homeis well worth a read .

I also panicked like you the night before I formally started HE of my 4 year old. I was practically hyperventilating!! i am normally a very structured and list writing kind of person. A few months on and I am already far more chilled out about it. He has learned far more than I had hoped in this first term - see I still think like a school system child!!

I agree with Believer. If the day is going bad, its pointless battling with any plan. Just get outside or have what we call a cuddles day when we don't get dressed, light the coal fire and spend all day reading, colouring, baking and cuddling. The next day DS is usually desperate to get going again.

I find he learns the most when he doesn't realise he is learning such as when we were on a long drive and I gave an overview of the British legal system to him prompted by driving past a huge police HQ (it was a very long journey!!)

Can't comment on honeymoon period as DS has never been to school but I think if you are happy with things, then the children will relax and learn.

Have you a local HE group? Ours is really good. We do lots of activities together and support each other personally or in our yahoo group. Its nice to know there is someone to talk to and to bounce ideas off. The children get all the social things they need as well