Bare Bones Learning - Part 2

One morning at church, a veteran homeschool mom asked me how school was going for us. I told her the usual: that we do well some weeks and some weeks it doesn't feel like we get a thing done. I mentioned that I felt overwhelmed most of the time and all we covered was the basics. Then she told me something liberating.

She said, "When my kids were younger, I wish I had spent more time on math and reading. Now that they're older I can see they would have benefited from more time focused on those subjects and less on the extra curricular stuff." I couldn't have been more relieved to hear that.

I'm starting to see, though, that The Basics really mean more than reading, writing and arithmetic. Obviously those are the very building blocks which support all other learning. But there are other elements in home learning that are very basic. Most of my kids have been reluctant when it comes to school time. Don't get me wrong: they are all creative and learning in other ways. It's when the books come out that they cringe and moan.

So all my best laid plans shrivel under the heavy weight of discouragement. As I previously mentioned, when I discovered Charlotte Mason (CM), I was granted access to a whole tool box full of useful techniques. And I use that term loosely. I am not a "technique" kind of gal. I like to do things my own way. Basically, the CM method offered "techniques" I knew I would use because they seemed so obvious and simple. And a little too easy at times.

I do want to offer a disclaimer. There are many competent writers out there who do a fabulous job of explaining the CM method. They have read through the whole series and written books on the subject themselves. I'm only out to offer a "what I've learned so far" approach to the new homeschooler or someone who may have never heard of Charlotte Mason yet.

So. Onto the basics.

What are my goals?

First and foremost, I had to decide what I envisioned the end result to be for my children; as whole individuals, not just students. And not in the sense of living vicariously through them, but based on their strengths and talents. Then I can determine our educational approach and how we would get there.

This would be deciding if they had interests that would require an elaborate college education or something more along the lines of a trade school. I don't believe college is the answer to every one of life's problems. True education is more than that.

Are you paying attention?

Charlotte Mason says "A child's will must be strengthened so that he is able to make himself do what he knows he should, even when he doesn't feel like it." The idea is to keep the lessons short so that success in paying attention is achieved. And the more the child feels successful in this habit, the better he feels about learning. I have found this principle to be totally true.

We started by keeping math and reading lessons at 10-15 minutes a piece. If that meant we didn't get the scheduled lesson done in it's entirety for math, then so be it. It was more important to me that a habit of full attention with no time for messing around was formed. I should mention here that we also follow a year round schedule. At times, keeping your lessons short mean it takes longer to get through the books. That's why it's important to choose curriculum that allows you this freedom. Eventually the child will be able to pay longer attention as he builds on this habit.

Mom, I'm so bored!

Another basic around my home is having something to do. I really struggle with this. We don't have cable or really fancy video games to compete with, but my kids have recently become very restless. It's as if they suddenly can't find a thing to do. Sometimes I have to take the time to do an inventory of the little crafts and games that I've collected and stashed away, or fun books and make a box of things that the kids might need to be re-introduced to. I'm not much of a game player and I prefer for the kids to use their own imaginations to come up with things. It takes time and we are still in this process. But I believe the key to success in this area is to always make sure you have good quality books and tools available and then readily point them out when people need something to do.

It helps me to have a list of what I have on hand and pull it out from time to time to remind myself that there are, in fact, things for them to do around here. Most of their learning has actually come from them taking the initiative to set up a fun game or build a city with blocks. Always be on the lookout for cheap, yet quality books and building toys. They do exist.

I can't do this anymore!

Maybe you hear your children say this often in some form of defeating statement. But I also hear it in my head frequently. If I'm not careful, the seed of defeat will creep up on me in a heartbeat and frustration takes over my mindset. Day after day of fighting over reading assignments and "hard" math problems can wear anyone down. But I have to remember to not give up. If I've learned anything about my kids, it's that they do not fall into the category of "I learned my lesson quickly." I have to believe that their strong willed natures will serve them well in the end. I have to hope that their unwillingness to bend will make them unbendable to the wrong kinds of influences as teens and adults.

But in the meantime, I must keep plugging away and trying to expose them to good literature and challenge them to think about important people in history. My hope is that by feeding them baby bites of high ideas, that one day they will no longer find it boring and actually thrive on these things. If I had listened to the world, I would have given up home education a long time ago. Faith is the hope of things not seen. I can't see the end result of my homeschooling efforts, but I will make a choice to have faith in the process and that God is working on them from the inside out.

~By Carrie Evans

I'm a wife to a crazy goon who can dance a crazy Scooby Doo dance and likes to crunch numbers. I'm a proud mother of four gremlins, three of which have been fed after midnight and are closely resembling Stripe these days. I'm a writer of random thoughts, nonsensical humor, and occasionally if I'm visiting the Twilight Zone, I might write something a little bit serious.

Sometimes I do other things, like peel fruit stickers off the side of the dishwasher and rock out to 80's music. I've been homeschooling since 2001, but it feels much longer some days, and some days I panic because I can't slow down the Cruel Mistress of Time.

When the school books get put away for the day, and the peanut butter is all scraped from the butter knives that didn't get clean in the dishwasher, I like to do creative things.

Obviously I enjoy writing about the madness all around me. And occasionally I draw portraits for people and for my own pleasure. And if I was totally honest, I'd have to own up to some songwriting that I enjoy doing at church.

And I really like to take crazy pictures.

Like this











Because when our kids are home all day to learn, I've found that opportunities abound for capturing the eccentricities of the young. In my opinion, it's the heart of homeschooling.

Yeah, learning math at one's own pace is crucial.

But having the creative freedom to cut up one's stocking cap for a Spidey mask?

Priceless.