It's been a long time since I've written anything substantial about homeschooling and I'd like to do something about that.
Our approach to elementary years science was to lay a foundation for future science study with hands-on exploration, child-led experimenting, lots of reading, and asking questions. The natural world was our laboratory.
For math we employed regular and steady bite-sized lessons and practice to build basic skills and understanding.
Now with older children, we seek to inspire science and math studies with story, engaging materials, mentors and teachers, and our own enthusiasm for the subjects and their real life applications. Our young adult students are free to decide which upper level math and sciences they will study and to what depth. I.e.: it's not required.
- Technology is the New Literacy - We don't want to teach our kids to be point and click users, we want to teach them to be think and create users.
- The Girl Learns to Program - It's not just the thing we're learning (that skill or those facts); but the how and why and the way we connect while doing it.
- Sick Day Science - Biology and chemistry were the subjects of the day.
- Easy Science - My goal is to keep their interest and curiosity alive, to encourage natural exploration and their own discoveries.
- Homeschool Report Card: Math - The goal at this age is to understand life math and lay a foundation for further learning, not simply progress through a set curriculum.
- Rainy Day Science - Also called take apart science.