homeschooling // getting started

with the turning of the seasons from sweltering summer days to cooler autumn ones, our family is starting something new.  to be precise, this venture of ours doesn't officially start for one more week but we have been over here doing our best to prepare.  andrew and i have decided to keep stella home for preschool this year with me being her teacher.  our decision to do so came about from a collision of circumstances for which i am now grateful, whereas i was originally quite scared and frustrated.  andrew and i were actually hoping to get stella into a christian preschool but being that it filled up rather quickly she did not get accepted.  for a moment we were bummed, but after talking it through, the idea of homeschooling for preschool caught fire and turned into something we feel was supposed to happen right from the start.  it was one of those moments that when strung together made perfect sense but we needed to work through connecting those dots to see the full picture.  alas, we did, and we are now happy and very hopeful.

having former experience as an educator i am very comfortable jumping back into teaching mode.  i don't think i have ever really stopped being a teacher even now that i am a stay at home mom.  the way i approach motherhood is intertwined with my calling as an educator because that is what works best for me.  it always has.  ever since i can remember i have always loved learning and helping others reach their potential through discovery and engagement in whatever we are doing.  i find myself echoing that same philosophy as a mother and friend and wife.  our choice to homeschool stella is a perfect fit for our family right now.  how utterly wonderful is it that everything does in fact happen for a reason and that her not getting accepted has given us the opportunity to spend more time together in a new capacity.

i must note, although it is a few years off, we currently have plans to put her in an language immersion school once kindergarten rolls around thus, our homeschooling adventures will linger on for just a short time.  i think there are both positives and negatives regarding both public, private, and in home schooling.  one can make a long list for each and while that is not what i am going to do here i want to acknowledge the fact that one is not better than the other.  they are both different and wonderful and completely personal depending on each family's situation.  what is really important is that each family does what is best for them in each season of their lives not letting judgement from others seep in affect their choices nor darkening their disposition and joy.

i have come to the comfortable realization that being able to stay home and educate my child is a gift and that one (possibly two) more years with her at home is a blessing.  with our classroom not only in our loft but also at the museum, park, zoo, library, and hopping around downtown, our little lady will be given the very best and that makes my quite happy.  this colorful city of ours has much to teach us if we take the time and effort to explore it.  after searching out the best options for learning here at home and around our city, our perspective of preschool at home has many more possitbilies than we had ever entertained.  i am finding that there is much more in kansas city than i had ever knew in terms of history and culture which we will be weaving into our lessons as the weeks progress.

and so, with our first day of school starting in just a matter of a few days i have been buried in preschool curriculums and activities and maps and school supplies over here.  we have set up camp in our loft which just happens to be the perfect place to learn during the day.  it is up and out of the way of our general living area giving us a special place to do our schooling.  luckily when i stepped away from teaching i had heaps of leftover school supplies i had purchased.  we stocked our learning area with those, along with some activity books, puzzles, creative manipulatives, and other education tools we have collected since stella was born.  we purchased a few educational maps and such at paper source and brought up some furniture to make her space more conducive to learning.

to keep stella's education well-rounded we have decided to diversify the preschool curriculum and pull from a few different sources.  i have heard many wonderful things about handwriting without tears and that is what we are going to use for its ease, effectiveness, and simplicity.  i ordered these books to help with the first stages of reading, art, and poetry.  i also have many type of preschool and kindergarten workbooks with activities and stories to help her learn the ways of the world in addition to reading and writing.  you can search amazon and find a plethora of options at great prices.  i have yet to construct our schedule but want to make sure that we integrate many different types of learning strategies in our mini-lessons that will all together form our school day.

this is just the start of a long learning process so bear with me as i navigate my way through this and find what best works in terms of rhythm and flow for both stella and myself.  however disorganized we may be at the moment, we are eager to hop in, get messy, and find our way.  i will be posting little bits here and there for you to follow along, and naturally, any comments or questions about what we are doing are welcome!  but let's just keep this a positive space.