Excerpt from the Big Book of Homeschooling

The following is an excerpt from The Big Book of Homeschooling.

Three Week Courses

My children learn best when we all focus on one subject until we complete it. We study science and history like this as well as other subjects. My older children love to open up a science book and know they can work on it until it is complete. So, we all study science for three weeks. The older children learn along with the younger as they help them read their science books. I learn as I read along with my older children. We do science experiments together, go out hunting earthy things, and grow slime and all the other weird things that go along with science. On camera, each child finishes up with a summary of what they learned.

Equine Studies

I am a “letter of the law” mama. I have always followed the curriculum page by page as if it were the Bible, and have thought poorly of those who did not. I called all other types of school “silly distractions.” Then, I had a visionary daughter; obedient, kind and loving, and willing to obey, but so very far behind in her ability to study and learn. It alarmed me that for blocks of time she seemed almost sad. She kept saying she really wanted to be a horse whisperer. After reading NGJ magazine, I knew I had to allow her to do school her way. So, in the place of her regular school books, she began watching and reading everything on training horses. She worked to save money so she could pay for horse riding classes. She more than excelled. Within the year, she was teaching volunteer classes. People—both children and adults—began to pay her for private lessons. Her clientele grew. Now, her interest has moved into equine nutrition, massage, and medicine. When she is not riding or teaching, she is studying. The once poor reader now pores over medical books like they were a teen magazine (which she deplores). And yes, the once sad, defeated child now talks with great confidence and has an endless stream of ideas for her future. I often wonder what would have become of my different child had I pressed her into my “dead works” mold. I am so glad I listened to my heart.

Debi says, “I love this! This child was allowed to follow her own vision.”

Debi Teaches Truth

Schooling That Works

Do some of your children hate school? If so, it is probably because what is being taught does not translate into real life. Learning something new should spark creative thinking. It should stimulate the mind to ask why, what, how, or when. Learning is like good tasting, nourishing food for the brain; the body simply craves, needs, expects, and lives by good quality knowledge. There is no joy or satisfaction apart from personal growth, fulfilling the yearning to know. God instilled in us the drive to learn, excel and use that know-how to help others. If your children hate to learn, then they are either learning the wrong thing or it is taught the wrong way, and the results will be poor both in the mind and in the soul. Stop, dump your curriculum and start afresh. This time, remember the end result is to instill a love to learn. The pursuit of knowledge and wisdom is best gained when there are hopes and dreams and a struggle to overcome. Our children should be constantly stimulated with possibilities. A child performs best when focused and committed.

Example for very young child:

For a very young child, a daily focus could be learning about one particular animal and then preparing to share that information with the family. The whole day of learning would be woven together. Art, math (counting days of gestation which includes using a calendar and number of babies carried), reading, language, writing, and studying YouTube videos about the animal. Then, at the end of the day, the child learns the rewards of how to share his knowledge with others.

Today, my grandson ate his first fig picked from the tree. As he was eating the fig, he noticed how sweet it was and wondered what percentage of sugar was in a fresh fig. Because his mind was already stirred by the fig, we changed our day’s homeschool plan over to the study of figs. We “Googled” figs and read about how to plant them, where they grow, how to get more fruit from each tree by breaking off foliage, and then we studied how to preserve and cook with figs. After several hardy discussions, we studied the nutritional quality of figs. We both learned, and, when his mama came in the door, he announced to her that the fig was the most nutritious of all fruits.

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The Big Book of Homeschooling

Homeschooling pioneer and veteran Debi Pearl combines her over 35 years of experience and sound wisdom with the input of other successful homeschool mothers in this must-have homeschooling guide. Includes an extensive list of excellent resources for the busy homeschool mother. A great addition to every homeschool family library! Illustrated and in full color!