The Daily Folder System

Ok, so you all know by now that we are eclectic homeschoolers that lean towards unschooling.  Eh- or maybe you don't.  What this looks like in action, can vary.  But on most days, we have goals that we would like to accomplish and then I simply leave the rest up to chance.  Our goals are fairly simple, Monday through Thursday the kiddo has classes to attend and then we aim for one hour of workbook or online learning and one hour of quiet reading.  From there, the kiddo is free to pursue his own ideas.

For years now, this has been working pretty well.  Some days, there's more home learning then others and many times he reads for way longer then just 60 minutes.  However, this year- it seems we've turned a corner.  Since September, I have spent the majority of the day yelling at the kiddo to get his workbook and reading done while he's spent his time NOT doing it.  It's a battle of wills in my house with no clear winner.

And so- I'm switching things up!  Ah- one of the many great benefits to homeschooling.  When one thing isn't working, you can change it.  Love that!  So I wanted to share with you the folder system that I came up with one afternoon.  Perhaps it just might help you too?


What You'll Need

• 5 folders with pockets
• sharpie
• post its or paper clips
• worksheets, curriculum, workbooks etc
• computer/printer

The process is easy.

Step 1:  Create a daily checklist in either Word or Excel for the next month or two.  You could also do this by hand and simply make copies if that's easier for you.  

Daily Checklist

Keep in mind your schedule constraints for each day.  For example, the kiddo has several hours of classes on M/W so for those days, the daily checklist is different then it is for T/Th.

Step 2:  Write the day of the week on the outside of each folder with your sharpie marker.  On the inside, write "Assigned" on the left pocket and "Completed" on the right pocket.

Assigned & Completed Assignments

Step 3:  Tape the daily checklist on the outside of the folder with the corresponding day.  So Wednesday's checklist on Wednesday's folder.  Easy, right?

Step 4:  Pull assignments, worksheets, curriculum etc for each day.  Paper clip together and label it.

Because the checklist is 5 weeks long, I pull 5 weeks worth of curriculum at once.  If you prefer to only have to do this every couple months, or every 6 months- then by all means, extend your checklist to include the length of time you prefer.

And that's it.  Seriously, you're done.

How It Works:

Your kid pulls the folder for that day.  So if it's Monday, then pull Monday's folder.  Look inside the "Assigned" pocket to find that dates assignments.  

Once the assignments are done, they mark them off the daily checklist located on the outside of the folder and move them to the "Completed" pocket.

*Tip- I also include quiet reading, science experiments, crafts, chores etc on the checklist.  Same principal applies here.  So even though there might not be items in the "Assigned" pocket, they will still need to complete these and mark them off the daily checklist.  Like quiet reading for example...

You can then check their work in the "Completed" pocket and make note of anything left to be done on the outside daily checklist.

Pretty simple right?  We are on week one of this new system but already, I'm seeing big improvements!  

The Daily Folders

The Best Homeschooling Lessons Do NOT Come From a Textbook

Remember at the beginning of this month, when I posted about Unschooling?  Eh- perhaps you don't.

The gist of it was that the kiddo decided he was going to write a letter to his Great Grandparents in California.  He poured over this letter for a full week and then made some original mud drawings to accompany the letter.

Well today, the kiddo received a return letter.  He tore into that thing like it was Christmas!

The return letter

And the letter that followed the sweet puppy dog calendar was simply the best letter a Grandparent (or in this case, Great Grandparent) could write to a young child.  I'm not going to copy it word for word- because, well....some things are private.  But I will give you just a short excerpt that my Grandpa wrote to the kiddo.

"Will:  Got your letter yesterday along with paw prints in "real mud" of your Buddy.  That is one of the most thoughtful and special letters that I have ever received.  Thank You."

So yeah.  That was awesome.

I just want to take a moment to acknowledge all the things that are right with this:

• Investing in the special bond between Grandparents and Grandson
• Taking the time to write a reply
• Acknowledging when someone has done something special for you
• Leading by example
• Going above and beyond
• Showing your family what it means to be a Grandparent- honesty, respect, follow through, kindness and consideration
• Being a constant and uplifting presence in your Grand children's lives

And now I want to highlight what the kiddo has learned from all of this:

• Something as simple as writing a letter, can brighten someone's day
• Thoughtful gestures should always be appreciated
• There are lots of people who love you and show it
• Some Grandparents are truly awesome
• Proper etiquette and letter writing skills
• Going above and beyond
• Following the example set by these Grandparents, as they always write letters to the kiddo
• What it means to invest in a special relationship
• Getting mail is fun- even for Grandparents

Personally, I have learned that this is the type of Grandma I want to be when I get older.  I want to be a loving and constant presence.  I want to write letters, send cards and funny emails.  Well- if emails and the post office still exist in 50 years!  I want to celebrate with them and be thankful for them.  I want them to learn that they can count on me.  But most importantly, I want to show them love and teach them what it means to be a Grandparent.  I want to lead by example just as my Grandparents have done for me and for my son.

These lessons didn't come from a book, an online class or unit study.  Because as all homeschooling parents know, the best lessons in life, the ones that last forever- are those we don't learn from a textbook.

Unschooling Rocks!

Did you see the post last week called, How Do YOU Homeschool?

Well if you missed it, I talked a bit about how my family homeschools.  Part of our process involves Unschooling.  The idea that children direct what they want to learn, when they want to learn it.  Oh yeah- Unschooling.  While I wouldn't consider us 100% to be Unschoolers, we do really love the concept behind child-led learning and try to embrace it whenever possible.

So how does this translate into real life?

Now that's a very good question.

It looks something like this.

I know....pretty adorable huh?  That's the kiddo.  Just this Monday, he decided that he wanted to write a letter to his great Grandparents.  We have visited them almost every year since he was 3 and he talks about them often.  My Grandpa, his Great Grandpa, writes him letters and sends him mail just about every month.  This is something he has done with all of his grandchildren and now his great grandchildren- it's amazing and truly special.  So even though they may live two states away, they have still made it a priority to be in his life and in our lives.  This is what being a Grandparent is all about, now that's simply awesome!

So back to the letter.  The kiddo must have rewritten this letter 3 or 4 times.  He carefully fixed his spelling errors (although I'm sure there's still a few) and worked on how to properly begin and end his letter, worked on grammar, sentence structure and basically poured over this masterpiece daily until he had it just right.  He then added some original artwork in the form of mud drawings, yes mud.  And so his trusty sidekick, Buddy Boy wasn't left out- he helped Buddy Boy make his own mud paw print.  Trust me, my Grandparents will love this perhaps most of all.  By Thursday, he was finally finished.

We discussed another visit and researched some areas that we thought might be fun to see.  Since they live in the desert, the kiddo was curious to learn more about this climate and some of the animals we saw on our last trip.  And when all was said and done, I taught him how to properly address the envelope to mail and then we drove down to the post office so he could weigh it and mail it.

This is Unschooling.

The kiddo woke up one day and decided he wanted to write a letter.

Then we worked on spelling, grammar, how to mail packages, geography, art etc.  I was there the entire way to assist him but I did NOT tell him to what do, what to write or anything else.  I was simply there to facilitate the learning and to provide him with the tools he needed to continue on his own journey.  This was not part of a curriculum or unit study.  It happened naturally and we explored it further so as to expand upon the learning.

This is what happens when you relax and allow your children to follow their own interests.  I'm sure that most parents are already doing this, you may not even know you're doing it!  This is Unschooling and it Rocks!




*Want to read the follow up post?  Click here to read all about the return letter and the lessons learned.

How Do YOU Homeschool?

If you've been following my blog, you may have heard me say- "we are eclectic homeschoolers and lean towards unschooling."  If you're new to the homeschooling world, this may as well be a sentence in Latin.  Trust me, I know.  It took me awhile to get the lingo and some things I still have no clue what people are talking about.  So allow me to explain exactly what I mean when I say this sentence.

Eclectic homeschooling is simply the idea that curriculum, lessons and learning comes from many different avenues.  For this reason we do NOT have a set curriculum.  I pull William's lessons from several sources and incorporate lots of resources and tools.  Some things that I am currently using are:

• Scholastic Workbooks
• Sylvan Math Workbook
• Compass Odyssey online program
• Science experiment kit from Lakeshore Learning
• Classes taught by certified teachers and experts in the field at Edmonds Heights
• Sports
• YMCA membership
• Field trips and activities
• Worksheets printed from Education.com
• Online math games from CoolMath.com
• Board games
• Projects around the house
• Free quiet reading
• Weekly library trips
• DVD's and YouTube videos
• Art projects and classes
• Holiday themed activities
• Building projects at local hardware store

With unschooling there is no curriculum, there are no workbooks, no formal classes- nothing.  The concept of unschooling is that children learn what they want to learn when they want to learn it.  It is 100% child led.  

I love this concept but have to admit that 100% child led learning is just a little scary.  When I say that we LEAN towards unschooling, I simply mean that we try to let William direct his education.  If he's really interested in volcanoes, we allow him to pursue that.  We do not wait months later for it to come up in a unit study or perhaps wait a year for him to learn about a certain subject when he's older.  We let him learn now, when he's curious about it and the information will be more exciting to him.  By the way, did you know if kids are passionate about a subject they are more likely to enjoy the learning process and better retain the information?  Score for unschooling!

While you may think that parents who unschool would be fairly hands off in their approach to their children's education, this simply isn't true.  The role of an unschooling parent is to provide vast amounts of materials to help facilitate their kids learning process.  For example, last summer when William was interested in volcanoes, I helped him check out books on volcanoes, pulled up YouTube videos for him to watch, bought him a volcano making kit, put together art projects and took him to see a real, live volcano.  This can be much more exhausting and time consuming then simply following a set curriculum.  So parents- you've been warned. ;)  

We incorporate both of these styles into our son's education.  He takes classes during the regular school year- typically twice per day for 2 hours daily.  He also does 60 minutes of workbook, worksheets or computer learning as well as 60 minutes of daily, quiet reading in a book of his choice.  The rest is unschooling.  Once he's done with his "school work" as he calls it, he is free to pursue his own interests.  Some days he wants to go swimming at the YMCA, or go to their youth center to do a new craft.  Other days he makes an invention in the backyard with his trusty sidekick, Buddy Boy.  Perhaps he draws replicas of Lego Bionicals and spends time online researching all the characters.  He might want to play Monopoly or write a story complete with illustrations.  Some days he wants to go to the library to pick out new books or take a walk in the park and look for treasure.  For this reason, we also homeschool year round.  There is no off button when learning is happening.  And you really never know where the day will take us, the sky's the limit and I have to admit, that it's pretty fun too!

If you want to read more about what it means to be an unschooler, I highly recommend you check out The Unschool Bus.  They are awesome!

For us, this is what we do now.  This may change in the future and that's the great thing about homeschooling.  The ability to do what works and if it's not working, the freedom to change.  But I have to say, that right now- I'm pretty happy with how we homeschool and the methods we've adopted.  How do YOU homeschool?

What Do You Mean You Don't Have a Curriculum?

Whenever I tell people that we are homeschoolers, one of the common statements I hear is- "I know "so and so" who also homeschools.  Aren't you lucky that there's so much curriculum available."

Ugh.

Here we go.

And so begins the question from non-homeschooling people- "what curriculum do you use?"  And then I feel compelled to tell them the truth, which is- we don't.  And of course their eyes bug out just a little bit and they stammer- "wha what? how can you homeschool without curriculum?"  Hmm...well gee- I don't know.  How can you parent without a manual?  It's not rocket science here folks, although if it were I would definitely hire my son a tutor!  Ha!

The reality is that many homeschoolers do NOT use a boxed curriculum.  I talk a bit here about what we use and how we personally save money on homeschooling resources.  But there's other reasons besides money that we have chosen to not buy a curriculum.

• Boredom.  Boo- sometimes those boxed sets are downright boring and tedious.  No thanks!
• Flexibility.  My son is 8.  He is totally focused on one thing for a week or two and then it's on to another.  I have no clue a year in advance what he'll be into.  How could I possibly plan curriculum around this?  You can't.
• To follow a specific method of homeschooling.  We are eclectic homeschoolers who lean towards unschooling.  This can't happen with a boxed curriculum.
• What about the gifted or disabled kids?  A boxed set is designed to do what a traditional public school does- it aims for the middle of the road.  What if your kid is ahead of the game?  What if they have a learning disability?
• This is not the way my son likes to learn.  He is NOT a sit down with paper & pencil learner.  He's a hands on, doing, touching, feeling sort of kid.  So to go against his natural learning style would be a huge detriment to him.
• And of course money.  Holy Buckets are those boxed sets pricey!

See there- lots of excellent reasons.....So if we don't use a formal pre packaged curriculum then what DO we use?  

• Books
• Magazines
• DVD's
• Homeschool classes
• Field trips
• Workbooks
• The outside world- nature
• Participation in sports- soccer, martial arts, swimming
• Workshop classes
• The Internet
• Toys & Games
• Physical tools- magnify glass, projects, microscopes, arts & crafts, etc

So I suppose I shouldn't feel so guilty the next time someone comments on my lack of curriculum.  I think what we use and how we have chosen to homeschool is pretty awesome.  It fits our lifestyle and it fits my son's learning style- which is really all that matters.

What do you use in your homeschooling journey?

Who is the Homeschooled Housewife?

Homeschooled Housewife is growing!  Yay!  You like me, you really, really like me!

We are developing quite the following on our Facebook page.  We just hit 300 likes and see nothing but growth in the future.  Awesome.

So I figured a brief refresher on who Homeschooled Housewife is, might be nice.  No?

My name is Chrissie.  I am 32 years old, been in a committed relationship with my husband for over 13 years and we are soon to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary.  Go Us!  We have one son who is 8 years old, William and he is homeschooled.  While William does attend a homeschool program through our local school  district two days per week, the majority of his learning happens at home.  With me.

We are eclectic homeschoolers..  Which simply means that I pull William's curriculum from many different places.  We also embrace the unschooling method of homeschooling and try and relax and encourage unschooling to happen.  Easier said then done sometimes.

Our beloved Rat Terriers are also a HUGE part of our family.  Lucky Dog is 13 and Buddy Boy is almost 2.  We love them very much.  You will often see me posting about "My Boys" or see pictures of all their funny antics.  They are adorable and we love them insanely.

Just as homeschooling is a way of life for us, so is my being a housewife.  My husband and I firmly believe that our traditional marriage is the best one for us and we value a woman's place in the home.  You can check out my series about traditional marriage by clicking here.

Another issue that is very important to us is our food.  We eat mainly organic, non-processed foods.  We also try to keep most our meals vegetarian, made from scratch and are working our ways towards a much healthier lifestyle.  Chemicals and toxins have no place in our food, our bodies or our homes.  I will post about this often.

On a more personal note- I work part time from home.  I have always worked and homeschooled in some capacity.  We have never had the luxury of my being a full time stay at home Mom.  However, my priority has always been to fit my work around my family.  I am NOT a career woman- I work to help pay the bills. If there every comes a time when we no longer need to me help out, you best believe that I'm outta here!

I also enjoy reading, coffee, couponing, baking and cooking.  I am happiest with a steamy romance novel and a cup of strong coffee.  Oh- and I like Disney.  I'm kind of a freak about it but don't tell anyone....

July 4th- It's NOT the President's Birthday

Driving in the car the other day, William asked me how many more days until the 4th of July.  Nothing new- we've been counting down since mid June.  But when I said, "America's birthday is in 6 days" his immediate reply was "it's not America's birthday Mom! It's the President's".  Hmm...no. Not quite child.  Clearly this Homeschooling Mama has failed in the teaching of the true meaning of the 4th of July.

So I set out to teach him.  I put some books on hold at the library and looked up some YouTube videos.  Seriously- every proper homeschooling Mom needs to utilize the library & YouTube!  But then I thought- does William know the true meaning behind any of the holidays?  I like to think he understands Christmas and Easter, but let's face it- Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are more present in my home then Jesus is.  And so begins the real dilemma.  How does one go about teaching the true meaning behind each holiday?  And further more- is it really necessary?  Seriously- do you know why we celebrate St.Patrick's Day?  I know we all love pinching those unlucky folks not wearing green & enjoy getting shnockered on Guinness (blech!) but what's it really about??  And what's up with Valentine's Day- that's not even a real holiday!  How about those lesser known "B list" holidays, like Earth Day & Flag Day?  Arbor Day anyone?  A busy Mom could drive herself crazy trying to celebrate each one.  And let's not forget other cultures and their holidays.  I sure would like my child to have a basic understanding of Kwanzaa & Yom Kippur and other holidays- wouldn't you?




William & his Firework Swords

I know that when William gets older and looks back on these celebrations, it's the traditions he will remember.  Blowing things up with Daddy.  Making ice cream sodas with Mom.  BBQ with the grandparents & neighbors.  Trips to the Indian Reservation for the "good" stuff.  Staying up late, eating too much junk food, making the "snakes" grow, dancing on Pop-It's, having Sparkler wars and more.  Does it really matter that for now, he thinks it's the President's birthday instead of America's?  Hey- at least he still thinks it's someone's birthday, right?

So I decided to give myself a reprieve.  I'm not the worst Mom ever- I've still got time to teach him.  And let's face it, if he went to a "normal" school, he wouldn't be learning the true meaning of any holiday.  Jesus who?  And for goodness sakes, what is a Fall Festival? Seriously??  Sad but true my friends.  Sad but true...

So I relaxed....and then a wonderful thing happened.  He started reading those books.  He started asking me questions.  He wanted to learn and so he did.  "Mom, is the White House in Washington?  Mom, is Obama the President of our country?  Mom, how old is America?  Mom, who bakes the cake for America?"  That last question was my favorite and indeed a good question.  I don't know son- lets google it.

Has this ever happened in your house?  This my fellow parents is called  Unschooling.  The radical idea that children can learn from their environment.  No formal anything- nada, zip, zilch.  And it's amazing!  You as parents provide the tools, the materials, the books, the YouTube videos, the opportunities and your children learn.  Simple as that.  Man, do I love when this happens!

Now as we approach The President's America's Birthday- William knows just a little bit more about it then he did last week.  For me, that's good enough.  And perhaps, we will bake that cake for America.  It is her birthday after all.


Happy Birthday America!