Home Education Week: What is Normal?

Welcome to Home Education Week, hosted by Principled Discovery. Class is in session, and today I'm talking about "What is Normal?"

We have a group of homeschooling moms that meet up once a month. Pretty impressive for such a teeny town. That group is the definition of eclectic. It's the perfect answer to "What is normal?" There are different spiritual beliefs in that room, different curriculum used (even some unschooling), every age imaginable, different interests, different gifts and abilities.

The one thing we have in common is that we care about the education of our children.

And that's about it. We all share various things with others, but we are anything but cookie cutter.

There is no "normal" in homeschooling. There shouldn't be. That is the very reason we oversee the education of our children. We even have a new "normal" in our home since we switched to a different approach.

When you wake up in my house, you get something to eat, get dressed for the day, and somewhere around 8:30 am, we all curl up on the couch to read. We do some spelling (not a spelling test, but the Sequential Spelling approach - about ten minutes, and immediate correction). We either do some dictation from one of the books we're reading, or we mark up the dictation from the day before as we talk about grammar.

There is reading for science, and more great living books on the historical things we're learning. There might be a science project - depends on what day it is. Sometimes there is some creative writing. We do some math. In the middle of it all (about 10:00 am), everyone takes a break - snacks and playing - even Mom, if she wants. Usually all of this deliberate learning is done by lunchtime.

After lunch there is more playing, and then everyone does some chores. If all the chores are done, and done correctly, you earn two TV/computer coupons for the weekend (one coupon can be redeemed for a half hour of brain rotting TV or computer time).

We do our morning learning stuff all over the place (couch, floor, while eating breakfast, on the toilet! WHEREVER!). When I first started, I had a little table set up where we would "do school." I laugh SO HARD at myself when I look back on that time. I meet person after person after person who did the same thing in the beginning, only to throw it out the window. There are others who actually have a school room or school table in their home and use it religiously. So what's normal?

All of it.

What's a normal homeschool schedule?

All of them.

What's a typical homeschool curriculum?

You guessed it - and that includes unschoolers who do not utilize any specific curriculum.

In the beginning, many home educators tend to lean toward a standard curriculum, following someone else's suggested schedule, and doing things in a highly structured way. That's okay. That's normal, too, because it's new. It can even be scary.

After about three years, you start to have a lot more faith, not just in yourself but in your children. That's where "normal" continues to redefine itself.

It's not scientific, because you are dealing with children. Actual little people. It's fluid and organic and fascinating and scary and challenging and so unbelievably enjoyable.

It's what you make of it ... your "normal."