A Curriculum Conundrum

One of the most common conversations I see with a lot of home learning families is what programs and curriculum are they using this year. This conversation often creates a lot of discussion and some tension. See curriculum is expensive, often for something that doesn't always get used or you child doesn't blend well with it.

Often you will end up with stack and stacks of stuff that gathers dust. Most other home learning families struggle every year with what they will have to supplement their child's interest. Do we need more stuff? Do we get the next level or finish the level we have even though the child knows all the concepts? What to do with all the half used stuff that just sits on the shelves.

I'm pretty sure just about every home learning family has at least a bookshelf or to filled with stuff that is currently not being used, maybe more than one. ;)

So that is why this year, I'm stuck. My school requires the funding that we get to be used on curriculum, at least partially. The issues is there really isn't stuff we need. With so much online and in the library why do we need to buy more junk, I mean wonderful learning materials, that are used for the year and then not needed? Or work books that are so redundant and repetitive that no one actually wants to use the whole thing? Or textbooks that really don't give you the whole story or accurate information?

the answer is I don't/ I much rather teach my children to use resources and have memberships to the different centers in the area. We are fortunate enough to live just outside of a big metropolis area that has wonderful science centers, cultural resources and a large amount of home learners. The resources are almost endless  and they don't need to come from a textbooks. Heck it's better if it doesn't. Real books, real experiences, real life is where learning truly comes from. It's one of the reasons we have kept the children home. We know their learning is much more.

Do you use curriculum? Why or why not?

Another year of NOT going to school

Today is the first day back to school for many children in my area. With living kiddie corner from a school we see the daily activity, the coming and going of a hundred or so of little children.  My Facebook has been covered with first day of school pictures and most of them look completely adorable.Wearing new clothes with a new haircut, ready to head off on a new adventure.
My boys looked nothing like that today.

They are clothed in the same old clothes. Well the older two are , lil is rejecting clothes today ( he had at least a shirt on earlier ) There are no new back packs or pencils. There honestly is nothing new or special about today. They have watched a bit of TV, played lego and read some books. Later they will have lunch and do something that interests them.  Later this week we will get together with some other home learners and have a picnic in the park. The children will play and run and laugh. 

Sure this year will be different Bug is in Grade 2 and Bobo is in kindergarten. Which pretty much means I have doubled my reporting work load but that is about it for change. We will continue our daily lives in a fairly relaxed fashion and life will go on.