"No school today?"
When your kids don't go to school, they get asked that question all the time. "We homeschool," is our automatic response. There are other responses that more accurately describe our life outside of the realm of compulsory education, but this is the answer most easily understood. Or misunderstood.
So, if it isn't school, and it isn't exactly homeschool, what are we doing?
I found a pretty good answer on an art table the other day. There was an activity set up based on the book, Ish by Peter Reynolds. When I looked at the containers of ish-ful things, I was amused. The Home-ish container sat next to the School-ish container, creating a new way to look at what my family does every day. Both the activity, and the book, celebrate freedom to explore and create without being hindered by the need to "get it right."
That's kind of what we are doing. Sometimes we are learning at home, but learning happens everywhere. There isn't going to be a geography test but mapping different routes to Kansas is geography-ish. It isn't a math lesson, but calculating interest is math-ish. We are enjoying reading about the lives of U.S. presidents, which is history-ish. We aren't doing these things to pass a test. We are learning because learning is fun and useful and satisfying.
"No school today?"
"No. But it is kind of a home-ish school-ish day."
When your kids don't go to school, they get asked that question all the time. "We homeschool," is our automatic response. There are other responses that more accurately describe our life outside of the realm of compulsory education, but this is the answer most easily understood. Or misunderstood.
So, if it isn't school, and it isn't exactly homeschool, what are we doing?
I found a pretty good answer on an art table the other day. There was an activity set up based on the book, Ish by Peter Reynolds. When I looked at the containers of ish-ful things, I was amused. The Home-ish container sat next to the School-ish container, creating a new way to look at what my family does every day. Both the activity, and the book, celebrate freedom to explore and create without being hindered by the need to "get it right."
That's kind of what we are doing. Sometimes we are learning at home, but learning happens everywhere. There isn't going to be a geography test but mapping different routes to Kansas is geography-ish. It isn't a math lesson, but calculating interest is math-ish. We are enjoying reading about the lives of U.S. presidents, which is history-ish. We aren't doing these things to pass a test. We are learning because learning is fun and useful and satisfying.
"No school today?"
"No. But it is kind of a home-ish school-ish day."
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