I’ve been thinking a lot over the past year about the concept of unschooling.

I know that unschooling means different things to different people.  To me it simply means self-directed education.

Even though I am quick to link myself to the unit study approach, I believe I’m an unschooler at heart.  I try my best to supply the resources for my children, but I give them a choice in the matter.

This is why we do not always have a unit study going.  Sometimes we’re busy learning about Stan Lee or Japanese anime’, or graphic arts. 

Time 4 Learning has beome a great tool in our unschooling toolbox.  It’s so easy to use and it’s so fun!

Hi, I’m Lisa! 

My husband, Tim and I have been married for 21 years and have five children.  We currently homeschool four of them.   They are 17g(next week), 13b, 10b, 6b and 2b years old.  

We are closing in on the end of our 10th year of homeschooling. The years have flown by!   It has been hard, easy, scary, fun, challenging, but always….real.

We chose to home educate mainly for Biblical reasons in the beginning.  Being Christians, we wanted to add Godly principles to our children’s education.

After a short while, we realized we were also dealing with dyslexia and dysgraphia in our oldest child.  So, our story and our reasoning changed a bit-still Christian, but more. 

Now our homeschool also covers a language/developmentally delayed fantasy/sci-fi fan , one “easy breezy” artistic child, a very bright, possibly ADHD computer freak and the baby-our medical miracle heart baby!  Whew….

Our 6 year old is currently using T4L and is doing great!  We hope to add our 1o year old soon and then our 13 year old will squeak in before he gets too old.  Oh, how I wish I had T4L back in 1998….

That’s our story.  I hope to get to know you all and chat about all those things that make us who we are; so different and yet, so very similar…

Just a note to see what everyone is doing lesson wise for Thanksgiving?  We are new to homeschooling and I did not realize just how much info there is out there for virtually everything….aaahhhh…where do we start.  Luckily we have T4L!!!  I think it is so cool that we can access multiple grade levels that way we can sort of search for the topic that we are covering and utilize all resources.

My family is visiting this week and I have a cousin that teaches in California.  I can not wait to share time 4 learning with her.  She has a BA in education, but there you have to have a masters to teach….so she runs an after-school program for k-8.  Hopefully there will be some kids there that this program would help.  I know that she has all different degrees of learning abilities in the program….and all different degrees of parental involvement. 

I am also a little selfish….my parents are skeptical about this homeschooling thing, so maybe if she looks at the program and gives it a thumbs up they will get more ”into it.”  Don’t get me wrong…they are supportive…but ….  How do you other homeschool mom’s deal with that? 

The kids and I were talking about what we were thankful for….. I am thankful for the privlidge to teach my children, for guidance from the Lord, and for great curriculum like T4L!!!    

First off let me say WOOOHOOO to Z ( and mom) for completing the LA lessons!!!  That brings to mind a question about the LA section.  Are the extensions a part of the LA curriculum or are they just “extensions or extra practice” ?  ( Is that proper punctuation…the ” followed by the ? …  I think mom needs more grammar….aaahhhh) Also, has anyone come across the need for using the writing tool ?  I am wanting my children to do weekly writing assignments but have not seen where the writer is used?   

As you know we are new to homeschooling.  We have had the usual objections from parents…they are supporting but reluctantly. On Tuesday my son will go and take a academic assessment test given at our local university, ( the girls already took it last week during the appendix issue) ….so the girls will spend the morning with my mom.  Thanks again to T4L I will not have to worry about their school work.  Hopefully seeing how great this program is and how much fun the kids have with it my mom will be less reluctant…..   I will keep you posted!!

Hello:

Just a quick post to introduce myself and my family.  I am a first year homeschooling mom of 4.  We found Time4learning after most of our curriculum for this year was already purchased so we are using it as a supplement for this year.  I have one DD in 7th grade, who is going on 25 and another in 3rd grade who is going on 18….. I also have a DS in 5th grade and a toddler who rules the roost!!! 

The kids , and mom, love time4learning and I look forward to meeting and fellow-shipping with all of you.  Just wanted to share a little story.  Last week we were on a fall break of sorts and my DD 3rd grade got up and turned her computer on.  My husband asked her what she was doing and she said that she was doing her Time4learning.  He reminded her that she was on break and she said that she knew but it was fun and she wanted to do it anyway.   Yippie !!!!!

Momto4